The Dallas restaurant and bar scene experienced an invasion in the past year.  The invasion of the mixologists.  These high-class bartenders introduce a plethora of cocktails so delicious we forgot a good drink doesn't always need countless ingredients.  In fact, it only needs four: water, barley, hops and yeast.  The best part is these ingredients can be manipulated in so many ways that you will never become bored with the combination.  At least that is the attitude at Flying Saucer Addison, a beer bar with over 200 different beers from around the world.  Judging by the interior design, patrons of The Saucer agree.  

When entering the bar you may feel as though you stumbled into an antique store that specializes in the hanging dinnerware your grandmother collects. Plates, which line almost every available wall and ceiling space, seem like a quirky juxtaposition in décor next to the biergarten-style tables and line of beer taps that don't seem to end.  However, after closer inspection you will find the majority of plates actually represent the legends of Flying Saucer. The people who came, who saw and who conquered the impressive beer list.  Members of the UFO club, also known as "BeerKnurds", who have spent at least 67 nights (or days, no judgment) accomplishing the task of drinking 200 beers.  The prize, a saucer with the saying of their choice hung in the bar to forever prove, "I'm dedicated to drinking, and I'm dedicated to drinking beer."  

Intrigued?  So was I.  Becoming a member of the UFO club is easy.  For $18 you'll receive a "BeerKnurd" t-shirt, a magnetic card to keep track of the consumption, and some selected prizes.  Membership also rewards you a cover-free entry on weekend nights. But receiving the ultimate beer-drinking champ prize isn't easy.  Only three beers per visit apply and each of the 200 beers must be different.  This means over two months worth of visits and drinking beers you may not favor.  You say you don't like Pale Ales?  Sorry pal, you're going to have to power through the heavy hops if you want to be immortalized.  If this commitment isn't yet for you, Flying Saucer is still worth the visit.  Rotating brews, fire sales on kegs, trivia Tuesdays, glass giveaways, happy hours, live music and special tapings are among the reasons this Addison gem thrives.  It is the perfect place to come any day of the week to relax with your friends over a Porter, I.P.A., Pilsner, Weizen, Stout, or any other style beer you can think of (seriously, they have everything!)

When you make it in for a pint, (or three or four), be sure to soak up the beer with Flying Saucer's cleverly crafted menu.  The four food groups that compliment beer best are featured: fried pizza and hot wings. On my last visit, after being swept up by the biergarten atmosphere and the perfect fruit to malt balance of the Dopplebock I couldn't pronounce (you try Weihenstephaner Korbinian), I stuck with the theme and ordered the Saucer Bratzel, the German house special.  Simply, the best soft pretzel in Dallas, covered in slices of beer bratwurst and melted Swiss cheese.  After finishing it, I immediately added food to my list of reasons to return.  

For dessert, I ordered a Left Hand Milk Stout, a beer black in color, creamy texture, and chocolate and coffee undertones.  The subtle sweetness and richness calmed the sweet tooth after finishing the savory Bratzel.  As I took in the flavor, I thought about the brewers who crafted the delicious brew.  In my book, their manipulation of basic ingredients make them just as ingenious as any mixologist around.  

-Kelly Haser

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The Beat:

The Stranglers - Golden Brown by purplewerewolfs

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Flying Saucer Addison

14999 Montfort Drive

Addison, TX 75254

(972) 991-7093