Diamond Bear Brewery | North Little Rock, AR
Beer Trip: Diamond Bear Brewery in North Little Rock, Arkansas
A recent work trip took Chris to Little Rock, so with a few hours to spare we ran a quick search on area breweries. Upon doing so, we found Diamond Bear Brewery, which just so happens to be the oldest brewery in the state of Arkansas! Offering a nice selection of drafts and an enjoyable atmosphere, this made for the perfect stop.
The Brewery
Pulling up, the location was somewhat confusing because the building reads “Ol’ Bart at Diamond Bear Brewing Co.” We didn’t know whether this was the brewery or the restaurant, but as it turns out they are the same. The place is a large metal building with plenty of parking and a nice covered outdoor patio that could be utilized year-round. You are immediately greeted by a full-sized taxidermy bear wearing brewery apparel upon walking in the front door. We’ve got to say - that was a first for us!
The space is filled with many wooden tables and booths, along with a concrete bar towards the back of the room. Off to the side sits a small stage where they perform karaoke on Tuesdays and trivia on Wednesdays. In addition to the main brewery/restaurant, the back of the building has a separate reservable space complete with another bar for private events.
The Beer
Diamond Bear maintains 10 different taps at any given time, with nearly all of them being varied in style. During our visit, they offered an amber, porter, golden lager, Irish red, stout, a few wheats, and 2 IPAs. It’s always nice to see a brewery with so many varieties! While it isn’t alcoholic, they also craft their own root beer. Of their 10 offerings, about half are considered flagships, 2 - 3 rotate seasonally, and the remaining are one-offs.
We aren’t sure how Diamond Bear has stayed under our radar for as long as it has, because we were extremely impressed with their beer. The first beer ordered actually came to us by accident as the bartender ended up pouring the Oatmeal Stout by mistake. Of course, the staff offered us the mistaken pour but, fortunate for us, this ended up being the favorite that we tried! This stout had the perfect hint of coffee and was smooth like you couldn’t expect. For a warmer day, this surprisingly hit the spot. One of our other selections was their Irish Red. This definitely had the rich maltiness that we enjoy with a standard Irish Red, but it was also very sweet which created a nice balance. In fact, this one won a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival.
Food, Merch, & More
As previously mentioned, Diamond Bear has a full restaurant side known as Ol’ Bart Southern Eats. They have appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, and more - but their specialty is smoked meats. While we didn’t try anything on our visit, people around us were ordering items and everything looked fantastic (not to mention, the smoky smell filling the building was to die for)! If beer isn’t your thing, they also have a fully stocked bar.
We obviously always check out the merchandise section when visiting a brewery, and this visit was no different. There aren’t a lot of items here, but they did have t-shirts, stickers, and a large selection of to-go beer including an entire table in the middle of the room with their different offerings.
While we don’t make it to Little Rock often, Diamond Bear is a place we would certainly revisit. The next trip will need to include food alongside more of their great beer!
Cheers!
