If the Dallas beer scene is a puzzle, then the missing piece is brewpubs. Small Brewpub, a new addition to the Jefferson Tower construction, hopes to help fill that missing puzzle piece with house-brewed beer, food and artisanal cocktails.

Brewpubs are establishments that make and sell beer on-site and commonly have a restaurant to go with it. Small Brewpub has been in the making for over two years now, stemming from friends’ backyard tastings and homebrew passion. Joshua Dawn, one of the owners, described the vision of Small Brewpub as “… communal and seasonal,” hoping to mesh their food and drinks to the seasons and their community.

Their seven-barrel (roughly 225 gallons) brew system is already working overtime right now as they are working out early restaurant life kinks like ordering malt and hops. Their mainstay beer, a Black Peppercorn Pilsner, will always be on tap, Dawn says, and has been a local favorite. Its peppery backbone is elevated against orange peel, coriander, rye malt and grains of paradise. It’s light, but complex enough to crave another. Others they hope to have on tap soon include a traditional English style IPA and an American IPA. Their plan is to have six house beers alongside several guest taps.

Misti Norris, previously sous chef at the popular Dallas eatery FT33, is plating out simple food but done well, from house-cured meats for the charcuterie to the house-made boudin with what was described as a phenomenal apple hot sauce. There are also cocktails for those who aren’t into beer. Benj Pocta, another one of the owners, is the man behind the spirits and hopes to make approachable cocktails stemming from the classics.

Everything about Small Brewpub is small, from their space to their menu. However, brewpubs have been a neighborhood tradition in the American beer scene, and Small Brewpub’s ambition to continue with that tradition is anything but small.

Small Brewpub is open daily from 4 p.m.-midnight with the kitchen opening at 5:30pm (the kitchen is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays).