Blue Flag Distillery is coming to Fort Worth’s Near Southside neighborhood. (Credit: Blue Flag)

Move over Rahr. Here comes Blue Flag.

Yes, it’s true. The spot on Fort Worth’s Near Southside will have a new occupant by early fall. Blue Flag Distillery announced last week plans to open its distillery at 701 Galveston Ave., the site of Rahr & Sons Brewing Company.

Blue Flag Distillery is Fort Worth’s new entry into Texas hospitality and North Texas’ first whiskey distillery, the company says. The name comes from owner Will Rucker’s neighborly habit of raising a blue flag to signal an open invitation to neighbors that it was time for drinks and conversation on his front porch.

Brewing veteran Nate Swan is joining Rucker to extend that southern-style hospitality to a business location. Swan has worked for more than a decade in the brewing industry and is now transferring that experience into distilling for Blue Flag.

Brewer Nate Swan and CEO Will Rucker are the team behind Blue Flag Distillery, part of the growth of businesses in Fort Worth’s southern sector.

Rahr’s Boom

After two decades of pouring pints and pioneering Fort Worth’s southside revival, Rahr & Sons Brewing Company announced in April 2025 that it’s packing up its tanks and searching for a new Fort Worth home. While the original taproom has closed, Rahr fans can relax. Production continues, and the beer keeps flowing while owners scout for the brewery’s next big space. So says the company’s website.

“After 20 amazing years, we’ve outgrown our current home,” the website reads. “While our Galveston location may be closed for now, Rahr is still very much alive — brewing your favorite craft beers and passion into every pint.”

Now the 37,000-square-foot space is getting a facelift. Blue Flag will transform its new home, adding a private tasting room, retail shop and event space big enough to show some of that signature hospitality to cozy cocktail parties to full-blown blowouts for up to 600.

“Everything, including the event space, will be completely redesigned and reenvisioned, with more natural light and a warm, hospitable ambiance,” said Swan. “Blue Flag has leased the entire space, including the building at 700 S. Main St, which will house the tasting room.”

What Is It?

American Single Malt has officially hit the big time. As of Jan. 19, 2025, the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau formally recognized it as its own whiskey category — joining the ranks of bourbon and rye. To earn the label, a whiskey must be mashed, distilled, and aged entirely in the U.S., made from 100% malted barley at a single distillery, and aged in oak barrels no larger than 700 liters.

No matter the label nor the requirements, Blue Flag Distillery is expected to be flying the blue flag proudly signaling that the business is ready for sips and conversation in early fall.