Diamond Bear Brewing Company at 600 N Broadway Street in North Little Rock is celebrating 21 years in business this October. “We’re finally old enough to drink!” the brewery jokes on social media.
Before opening its current location in North Little Rock in 2011, Diamond Bear was already an established commercial brewery – Arkansas’s largest, to be exact, distributing regionally and winning awards for its craft beers for a decade. Run by husband and wife team Russ and Sue Melton, “Diamond Bear” is named after Arkansas’s nicknames as the Diamond State and the Bear State. (For more history on the brewery, Encyclopedia of Arkansas has some great info here). The beers themselves are brewed and bottled in North Little Rock without adjuncts, chemicals or additives and include lagers, IPAs, porter and root beer. Recently the brewery added hard seltzers to their mix.
Aside from the beer production, Diamond Bear also has a Taproom and Pub open daily for all ages to enjoy lunch and dinner. They sum up their menu as “Burgers, Beer, Brats and Bar-B-Que”. The space also includes a dog-friendly patio, tasting room and gift shop.
You’re invited: Diamond Bear is throwing a celebration Friday, October 8, 2021, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with brewery open house, brewers on-hand to answer questions, new beers on tap, special menu, games, live music and commemorative shirts and glasses.