Lost Forty Brewing | Little Rock, AR
Beer Trip: Lost Forty Brewing in Little Rock, Arkansas
Visiting Little Rock for the first time, we were pleasantly surprised with the number of brewery options in town. Unfortunately we only had time for one stop this go-around, but we picked Lost Forty and were not disappointed.
The Brewery
The first question we had walking in was “What is Lost Forty?” The very kind bartender took the time to explain its namesake - a 40-acre forest that was once coveted by all of the local lumber mills! The government actually stepped in and purchased this piece of ground, thus protecting it and making it “lost” to the foresting industry.
Lost Forty isn’t far from downtown, but sits far enough away so that parking isn’t a problem at all. The building itself is a large warehouse with the brewery on one half and the dining/tasting area on the other, with large glass windows separating the two. The inside feels like an old saw mill, from the large wooden tables and shelves to the tap handles featuring axes (again, all tying in nicely to their namesake). Near the front door they have a large, covered outdoor seating area that you almost miss walking up. The outdoor area has a cool “lean-to” vibe, complete with numerous picnic tables - we’re sure this space fills up quickly when the weather is nice!
The Beer
This brewery has a crazy number of drink options, with roughly 20 different taps! Of those 20 we were informed that 10 of them are flagships and the other 10 rotate as they are depleted. Since Lost Forty is a fairly large operation, they actually have a separate facility called Camp Taco where they brew micro batches of beer to test out with the public. If that recipe is a hit, it then goes over to the brewery for a larger offering. As you could imagine with so many taps, they had a multitude of styles - lots of IPAs, fruit beers, a scotch ale, and of course their big staples - the 2nd Rodeo and Love Honey Bock - both of which can be found all over Arkansas. In addition to the beer, Lost Forty has an array of seltzers called Punchy, which are available in all kinds of flavors such as Bing Bing Black Cherry, Pineapple Mango, Fuzzy Navel, and Tutti Frutti (just to name a few).
Lost Forty produces some great beer and is definitely above average in the flavor department. Prior to visiting we were already very familiar with the Love Honey Bock, which is a great, sweet honey brew that goes down easily. On this trip the Rooster Illusion was the top beer of the day! For an IPA it had a great milkshake taste to it that combined nicely with a smooth fruitiness. We liked it so much that we had to get some to bring home! The Currant Mood Cherry Ale was another solid choice with a unique acidity and sharp hint of cherry. With all of the different options, everyone will find something they like.
Food, Merch, & More
While Lost Forty is best known for being a brewery, they also feature a great food menu and seemed to be a dinner hot spot. With options including salads, wings, pizza, and burgers, it made for a great place to grab a bite. We opted for the chicken sandwich and can vouch for it being delicious!
One thing Lost Forty does better than most breweries is how they display their merchandise. Items included shirts, hats, glassware, coolers, and dog toys, and they were spread around two separate areas, brilliantly displayed as if you were in a clothing retail store. The to-go beer selection was also robust and they had almost every tap option available (which we took full advantage of).
We are certainly glad we selected Lost Forty as our afternoon stop. With a huge beer selection, great food, and cool merchandise, it is a place one could come back to over and over again and experience something new every time.
Cheers!
