Social Project Brewing Co. | Bentonville, AR
Beer Trip: Social Project Brewing Co. in Bentonville, Arkansas
Northwest Arkansas has no shortage of craft breweries, so it isn’t hard to find a new one whenever we find ourselves in the area. Social Project Brewing Co. was our stop this week, and it quickly became one of our regional favorites.
The Brewery
Social Project sits inside a newer shopping center and has plenty of parking available. Walking up, you pass through the outdoor patio with a pergola to provide some shade. The indoor area is a bit small, with about a dozen tables and a modern feel featuring an exposed ceiling and concrete floors. A bee is a part of their logo, which they brilliantly incorporate by including honeycomb shapes around the space to tie things together subtly. A first for us, every Monday at the brewery is called “Hotdog Monday,” where they will literally give you a hot dog off their roller for you to doctor up with all the fixings. The best part of it? It’s free!
The Beer
Social Project has a nice selection of 14 different brews to choose from. Of those, they typically have 3 flagships, but we were told that sometimes a flagship might have to temporarily drop off to clear room for a new beer. Speaking of new beer, every single Friday, they release something new to their lineup. Once it’s gone, it’s gone! During this visit, their menu featured 6 different pale ales, various IPAs, a couple of sours, a Kolsch, a pilsner, and a barrel-aged stout. One neat feature of their selection is that nearly every beer is named after a song or song lyrics.
Compared to most places, you will pay a bit more for beer here - but, in our opinion, it’s well worth the price. They pump those dollars into some of the best beer around, including some of the most unique recipes that we’ve encountered. One example is the High Tide, which is a sour brewed with pineapple and coconut cream, making it taste just like a pina colada. You also can’t go wrong with any of their IPAs. While we didn’t sample them all, both their flagship Rivers & Roads hazy IPA and Drops of Jupiter double hazy IPA were top-notch. If you’re feeling even more adventurous, they have a triple hazy IPA available in the Map of Problematique.
Food, Merch, & More
You won’t find a full kitchen here, but they do have popcorn and chips available in addition to their Monday hot dogs. Since beer isn’t for everyone, Social Project has a nice selection of higher-end whiskeys, including one of their own, produced by Elijah Craig. They aren’t set up to provide a full bar experience, but do have some seasonal cocktails to choose from as well.
Tucked off to the side, you will find their merchandise selection, featuring t-shirts, hats, lots of glassware, and even a soft-sided cooler. Thankfully for us, they also can nearly every beer on tap. We made sure to take advantage!
Social Project is newer to the Arkansas beer scene, but has quickly gained a nice following. Based on our experience, this place should quickly start picking up some awards with its top-notch beer. We will certainly be back!
Cheers!
