FOOD & BEVERAGE

FOOD & BEVERAGE

The Crafting of Art and Brew

Four Corners Brewing Co.’s George Esquivel is sparking multicultural connections with cleverly named brews and vibrant hues.

story by BEN SWANGER photography by SEAN BERRY

A WIDE REACH

Four Corners’ products can be found in more than 4,500 stores across the state of Texas.

THE TAPROOM

The company’s home base plays host to game nights, pop-up shops, and musical talent.

I

it was 2002 when george esquivel, the leader of Four Corners Brewing, began to make beer in a dusty garage with co-founder Steve Porcari. Nearly 20 years later, their products can be found in more than 4,500 stores across Texas, and their brewery in the Cedars has become known for its multicultural connections, creative brew names, weekly events, and more.

Esquivel’s first dream was to be a musician, but that fantasy never played out. So, he moved to plan B. “Growing up, I thought advertising was sexy,” he says. Early on in his career, he worked in branding with Mission Foods, where his expertise for attracting a customer through packaging was recognized. “I saw my plans in action, and that was exciting,” he says. At the same time, his curiosity for beer spiked, and he became a homebrewer alongside Porcari. “I tried this blueberry beer, and I thought it was the coolest thing, so we tried to recreate it,” he says. “It ended up being horrible.”

BREWING BIG Four Corners sits on 1.5 acres and has the brewing capacity for 500,000 cases of beer. VIBRANT HUES Bright-colored packaging is inspired by Lotería—a Mexican-style bingo game. CLASSIC ROOTS

Esquivel’s facility served as a horse stable for the Amabassador Hotel in the early 1900’s.

Seeking quality, they furnished Porcari’s house with a five-gallon brewing system, and weekends were spent perfecting drafts—drawing sugars from grain, testing the hops-to-yeast ratio, and tinkering with temperatures. “By 2007, we found something,” Esquivel says.

That year, they entered a homebrewing competition sponsored by Eno’s Pizza Tavern in the Bishop Arts District alongside six other competitors. Esquivel’s band provided the live entertainment. Both the brew and music hit the perfect note. “From there, we met the right people to help us realize our potential,” Esquivel says. Their popularity grew, Esquivel quit his day job, picked up a third partner, and started a funding campaign in 2011; it netted $650,000, enough to launch Four Corners Brewing Co. A second round banked $1.5 million, and Four Corners was set to soar. Esquivel’s marketing plays on vibrancy and humor inspired by his Latin roots. “Beer is beyond a product,” he says. “It’s a thing that brings cultures together.”

Four Corners has fostered 31 percent annual growth since its 2012 founding. In 2018, it was acquired by Constellation Brands—bringing the brew to Southern California. Esquivel has future plans to tap into non-alcoholic beverages. “We’re known as a beer company but aspire to be a brewing company,” he says. “If we think about all of the beverages that are brewed—teas, coffees, beer—there are so many ever-changing needs and wants of consumers.”

An Inclusive Inspiration

Four Corners Brewing Co.’s name derives from the intersection of Davis Street and Llewellyn Avenue in Oak Cliff. Near the four corners are four entities Esquivel took a liking to: Taqueria El Si Hay, Gloria’s Latin Cuisine, the now-closed Bolsa, and a tire shop. “That street quadrant felt like the crossroads of inclusivity,” he says. “It felt dynamic, vibrant, accepting. That’s exactly what we wanted to package up and share with people.” The company’s colorful packaging is inspired by Lotería—a Mexican bingo-style game that Esquivel grew up playing. Brews include El Grito, El Chingón, Local Buzz, Heart O’ Texas, and El Super Bee. “We’re trying to give the industry an artful balance ... by merging worlds together. Our real mission is to bridge cultures,” Esquivel says.