Phantom Warrior Brewing: Veteran-owned business brews for a cause
By RACHEL STRICKLAND | Photos by SKEEBO
Micro-breweries are popping up all over the country and are becoming a highly desirable place to relax, hang out with friends, and meet people from the local community. Veteran-owned Phantom Warrior in Killeen is one such brewery that is quickly becoming a staple in the military community.
John Valentine, owner of Phantom Warrior Brewing Company came to own the place in a rather unique way. Instead of being a beer drinker and home brewer like many people who open breweries tend to be, Valentine was attracted to the business side of it all. Even though the brewery has only existed under the name of Phantom Warrior since last year, Valentine was involved with it under its previous name, Iron Gauntlet Brauhaus. In fact, he helped the previous owner get Iron Gauntlet up and running about three years ago, and then he bought it from her in October 2022, when she no longer wanted to run it. Since then, Valentine has renamed the place, rebranded it, and started fresh.
“My thing when I got here was that I wanted to change the atmosphere,” he says. “I hired the right guy to make the beer, so the quality is so good that when people come, they stay.”
Valentine has also made some renovations inside the building, including adding more tables and redoing the bar.
“We try to make it an atmosphere where soldiers and veterans can come in and just relax, have a good time, and enjoy their time with us here,” Valentine says. “That’s our goal.”
Phantom Warrior has many different types of beer, so there’s always a variety on tap. According to Valentine, they usually have a Milk Stout, an American Pale Ale, a Hefeweizen, a Porter, an English Pale Ale, and a Belgian double, among others.
While the beers at Phantom Warrior do fluctuate a bit according to the season, their American Pale Ale is always available because 100% of its proceeds go to Valentine’s nonprofit, Operation Phantom Support, which supports active-duty soldiers, veterans, first responders, and their families with living assistance.
“When I bought this place, I just figured I’d tie up the charity into the bar, too,” he says.
Phantom Warrior receives a lot of its business from active-duty soldiers and veterans due to its proximity to Fort Cavazos, but they also receive a lot of their clientele from the civilian community because veteran-owned and operated businesses are important to the clientele in the Central Texas area. Valentine served in the United States Army for 20 years, and the whole staff at Phantom Warrior is related to the military in some way — either as a veteran or a military spouse.
“We’re trying to keep it veteran and military friendly,” Valentine explains.
The folks at Phantom Warrior also make sure that there are plenty of events for the community to get involved in, including poker, trivia, karaoke, live music, yoga classes, and dog adoption events. They also have food trucks parked outside most nights. The taproom can seat about 120 people comfortably, and they have TVs where they show UFC fights and ball games.
“This is a great place to come and hang out, relax, and just enjoy a good atmosphere,” Valentine says. “There’s no pressure here. No one’s going to look down their nose at you — it’s not that kind of place. You can have a beer, have some popcorn, chill, and watch TV. We just want to make sure people know it’s a really comfortable atmosphere to be in.”
IF YOU GO
Phantom Warrior Brewing Company
Address: 400 Cheyenne Drive, Killeen
Phone: 254-699-1031
Website: phantomwarriorbrewingcompany.com
Taproom hours: noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, 4 to 10 p.m. Thursday, 4 to 11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, closed Monday and Tuesday
