t’s a warm summer evening, the smell of BBQ is in the air, children are laughing in the background, and you have an ice-cold home-brewed beer in your hand.
Two Docs Brewing Co., located in the Arts District of Lubbock, is dedicated to providing good beer and a family-friendly atmosphere to its customers. Named for its owners who have terminal degrees, the “Two Docs,” Eric Cunningham and Tyson Purdy, first began brewing beer together in their backyards. The inspiration for Two Docs came from their backyard BBQs, and they wanted to translate that atmosphere into a brewery.
“We love Lubbock, and we wanted it to be representative of the city in downtown,” Eric Washington, co-owner of Two Docs, said. “But, we wanted it to kind of feel like it wasn’t in Lubbock; almost like something new for Lubbock.”
“We don’t think there’s people that don’t like beer. We think there’s just people that haven’t tried the right beer yet,”
The Art of Brewing
When it comes to brewing craft beer, the owners of Two Docs look at it as an artform. Raw materials and vision are combined to produce a unique form of art — craft beer. Each flavor of beer is brewed right at Two Docs and then transferred to the tap.
“That’s something we wanted to really embrace,” Washington, said. “This is as local and fresh as you can get. It’s coming straight from the bank to the tank to your glass.”

Since its opening, Two Docs has introduced at least four new beers each month. The goal is to eventually produce a beer for every customer’s palate. Washington said many people just try one type of beer and decide they do not like all beer, but there are so many variations each palate is sure to find one they like.
“We don’t think there’s people that don’t like beer. We think there’s just people that haven’t tried the right beer yet,” Washington said. “We want to try to find the beer that fits every palate, and we think we can do that.”
Local home-brewer Mike Studler has been brewing beer for 30 years and said there is no other brewery in Lubbock that compares to Two Docs. He and his wife, Robbie, have been at Two Docs every weekend since it opened.
“I like all beer, but this is some of the best I have ever had,” Mike said. “I lean more toward the red because they put a little more hops than most. You just can’t find anything else like it around here.”
Brewing for The Future
Two Docs is focused on being as energy efficient as possible. Its patio covering is assembled of solar panels, which currently power one-third of the operation.
The brewing process requires large quantities of water and energy. Washington said Two Docs vision was to try to mitigate as much water loss as possible, and solar energy just seemed like the most logical step.
“Part of what we always wanted to do is be a sustainable brewery,” Washington said. “We’re going to continue to move toward a green energy kind of mindset here.”
Two Docs is leading by example and inspiring other businesses to install solar or use a different renewable energy source and be more responsible with their water use.
A Hoppin’ Downtown
Along with creating artistic craft beer and energy efficiency, Two Docs is at the forefront of the revitalization mission for downtown. Since its opening in February 2019, it has brought new cliental to the downtown area. The City of Lubbock has been encouraging revitalization of downtown to help retain recent graduates and bring in new talent.
“I think that part of what that means is creating a cultural center that appeals to those people that come from areas that are used to that kind of thing,” Washington said. “There’s a lot of value economically to the city having a more diverse kind of cultural center.”
Part of Two Docs’ contribution to revitalization is by encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit of the small business owner through the incorporation of food trucks.
“One of the things we were dead set on from the beginning is we’re not going to do a kitchen,” Washington said. “We always wanted to have food trucks out there, give them a place to park and hook up, because we love the local food trucks.”
Two Docs features a different food truck each day and advertise it on social media. This makes it easer to find the local food trucks providing more business not only for the food trucks, but also to Two Docs.
“Most nights we get something off of the foods trucks and eat it here or bring it home,” Studler said. “I’m not getting bored of a set menu like most breweries have. The food trucks offer a large selection of food.” In just a matter of months, Two Docs has changed the way many in Lubbock look at beer. Customers can enjoy a craft beer knowing they are contributing to the growth of downtown Lubbock
