--- title: "Soldiers can now buy beer and hard seltzer at Fort Hood’s dining hall" description: "The Army’s first campus-style dining hall at Fort Hood, Texas is now serving beer and hard seltzers to soldiers." date: "2026-08-12" modified: "2026-08-12" authors: - name: "Patty Nieberg" job_title: "Senior Reporter" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/patty-nieberg/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/fort-hood-alcohol-sales/" categories: - "Army" - "Military Branches" - "News" --- # Soldiers can now buy beer and hard seltzer at Fort Hood’s dining hall ![USA, Arizona]() *The Army's new college-inspired dining fall at Fort Hood, Texas is now serving beer and hard seltzer to soldiers. Getty Images photo by Mark Lipczynski.* Soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, can now buy beer and hard seltzers from the base’s new dining hall, Army officials said. 42 Bistro at Fort Hood is the first of the Army’s new dining halls to offer alcohol for sale. The bistro opened in February and is what the service is calling a “campus-style dining venue,” modeled off of college cafeterias and run by a private contractor. “Our soldiers are adults, so we’re treating them accordingly,” said Lt. Col. Joseph Payton, a spokesperson for III Corps at Fort Hood. “This provides another dining option for eligible patrons while maintaining the standards of responsible alcohol consumption expected across the installation.” Beer, wine, hard seltzers and ciders will be available to purchase for those of legal drinking age from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday and noon to 7 p.m. over the weekend, [base officials said in a post on X](). ![Fort Hood Bistro 42 bar]() *The sale of alcohol at chow halls frequented by junior enlisted service members is a recent development. Army photo.* To eat at the 42 Bistro, [soldiers use “freedom dollars” to pay]() for breakfast, lunch and dinner instead of the traditional meal plan that those living in the barracks have used to buy meals on base. However, for alcohol, soldiers will have to pay with cash or by card. All of the Army’s new campus-style dining halls will be able to serve alcohol at the discretion of senior commanders, according to Army Materiel Command officials. At Fort Hood, the decision was made by [Lt. Gen. Kevin Admiral](), current commanding general of III Armored Corps, and the future head of Army Europe and Africa. The Army initially announced plans to bring private contractors to run new cafeterias modeled off of colleges and universities [back in January 2025](). Later that year, the service said they were going to revamp at least 10 dining halls across the U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii. When the Army announced the expansion, officials [told Task & Purpose]() that one of the reasons they’re allowing alcohol sales is to give contractors a way to make revenue. ![Fort Hood Bistro 42 bar]() *42 Bistro at Fort Hood, Texas, now serves alcohol. Army photo.* In recent months, the [Stack House Bistro]() in Fort Carson, Colorado, and the [Belvedere Bistro]() at Fort Drum, New York, have also opened their doors. Army officials did not respond to questions about whether those dining halls are considering alcohol sales. With the campus-style dining changes, the Army’s goal is to get more soldiers to utilize the DFACs and their meal plans by offering dining options that appeal to young soldiers, whether that’s [takeout and delivery](), flexible hours, or just more modern food choices. On some bases, DFACs have even closed because of underuse, which has contributed to “food desert” issues years later. An NBC report found that Fort Carson has seen a threefold increase in soldiers using their meal plans since the new DFAC opened in April. ## Author Patty is a senior reporter for Task & Purpose. She's reported on the military for six years, embedding with the National Guard during a hurricane and covering Guantanamo Bay legal proceedings for an alleged al Qaeda commander. Her previous bylines can be found at the *Associated Press*, *Bloomberg Government*, *Washington Post*, *The New York Times*, and *ABC*. You can reach Patty by email at [Patty.Nieberg@taskandpurpose.com](). ### Author social links [Twitter]() [LinkedIn]()