Austin Beer Guide — Summer 2011 by Austin Beer Guide

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Contents FROM THE EDITORS Issue No. 2. And they say print is dead! Surprised to see us again? Maybe you should be. Getting that first guide published almost took it out of us. But have no fear, with beer in our bellies and a measurable amount of ambition in our hearts, we pressed on. So why another issue? Because beer blogging is so 2010. Or maybe because it’s a new season, there are more Austin breweries and (thanks to what seemed like genius ideas over Google chat) more features. Figure out what you are drinking this summer (p. 06), get inside the mind of a brewer (p. 40) and plan how to sneak in a few beers next time you go antiquing out on 290 West (p. 34). There’s even a word search (p. 43)! And for those of you who think this may be a little too basic (yeah, we overheard you at the bar), remember, it’s a guide, not an encyclopedia. Thumb through it and pretend to look busy while you sit alone at the bar. In beer and love,

News & Brew-mors .......................................02

seasons drinking .......................................06

BREWERIES .......................................08 Brew pubs .......................................29 Beer & loathing .......................................34

MAPS .......................................36 Brewer’s brain .......................................40

OVER A PINT .......................................42 wort search .......................................43

Chris Troutman Josh Spradling

Aaron Chamberlain

www.austinbeerguide.com Cover design:

BONUS STAFF PROOFREADERS............Sofia and Sarah PHOTOGRAPHER............ Shawn Phillips

NEWS & Brew-mors

This is the News 1

Austin Beerworks and Twisted X are officially open for business. Beers hitting shelves and taps now.

Barber Shop has been open for a few months, but they are now brewing their own beer, making them a fully functioning brew pub.

The annual Flying Saucer Beer Fall Fest is set for October 1 at the Triangle and followed by the always impressive Draught House Anniversary Party on October 22, the first day of Austin Beer Week.

Easy Tiger Bake Shop and Beer Garden is opening their downtown doors soon. Choose from 40 beers on tap to find a perfect pairing for your blueberry scone.

Austin Brew-mors Jester King to brew collaboration beer with Anheuser Busch, tentatively called “Commercial Resurrection”

Draught House is hosting their first Guns for Growlers event later this month. No solid date has been set. They ask that you do not bring guns until day of event.

Another 72 homebrewers have announced plans to open production breweries in 2011.

Hops & Grain sign contract with Austin Zoo to become producer of all animal feed in new venture called “Zoo Brew Biscuits,” making them the most lucrative brewery in Texas.

In the blog world, Craft Austin and You Stay Hoppy Austin are, in fact, the same person and BeerTownAustin is still for sale.

Seasons Drinking

Summer Sippin’ It’s hot. Time to wear less and drink more. Put on your short shorts, start sweating it out and get ready for some summer drinking. Throw some six-packs of Southern Star Bombshell Blonde in the cooler for that trip down the Guadalupe. Plow through a growler of Live Oak Hefeweizen while playing grill master for your friends. Soak up those extra hours of sun while putting down a few Real Ale Devil’s Backbone and forgetting it’s on the north side of 8%. Or double up your drinking with refreshing 3.5% Black Star Co-op Waterloo from their irrational menu. Crack open a Saint Arnold Weedwacker after grooming the lawn. Tan by the pool sipping on an Independence Pale Ale. Bike into your favorite bar and enjoy Jester King/ Mikkeller Drink’in the Sunbelt late into the

night. Mix things up from your regular drinking styles and venture into a Draught House Sunshade Gose. Make friends at the beach with Austin Beerworks Peacemaker Extra Pale Ale. Relax after a day on the lake and watch the sun set with an Uncle Billy’s Agave Wit. Cool off and enjoy the great indoors of the Thirsty Planet tasting room and tour with a Thirsty Planet Buckethead IPA. If, even in the summer sun, brunettes are more your thing, take in a (512) Alt or two. Whatever your summer activity may be, just try to enjoy it with a few pints, bottles or cans of something local. Regardless of our never ending summer there should be plenty out there to keep quenching your thirst long into September.

Hate our summer pairings? Draw lines below to create your perfect match.

Pool Hopping Floating the River Disc Golfing Grilling Sunburnin’

at the Beach

Hitting the Lake Bike Riding

live oak

Hefeweizen Austin Beerworks

Fire Eagle IPA

(512) Wit Jester King Drink’in the Sunbelt Thirsty Planet

Thirsty Goat AMBER

Independence

Freestyle Wheat Real Ale

Devil’s Backbone

BREWERIES

(512) Brewing Co. INFO Brewer/Founder . . . . . . . . . . . . Kevin Brand Established . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Summer 2008 Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Seasonal Open Houses url . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.512brewing.com

Year Round Beers (512) Wit Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wit or white beer ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.2% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft Quick sip . . Light, semi-tart, hint of grapefruit Food it Chases Down Well . . . White pizza, light pastas, hummus, salads, seafood (512) Pale Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . American Pale Ale ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.8% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft Quick sip . . . . . . . Drinkable, hoppy, quenching Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . Burgers, chiles rellenos, fish and chips (512) IPA Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . American IPA ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft

Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hoppy, citrusy, solid Food it Chases Down Well . . . . .Spicy thai, tex-mex, italian, ALL pizza, BBQ (512) Pecan Porter Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Porter ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.8% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft Quick sip . . . . . . . . . Full bodied, roasty, pecans Food it Chases Down Well . . . .Red meats, ice cream, chocolate

Current Seasonal (512) ALT Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Altbier ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.0% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft Quick sip . . . . . . . . Roasty, nutty, slightly sweet Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . . . Grilled sausages, fish

Note: (512) ALT is technically a spring seasonal, but will probably be found on taps in June.

we recommend IPA, Wit, ALT

Kevin Brand and his wife moved to Austin from California in early 2008 to start the brewery and were brewing beer that same summer. Brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initial lineup was the Wit, Pale, and IPA, but quickly added the Pecan Porter to the year round line up after the enormous reception it received as the first winter seasonal. Currently (512)â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beers are only available on draft but have released a limited number of bottles of Whiskey Barrel Aged Double Pecan Porter in the past and sprinkled them around town. These hot commodities moved off shelves in increments of minutes and created a city wide scavenger hunt/craze/mania/wild goose chase akin to the Saint Arnold Divine Reserve releases in Houston. This summer, also keep your eyes open for (512) THREE their third anniversary release. They are also planning to re-release (512) ONE and (512) TWO.

BREWERIES

Austin Beerworks INFO Brewer/Founder . . . . . . . . . Adam DeBower, Michael Graham, Mike McGovern and Will Golden Established . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Summer 2011 Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Check website url . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.austinbeerworks.com

Year Round Beers Black Thunder German Schwarz Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Schwarzbier ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.2% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft/Cans Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roasted, coffee, slightly hoppy, dry Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . S’mores, scones, camping Fire Eagle American IPA Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . American IPA ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.2% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft/Cans Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hoppy, piney Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . . . . Thai, steak, spicy italian

Peacemaker Extra Pale Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . American Pale Ale ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.1% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft/Cans Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drinkable, crisp Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . . . Vegan hotdogs, pickles, cookouts Pearl-Snap German Pils Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . German Pilsner ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft/Cans Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Light, hoppy, crisp Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . .Sausage, breads, mustard, burgers

we recommend Fire Eagle American IPA, Peacemaker Extra Pale

Austin Beerworks is a collection of four friends spanning from the East coast to Austin, united and “hell-bent on excellence” in beer making. The beerworkers, Michael, Will, Adam and Mike, have raised an impressive production brewery and cannery in the northwest sector of town since our last issue in April. With two beers on tap (the Peacemaker Extra Pale and Fire Eagle IPA) and two more conditioning in tanks (the Pearl-Snap Pils and Black Thunder Schwarz) the four friends have come storming out of the gates and onto the Austin beer scene. The Austin Beerworkers fellows aim to make super tasty, yet drinkable beers, perfect for our refined, but also often heat-parched Austin palates. This summer should witness the release of all four beers, and for tubing’s sake, some local product in cans and on shelves.

BREWERIES

Circle Brewing Co. INFO Brewer/Founder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ben Sabel and Jud Mulherin Established . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Winter 2011 Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Check website url . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.circlebrewing.com

Nightlight Dry Irish Stout Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Irish Dry Stout ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.7% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roasty, dry, cocoa Food it Chases Down Well . . . Raw oysters, shepherd’s pie, stew

Year Round Beers

Coming Soon

Blur Texas Hefe Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hefeweizen ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.6% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . Bananas, light, gulpable Food it Chases Down Well . . .Pizza, salad, crab legs

Alibi Blonde Bock Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maibock Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft

Envy Amber Ale Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amber Ale ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.8% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Light hops, spicy, biscuity malt, crisp Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . . . . . Grilled meats, chips and salsa, seafood

Note: At press time Alibi Blonde Bock and Epic Hop Bock have only been announced on Circle’s website (to be released this Summer). For that reason, we have forgone descriptions/pairings until a later date. Look for them soon at bars and restaurants around town.

Epic Hop Bock Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bock Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft

we recommend Blur Texas Hefe, Nightlight Dry Irish Stout

Ben Sable and Jud Mulherin were childhood friends in Tennessee. As youngsters they shared a dream to open a “shop.” Like many young friends, as they grew up, their lives took different paths, but they never lost touch. And they never forgot their dream. As adults they both loved beer, so it was inevitable that their dream would morph into becoming brewery owners. Circle Brewing appeared on the internet beer rumor mill in the second half of 2008. Fast forward two years, Ben and Jud were brewing their first batches of beer for Austin. Envy Amber and Blur Texas Hefe were their first beers to be released. They will follow those with their Nightlight Dry Irish Stout. Circle brews their beer following the Reinheitsgebot, the German purity law from 1516. Their basic philosophy: to make beer “with only the best ingredients and NONE of the other stuff.”

BREWERIES

Hops and Grain Brewing Co. INFO Brewer/Founder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Josh Hare Established . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Summer 2011 Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Friday 2-6pm Saturday 12-4pm url . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.hopsandgrain.com

Year Round Beers

Note: At press time Hops and Grain was still setting up its brew house with a goal of releasing beer this Summer. We’ve tasted Josh’s beers and thought they were great, but we’ve had a lot to drink since then so have forgone descriptions/pairings until a later date.

Pale Dog Pale Ale Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . American Pale Ale ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.0% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft/Cans Alteration Alt Ale Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Düsseldorf-style Altbier ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.2% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft/Cans

Bringing his Colorado beer knowledge and inspiration to Austin, Josh Hare is opening one of the city’s newest breweries in the summer of 2011. They’ll start out with two year-round beers that will be canned for easy use during your outdoor drinking endeavors. Additionally, Josh has plans to brew up to 10 more experimental beers in his first year on the 3 barrel pilot system they’ve dubbed the “Greenhouse.” Expect styles like a barleywine, Belgian pale ale and schwarzbier to show up on draft and in 22 ounce bottles. If that isn’t enough, Hops and Grain is an environmentally sustainable operation that uses up-cycled malted barley from brewing to make natural and wheat free dog treats called Brew Biscuits (from what we’ve seen at beer festivals, people can be quite fond of them after a few drinks too). Head to the east side and stop by the tap room when they get going to check out their regular and experimental offerings. Don’t forget to take your furry four-legged friend as well; they’ll have some Brew Biscuits waiting.

BREWERIES

Independence Brewing Co. INFO Brewer/Founder . . . Rob & Amy Cartwright Established . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fall 2004 Tours . . . . . . . . . . . First Saturday of the month url . . . . . . . . . www.independencebrewing.com

Year Round Beers Freestyle Wheat Ale Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . American Wheat Ale ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.7% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft/Bottle Quick Sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Light, citrusy, zesty Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . Nachos, sushi, salad Independence Pale Ale Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . American Pale Ale ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.5% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft/Bottle Quick Sip . . . . . . . . . . . . Piney, hoppy, light malt Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . Ruebens, sausage and peppers Stash IPA Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . American IPA ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft/Bottle

Quick Sip . . . . . Very hoppy, balanced malt body Food it Chases Down Well . . . Greasy-fatty mexican, pizza Convict Hill Oatmeal Stout Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oatmeal Stout ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.5% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft/Bottle Quick Sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cacao, licorice, roast Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . . . . . . Ice cream, chocolate, toffee

Current Seasonal Saison Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Saison ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft Quick Sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Light, drinkable, refreshing, semi-yeasty Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . . Salads, sandwiches, breads, poultry

we recommend Stash IPA, Saison *See full listing of available beers at www.austinbeerguide.com/breweries/independence

Husband and wife Rob and Amy Cartwright started Independence Brewing Co. in South Austin in 2004, but were active members of the ATX brewing community long before. Rob began brewing at Austinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Copper Tank (RIP) in 1994 and after meeting Amy decided to open the brewery. Prior to opening the brewery the couple embedded themselves in the Austin beer community by putting on the Texas Craft Brewers Festival in 2004 and 2005. Since opening, Independence has created a local niche for themselves by packaging the OU Suks bottles every fall for the UT vs. OU game, supplying the Alamo Drafthouse house beer from 2004-2009, and hosting the largest monthly beer gathering at their first Saturday tasting and tours. This year they have been releasing one-off beers in their Brewluminati series. The most recent being Gold Deluxe, brewed with Maris Otter malt and Sorachi Ace hops.

www.independencebrewing.com

BREWERIES

Jester King Craft Brewery INFO Brewer/Founder . . . . . . . . . Jeffrey Stuffings and Michael Steffing Established . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fall 2010 Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rotating Open Houses url . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.jesterkingbrewery.com

Year Round Beers Commercial Suicide Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dark Mild ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft/Bottle Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Smooth, malty Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . . . . Aged chedder, fish and chips Wytchmaker Rye IPA Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rye IPA ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.7% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft/Bottle Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drinkable, hoppy, quenching Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . Burgers, pizza, chips and salsa

Black Metal Imperial Stout Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Imperial Stout ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft/Bottle Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Big roast, coffee, chocolate Food it Chases Down Well . . Cheesecake, roast beef and other bloody meats

Current Seasonal Drink’in the Sunbelt Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hoppy Wheat Ale ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft/Bottle Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hoppy, dry yet super drinkable Food it Chases Down Well . . . Empanadas, sunsets

we recommend Commercial Suicide, Drink’in the Sunbelt

Conceived in the fire of a homebrewer’s heart, Jester King was birthed by brothers Jeff Stuffings and Michael Steffing in the early fall of 2010 amongst the hills in Southwest Austin. Ambitious from the start, the brothers made their commercial debut with a session beer - an oak aged English mild - wearing the moniker “Commercial Suicide.” It was anything but. They followed this shortly with the wildly popular Rye IPA “Wytchmaker,” a beer that bars could rarely keep on tap. Then with a one-two-punch they released their first brewery one-offs, the Whiskey Barrel Aged Commercial Suicide and Black Metal Imperial Stout to resounding applause. The brothers could not fail. Most recently, they teamed up with Danish brewer, Mikkeller to brew Drink’in the Sunbelt. Jester King has challenged conventional beer thinking while raising the bar high for the local Austin palate.

BREWERIES

Live Oak Brewing Co. INFO Brewer/Founder . . . . . . . . . . . Chip McElroy Established . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1997 Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Saturdays at Noon url . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.liveoakbrewing.com

Year Round Beers Pilz Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Czech Pilsner ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.9% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hoppy, dry, refreshing Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . .Sausage, pizza, burgers, anything really Big Bark Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amber Lager ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.8% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . Smooth, quenching, malty Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . Burgers, chips and salsa, fish and chips, sausage

Hefeweizen Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hefeweizen ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.1% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bananas, cloves, hazy, super refreshing Food it Chases Down Well . . Blue cheese! Liberation Ale Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . American IPA ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . Hoppy, great malt balance Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . Tobacco, foie gras or other duck dishes

current Seasonal Roggenbier Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roggenbier ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.8% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . Smooth, fruity, drinkable Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . Pastries, mild cheeses, melon

we recommend Pilz, Hefeweizen

Built by hand by Chip McElroy and Brian Peters (now of Uncle Billyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fame) in a small (and now worn) building on the east side of town, Live Oak has been an Austin staple since 1997. They use an old-world style of brewing mostly practiced throughout Germany and the Czech Republic and use techniques such as open fermentation and secondary lagering on some of their styles to give their beers a very distinct Live Oak taste. This is best reflected in their Pilz and much beloved Hefeweizen. Last year they reintroduced their Liberation Ale, a balanced IPA, after a two-year absence due to the hop shortage. Live Oak has purchased land on the outskirts of Austin and has plans to expand into a new facility in the future, with hopes of bottling their beers for the masses. If you have never been to one of their tours, take one in when you canâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Chip and the gang are more than happy to host everyone!

BREWERIES

Real Ale Brewing Co. INFO Brewer/Founder . . . . . . . . . . Philip & Diane Conner (Founders), Brad Farbstein (Owner), Tim Schwartz, Erik Ogershok (Head Brewers) Established . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1996 Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fridays 2-5pm url . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.realalebrewing.com

Lost Gold IPA Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . American IPA ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.6% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft/Bottle Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Citrusy hops, strong malt background Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . . . . Fried chicken, gorgonzola, gumbo

Year Round Beers

Current Seasonal

Rio Blanco Pale Ale Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . English Pale Ale ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft/Bottle Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Light hops, spicy, biscuity malt, crisp Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . .Seafood grilled chicken, chips and salsa

Hans’ Pils Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . German Pilsner ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3% Imbibing Options . . . . . Draft (Starting in July) Quick sip . . . . . . . Crisp, toasty, assertive hops Food it Chases Down Well . . Smoked fish, pickles, schnitzel

Firemans #4 Blonde Ale Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blonde Ale ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.1% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft/Bottle Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Light, bready malts Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . .Poultry, pizza, whatever’s on the grill

XV Anniversary Ale Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Russian Imperial Stout Imbibing Options . . . . Draft, Bottles (Limited)

we recommend Full Moon Pale Rye, Hans’ Pils

*See full listing of available beers at www.austinbeerguide.com/breweries/real-ale

One of the longer running breweries in central Texas, Real Ale has been in operation since 1996. The brewery originally operated out of a basement of an antique shop in Blanco (50 minutes outside Austin). In 1998, current owner Brad Farbstein took over. Maxed out at 5,500 barrels a year, Real Ale moved just outside the downtown area in 2006 to a new facility that allowed them to produce 10-12 times that amount. In 2009 they started bottling their seasonal beers, kicking off with the excellent Shade Grown Coffee Porter. Last year they began turning out a series of experimental Mysterium Verum (Real Mystery) beers, including seasonals aged in oak barrels or entirely new brews. The beers, such as The Devil’s Share (barrel-aged Devil’s Backbone) make appearances on rare occasion around town or at special events. They always seem to have something special on tap at their tasting room, whether a cask or barrel aged beer, so make the scenic drive to Blanco one Friday and give them a visit.

BREWERIES

Thirsty Planet Brewing Co. INFO Brewer/Founder . . . Brian & Tammy Smittle Established . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Summer 2010 Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . Saturdays, check website url . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.thirstyplanet.net

Year Round Beers Buckethead IPA Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . American IPA Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Slightly sweet, bitter finish, hoppy nose Food it Chases Down Well . . . .Pâté, pizza, fish and chips Thirsty Goat Amber Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amber Ale ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.8% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . Malty, clean, drinkable Food it Chases Down Well . . Sandwiches, chips and queso

Yellow Armadillo Wheat Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . American Wheat ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.1% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft Quick sip . . . . . . . . Crisp, refreshing, drinkable Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . .Sausage, crawfish

Current Seasonal Double Buckethead Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Imperial IPA ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12% Imbibing Options . . . . . Limited Draft Release Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . Grapefruity hops, sticky Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . . .Bacon, fries, curry dishes

we recommend Buckethead IPA

Everyone remembers when they first really started falling in love with beer. For Brian Smittle it was while he was living in England studying British politics and experiencing true “real ale.” Following college graduation, Brian made the move to Colorado where he took his affection for beer one step further and volunteered at a brewery in Vail. He soon became a paid employee and full-time brewer (a.k.a. “living the dream”). Through his work there he met some college students who offered him an ownership piece of a brew pub in Oklahoma. They opened in 1993 and grew to include a brewery and four satellite stores. While successful, Brian wanted to get back to the brewing operations so he and his wife Tammy looked for a location to set up their own operation. They chose Austin and started putting their beers on the market in the summer of 2010 beginning with the Buckethead IPA. This year they plan to start bottling and releasing some new brews. Some of these possible new releases have been making appearances at their tasting room (see page 34 for more on these).

BREWERIES

Twisted X Brewing Co. INFO Brewer/Founder . . . . . . . . . . . Jim Sampson and Shane Bordeau Established . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spring 2011 Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Check website url . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.texmexbeer.com

Twisted X Premium Tex Mex Lager Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Light Lager ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.2% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft Quick Sip . . . . . . . . Light, very drinkable, clean Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . . . . . Elote, nachos, enchiladas

Year Round Beers

Coming Soon

Fuego Jalapeño Infused Tex Mex Pilsner Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chile Beer/Pilsner ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.2% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft Quick Sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . Crisp, slightly dry, hot Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . . . Steak, roasted pork, chinese takeout

ChupaHOPra Tex Mex India Pale Ale Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IPA Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft

Cow Creek Premium Tex Mex Dark Lager Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vienna (Dark) Lager ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.47% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft Quick Sip . . . . . . . . . . Drinkable, slightly sweet Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . . Gorditas, tostadas, tamales

Note: At press time ChupaHOPra and Señor Viejo have only been announced on Twisted X’s website (to be released this Summer). For that reason, we have forgone descriptions/pairings until a later date. Look for them soon at bars and restaurants around town.

Señor Viejo Tex Mex Imperial Black Lager Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Schwarzbier Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft

we recommend Fuego Jalapeño Infused Tex Mex Pilsner

Since our first issue three months ago, Austin’s beer scene has changed (it seems to change and grow each month). One of those changes: Twisted X. Started by Jim Sampson and Shane Bordeau in Cedar Park, they are one of two breweries that has opened in the past few months. They held their initial release party on Cinco de Mayo, where they introduced beer fans to the Fuego Jalapeño Infused Tex Mex Pilsner, Twisted X Premium Tex Mex Lager and the then unnamed Premium Tex Mex Dark Lager. The dark lager has now been blessed with the moniker: Cow Creek. With a tex-mex theme they are bound to quench the thirsts of a large swath of Austin beer drinkers. Austinites love tex-mex. Austinites love beer. Tex-mex beer? Forget about it, a match made in heaven. Could a pico-de-gallo beer be in the works? Let’s hope so. Mole Porter—that’s the ticket!

BREWERIES

More TX Breweries

Saint Arnold Brewing Company

Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling

Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Houston Established . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1994 url . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.saintarnold.com

Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . San Antonio Established . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2010 url . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.drinkrangercreek.com

Franconia Brewing Company

Southern Star Brewing Company

Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . McKinney Established . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2008 url . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.franconiabrewing.com

Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Conroe Established . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2008 url . . . . . . . . . . www.southernstarbrewery.com

Rahr & Sons Brewing Company

Spoetzl Brewery (Shiner)

Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fort Worth Established . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2004 url . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.rahrbrewing.com

Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shiner Established . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1909 url . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.shiner.com

*Texas breweries with beer currently available in Austin

No other movie theater in the world puts as much emphasis on craft beers as we do at every Alamo Drafthouse location. In addition to our large selection of bottle and draft beers, be sure to experience our rotating Badass Taps at all four Austin locations showcasing a range of rare, aged and premium beers.

D R A F T H O U S E .CO M

Brew pubs

Barber Shop INFO Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207 Mercer Street Dripping Springs, TX 78620 Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 512-829-4636 Hours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Varied, check website url . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.barbershopbar.com

Brew pub Snapshot Barber Shop is another testament to the iron will of homebrewers. First announced in mid 2010 by business partners John McIntosh and Dave Niemeyer, the duo planned to take Dripping Spring’s barren beer landscape by storm. With an emphasis on the “bar” in Barber Shop, they left the historical buildings name

the same, while sprucing up the inside with a lush wood bar, rustic amenities, a strategically occupied tap wall and roomy outdoor quaffing area in the rear. Brewer John McIntosh intends to start by focusing on English pub ales. He has scored best in competition with those styles including 2nd place in Uncle Billy’s “Keep Austin Beered” pro am competition for special bitters.

Note: At press time Barber Shop’s first home brew had just come on tap. House made beer should be available as you are reading this, but they also have a commendable selection of local offerings, including Jester King, Real Ale, Independence, Thirsty Planet, etc.

Brew pubs

Black Star Co-op INFO

Brew pub Snapshot

Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7020 Easy Wind Drive Midtown Commons, Suite 100 Austin, TX 78752 Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 512-452-BEER Hours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4pm-12am url . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.blackstar.coop

Black Star Co-op is the first known cooperatively run/owned brew pub in the world with members from across the globe. Monthly beer socials, starting in 2006, provided an outlet for recruiting new members and grew to host up to 500 members at each gathering. Black Star Co-op encapsulates everything Austin with an emphasis on local producers and community action, all through enjoyment of local beer.

House Beer sampling High Esteem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pale Ale Double Dee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amber Ale Vulcan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rye IPA Recalcitrant Dockhand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Porter Waterloo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Session Wheat

we recommend Vulcan, High Esteem, Waterloo

Darkside Fermentation INFO

Brew pub Snapshot

Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215 North LBJ Drive San Marcos, TX 78666 (Located in Root Cellar Cafe) Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 512-392-5158 Hours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tues-Sun 7am-4pm, Thu-Sat 6pm-10pm url . . . . . . . www.rootcellarcafe.com/dark.html

Silas Parker offers an impressive list of handcrafted Belgian beers which becomes even more remarkable if you see his brewing conditions. He slaves away in the Root Cellarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kitchen long into the night, after the restaurant closes, on his one barrel system. From the use of local ingredients and area well water to hand corked bottles with screen printed labels, Darkside is the embodiment of a craft nanobrewery. They plan to become a full-fledged brewery, but until then make the short drive south to grab a few bottles.

House Beer sampling Mark of the Yeast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quadrupel Golden Mean . . . . . . . . . . . . . Strong Golden Ale Pale Rider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Belgian Pale Ale Sirius Dubbel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dubbel Weiz Guy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Belgian Wheat

we recommend Mark of the Yeast, Sirius Dubbel

Brew pubs

Draught House INFO

Brew pub Snapshot

Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4112 Medical Pkwy Austin, TX 78756 Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 512-452-MALT Hours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mon-Thu 5pm-2am, Fri-Sun 1pm-2am url . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.draughthouse.com

Brewer Josh Wilson likes to keep his beers moving. Josh doesn’t adhere to the general brew pub rules that say you have to develop four solid recipes and keep those on year long while only reserving a few taps for experimentation and seasonals. After visiting Draught House for a few years, you may notice that Josh keeps a loose yearly brewing schedule with styles and specific brews mirroring the seasonal calender.

House Beer sampling Red Planet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Red Ale Bombay IPA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . American IPA Guy Smiley Mild . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dark Mild Ale Sidamo Milk Stout . . . . . . . . . . Milk/Sweet Stout Gose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gose

we recommend Gose, Red Planet (also Double Red Planet), Bombay IPA

Lovejoys INFO

Brew pub Snapshot

Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 604 Neches Street Austin, TX 78701 Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 512-477-1268 Hours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4pm-2am url . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.myspace.com/lovejoys

Located off 6th Street, but a world away. Lovejoys is unlike the frat-packed-shot-bars that surround it, hosting an eclectic mix of patrons and beer styles. With Todd Henry at the helm of the four barrel system, the beers have greatly improved over the past three years. Now with a solid lineup and the gnarliest jukebox in Austin, this is the place to drink freshly brewed beer downtown.

House Beer sampling Samson’s Best . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pale Ale Sad Family Somber Ale . . . . . . . . English Bitter AJ Porter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . American Porter 604 Stout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stout Dr. Shock IPA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . American IPA

we recommend Samson’s Best, AJ Porter

Brew pubs

North by Northwest INFO

Brew pub Snapshot

Location . . . . . . . . . 10010 Capital of TX Hwy N Austin, TX 78759 Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 512-467-6969 Hours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Varied, check website url . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.nxnwbrew.com

North by Northwest is Austin’s most upscale brew pub and offers a complete menu, with the restaurant itself driving many people to the establishment. Identifiable by the grain silo out front, the feel is very “Northwest lodge,” rounded out by stone, wood and a fireplace. The beers are solid and their monthly cask nights have a dedicated following. Check out their website for information on beer school, pairing events, brewer’s dinners and other events.

House Beer sampling Northern Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pilsner Duckabush Amber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amber Ale Pyjingo Pale Ale . . . . . . . . . . American Pale Ale Okanagan Black Ale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Black Ale Bavarian Hefe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hefeweizen

we recommend Pyjingo Pale Ale, Bavarian Hefe

Uncle Billy’s INFO

Brew pub Snapshot

Location #1 . . . . . . 1530 Barton Springs Road Austin, TX 78704 Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 512-476-0100 Location #2 . . . . . . . . . . 6550 Comanche Trail Unit B - Suite 201 Austin, Texas 78732 Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 512-266-0111 Hours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Varied, check website url . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.unclebillysaustin.com

Texas is BBQ heaven. Austin is Texas Craft Beer heaven. Put them together and you get Uncle Billy’s Brew and Que. Brian Peter’s has been crafting beer in Austin for over ten years and it shows in his solid house beers. Now with two locations, Uncle Billy’s is the ideal spot after boating on the lake or a day of festival-ing at Zilker Park. Along with their regular lineup of four beers, you’ll find 2-3 rotating house beers and a handful of Texas guest taps. Finding a beer to pair with your brisket will be no problem.

House Beer sampling Back 40 Blonde . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blonde Agave Wit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Witbier Hill County Organic Amber . . . . . . . . Amber Ale Ax Handle Pale Ale . . . . . . . . American Pale Ale

we recommend Ax Handle Pale Ale, Hop Zombie IPA

Beer & Loathing

Day Tripping Down 290 West It all began on a Thursday at work. I suddenly learned that our “planned” trip to drive West on 290 the following week, drinking fresh crafted beer, was being threatened by a forgotten commitment to my wife to visit in-laws in Lubbock. Oops. So Josh took the road less traveled and said he wouldn’t mind if we went that Saturday instead of two weeks later. I’m sure somewhere in his high-road heart he did mind. With Josh replaced by Aaron’s two year old and wife Sofia, we made fast work of the miles of pavement and asphalt between Austin and Dripping Spring’s fresh young brew pub, Barber Shop (www.barbershopbar.com). Co-founder and brewer, John McIntosh was behind the wheel at the bar when we arrived. 12:55 pm - Real Ale Devil’s Backbone John poured me two of these as he played tour guide to his newly constructed and freshly deflowered half barrel brewhouse. I suspect the beers we saw sweating in fermentors will be ready to drink or already drunk by the time

you read this. He said they were bitters and that he plans to brew English style beers for his Hill Country drinkers. Recently they’ve partnered with an Italian food trailer. Unfortunately it was closed at lunch on Saturday, so we stopped at Sonic for hotdogs on our way to Thirsty Planet Brewing (www. thirstyplanet.net). We arrived at Thirsty Planet to find the Evil Wiener trailer (www. theevilwiener.com) parked out front slinging dogs. Dammit. So we walked in looking like the jack-asses we were with our Sonic bags and filled up on more beers. 2:10-2:20 pm - Ancho Wheat and Bing Cherry Brown The tasting room and biergarten were packed, but we still found some seats. Aaron and I were both pleased at the abundance of test beers they had pouring. Thirsty Planet’s tasting room is by far one of the better ones around and worth the visit. Mmm. More beer. 2:28 pm - Noire Wheat With the Sonic hotdogs successfully cleansed from my palate, I had the experimental black wheat. It had some solid roasted character followed by a crisp bready wheat finish. 2:35 pm - Double IPA At this point we were committed. As we still had one more stop in our future, we opted for the half pint glasses. Still, they were starting to add up in a satisfying way. It was at this time we were glad Sofia slowed down, as she would soon have three boys to take care of.

Barber Shop

2:45-3:20ish pm - Armadillo Wheat, Noire Wheat, Bucket Head IPA After having successfully sampled and judged all the Thirsty Planet beers as good to great, we

Thirsty Planet

beers, but nothing was ready for commercial consumption. Wishful thinking imagines you’re enjoying one now as you read this, waiting for your asshat buddy who’s always late to show up. 4:15 pm - Black Magic You read it right. Black Magic—One part Wytchmaker, one part Black Metal, four parts bad attitude. Ask for it by name.

all took potty breaks and got in the car to visit their neighbors, Jester King Craft Brewery (www.jesterkingbrewery.com).

Things got a little fuzzy here. At one point I was sitting on the floor leaning on a barrel, discussing fermentation temperature control limitations and solutions for homebrewing. I’m sure that was an enlightened conversation.

3:40 pm - Black Metal (bottle conditioned) Being their first Saturday tasting and tour day, we had no idea what to expect when we arrived at the brewery down Fitzhugh road. The last few Jester King public events we attended hosted between 100 and ~5,000 quaffers. This Saturday was more in the 50 folk range. Jeff was giving tours while Ron fielded questions from the tasting room and Michael, safely sectioned off by large empty barrels, was busy brewing. This was one of the few tours I’ve been to where they were actually in production while guests were in the brewery.

Then all of a sudden it was 5 pm and my wife was calling. We were going to a wedding at 6 back in town and I was in trouble. I rallied the troops and we jumped back in the car and headed north east.

4:05 pm - Wytchmaker Jeff’s tour ended in the barrel room. Dwarfed by a backdrop of barrels, he delved into the details, joys, complexities, complications and rewards of barrel aging. At the time of the tour, the guys had begun to see/taste some promising

Barber Shop, Thirsty Planet and Jester King make for a nice little day trip on a Saturday. We suggest you do likewise. Sorry you got left behind Josh. Still friends?

What’s the take away? Bring a designated driver. Those “samples” stack up quick. And no, the Jester King servers were not pouring obviously inebriated guests, I took literary liberties to exaggerate my state for the sake of the piece (that title puts a lot of pressure on the author).

-Chris Troutman

JESTER KING

South Austin

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BARS & restaurants A. Zax Restaurant & Bar 312 Barton Springs Road B. Alamo Drafthouse / Highball 1120 South Lamar Boulevard C. Hopdoddy Burger Bar 1400 South Congress Avenue D. Barley Swine 2024 South Lamar Boulevard E. Black Sheep Lodge 2108 South Lamar Boulevard F. Whip In 1950 South Interstate 35 G. Red’s Porch 3508 South Lamar Boulevard

H. O pal Divine’s, Penn Field 3601 South Congress Avenue I. Draft Pick 1620 East Riverside Drive, #1618

BREW PUBS J. Uncle Billy’s, Barton Springs 1530 Barton Springs Road K. The Barber Shop 207 Mercer Street, Dripping Springs L. Darkside Fermentation / Root Cellar 215 North LBJ, San Marcos

BREWeries M. Jester King Craft Brewery 13005 Fitzhugh Road

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BREW PUBS H. North By Northwest (NXNW) 10010 North Capital of Texas Highway I. Black Star Co-op 7020 Easy Wind Drive

BrewERIES J. Circle Brewing Co. 2340 West Braker Lane K. A ustin Beerworks 3009 Industrial Terrace

L. Twisted X Brewing Co. 3200 W. Whitestone Blvd., Cedar Park

STORES M. W hole Foods Market 9607 Research Boulevard N. Specs, Arbor Walk 10515 North Mo Pac Expressway O. Sunrise Mini Market 1809 West Anderson Lane P. Specs, Airport 5775 Airport Boulevard

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BARS & restaurants A. Flying Saucer 815 West 47th Street B. Crown and Anchor Pub 2911 San Jacinto Boulevard C. Dog and Duck Pub 406 West 17th Street D. Scholz Garten 1607 San Jacinto Boulevard E. 24 Diner 600 North Lamar Boulevard F. Opal Divine’s Freehouse 700 W 6th Street

G. Little Woodrow’s 520 West 6th Street H. A lamo Drafthouse, Ritz 320 East 6th Street I. The Ginger Man 301 Lavaca Street J. Frank 407 Colorado Street

BREW PUBS K. Draught House Pub & Brewery 4112 Medical Parkway L. Lovejoys Tap Room & Brewery 604 Neches Street

BrewERIES M. Hops and Grain Brewing Co. 507 Calles Street N. Live Oak Brewing Co. 3301-B East Fifth Street

STORES O. Central Market 4001 North Lamar Boulevard P. Hyde Park Market 4429 Duval Street Q. Whole Foods Market 525 North Lamar Boulevard

brewer’s brain

From the Minds of Jester King . . . JESTER KING

There are a few beers, from passionate, artisan brewers around the world, that have invigorated my passion for the product and truly inspired me on both a personal and a professional level. In spite of the distant location of many of these brewers, and the ludicrously small quantities of beer that some of them produce, it’s actually possible to find a surprising number of these in the United States, thanks to the efforts of a handful of boutique importers. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to find them in Texas, and never will be barring a substantive change to the state beverage code. Whereas a single permit allows a wine and spirit importer to ship all of their wares into Texas, beer importers aren’t even recognized by the state. Instead, foreign breweries themselves are required to obtain up to three different licenses, spending anywhere from $4,000 to $6,000 every two years, and in many cases, print special labels, so as to comply with the state’s rather unique labeling laws. For a brewery that’s only planning on sending a few hundred or maybe even a few dozen cases into the state, or for one that just wants to do a special, one time shipment for a festival or special event, this all makes for an obvious non-starter. Almost as astounding, though, as the State’s apparent efforts to protect its citizens from the perils of imported, hand-crafted beer, is the fact that many of our fellow Texas brewers seem rather reluctant to see this change.

These brewers feel that out of state breweries already have it much easier than we do; and that it isn’t in our best interest to help them gain an even greater advantage. It’s both true and grossly unfair that a brew pub just across the state line could obtain a license to distribute its beer in Texas, whereas a Texas brew pub could not. We, as a production brewery, also have a huge disadvantage in not being able to sell our products directly to consumers, in the same way that Texas wineries and brewers in other states are allowed to do. However, prohibiting small, out of state brewers from entering the market by imposing exorbitant, untenable fees doesn’t “level the playing field”. It simply limits the choices that are available to Texas consumers, and this is not something that we, at Jester King, feel is ultimately good for the future of craft brewing either inside or outside the state. While protectionist laws may give Texas brewers somewhat of a privileged position in the market, they also stifle the growth of the craft beer category as a whole. The lack of authentic farmhouse ale in Texas may give us an opportunity to offer Texas consumers something that they couldn’t otherwise find, but it also denies these same consumers the chance to experiencing first hand the products that changed our lives and made us want to open a brewery in the first place. We’re not trying to brew local substitute for De La Senne, Jolly Pumpkin, or Cantillon; we’re trying to brew original, characterful beers that we’re hoping will someday be good enough to stand side by side with those brands and make Texas proud. Tasting the beers that helped to shape our artistic vision would only help our customers to develop a fuller, more complex understanding of what it is that we’re trying to do. At the end of the day, we want you to buy our beers because they’re good, not because the State is denying you access to the ones you really want, and for that reason, we feel that the current, protectionist system needs to end.

Over a Pint

Austin Beerworks We recently paid a visit to the guys at Austin Beerworks to talk shop and drink some beers. They gave us the tour and then let us try the forthcoming beers right from the fermentors.

BTA: So what are we drinking here? Will: I have the IPA. Basically what we were trying to do with our IPA is we wanted to do a really clean bold dry American style IPA. This is definitely for the hop-heads. Mid 6’s on alcohol, big American hops, really fruity, kind of floral nose on it. Yeah, tasty. Michael: I have the Extra Pale Ale, the Peacemaker. Which is really the baby brother of the IPA. You can tell by the color it’s really light bodied. This beer is just light bodied, balanced, and smooth. Its just an easy drinking beer that you want to have more than one of at a time. Great for a hot summer day. I’m really excited about it. I guess that’s what the “Extra” is for? All: LOL Mike: Black Thunder, it’s a lager and I think it’s probably going to be a big surprise for people. It’s probably hopped a bit more than a lot of other dark beers. It’s a lager, it’s smooth, it’s clean, it’s well balanced but the little hop bite is really going to be a surprise for people. Yeah, I like it cause it gets into that roasty territory, but then back to the “hop forest” for the finish. Adam: I’m drinking the Pearl-Snap Pils. It’s our version of a German style pilsner. It’s real tasty, real hoppy, but it’s still real balanced. I think the key for most of our beers is they are real hop forward, but balance is something that we’re really trying to convey.

We ramble on about the towering stack of cans in the backdrop: how many there are, how

much they weigh and place bets on who can pick up a pallet after the video. Michael brings us back on track. Michael: There are lots of benefits to cans. We feel like they protect the beer better, they’re easier to recycle and transport, so they’re better for the environment. They don’t shatter everywhere. A lot safer, you can take them places you can’t take bottles. The downside, you have to order a bunch at a time. The other is that it takes a lot of space to store them. I think that’s what keeps newer breweries from starting out canning. The other thing is customer perception; cans have a long standing association with inferior quality beer. More and more quality microbreweries are starting to can their beer. So how did all you guys meet? E-harmony. com? Match.com? All: LOL Adam: Bromance.com, actually.

Adam goes onto explain the intricacies of their coming together. It’s good stuff, but too much to type here. Huge thanks to Austin Beerworks for having us out. To view the video interview in its entirety, log on to the World Wide Web and visit: www.beertownaustin.com/category/over-a-pint

Wort Search Wort Search. Get it, we are brilliant. Speaking of wort, this issueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wort search is all about Zymurgy, the science of fermentation. Homebrewers will recognize these terms. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, Bing them.

Attenuation Fermentation Gravity Grist Hydrometer Inoculation Lautering Pitching Racking Sparge

6 This is Happening

Firkin Friday

Hardly a week goes by in Austin without at least one beer event popping up. On June 3, Austinites had the chance to grab pints from two rare casks, Saint Arnold’s Whiskey Barrel Imperial Stout at the Draught House and Ranger Creek’s Lee Scratch Pale Ale at Billy’s on Burnet. Draught House 1. MpRush (I swear that’s the name she gave us, I think.) and Drew Holmes. 2. Jen, Dave and Abagail Wood. 3. Kevin Sidora and Kate Allen. 4. Tyler Linton, Roger Land, Richard Poland and Mark Harris. Billy’s on Burnet 5. Blake Bollard and Zach Savage. 6. Jennifer Poulter and Aaron Mills. 7.Tim Hayles and Gaines Trice. 44 SUMMER 2011