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austin beer guide
Contents FROM THE EDITORS
BREWERIES .......................................03
Austin is a robust city bursting at the seams with beer, and it is ridiculous that a publication like this has not yet come along. To all you who have been kicking this idea around every time you get a few beers in you, this is what you get for procrastinating. Initiative. Initiative, plus dreams of this guide leading to some free beer for us are the reasons you are holding this glorious print product in your hands and reading the ink on the pages with your eyes. We hope you enjoy it. We have put more than a few hours and beers into this guide. Is it perfect? Far from. Is it helpful? Mostly. Is it good for scanning through while waiting for your buddies to arrive? 110% So peruse the guide, soak it in. Maybe you’ll learn a thing or two about our great city’s beer culture and offerings. We know we have.
Brew pubs .......................................17
In beer and love,
Chris Troutman Josh Spradling
Aaron Chamberlain
www.austinbeerguide.com
MAPS .......................................23 OVER A PINT .......................................27 MY LAST PINT .......................................28 INDEX OF ADVERTISERS (512) Brewing...................................... 02 Barber Shop........................................ 16 Draft Pick............................................ 20 Draught House.................................... 18 Ginger Man.......................................... 26 Hops & Grain....................................... C3 Independence Brewing....................... C2 Jester King Craft Brewery.................. C4 Live Oak Brewing................................ 08 Mad House.......................................... 22 North by Northwest............................ 20 Real Ale Brewing................................ 10 Red’s Porch......................................... 02 Saint Arnold Brewing.......................... 14 Southern Star Brewing....................... 15 Texas Beer Fest.................................. 02 Thirsty Planet Brewing....................... 12 Zax....................................................... 16
austin beer guide
austin beer guide
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 ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.8% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft Quick sip . . . . . . . Drinkable, hoppy, quenching Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . Burgers, chiles rellenos, fish and chips, sausage
(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
Seasonal - Coming Soon (512) Black IPA Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Black IPA ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ? Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft
we recommend Pecan Porter, Wit
Kevin Brand and his wife moved to Austin from California in early 2008 to start the brewery and were brewing beer that same summer. Brand’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) is only available on draft but in the early winter months of 2010, they bottled 200 odd bottles of the Whiskey Barrel Aged Double Pecan Porter (the 2009 winter seasonal) 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. The brewery upped their fermentation capacity from 170 barrels to 290 barrels with the addition of two new 60 barrel fermentation tanks. This puts (512) in the 4000 barrel/year production arena. austin beer guide
BREWERIES
Circle Brewing Co. INFO
Coming Soon
Brewer/Founder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ben Sabel and Jud Mulherin Established . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Winter 2011 Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Check website url . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.circlebrewing.com
Note: At press time these beers have only been announced on Circle’s website. For that reason, we have forgone descriptions/pairings until a later date. Look for them soon at bars and restaurants around town.
Year Round Beers
Alibi Blonde Bock Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maibock ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ? Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft
Blur Texas Hefe Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hefeweizen ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ? Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . Bananas, light, gulpable Food it Chases Down Well . . .Pizza, salad, crab legs Envy Amber Ale Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amber Ale ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ? Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Light hops, spicy, biscuity malt, crisp Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . . . . . Grilled meats, chips and salsa, seafood
Nightlight Dry Irish Stout Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Irish Dry Stout ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ? Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft
we recommend Blur Texas Hefe
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 brew 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.”
austin beer guide
BREWERIES
Hops and Grain Brewing Co. INFO Brewer/Founder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Josh Hare Established . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spring 2011 Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Friday 2-6pm Saturday 12-4pm url . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.hopsandgrain.net
Year Round Beers
Note: At press time Hops and Grain was still setting up its brew house with a goal of releasing beer in March. 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 Ale Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . American Pale Ale ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.0% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft/Cans German Alt Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dusseldorf style Altbier ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.2% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft/Cans
Bringing his Colorado beer knowledge and inspiration to Austin, Boulder native Josh Hare is opening one of the city’s newest breweries in the spring 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 wasn’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. austin beer guide
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 Austin Amber Ale Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amber Ale ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.9% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft/Bottle Quick Sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Light roasted malt body, drinkable, semi hoppy Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . . Poultry, burgers, pizza Bootlegger Brown Ale Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . American Brown Ale ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft/Bottle Quick Sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Big roasty malt flavor, carmel, nutty Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . . . Steak, roasted pork, chinese takeout
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 Jasperilla Old Ale Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Old Ale ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.3% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft/Bottle Quick Sip . . . . . Plum, other dark fruit, smooth Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . .Assorted cheeses, good by itself
we recommend Stash IPA, Convict Hill Oatmeal Stout
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 Austin’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 spring look for the release of Independence Rood, an American red/Belgian hybrid. Rood will be appearing on taps shortly after the printing of this guide. austin beer guide
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 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 Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drinkable, hoppy, quenching Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . Burgers, pizza, chips and salsa
BREWERIES
Whiskey Suicide (Whiskey Barrel Aged Commercial Suicide) Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dark Mild ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hoppy, citrusy, solid Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . . . Italian, grilled poultry Boxer’s Revenge Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Farmhouse Ale ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tart, winey, spicy Food it Chases Down Well . Chicken, chard
Current Seasonal 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
we recommend Commercial Suicide, Boxer’s Revenge 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 have rolled out the first of their farmhouse series, “Boxer’s Revenge”- a heavy drinking farmhouse ale, dry hopped, and re-fermented in French wine barrels with wild yeasts. The brothers Stuffings have both challenged conventional beer drinking thinking while raising the bar high for the local Austin palate. austin beer guide
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 Pilsener 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 Old Tree Hugger Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . American Barleywine ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.7% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hoppy, toffee, boozy Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . Perfect by itself—it is food
we recommend Pilz, Hefeweizen Built by hand by Chip McElroy and Brian Peters (now of Uncle Billy’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. Also, their much loved Old Tree Hugger barleywine was brewed again and released in late 2010. 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 anniversary parties in the spring, take one in when you can—Chip and the gang are more than happy to host everyone! austin beer guide
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
Year Round Beers Full Moon Pale Rye Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rye Pale Ale ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.7% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft/Bottle Quick sip . . . . . Sweet carmel, hoppy, gulpable Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . .Tex-Mex, burgers, fried foods Rio Blanco Pale 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
Firemans #4 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blond 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 Brewhouse Brown Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brown Porter ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft/Bottle Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roasty, hints of chocolate and carmel Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . . . . BBQ, burgers, any hearty meal
Current Seasonal Phoenixx Double ESB Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Extra Strong Bitter (ESB) ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.2% Imbibing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Draft/Bottle Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Toffee, hoppy, biscuity, drinkable Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . .Popcorn, shepherd’s pie,
we recommend Full Moon Pale Rye, Phoenixx Double ESB
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. austin beer guide
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 ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ? 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
BREWERIES
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 Silverback Pale Ale Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . American Pale Ale ABV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.5% Imbibing Options . . . . . Limited Draft Release Quick sip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fruity, yet hoppy, lemon, crisp Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . . .French 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. For 2011, they plan to start bottling and releasing some new brews. Some of these possible new releases have been making appearances at their tasting room. austin beer guide
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
austin beer guide
austin beer guide
Brew pubs
Barber Shop INFO Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207 Mercer Street Dripping Springs, Texas 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 the folks at Barber Shop were not producing their own beers yet, but have a commendable selection of local offerings, including Jester King, Real Ale, Independence, and Thirsty Planet.
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 Beers High Esteem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pale Ale Double Dee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amber Ale Vulcan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rye IPA Recalcitrant Dockhand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Porter Moontower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Imperial Stout
we recommend Vulcan, High Esteem, Moontower
austin beer guide
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 Beers Red Planet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Red Ale Bombay IPA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . American IPA Guy Smiley Mild . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dark Mild Ale Sidamo Milk Stout . . . . . . . . . . Milk/Sweet Stout Gose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gose
we recommend Sidamo Milk Stout, 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. Lovejoy’s is unlike the frat-packed-shotbars 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 Beers 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
austin beer guide
austin beer guide
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 Beers 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 Beers 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 austin beer guide
South Austin
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BARS & restaurants A. Zax Restaurant & Bar 312 Barton Springs Road B. Alamo Drafthouse / Highball 1120 South Lamar Boulevad 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
BREWeries
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M. Thirsty Planet Brewing Co. 11160 Circle Drive N. (512) Brewing Co. 407 Radam Lane O. Independence Brewing Co. 3913 Todd Lane
STORES P. Thom’s Market 1418 Barton Springs Road Q. Central Market 4477 South Lamar Boulevard
L. Jester King Craft Brewery 13005 Fitzhugh Road
austin beer guide
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austin beer guide
G. Little Woodrow’s 520 West 6th Street H. A lamo Drafthouse, Ritz 320 East 6th Street I. The Ginger Man 301 Lavaca Street
BREW PUBS J. Draught House Pub & Brewery 4112 Medical Parkway K. Lovejoys Tap Room & Brewery 604 Neches Street
BrewERIES L. Hops and Grain Brewing Co. 507 Calles Street M. Live Oak Brewing Co. 3301-B East Fifth Street
STORES N. Central Market 4001 North Lamar Boulevard O. Hyde Park Market 4429 Duval Street P. Whole Foods Market 525 North Lamar Boulevard
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BREW PUBS H. N orth By Northwest (NXNW) 10010 North Capital of Texas Highway I. Black Star Co-op 7020 Easy Wind Drive
BrewERIES
STORES K. Whole Foods Market 9607 Research Boulevard L. Specs, Arbor Walk 10515 North Mo Pac Expressway M. Sunrise Mini Market 1809 West Anderson Lane N. Specs, Airport 5775 Airport Boulevard
J. Circle Brewing Co. 2340 West Braker Lane
austin beer guide
Over a Pint
Jeff Young of Black Star Co-op So we recently had the great opportunity of sharing some beers with Black Star Co-op’s brewer, Jeff Young, in the brewhouse of Austin’s newest brew pub and the world’s first and only cooperatively owned brew pub.
BTA: So what are we drinking here? This guy is? [points to beer] Jeff: Moontower. Our first Irrational beer. So the Rational beers, there’s four of those, you’ll see those nearly year round. And then to experiment and do some more pushing-theenvelope type beers we have our Irrational series; Moontower being the first. So what’s some stuff we can look forward to in the near-ish future? Let’s see. So of the Irrationals, Moontower’s the first. And that’s something I’ve been trying to figure out too. We’ve got kind of a late start on the cold season so we haven’t been able to do too many big winter-y type of beers, but I’m still going to try to make the most of the cooler weather when we can. [nods] The next one coming up is the House Brown 660, which is part of the Texas Brewer’s Association trying to get some bills passed, so we’re participating in that. Basically it’s kind of like Double Dee, but with some slight variations. It’s big, it’s malty, it’s slightly sweet. I’m pretty excited to see how that one comes out. [nods] But in addition to that I just sat down and made up a beer a couple days ago. That’s coming down the pipeline and I’m really excited. Where we have Vulcan, which is our balanced hoppy
beer, I kind of want to push the limit of that a little bit more. Oh, that will be fun. So something that I want to do to that- what was the style I was calling it?- Imperial Cascadian Rye IPA. It takes basically where Vulcan has started and pushes it a little bit further. It’s going to be dark, it’s going to have a lot more roasted rye in it, and just about the same hops, but because the gravity is going to be pushed up on it- it’s going to be about eight and a half percent- those same hops will just be much more prevalent. It’s about 115 IBUs. So it’s a pretty bitter beer. It’s up there and it’s going to be really fun. So it’s basically starting with Vulcan and just continuing in that direction. I named it Vector. Nerd. Lol. To view the video interview in its entirety, log on to the World Wide Web and visit: www.beertownaustin.com/category/over-a-pint austin beer guide
MY LAST PINT
My Last Pint is about your last beer. It is a celebration of beer. Sur e you are about to die, but look on the bright side, you can choose your last bee r. www.mylastpint.com
Josh Hare of Hops & Grain
What would be the setting for your last pint? There is a place in Wyoming at the foot of the Grand Tetons called Oxbow Bend. It is on a stretch of the Snake River and if you’re on the East Side of the river and the wind is calm you can see a perfect reflection of the Grand Tetons. This is also a place that I have spent some time fly-fishing. One particular trip I was fighting probably the largest fish that I have ever caught on a fly rod. It took at least 20 minutes of fighting and as the fish got to within almost five feet of me it jumped out of the water and broke my line. This made a huge impression on me as a 12 year old. At
Josh Hare is owner and brewer at Hops and Grain. Hops and Grain is one of the numerous breweries opened in the last year or so in Austin. Not only are they Planning on brewing fine beer for Texas, they are also selling dog biscuits from the remains of their brews. Beer for your dog! Isn’t that a Toby Keith movie? What would be the last pint of your life? Colorado Kind Ale from the Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery in Boulder—An amazing blend of malty sweetness, earthy hop flavor and aroma and a very clean and crisp finish. Has a big mouthfeel up front but ends fairly dry with a really nice hop spice, perfect finish. The beer has an incredible pine aroma and the smell always reminds me of running on the trails in the mountains above Boulder. Every once in awhile they will have it available on a Nitro tap, excellent! austin beer guide
“I’ve held onto this memory and have always subscribed to the idea that life is about the journey, not so much about the finish line.” first my adrenaline was rushing and I was mad that I had lost the fish but I was so overwhelmed with excitement that I couldn’t help but smile at the battle, I even shed a few tears (you know when you are a kid and you get in a fight and then you start crying from the rush of it, those kind of tears). I’ve held onto this memory and have always subscribed to the idea that life is about the journey, not so much about the finish line. So, I would sit on the banks of the Snake River at Oxbow Bend, drink a Colorado Kind Ale and I’d leave just a tiny bit of it in the bottle. What would you eat with your last pint? No food. Just beer and the mountain air. With whom would you drink your last pint? My Golden Retriever Suzy, and I’d probably have a Colorado Kind Ale in her bowl.