from the editors - Austin Beer Guide

FROM THE EDITORS 

A milestone! You’re holding in your hand the second 

annual spring issue of the Austin Beer Guide. Okay, so 

we’re not really calling it that. Mostly we’re just excited 

that this release marks one year of bringing this ragtag 

publication to you, the Austin beer drinking masses. 

We’ve seen a lot of growth in both distribution and page 

count over the last year and we hope you’ve noticed 

the updates and new features that each guide presents 

compared to the last. 

I suppose you could consider this the food issue. 

It wasn’t intentional, but in the pages that follow you’ll 

find a guide to local gastropubs (p. 10) and a recap 

of our Franklin BBQ experience during our latest 

Beer & Loathing outing (p. 22). We’ve even tapped 

cheesemonger extraordinaires John and Kendall 

Antonelli of Antonelli’s Cheese Shop fame to write our 

Brewer’s Brain column (p. 62) this month. 

This issue is definitely not the SXSW issue. We 

decided early on to wait for that to come and go before 

this release. And although we’re happy to see an uptick 

in the amount of better beer happenings that have 

popped up this year, we weren’t sure that our target 

audience would be reached. Mostly we just weren’t too 

fond of the idea of finding guides haphazardly tossed 

amongst the mountains of emptied Lone Stars. 

Lastly, on a personal note, this issue marks 

another milestone - the four of us are now fathers. We’ve 

all pooled our money and adopted a child from a country 

we can’t pronounce. No, we actually all took the more 

traditional route to fatherhood and with the latest addition 

(Welcome, Hazel!) we have now become the guys with the 

baby carriers and baby bottles at the Draught House on a 

Sunday afternoon. Life is good. 

Chris Troutman 

Josh Spradling 

Aaron Chamberlain 

Shawn Phillips 

WWW.auSTInBEERguIDE.COM 

Cover design: 

Contents 

........................................ nEWS & BREWMORS 02 

.......................................04 

SEaSOn’S DRInkIng 

.......................................10 

gaSTROpuBS 

.......................................16 

TOuRS & TaSTIngS 

.......................................22 

BEER & lOaTHIng 

.......................................26 

BREWERIES 

............................................48 

BREW puBS 

.......................................53 

Bp: DayTRIppERS 

.......................................56 

MapS 

.......................................62 

BREWER’S BRaIn 

.......................................64 

pODCaST 

BONUS STAFF 

PHOTOGRAPHY ....................Aaron Haley 

PROOFREADERS ............Sofia and Sarah

nEWS & BREWMORS 

This is the news 

nO nO, REally, WE aRE OpEn 

Last issue we told you South Austin Brewing 

was open for business. It was true, although they 

were not actually selling beer. But now they are, 

starting with their saison and their golden ale. 

Rogness Brewing Company should be brewing 

and delivering kegs by the time you read this. 

They debuted their first two beers, Ost (Porter) 

and Bella (Belgian Golden Ale), at Black Star 

Co-op on March 26th. Brew Exchange, slinging 

beers at fluctuating prices based on demand, 

is open on West Sixth Street. Another new bar 

called Workhorse Bar is opening on North Loop 

in April (fingers crossed) with 50 taps, 30 or so 

dedicated to local beer. Also on North Loop: 

Drink.Well. See more on page 13. Like grocery 

shopping, but hate packaging? in. gredients is 

your joint. They are not open yet, but when they 

do they will be the first “package-free and zero 

waste grocery store in the United States.” That’s 

all great, but the growler bar featuring all local 

taps is what has us excited. 

l Silas Parker closes Darkside 

Fermentation to focus primarily on his 

Facebook presence. 

l Texas Craft Brewers Guild passes rule 

stating all Texas breweries must have at 

least three bearded employees or face 

expulsion from guild. 

l Popular cheese shoppe opening second 

location in South Austin called Unclenellis. 

l Draught House sees noticeable dip in 

revenue following arrival of three Austin 

Beer Guide babies in the first quarter of 

2012. 

HOpaRazzI 

SXSW came and went. Tons of celebrities 

were in town, including famous chef, writer, 

television personality, and drinker Anthony 

Bourdain. Similar to a few months ago when 

he was here with his buddy Eric Ripert, he 

was spotted drinking Austin Beerworks. 

He even made a stop at the Draught House. 

His visit was two-fold: SXSW and filming for 

No Reservations. Like us (p. 22) he went to 

Franklin BBQ. And also like us, he thought 

it was “unfucking believable.” Matthew 

McConaughey was spotted doing Black Metal 

keg stands at Jester King. Whoops, that is 

actually a brewmor. How did that get up here? 

WHOOpS 

So as usual, no big mistakes, but we do have 

one to report. On the Thirsty Planet brewery 

page (p. 38) in the winter issue we ran a photo 

of Monica Maddux manning (womanning) the 

taps. The problem: her eyes were closed. Sorry, 

the photo has been changed. 

austin Brewmors 

(brew·mor [broo-mer]: 1. a beer related story or statement in general circulation 

without confirmation or certainty as to facts. 2. brewing gossip; hearsay) 

l Black Star Co-op in search of new 

head brewer following the shameful 

dismissal of Jeff Young after he reveals 

questionable brewing tactics (and 

reading material) on Austin Beer Guide 

podcast. 

l I Love Beer’s Lee Nichols, who is currently 

battling a severe Big Red addiction, joins 

the cast of VH1’s new show Celebrity 

Rehab: Texas. 

l Pinthouse Pizza revealed to be pirate 

themed, adult extension of Showbiz Pizza 

franchise. Tickets already sold out for the 

Rock-afire Explosion reunion show.

TEXAS’ OLDEST 

CRAFT BREWERY 

2000 Lyons Avenue 

Houston, TX 77020 

Tours & Tastings 

Monday - 

Saturday 

Sign up for our 

Austin newsletter at 

www.saintarnold.com

SEaSOn’S DRInkIng 

Spring = Ipa 

by AARON CHAMBERLAIN 

ARE INDIA PALE ALES (IPA) THE ULTIMATE 

spring beer? Who knows, maybe not. But 

spring in Austin is pretty hot mostly, with some 

beautiful days mixed in there. And what is 

better than a beautiful day, a shady porch, and a 

cool hoppy IPA? Nothing. 

Instead of just giving our thoughts on 

IPAs (who wants to hear that), we reached out 

Would you consider IPA the 

perfect spring beer? Why? 

JOSH HARE 

Hops & Grain Brewery 

I’d consider it the perfect Austin 

spring beer. The spring in 

Austin is an elusive beast that 

rarely lasts very long much like 

the freshness and hop character 

from a good IPA. 

CHIP MCELROY 

Live Oak Brewing Co. 

No, I like something lighter in 

the spring especially if it is hot. 

ERIK OGERSHOK 

Real Ale Brewing Co. 

The IPA style transcends any 

season. In Texas at least, it is 

great all year round. 

BRIAN PETERS 

Uncle Billy’s 

If spring means year-round, 

then yeah I’m really into drinking 

IPA in the spring. 

If you brew an IPA, what 

makes your IPA special and/or 

different? 

MICHAEL GRAHAM 

Austin Beerworks 

Fire Eagle is different from a 

lot of other IPAs because it is 

balanced and clean. We don’t 

agree with the ‘Bigger is Better’ 

philosophy, whether it refers to 

ABV or IBU. We want Fire Eagle 

to showcase the wonderful interaction 

of hops and malt, not strip 

the enamel from your teeth. 

JUSTIN RIZZA 

Flix Brewhouse 

I tend to focus on drinkability 

when making an IPA. While I 

enjoy an IPA that rips my face off 

with hops once in a while, I really 

enjoy one that I can have a few 

of so the Lupulus is a good balance 

of malt, hop bitterness and 

bright dry-hop character. 

CHIP MCELROY 


Balance. 

ERIK OGERSHOK 


Our IPA probably shows more 

restraint than many American 

IPAs. We make sure that all of 

those hops are supported by a 

firm malt base. 

SHANE AND JIM 

Twisted X Brewing Co. 

Our name and logo are awesome! 

But it is not just the 

marketing; we are also making 

a really tasty beer. The version 

to local brewers to get their feedback on this 

popular and hotly debated style. They all have 

strong opinions and none of them seem to 

think IPAs are good spring beers. Whatever, 

I’m sticking with that idea. Really this is just a 

way for us to talk about IPAs. Like most beer 

doofuses, we love IPAs. 

that is out on the market today 

went through a few iterations 

that were tested and adjusted 

via collaboration with the local 

brew community. And it is dry 

hopped with Amarillo and that 

is in line with our Texas (Tex 

Mex marketing angle)! 

BRIAN PETERS 


It’s the water . . . and a lot more. 

Just kidding. There’s nothing 

that we do that is ‘special’ or 

‘different.’ We just use a lot of 

hops that we like at the end of 

the boil. 

What is your favorite aspect of 

IPAs? What makes a great IPA? 



A good IPA will get people to 

love hops. A bad one will get 

people to hate hops. 

MICHAEL WATERS 

Independence Brewing Co. 

Aroma and flavor; so many 

of the pleasing and enticing 

elements of nature can be 

represented in an IPA. What 

represents a good IPA for me is 

a pale beer with as much hop 

aroma and flavor injected as 

possible. Very little specialty

malt should be used and the 

beer should undergo thorough 

attenuation for a bone dry finish. 

IPA is not about balance, it 

is about the hops. 

CHIP MCELROY 


I love the hop aroma. It should 

have lots of aroma, and lots of 

bitterness but the bitterness 

should be balanced out by 

the malt character. IPAs that 

I don’t like so well tend to be 

too dry. Because of the lack 

of malt, they seem too bitter 

when really all they need is 

a little balance. You can go 

overboard with the hop flavor 

too. Again, lots of hop flavor is 

what you are shooting for and 

is why you dry hop them. But 

there can be too much - IMHO. 

I am put off by claims of IBUs 

above what is actually soluble. 

I think many times these 

are calculated IBUs (versus 

measured IBUs. BTW - we 

had ours measured once in a 

laboratory of a major brewer 

and it came out at 71 IBUs) and 

the brewers/consumers are 

confusing flavor for bitterness. 

In that regard, I think it is the 

misuse of flavor that I find 

objectionable, and maybe not 

the flavor itself. 

BRIAN PETERS 


There are two things I don’t 

like in my IPA: chewy-vanchew-chew 

maltiness and 

excess alcohol (7% and up). 

Both just get in the way of the 

star of the stage - the hop. I 

like citrusy hops, like Simcoe 

and Amarillo, and I like a lot of 

hop flavor and aroma. Brewers 

who think an IPA needs to be 

really bitter will have a hard 

time selling me a beer. 

Do brewers in Texas make 

IPAs their own? Is there or 

could there be a Texas IPA, 

like there is a West Coast IPA? 



Fire Eagle is made with the 

Texas climate in mind. It’s lower 

alcohol and dry finish make it 

easy to drink when it’s 100+. 

But I’d still call it West Coast 

style. Hops don’t grow well in 

Texas, which makes it hard to 

brew a true Texas IPA. 

JOSH HARE 

Hops & Grain Brewery 

There could be a “Texas” anything. 

Hell, we even have our 

own version of the Ford F150, 

Chevy Silverado and the Dodge 

Gigantor dually truck. Need I 

say more. 

MICHAEL WATERS 

Independence Brewing Co. 

I try to put my signature on every 

beer I make. As for a Texas 

IPA, to what purpose? The west 

coast has defined the style of an 

American IPA. All I hope to do is 

continue what the WC brewers 

have started and elaborate with 

technique and innovation. 

CHIP MCELROY 


Who cares!? What would that 

be? Lets see . . . hmmm? We 

can’t just over hop-flavor them 

and then exaggerate the actual 

IBUs, that’s already taken. 

Hmmm . . . you stumped me on 

this one. 

ERIK OGERSHOK 


I don‘t think there is a distinct 

Texas IPA style. I view ours 

as a sort of hybrid in brewing 

approach, but All-American in 

flavor. 

SHANE AND JIM 

Twisted X Brewing Co. 

I would say it like this, “Brewers 

in Texas make their own 

Great IPAs.” Everyone has their 

own take on it and there are 

many versions to choose from. 

Not sure there is a need for a 

specific Texas category.

GAsTroPubs 

The Next Austin Beer Boom? 

CONTIGO 

by CHRIS TROUTMAN 

WAIT, WHAT? YEAH, WE SAID IT: “GASTROPUB.” IT’S NOT A NEW CONCEPT BY 

far, but they have been on the rise among the Austin beer community recently. From 

trailer-to-brick-and-mortar Cinderella stories to ranch-themed outdoor seating only or 

French style street food to classic restaurants simply substituting fine wine with fine beer, 

the gastropub is elbowing its way into the Austin beer scene for your benefit. 

For the uninformed, a gastropub is a restaurant that serves superb food with superb 

beers. No, wait. It’s a bar that serves great beers and also has great food. Or is it a pub 

with some food? It’s not just a restaurant and bar, but it is. Sort of. Hmm. OK, we know this; 

don’t call a place a gastropub unless they call themselves that first. Or is it beer before 

liquor never been sicker? They are mostly BYOB, right? They say never look a gastropub 

in the eye. Or is it don’t wear red around one? Maybe Wikipedia can help.

DRINK.WELL. 

So the term is a little bit ambiguous, and can definitely cause some contention. 

Some believe owning the term is just an easy way to create an air of pretentiousness, 

or “fancy it up.” Some folks, although they’d never define themselves as one (they just 

really don’t like labels), truly embody the gastropub spirit and, if there is a right way, do 

it the right way. 

For our purposes we will define a gastropub as an establishment that serves 

better than pub fare with an intention to compliment both the food and beer with each 

other, while also maintaining an environment relaxed enough that a single patron could 

comfortably come in and simply have a few pints on their own. 

So without further ado, we present some of Austin’s more notable “gastropubs” 

(and if anyone asks, we didn’t call them that!).

arley swine 

2024 S. Lamar Boulevard | 512-394-8150 | barleyswine.com 

Chef /Owner Bryce Gilmore 

8 Beers on Tap 

We recommend: Menu changes frequently, but try anything with beets, pork belly, 

scallops, or chicken balls 

You know the story. Chef buys old trailer. Food trailer becomes a hit with foodies (ewww, that word). Chef 

ditches trailer for more solid digs (eh, that word too). New joint becomes a hit as well. That is basically it, 

right? Bryce Gilmore’s equation is simple: good booze + local ingredients + tiny, hip dining room = magical 

success. First the booze. They got wine, but we want beer. No worries. When I visited they had two Austin 

beers on from Austin Beerworks and Adelbert’s. The bottle list ain’t too shabby either. Alright, now the 

food, after all it would not be a gastropub without some grub. But Gilmore don’t put out no grub, that 

would be an insult. I honestly felt bad eating this meal. It was so delicious, I felt undeserving of it. But it 

was so good, I did not care. -AC 

Contigo 

2027 Anchor Lane | 512-614-2260 | contigotexas.com 

Executive Chef Andrew Wiseheart 


We recommend: House Pickles, Ox Tongue Sliders, White Bean Dip, 

Crispy Green Beans, Cassoulet 

Contigo was born the summer of 2011 under the vision of owner Ben Edgerton and Executive Chef Andrew 

Wiseheart (formerly of Olivia) as an extension of the Contigo Ranch in South Texas. Embodied with the 

ranch spirit, this East-side oasis is all outdoor seating, although you’d easily forget, with a healthy blend 

of game foods and culinary delights. With the exception of one lonely Lone Star tap, the remaining 11 taps 

are dedicated to intentional rotating seasonal and special releases in addition to some local standards. Go 

early for a table or be prepared to wait in the beer garden before seating as this place can fill up fast in the 

evenings. But with beer and washers, the 45 minute to hour wait really won’t seem too bad. 

12

Drink.Well. 

207 E. 53rd Street | 512-614-6683 | 

drinkwellaustin.com 

Executive Chef Aaron Zarczynsk 

with Consulting Chef Roblé Ali 


We recommend: Charred Brussel Sprouts, 

Pop’s Pickled Egg, Homemade Chips & Dip, 

Texas Kobe Burger 

Nestled in the increasingly hip North Loop neighbor- 

hood, Drink.Well. aims to fill the niche of a comfortable, 

welcoming neighborhood bar, yet still serve food, 

beers, and cocktails you would find at a much nicer 

place. This marriage of the cozy with the refined was 

imagined and brought to life by owners Michael and 

Jessica Sanders. The couple, frustrated with the 

lack of “craft” in the small neighborhood bars they 

went to, and also tired of the stuffiness of the places 

where they enjoyed better food and beverages, finally 

chose to open up their own perfect location. With eight 

thought out, rotating craft-only taps, and a decent 

bottle selection, Drink.Well. has constructed a short, 

yet savory menu of “simple bar food” for pairing. With 

craft food and craft beverages, Drink.Well. makes for 

a satisfying evening off the beaten path. 

Easy Tiger bake shop & beer Garden 

709 E. 6th Street | 512-614-4972 | easytigeraustin.com 

Executive Chef Drew Curren | 30 Beers on Tap 

We recommend: Homemade Beer Cheese with Pretzel, Homemade Chex Mix, Classic Bratwurst, Merguez 

(lamb sausage) 

From the same beer/food geniuses that brought us 24 Diner and their no questions asked everything’spoured-in-a-full-pint 

mantra, we have one of Austin’s youngest “gastropub” entrants, Easy Tiger. A mix 

of Wes Anderson, Julia Child, and Michael Jackson (the beer hunter, not Macaulay Culkin’s BFF), Easy 

Tiger has a nice mass appeal, while keeping to the “better food” requirement of our gastropub definition. 

The most “pub-ish” of the group, it hosts an indoor and outdoor tap selection. The beers, dwelling 

subterraneously below the bake shop, live in a classy yet simple wood-y bar with an excellent beer garden 

adjacent overlooking Waller Creek. The pretzels and cheese are super tasty, but the sausages snugged in 

pretzel buns are the titz. A “best bet” for downtown gastropubbing. 

13

Hopfields 

3110 Guadalupe Street, #400 | 512-537-0467 | hopfieldsaustin.com 

Executive Chef at Large Connie Zuloaga and Chef Louis Sheppard 


We recommend: FRITES!, Small Bites plate, Pascal Burger, Merguez frites sandwich 

Hopfields is the baby of Bay and Lindsay Anthon, an Austin couple who have been looking to “birth” this 

French inspired pub lounge for the past few years. With Bay’s knowledge and love of all things grain, hops, 

water, and yeast and Lindsay’s taste for the finer things, they have created the perfect yin yang of pub and 

café; a his and hers for the beer lover. With Lindsay’s mother’s touch in the kitchen and Bay’s experienced 

palate guiding the tap wall, Hopfields is a locale sure to please everyone. And with their line of “mocktails” 

(light handed cocktails), they are sure to have something for everyone on the drink menu. So the next time 

you and your lady friend (or if you’re a lady, you and your guy pal) are looking for some tasty “French street 

food” and a masterfully managed tap wall, Hopfields just might be what you’re looking for. 

Zax Pints and Plates 

312 Barton Springs Road | 512-481-0100 | zaxaustin.com 


We recommend: Blues Burger, Pan Seared Duck Breast, Cioppino, Cuban Sandwich 

Zax is the granddaddy of Austin gastropubs. And just like your grandpa, he likes to drink Bud Light once 

in awhile. But don’t worry, he has the good stuff too. In fact, they have 20 taps, with something to please 

everyone—plenty of Texas taps as well. Their menu follows that same thought process. A little Mexican. 

A little bistro. A little seafood. Everyone eats what they want. With such a variety of beer and food, it will 

be simple pairing a PINT to go with your PLATE. Their SOCO location is key for an early dinner and night 

on the town (more beer). The dining room is warm and welcoming, actually it reminds me a lot of joints 

I grew up with in Winter Park, FL (that is a good thing). Zax is good for families too, just don’t bring your 

family. I mean, come on, folks are trying to have romantic dates here. This is a gastropub after all, they 

are built for romance. -AC 

14

Am I AT A GAsTroPub? 

Still not sure if you’re enjoying your food and beer at a gastropub or not 

and you’re too ashamed to ask? We got your back. Take this simple test 

so you can put your mind at ease and get back to nomming. 

Menu talks more about where 

the food is from than what it is. 

Passes as date night. 

Tells you they aren’t a 

gastropub. 

Aioli. Lots of it. 

Cheese plate, duh. 

Menu lists executive chef. 

Waited an hour for a table. 

Read about it on a blog. 

Butts-to-nuts crowded. 

Lots of plaid. More plaid 

than not. 

Edison bulbs. 

yES 

Hurry up and Instagram your 

food already. Remember 

#iphoneonly and #nofilter 

for extra points. 

When you ask about 

small plates, they point to 

the kids menu. 

They call your name over 

a loud speaker. 

“Proper glassware” means it’s 

clean (you hope). 

You’ve been there 

twice this week. 

No one is trying too hard. 

At anything. 

You and your wallet are comfortable 

staying for more than 

a few beers after your meal. 

They have a pint night. 

nO 

Too bad, but cheer up and 

realize you’re plenty comfortable 

here and possibly found your new 

favorite dive.

TOuRS anD TaSTIngS 

A GUIDE TO WASTED WEEKENDS 

by JOSH SPRADLING 

THE WEEKEND STARTS WITH SUCH 

great hope and ambition. A laundry list 

of chores and errands. But, you’ve been 

working all week, so screw it. Call some 

friends, go day drinking and learn a little 

bit more about your city’s local beer scene 

with a brewery tour and tasting. 

Unable to sell beer directly to you, 

tours are a great way for breweries to let 

you taste their selection, discover more 

about what makes them different and see 

where they work. Most offer free (small) 

samples, but $10 or so for a branded pint 

glass and suddenly those “samples” get a 

lot bigger. 

If you’ve been to a brewery in Texas, 

you have a pretty good idea of how it 

works. If you haven’t, clear this weekend’s 

schedule. Here is our take on what makes 

each place a little bit special. Be sure 

to check each location’s website before 

you head out to see if reservations are 

needed, the tour is cancelled or a special 

event is going on that day. Enjoy, you have 

a lot of work ahead. 

16 

HOpS & gRaIn 

BREWERy 

Friday from 2:00 - 6:00 pm; Saturday 

12:00 - 4:00 pm 

As if East 6th Street wasn’t cool enough, 

it now has a brewery to call it’s own. Move 

east of 35 past the hipster bars, Mexican 

joints, and mixed use development until 

6th dies out and you’ve hit Hops & Grain. 

Cut out of work a little early and hang out 

with brewer/owner Josh Hare on a casual 

Friday or join the crowds on Saturday for 

a formal tour with your beers. With their 

small batch greenhouse system going 

full force, Hops & Grain could offer up to 

eight options on any given weekend so 

you always have a good excuse to go back 

frequently and see what’s new. And with 

his Stool Sample submissions filling the 

tasting room, you never have to sit in the 

same seat twice (we recommend looking 

for the iPod-ready seat; we hear they 

are big fans of mid-90’s hip hop). Hare

embraces the creative East Austin vibe 

and his space shows it with neighbors 

including acrobats and glass-blowers, 

the latter of which they partner with 

occasionally for “Hot Glass, Cold Beer.” 

There is also a plan for a café next door, 

so soon you’ll have more to munch on 

than Brew Biscuits. 

InDEpEnDEnCE 

BREWIng CO. 

First Saturday of the month from 1:00 - 

3:00 pm 

Austinites love lines, and they wait in a 

long one here the first Saturday of the 

month. With folding chairs and tents 

set up in large groups on (sometimes 

scorching) pavement, Independence 

offers up a tailgate atmosphere any time 

of year. Grab your three free samples or, 

as we suggest if you are standing around 

in that line, bring a little cash and trade 

up to pints with purchase of a glass. Try a 

long-standing staple, like the increasingly 

popular Stash IPA, or special releases 

from the brewluminati series, get some 

food from that week’s vendor, and head 

inside to catch a tour while your friends 

sit working on their sunburns. Feel free 

to bring your dog (you live in Austin, we 

know you have a dog) as long as it can 

remain behaved with all those strangers’ 

crotches roaming around. Also, don’t 

forget to bring those Convict Hill bottle 

carriers you stocked up on staying warm 

over the winter as Independence recycles 

their four and six pack carriers. 

lIvE Oak BREWIng CO. 

Two Saturday’s a month from 12:00 - 1:30 

pm (RSVP required) 

Stepping into the Live Oak is like going 

into your grandpa’s garage, and Chip 

is your wild uncle. The short ceilings, 

horizontal old dairy tanks, smell of dust 

and hops, and random assortment of old 

and unused tools laying around add to 

17 

the charm of their “old world” brewing 

techniques. Live Oak has been making 

beers respected the world over in this 

old meat packing plant for more than 17 

years and after you see the equipment 

and structure, you’ll have even more 

appreciation for their craft. They have 

land to possibly build a new place 

southeast of town, but you kind of know 

it would never be the same. Once you 

arrive, gather around in a circle to hear 

about their approach and styles as you 

pass by the taps merry-go-round style 

to try the standard lineup and current 

seasonal or two. After the tour hang out, 

chat up the brewers and staff and drink 

until they tell you to go home. If you’re 

smart, you’ll plan your trip in the winter 

when Primus is on. All of their beers are 

great, but Primus wasn’t our pick for best 

overall beer of 2011 for nothing. 

JESTER kIng 

CRaFT BREWERy 

Every Saturday from 1:00 - 4:00 pm 

Sometimes it feels like if you’ve been 

to one brewery, you’ve been to ‘em all. 

Industrial park, little tasting area in the 

corner and a few random stools. But 

when you head just a little out of the 

Austin city limits to Jester King, you 

realize you are anywhere but a normal

ewery. Placed in a beautiful hill country 

setting within a reconstructed 1930’s 

machine shop, the guys at Jester King 

create some of Texas’ most unique 

beers. In addition to their own rotating 

farmhouse ales or soured versions of 

their regular lineup, Jester King offers 

guests kegs of European beers not 

normally available in Texas. Buy a glass, 

get a beer and relax under a shade tree 

at one of the picnic tables and take in the 

rustic setting. If you don’t know much 

about Jester King you don’t want to miss 

a tour by one of the founding Stuffing/ 

Steffing brothers or bearded maniacs 

running around the place. Admire their 

passion, look in awe at their barrel room 

and grab another beer. After all, that’s 

really what you came for. 

THIRSTy planET 

BREWIng CO. 

Every Saturday from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm 

(RSVP required) 

Often times a Texas brewery’s tasting 

room is an afterthought and put wherever 

there was room after the important stuff 

was moved in. But the team at Thirsty 

Planet planned ahead and incorporated 

a well thought out tasting room into their 

space that may remind you more of a 

bar than a brewery. With a mix of indoor 

and outdoor seating, live music, guest 

JESTER KING 

Tour Tips 

You’re an Adult, Act Like One. 

Making your brewery stop 

part of a full day of drinking? 

Pace yourself. Nothing says 

amateur hour to the brewers 

like an annoying asshole 

looking for a fight. 

“You Wanna Drive?” 

All those samples in a short 

amount of time can hit you 

fast. Make sure you know who 

is driving and then take half 

their drink tickets for yourself. 

They’ll thank you later, right? 

Eat Something, Dummy. 

Most tours are around 

lunchtime. Have a big, late 

breakfast or plan ahead. Many 

breweries have food vendors 

visit each week, but not all. So 

figure out how you are going to 

soak up all that booze. 

Be Realistic. 

Big plans that afternoon? 

Cancel ‘em. Nothing makes 

for a better nap than a few 

mid-day beers.

food truck and friendly atmosphere, it 

is easy to see why Thirsty Planet packs 

‘em in every weekend. Even if you’ve 

had their three regular offerings, there 

is always something new for you as 

they experiment with not-so-normal 

ingredients or test a potential new 

seasonal brew. The owners’ toddler is 

usually running around the tasting room 

so you know kids are welcome. Pack up 

the minivan and head west to Thirsty 

Planet and Jester King for a familyfriendly 

day of drinking and worry about 

the kids’ homework on Sunday. 

oTHEr sToPs NoT To bE mIssED: 

(512) BREWIng CO. 

Many Saturdays with advance purchase 

of ticket 

Intimidated by the size and line of (512)’s 

quarterly(ish) open house parties? Book 

in advance for a more intimate tour and 

tasting without the wait. 

auSTIn BEERWORkS 

Friday’s from 4:00 - 8:00 pm with RSVP 

Why wait until Saturday? Kick off your 

weekend with Austin Beerworks’ happy 

hour. Space is limited and goes fast so 

watch Twitter/Facebook on Monday 

afternoon for that week’s registration to 

open. 

REal alE 

BREWIng CO. 

Friday’s from 2:00 - 5:00 pm 

Who says a brewery can’t be a destination? 

Take a beautiful drive out to Blanco on 

Friday afternoon to party with Real Ale 

crew. It’s also a great way to kick off a 

weekend camping in the Hill Country. Trust 

us, we speak from experience. 

unClE BIlly’S 

BREW anD QuE 

Second Wednesday at Barton Springs; 

Second Saturday at the Lake 

Go for the beer and view, stay to talk to 

Amos Lowe (Barton Springs) and Brian 

“Swifty” Peters (Lake Travis).

BEER & lOaTHIng 

Daytripping on 

the East Side 

by AARON CHAMBERLAIN 

WE ARE ALL DADS NOW. WE DON’T HAVE AS 

much free time as we used to. So instead of 

doing the usual thing of getting out of town for 

the day, we made this Beer & Loathing daytrip 

a staycation. The best thing about a staycation 

is that you will never get lost after a few beers. 

First stop: Franklin BBQ. Ah, you did not 

expect that did you? We had all been wanting 

to try Franklin and this daytrip had to start 

early so we could return by nap time. Getting 

in line at 9:00 am gave us a place to drink beer 

in the morning, and waiting for us inside: BBQ! 

Now we cannot say for sure if it is “legal” to 

drink outside this early in the morning, but it 

definitely was not discouraged. A few cop cars 

rolled by giving us the evil eye, but nothing 

came of it. We sampled Josh’s and Chris’ baby 

beers, a homebrewed barleywine and barrelaged 

imperial stout, respectively, and popped 

open a few Austin Beerworks Pearl Snaps as 

well. 

This is how Franklin runs the show: 

people start lining up around 9:00 am; about an 

AARON FRANKLIN 

hour-and-a-half later, a Franklin rep works his 

or her way down the line trying to estimate the 

amount of meat the crowd will consume; doors 

open at 11:00 am; then usually sell out around 

2:00 pm. We were finished up by noon, so I can’t 

say for sure when they sold out on this particular 

Saturday. My friend Jason (name drop!) told me 

to get the two meat plate. Two meats, two sides. 

I can dig that. I was also happily upsold an extra 

link of sausage link on top of that. The meat 

estimator was really pushing the turkey, but no 

one in our group went for it. 

The doors opened and we shuffled in, 

up to the counter where Aaron Franklin was 

waiting to slice our meat. Dude was so nice, I 

almost asked if he wanted to come over later 

and watch the Bachelor with my wife and me. 

I walked away from the counter and said to 

Josh, “I think we could really be good friends. 

Maybe it is an Aaron thing.” Or he is just a really 

cool guy, super personable, which most of us 

are not. Then we ate. Brisket, sausage, ribs 

and pulled pork all around. How was the BBQ?

Tasty. We all loved the brisket. The sausage was 

great. These descriptions are mouth watering, 

huh? I should start food blogging. 

Beer-wise they do not have a lot to 

offer, but enough to match up well with the 

BBQ. They are BYOB as well and we took full 

advantage of that. 

Fat and happy, we moved onto Hops & 

Grain Brewery. So easy to get to: just find your 

way to Sixth Street and drive east from I-35 

until you smack into the brewery. You can’t miss 

it. Josh Hare and company will be there to greet 

you. More nice guys. This Beer & Loathing trip 

should have been called Daytripping With Some 

Jerks as They Visit Some Nice Dudes. Too 

wordy? 

Honestly I cannot remember what beers 

we had. Surely we drank a couple Pale Dogs, 

maybe a few Alt-erations. I should have taken 

notes. Oh, there was a Ruta Maya Dark beer, 

which I think was basically a coffee schwarzbier. 

It was good, my favorite of the day. 

Besides the beer and the cheerful 

company, the best thing about Hops & Grain 

is the ipod chair. Before opening, Josh put 

out a challenge to patrons to design and build 

their own stool for the tasting room. When you 

walk into the tasting room you will see what I 

am talking about. It is strewn with all sorts of 

random, fun stoolage. The iPod chair is clearly 

the best. It has a built in speaker and iPod/ 

iPhone adapter. Pick out your favorite tune and 

crank it up to 11. That day I was partial to some 

Kid Cudi. No one else was feeling it, but I was 

having a swell time. 

A TRIBUTE TO JASON PARK

PEARL SNAP AT THE GRACKLE 

BEER AND LOATHING IN ONE PHOTO 

After thoroughly annoying other guests 

with our iPod chair antics we bounced over to 

Live Oak Brewing Company. Have you been 

there? It’s awesome. It’s like brewery crossed 

with a torture chamber. You think you are gonna 

find a human centipede around every corner. 

But only beer. Lots of beer. Good beer. Chip 

McElroy and crew were on hand to chat about 

the beer or whatever else may come up. We 

asked him advice on being a cool dad. He was a 

wealth of knowledge on the subject. 

We “sampled” a handful of beers at Live 

Oak including their world famous HefeWeizen, 

their lovely Pilz, Liberation, and our favorite, the 

incomparable Primus. 

We were told The White Horse and The 

Grackle were two good spots to check out and 

find local beer. First, The White Horse. When we 

arrived, they looked closed and seemingly under 

construction. They were closed, but the workers 

said the owner would be back shortly. Just then 

he appeared. That was quick. He wore a cowboy 

hat that looked about two sizes too small for 

his head and was accompanied by a large man, 

a bodyguard or bar back. He said they were 

closed, but we could come in anyway. Keeping it 

“in the ‘hood,” they had more Live Oak and Hops 

& Grain on tap for us. It was dark, divey and 

lonely at 2:00 in the afternoon. I love this place. 

I left my fellow loathers at the White 

Horse. I had to be at a kid’s birthday party 

around the time we left Hops & Grain. Yeah, I 

was in trouble. I heard that the guys stayed for 

another beer before heading to The Grackle to 

finish the daytrip. I asked Chris if anything funny 

or interesting happened at the Grackle. He said, 

“We watched NASCAR, drank Pearl Snaps, and 

talked about how we’d all kill for our kids. And 

admired the nice aesthetic, yet divey quality of 

The Grackle.” Typical dads.

BREWERIES 

(512) Brewing Co. 

InFO 

BREWER/FOunDER ....Kevin Brand (Owner), 

Nate Seale (Brewer) 

ESTABLISHED ................Summer 2008 

TOuRS................Rotating 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) IPA 

STyLE ........................American IPA 

ABV ...................................7% 


QuICK SIP................Hoppy, citrusy, solid 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL . . . . Spicy Thai, 

Tex-Mex, Italian, ALL pizza, BBQ 

(512) Pale 

STyLE ...................American Pale Ale 

ABV ................................. 5.8% 


QuICK SIP........Drinkable, hoppy, quenching 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL . . . . . . Burgers, 

chiles rellenos, fish and chips 

CuRREnT SEaSOnal 

(512) black IPA 

STyLE ...........................Black IPA 

ABV ...................................7% 

IMBIBInG OPTIOnS .......Draft (Early Spring) 

QuICK SIP................Hoppy, bitter, coffee 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL.......... Pork 

tamales, supreme (yeah, supreme) nachos 

(512) Whiskey barrel Aged 

Double Pecan Porter 

STyLE ......................Imperial Porter 

ABV ................................. 8.2% 

IMBIBInG OPTIOnS ....Draft/Bottles (Limited) 

QuICK SIP............Vanilla, coconut, pecans 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL......Digestion 

(512) ALT 

STyLE ..............................Altbier 

ABV ................................. 6.0% 

IMBIBInG OPTIOnS .......Draft (Late Spring) 

QuICK SIP.........Roasty, nutty, slightly sweet 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL.........Grilled 

sausages, fish 

WE RECOMMEnD 

ALT, IPA, Whiskey Barrel Aged Double 

Pecan Porter 

*See full listing of available beers at 

www.austinbeerguide.com 

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)’s beers are only available on draft but have released a limited number 

of bottles of Whiskey Barrel Aged Double Pecan Porter (and Wild Bear) 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.

BREWERIES 

adelbert’s Brewery 

InFO 

BREWER/FOunDER ............ Scott Hovey 

ESTABLISHED ...............Winter 2011/12 

TOuRS.......................Check website 

uRL ................www.adelbertsbeer.com 


rambler Ale 

STyLE ..............Belgian Style Blonde Ale 

ABV ................................. 5.3% 

IMBIBInG OPTIOnS .............Draft/Bottle 

QuICK SIP....... Bright, semi-spicy, drinkable 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL ...... Chicken, 

cheese, grilled tilapia, 

rustic bread 

scratchin’ Hippo 

STyLE ..........Belgian Style Biere de Garde 

ABV ................................. 6.8% 


QuICK SIP.......... Malty, earthy, semi-sweet 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL .......... Thai, 

steak, spicy Italian 

Tripel b 

STyLE ...............Belgian Style Tripel Ale 

ABV ................................. 9.3% 


QuICK SIP................Cloudy, candy, fruity 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL ...... Spinach 

salald, strawberries, lobster 

COMIng SOOn 

Dancin’ monks 

STyLE ..............Belgian Style Dubbel Ale 


Flyin’ monks 

STyLE ............... Belgian Style Quad Ale 


Naked Nun 

STyLE ............................. Witbier 


Philosophizer 

STyLE ..............................Saison 


WE RECOMMEnD 

Scratchin’ Hippo, Tripel B 

In early 2010, Scott Hovey was ripe for a mid-life career change and when he looked for inspiration 

he found it in the eclectic and exciting life of his deceased older brother, Adelbert. Inspired by his 

brother’s willingness to chase his dreams, Scott decided to turn his homebrew hobby into a career. 

Always a fan of Belgian style ales, Scott was introduced to the complexities and flavor possibilities in 

bottle conditioned aged Belgian beers at the 2010 Craft Brewers Conference. He returned to Austin 

and set out to start Austin’s first all Belgian style bottle and keg conditioned brewery, aptly named 

after his older brother. Of the six beers to be released in 2012, each one is named after an experience 

or story that his brother Adelbert loved to tell.

BREWERIES 

austin Beerworks 

InFO 

BREWER/FOunDER ........Adam DeBower, 

Michael Graham, Mike McGovern 

and Will Golden 



uRL .............www.austinbeerworks.com 


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, beef jerkey 

Fire Eagle American IPA 


ABV ................................. 6.2% 


QuICK SIP....................... Hoppy, piney 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL . . . . . . . . . Thai, 

steak, spicy Italian 

Peacemaker Extra Pale 


ABV ................................. 5.1% 


QuICK SIP....................Drinkable, crisp 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL . . . . . . . . Vegan 

hotdogs, pickles, Sidora’s 

homemade Chex mix 

Pearl-snap German Pils 

STyLE ..................... German Pilsner 

ABV ................................. 5.3% 


QuICK SIP..................Light, hoppy, crisp 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL . . . . . .Sausage, 

breads, mustard, 

burgers 


Gold Fist belgian-style Golden Ale 

STyLE ............. Belgian-Style Golden Ale 


QuICK SIP..........Malty sweet, fruity, slightly 

spicy from the yeast esters 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL . . . . . . . . Dates, 

roasted quail, fruit cake 

WE RECOMMEnD 

Fire Eagle, Peacemaker 

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 April 2011. With their regular lineup of four beers, including GABF silver 

medal winner Peacemaker Extra Pale, the four friends have come storming out of the gates 

and onto the Austin beer scene. The Austin Beerworks fellows aim to make super tasty, yet 

drinkable beers, perfect for our refined, but also often heat-parched Austin palates.

BREWERIES 

Circle Brewing Co. 

InFO 

BREWER/FOunDER ..............Ben Sabel 

and Jud Mulherin 

ESTABLISHED ...............Winter 2010/11 


uRL ................ www.circlebrewing.com 


blur Texas Hefe 

STyLE ......................... Hefeweizen 

ABV ................................. 4.6% 


QuICK SIP............Bananas, light, gulpable 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL . . .Pizza, salad, 

crab legs 

Envy Amber Ale 

STyLE .......................... Amber Ale 

ABV ................................. 4.8% 


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 ................................. 4.7% 


QuICK SIP..................Roasty, dry, cocoa 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL....Raw oysters, 

shepherd’s pie, stew 

Epic Hop bock 

STyLE ...............................Bock 


QuICK SIP...............Slightly hoppy, malty 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL.........Any food 

served out of a food truck 


Alibi blonde 

STyLE ..........................Blonde Ale 


QuICK SIP....................Aromatic, malty 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL........Crawfish, 

NCAA Basketball Finals 

WE RECOMMEnD 

Blur Texas Hefe, Alibi 

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 followed 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.”

Hops and grain 

Brewery 

InFO 

BREWER/FOunDER ...............Josh Hare 

ESTABLISHED ............... Winter 2011/12 

TOuRS........................Friday 2-6pm 

Saturday 12-4pm 

uRL ................www.hopsandgrain.com 


Pale Dog Pale Ale 


ABV ................................. 6.0% 


QuICK SIP...................Dry, hoppy, bitter 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL..............Fish 

tacos, salt and vinegar chips, 

gummy bears 

Alt-eration Ale 

STyLE .............. Düsseldorf-style Altbier 

ABV ................................. 5.2% 


QuICK SIP.................Malty, nutty, moody 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL...........Grilled 

fish, any kind of meat 

on a stick 

The Greenhouse 

STyLE .......Rotating series of small batches 

IMBIBInG OPTIOnS ...Draft/Bottles (In future) 

WE RECOMMEnD 

Alt-eration, Greenhouse Beers 

BREWERIES 

Bringing his Colorado beer knowledge and inspiration to Austin, Josh Hare has opened 

one of Austin’s latest craft brewery. They started 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. You may have had their porter. Expect more styles like a 

barleywine, Belgian pale ale and schwarzbier to show up on draft and in 22 ounce bottles. 

They even collaborated on a beer with us called Night RYE-der. 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).

BREWERIES 

Independence 

Brewing Co. 

InFO 

BREWER/FOunDER....Rob & Amy Cartwright 

ESTABLISHED .....................Fall 2004 

TOuRS...........First Saturday of the month 

uRL .........www.independencebrewing.com 


bootlegger brown Ale 

STyLE ................. American Brown Ale 

ABV ...................................6% 


QuICK SIP..............Big roasty malt flavor, 

caramel, nutty 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL . . . . . . . . Steak, 

roasted pork, Chinese takeout 

Independence Pale Ale 


ABV ................................. 5.5% 


QuICK SIP.............Piney, hoppy, light malt 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL . . . . . Reubens, 

sausage and peppers 

stash IPA 


ABV ...................................8% 


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% 


QuICK SIP............... Cacao, licorice, roast 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL . . . . . . . . . . . Ice 

cream, chocolate, toffee 


Lupulust Tripel 

STyLE ...............................Tripel 

ABV ...................................9% 


QuICK SIP............... Sweet, alcohol, grain 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL Popcorn, spicy 

nuts from the Draught House 

WE RECOMMEnD 

Stash IPA, Convict Hill, Lupulust 



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 year they have been releasing one-off beers in their Brewluminati series. For latest 

info on this series stay tuned here: www.independencebrewing.com/our-beers/brewluminat

BREWERIES 

Jester king 

Craft Brewery 

InFO 

BREWER/FOunDER ........Jeffrey Stuffings 

and Michael Steffing 

ESTABLISHED .....................Fall 2010 

TOuRS......................Most Saturdays 

uRL ............www.jesterkingbrewery.com 


black metal Imperial stout 

STyLE ............Farmhouse Imperial Stout 

ABV ..................................10% 


QuICK SIP...........................Big roast, 

coffee, chocolate 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL...Cheesecake, 

roast beef and other bloody meats 

Le Petit Prince 

STyLE ...............Farmhouse Table Beer 

ABV ................................. 2.9% 


QuICK SIP...............Subtle hop spiciness, 

yeast esters, wild flowers 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL . .Crackers and 

light cheeses, pears, grilled 

flaky white fish 

Wytchmaker rye IPA 

STyLE ..................Farmhouse Rye IPA 

ABV ................................. 7.3% 


QuICK SIP..........................Drinkable, 

hoppy, quenching 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL . . . . . . Burgers, 

pizza, chips and salsa 


bEEr GEEk roDEo / WHIskEy roDEo / 

WEAsEL roDEo** 

STyLE ..............Chili/Coffee Strong Stout 

IMBIBInG OPTIOnS...............Draft/Bottle 

QuICK SIP......................Smoke, spice, 

coffee, roasty 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL.........Roast 

beast, beef jerky, breakfast 

WE RECOMMEnD 

Le Petit Prince, Wytchmaker 


austinbeerguide.com 

**Collaboration brew(s) with Mikkeller. For much, 

much more info on this beer check out Jester King’s 

blog: jesterkingbrewery.com/blog 

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, 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. The brothers could 

not fail. Recently, they have moved their original lineup to farmhouse versions (Farmhouse 

Wytchmaker, Farmhouse Black Metal, etc.), in part won a court ruling against the Texas 

Alcoholic Beverage Commission, and brewed a second collaboration beer with gypsy brewer, 

Mikkeller, called “Ale”/“Malt Liquor” in TX Geek Brunch. Look for it later in 2012. 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 


HefeWeizen 

STyLE ......................... Hefeweizen 

ABV ................................. 4.1% 


QuICK SIP..............Bananas, cloves, hazy, 

super refreshing 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL...Blue cheese! 

Pilz 

STyLE ....................... Czech Pilsner 

ABV ................................. 4.7% 


QuICK SIP..............Hoppy, dry, refreshing 


pizza, burgers, 

anything really 

Liberation Ale 


ABV ................................. 6.3% 


QuICK SIP..........Hoppy, great malt balance 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL . . . . . . Tobacco, 

foie gras or other duck dishes 


schwarzbier 

STyLE .........................Schwarzbier 

ABV ................................. 4.8% 

IMBIBInG OPTIOnS .......Draft (Early Spring) 

QuICK SIP..............Roasty, coffee, smooth 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL . . . . . Breakfast 

tacos (yes, breakfast tacos) 

roggenbier 

STyLE ......................... Roggenbier 

ABV ................................. 4.8% 

IMBIBInG OPTIOnS .......Draft (Late Spring) 

QuICK SIP........... Smooth, fruity, drinkable 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL . . . . . . Pastries, 

mild cheeses, melon 

WE RECOMMEnD 

Pilz, HefeWeizen, Schwarzbier 



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.

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 


Devil’s backone 

STyLE ..................Belgian-Style Tripel 

ABV ................................. 8.1% 


QuICK SIP...............Sweet, boozey, honey 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL . . . . . . . . . Tuna 

salad, grilled cheese, tomato soup 

Firemans #4 blonde Ale 

STyLE ..........................Blonde Ale 

ABV ................................. 5.1% 


QuICK SIP.................Light, bready malts 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL . . . . . . .Poultry, 

pizza, whatever’s on the grill 

Lost Gold IPA 


ABV ................................. 6.6% 


QuICK SIP ....................Citrusy hops, 

strong malt background 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL . . . . . . . . . Fried 

chicken, gorgonzola, 

gumbo (spicy or otherwise) 


real Heavy 

STyLE ........ Strong Scotch Ale (Wee Heavy) 

ABV ................................. 9.7% 


QuICK SIP ............ Caramel, malty, nutty 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL . . . . . . . Classic 

burger and fries, fish and chips 

WE RECOMMEnD 

Lost Gold IPA, Devil’s Backbone 



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.

BREWERIES 

South austin 

Brewing Co. 

InFO 

BREWER/FOunDER ..........Jordan Weeks 

ESTABLISHED ..................Winter 2012 


uRL ...........www.southaustinbrewing.com 


belgian style Golden Ale 

STyLE ...................Belgian Golden Ale 

ABV ................................. 7.8% 


QuICK SIP.............Fruity esters, quaffable, 

brite, smooth 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL . . . . . . . . . .Fish, 

fruits and honey, soft cheeses, frites 

saison D’Austin 

STyLE ...................... Belgian Saison 

ABV ...................................8% 


QuICK SIP ............ Sweet, spicy, peppery 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL . . . . . . . Salads, 

chicken, pheasant, fruit 

WE RECOMMEnD 

Belgian Style Golden Ale, Saison D’Austin 

SOUTH AUSTIN 

GRAND OPENING 

Parked in the same neighborhood as Independence and (512) breweries, South Austin 

Brewing Co. have been chomping at the bit (Yeah we use that phrase. We’re dad’s now, 

remember?) to get to brewing since the 2010. Founder Jordan Weeks has a rich brewing 

history in Austin, and with his trusty 50-barrel Newlands brewhouse plans to supply the fine 

folks of South Austin and beyond with yummy Belgian inspired beers. Out of the gates, SABC 

are slinging beers both on draft and in 750 ml cork and cage bottles to be found at finer 

locations.

�� 

��

BREWERIES 

Thirsty planet 

Brewing Co. 

InFO 

BREWER/FOunDER ...Brian & Tammy Smittle 


TOuRS........... Saturdays, 11am & 1:30pm 

uRL ..................www.thirstyplanet.net 


buckethead IPA 



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% 


QuICK SIP ............Malty, clean, drinkable 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL...Sandwiches, 

chips and queso 

yellow Armadillo Wheat 

STyLE .....................American Wheat 

ABV ................................. 4.1% 


QuICK SIP .......Crisp, refreshing, drinkable 


crawfish 

WE RECOMMEnD 

Buckethead IPA, Thirsty Goat Amber 

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.

BREWERIES 

Twisted X 

Brewing Co. 

InFO 

BREWER/FOunDER............Jim Sampson 

and Shane Bordeau 

ESTABLISHED ..................Spring 2011 


uRL ..................www.texmexbeer.com 


Cow Creek Premium Tex mex Dark Lager 

STyLE ..................Vienna (Dark) Lager 

ABV ................................. 5.4% 


QuICK SIP ..........Drinkable, slightly sweet 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL ......Gorditas, 

tostadas, tamales 

Fuego Jalapeño Infused Tex mex Pilsner 

STyLE ...................Chile Beer/Pilsner 

ABV ................................. 7.2% 


QuICK SIP ............ Crisp, slightly dry, hot 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL . . . . . . . . Steak, 

roasted pork, Chinese takeout 

señor Viejo Tex mex Imperial black Lager 

STyLE .....Barrel Aged Imperial Schwarzbier 

ABV ................................. 8.2% 


QuICK SIP ................Sweet, agave, oak 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL ..........Mole 

or by itself after a big 

meal of mole 

Twisted X Premium Tex mex Lager 

STyLE ......................... Light Lager 

ABV ................................. 5.2% 


QuICK SIP ........Light, very drinkable, clean 

FOOD IT CHASES DOWn WELL .........Elote, 

nachos, enchiladas 

WE RECOMMEnD 

Fuego, Señor Viejo 

Since our first issue in April 2011, 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 three breweries that has opened since then. 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. Also be on the look out for Siesta, a prickly pear lager. It is a summer seasonal that 

proved to be quite popular and could still pop up around town. 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-degallo 

beer be in the works? Let’s hope so. Mole Porter—that’s the ticket!

More Texas 

Breweries * 

Whoah, this list is getting long! We had to bump this section to three quarters of a page this 

issue. This is a good thing. The only draw back we can see - tap space. Start expanding bars. 

alaMO BEER COMpany 

LOCATIOn......................San Antonio 

uRL ...................www.alamobeer.com 

DEEp ElluM BREWIng COMpany 

LOCATIOn...........................Dallas 

ESTABLISHED .........................2011 

uRL ............www.deepellumbrewing.com 

FRanCOnIa BREWIng COMpany 

LOCATIOn........................McKinney 

ESTABLISHED .........................2008 

uRL .............www.franconiabrewing.com 

kaRBaCH BREWIng COMpany 

LOCATIOn.........................Houston 

ESTABLISHED .........................2011 

uRL ..............www.karbachbrewing.com 

nO laBEl BREWIng COMpany 

LOCATIOn.............................Katy 

ESTABLISHED .........................2011 

uRL ................. www.nolabelbrew.com 

RaHR & SOnS BREWIng COMpany 

LOCATIOn.......................Fort Worth 

ESTABLISHED .........................2004 

uRL ................. www.rahrbrewing.com 

RangER CREEk BREWIng & DISTIllIng 

LOCATIOn......................San Antonio 

ESTABLISHED .........................2010 

uRL .............www.drinkrangercreek.com 

SaInT aRnOlD BREWIng COMpany 

LOCATIOn.........................Houston 

ESTABLISHED .........................1994 

uRL ..................www.saintarnold.com 

SOuTHERn STaR BREWIng COMpany 

LOCATIOn.......................... Conroe 

ESTABLISHED .........................2008 

uRL ..........www.southernstarbrewery.com 

SpOETzl BREWERy (SHInER) 

LOCATIOn...........................Shiner 

ESTABLISHED .........................1909 

uRL .......................www.shiner.com 

*Texas breweries with beer currently available in Austin

BREW puBS 

Black Star Co-op 

InFO 

LOCATIOn..............7020 Easy Wind Drive 

Midtown Commons, Suite 100 

Austin, TX 78752 

PHOnE ..................... 512-452-BEER 

HOuRS .........................4pm-12am 

uRL ....................www.blackstar.coop 

HOuSE BEER SaMplIng 

High Esteem ...................... Pale Ale 

Double Dee ..................... Amber Ale 

Vulcan.............................Rye IPA 

rebellious Dockhand ..............Sour Ale 

Epsilon ......................... Scotch Ale 

InFO 

LOCATIOn................4112 Medical Pkwy 


PHOnE ......................512-452-MALT 

HOuRS ................Mon-Thu 5pm-2am, 

Fri-Sun 1pm-2am 

uRL ................www.draughthouse.com 


red Planet.........................Red Ale 

bombay IPA...................American IPA 

Jubal Ale ...................Winter Warmer 

big Tex ................American Strong Ale 

malt ball...................American Porter 

BREW puB SnapSHOT 

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. 

WE RECOMMEnD 

Vulcan, Rebellious Dockhand 

Draught House 


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. 

WE RECOMMEnD 

Malt Ball, Red Planet (also Double Red Planet), 

Bombay IPA

BREW puBS 

lovejoys 

InFO 

LOCATIOn................ 604 Neches Street 


PHOnE ...................... 512-477-1268 

HOuRS ..........................4pm-2am 

uRL .............www.myspace.com/lovejoys 


samson’s best .................... Pale Ale 

sad Family somber Ale ....... English Bitter 

AJ Porter ..................American Porter 

oktober Lovefest ............... Oktoberfest 

Dr. shock IPA..................American IPA 


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. 

WE RECOMMEnD 

Samson’s Best, AJ Porter

north by northwest 

InFO 

LOCATIOn......... 10010 Capital of TX Hwy N 


PHOnE ...................... 512-467-6969 

HOuRS ............... Varied, check website 

uRL ...................www.nxnwbrew.com 


Northern Light ..................... Pilsner 

Duckabush Amber............... Amber Ale 

Pyjingo Pale Ale ..........American Pale Ale 

okanagan black Ale .............. Black Ale 

barton kriek ..................Sour/Lambic 


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. 

WE RECOMMEnD 

Pyjingo Pale Ale, Barton Kriek 

BREW puBS

C 

M 

Y 

CM 

MY 

CY 

CMY 

K 

BREW puBS 

uncle Billy’s 

InFO 

LOCATIOn #1......1530 Barton Springs Road 


PHOnE ...................... 512-476-0100 

LOCATIOn #2...........6550 Comanche Trail 

Unit B - Suite 201 


PHOnE ...................... 512-266-0111 


uRL ............. www.unclebillysaustin.com 


back 40 blonde..................... Blonde 

Hill Country organic Amber ...... Amber Ale 

Hop Zombie IPA ...............American IPA 

Ax Handle Pale Ale .......American Pale Ale 

unclebillys.com 


Texas is BBQ heaven. Austin is Texas Craft 

Beer heaven. Put them together and you get 

Uncle Billy’s Brew and Que. Brian Peters and 

Amos Lowe have been crafting beer in Austin 

for years and it shows in their 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. 

WE RECOMMEnD 

Hop Zombie IPA, Ax Handle 

UBT_AustinBeerGuide_5.1857x3.9_GTP.pdf 1 1/9/12 11:52 AM 

• Back 40 Blonde Ale 

• Agave Wit 

• Hill Country Organic Amber 

• Ax Handle Pale Ale 

• Hop Zombie IPA 

Specialty 

beers also 

available! 

Visit us at our Barton Springs Rd. & Lake Travis locations!

BREW puBS: DayTRIppERS 

Barber 

Shop 

InFO 

LOCATIOn.................207 Mercer Street 

Dripping Springs, TX 78620 

PHOnE ...................... 512-829-4636 


uRL ...............www.barbershopbar.com 


Barber Shop is another testament to the iron 

will of homebrewers. 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 and a strategically occupied tap wall. 

Brewer John McIntosh intends to focus on 

English pub ales.


Double Horn 

Brewing Co. 

InFO 

LOCATIOn.....................208 Avenue H 

Marble Falls, TX 78654 

PHOnE ...................... 830-693-5165 


uRL ...........www.doublehornbrewing.com 


Double Horn, the first and only brew pub in 

Burnet County, is seated right off 281 in Marble 

Falls. Frustrated by the lack of quality beer, 

food and atmosphere to enjoy it in, owner Dusty 

Knight opened Double Horn last May. Knight 

and head brewer Eric Casey have made it their 

mission to supply residents with quality house 

beers and local craft brews. 

Middleton 

Brewing 

InFO 

LOCATIOn....... 9595 Ranch Road 12, Suite 4 

Wimberley, TX 78676 

PHOnE ...................... 512-847-3435 


uRL ..........www.middletonbrewingllc.com 


The owners, the Middletons, hale from the 

sunny state of California. They brought with 

them, like many other west coast brewers, 

a love for the HOP. In addition to hoppy 

monsters, they specialize in subtle Belgian 

style ales. They are housed in the same 

complex as Wimberley Brewing Company, a 

one stop pub crawl!

Flix 

Brewhouse 

InFO 

LOCATIOn.........2200 South IH-35, Suite B1 

Round Rock, TX 78681 

PHOnE ...................... 512-244-3549 

HOuRS ...............Lobby opens one hour 

before first show time 

(See website for show times) 

uRL ................www.flixbrewhouse.com 


How many movie theatres have a brewhouse in 

their front window? Not many. You might even 

catch brewmaster Justin Rizza, formerly of 

Independence Brewing, brewing up something 

tasty as you rush in for the latest Twilight flick. 

Drink from their four regular and two seasonal 

house taps or one of many guest taps. 

Wimberley 

Brewing Co. 

InFO 

LOCATIOn...............9595 Ranch Road 12 

Wimberley, TX 78676 

PHOnE ...................... 512-847-3435 


uRL ............www.wimberleybrewing.com 


Wimberley Brewing is housed in the same 

complex as Middleton Brewing (Wimberley 

was there first). As you walk into Wimberley 

you will notice there are a lot of kids running 

around. Actually, they are not running 

around, they are working. This is a true family 

business. The beers are good here and the 

pizza is surprisingly fantastic. Try the spinach 

pizza. 


pecan Street 

Brewing 

InFO 

LOCATIOn..............106 East Pecan Drive 

Johnson City, TX 78636 

PHOnE ...................... 830-868-2500 


uRL ...........www.pecanstreetbrewing.com 


Pecan Street resides in a space formerly 

occupied by the town hardware store, in Johnson 

City’s historic town square. Owners Tim and Patty 

Elliott, with their head brewer and son Sean, aim 

to make the brew pub the town gathering center 

that the hardware store once was. Their house 

beers and guest taps are complimented by head 

chef John Yachimski’s eclectic brick oven pizza, 

salad and burger menu.

CEnTRal auSTIn 

N. MOPAC EXPY. / RT. 1 

BaRS & 

RESTauRanTS 

A. Flying saucer 

815 West 47th Street 

b. Crown and Anchor Pub 

2911 San Jacinto Blvd 

C. Dog and Duck Pub 


D. scholz Garten 

1607 San Jacinto Blvd 

E. 24 Diner 

600 North Lamar Blvd 

F. opal Divine’s Freehouse 


G. Little Woodrow’s 


S 

E 

X 

F 

15th ST. 

12th ST. 

G 

6th ST. 

Q 

19th ST. / MLK 

GUADALUPE ST. 

LAVACA ST. 

C 

K 

J 

V 

Texas 

Capitol 

I 

R 

38th ST. 

N. LAMAR BLVD.GUADALUPE ST. 

P 

H 

RIO GRANDE ST. 

H. kung Fu saloon 

510 Rio Grande 

I. Alamo Drafthouse-ritz 

320 East 6th Street 

J. The Ginger man 

301 Lavaca Street 

k. Frank 

407 Colorado Street 

L. Hopfields 

3110 Guadalupe Street 

m. Contigo 

2027 Anchor Lane 

N. House Pizzeria 

5111 Airport Blvd 

o. Easy Tiger bake shop 

and beer Garden 

709 East Sixth Street 

MEDICAL PKWY. 

L 

BURNET RD. 

N. LAMAR BLVD. 

W. 30th ST. 

COLORADO ST. 

DEAN KEATON ST. 

SAN JACINTO BLVD. 

O 

D 

B 

A 

45th ST. 

University of 

Texas 

INTERSTATE 35 

U 

P. The brew Exchange 


BREW puBS 

T 

Y 

DUVAL ST. 

Q. Draught House Pub & 

brewery 

4112 Medical Parkway 

r. Lovejoys Tap room & 

brewery 

604 Neches Street 

s. Double Horn brewing Co. 

208 Avenue H, 

Marble Falls 

BREWERIES 

T. Hops & Grain brewery 

507 Calles Street 

W 

51st ST. 

Z 

E. 19th ST. 

N 

M 

MANOR RD. 

u. Live oak brewing Co. 

3301-B East Fifth Street 

STORES 

V. Central market 


W. Hyde Park market 

4429 Duval Street 

X. Whole Foods market 


y. Antonelli’s Cheese shop 

4220 Duval Street 

Z. in.gredients 

(opening soon) 

2610 Manor Road

SOuTH auSTIn 

W 

V 

P 

Q 

K 

S. MOPAC EXPY. / RT. 1 

O 

X 

MANCHACA RD. 

STASSNEY LN. 

G 

BaRS & 

RESTauRanTS 

A. Zax restaurant & bar 

312 Barton Springs Road 

b. Alamo Drafthouse / 

Highball 

1120 South Lamar Blvd 

C. Hopdoddy burger bar 

1400 South Congress Ave 

D. barley swine 


E. black sheep Lodge 


F. Whip In 

1950 South Interstate 35 

S. LAMAR BLVD. 

E 

G. red’s Porch 


H. opal Divine’s, Penn Field 

3601 South Congress Ave 

I. Draft Pick 

1620 East Riverside, #1618 

BREW puBS 

J. uncle billy’s, barton 

springs 


k. The barber shop 

207 Mercer Street, 

Dripping Springs 

L. Faust Hotel & brewery 

240 South Seguin Avenue, 

New Braunfels 

R 

D 

B 

OLTORF ST. 

S. 1st ST. 

H 

BEN WHITE BLVD. / 71 /290 

RADAM LN. 

T 

J 

U 

BARTON SPRINGS RD. 

S. CONGRESS AVE. 

WOODWARD ST. 

L 

M 

m. Wimberley brewing Co. 

9595 Ranch Road 12, 

Wimberley 

N. middleton brewing 

9595 Ranch Road 12, 

Wimberley 

o. Pecan street brewing 

106 East Pecan Drive, 

Johnson City 

BREWERIES 

P. Jester king Craft brewery 

13005 Fitzhugh Road 

Q. Thirsty Planet 

brewing Co. 

11160 Circle Drive 

N 

CESAR CHAVEZ ST. 

C 

A 

RIVERSIDE DR. 

ST. ELMO RD. 

INTERSTATE 35 

I 

S 

F 

r. (512) brewing Co. 

407 Radam Lane, F200 

s. Independence brewing Co. 

3913 Todd Lane 

T. south Austin brewing Co. 

415 E Saint Elmo Rd, Ste 1D 

STORES 

u. Thom’s market 


V. Central market 


W. spec’s-brodie Lane 

4978 West HWY 290 

X. Live oak market 

4410 Manchaca Road

nORTH auSTIn 

A 

N 

CAP. OF TX HWY. 

N. MOPAC EXPY. / RT. 1 

BaRS & 

RESTauRanTS 

A. The Dig Pub 

401 Cypress Creek Road, 

Cedar Park 

b. Alamo Drafthouse- 

Lake Creek 

13729 Research Boulevard 

C. mister Tramps 


D. Alamo Drafthouse- 

Village 

2700 West Anderson Lane 

B 

O 

F 

H 

D 

BURNET RD. 

E 

P 

W. KOENIG LN. 

G 

L 

ANDERSON LN. 

Q 

I 

LAMAR BLVD. 

E. Pour House Pub 

6701 Burnet Road 

F. billy’s on burnet 

2105 Hancock Drive 

G. Thunderbird Coffee 

1401 Koenig Lane 

BREW puBS 

M 

K 

S 

C 

183 / RESEARCH BLVD. 

H. North by Northwest 

(NXNW) 

10010 N Capital of TX Hwy 

I. black star Co-op 

7020 Easy Wind Drive 

AIRPORT BLV D. 

R 

BRAKER LN. 

KRAMER LN. 

US 290 

PARMER LN. 

INTERSTATE 35 

J. Flix brewhouse / 

HomeField Grill 

2000 S I-35, Round Rock 

BREWERIES 

k. Circle brewing Co. 

2340 West Braker Lane 

L. Austin beerworks 

3009 Industrial Terrace 

m. Adelbert’s brewery 

2314 Rutland Dr, Ste 100 

N. Twisted X brewing Co. 

3200 W. Whitestone Blvd, 

Cedar Park 

J 

STORES 

o. Whole Foods market 


P. specs-Arbor Walk 

10515 N Mo Pac Expwy 

Q. sunrise mini mart 

1809 West Anderson Lane 

r. specs-Airport 

5775 Airport Boulevard 

s. Austin Homebrew supply 

9129 Metric Boulevard

c h e e s e monger’s 

BREWER’S BRaIn 

From the Minds of 

antonelli’s Cheese Shop . . . 

CHEESE AND BEER ARE AN EPIC 

combination. Well before cheese makes 

it into our case or beer to our glasses, 

the producers have already worked 

tirelessly to develop flavors, aromas, and 

textures that they feel express their raw 

materials and know-how best. Our goal 

as cheesemongers is to showcase and 

heighten these characteristics. At our 

core, cheesemongers are simply food (and 

drink!)-obsessed with an innate need to 

share that passion with anyone willing to 

listen. 

In the two years since we opened 

our doors, we have worked to develop 

a microcosm of cheese geekery here at 

Antonelli’s Cheese Shop and we’ve been, 

and for which we are grateful, invited into 

the local beer community, co-hosting 

events throughout the city, through which 

we’ve created more than two hundred 

unique pairings. So why are cheese 

and beer such a perfect combination? 

Richness and fattiness, characteristics 

of many cheeses, coat your palate and 

tongue often becoming a challenge when 

working towards a perfect pairing. Beer’s 

effervescence becomes an important tool 

to assist in lifting the fats off your palate, 

mixing the flavor and aroma compounds of 

both products, and releasing them into the 

olfactory, where we do most of our tasting. 

Every pairing is unique. The flavor 

profile of artisanal cheese varies from 

wheel to wheel, depending on factors like 

seasonality, weather patterns, and subtle 

changes in the recipe and make process, 

as well as the animal/breed type used to 

provide milk for the cheese. We choose a 

pairing by standing in front of our cheese 

case and discussing the nuanced flavor of 

the beverage and what our final goals are 

for the tasting experience. We then taste 

cheese and continue to adapt our choices 

until we find the best possible combination. 

For an at-home tasting, try the following 

guidelines as starting points: With Fresh 

cheese (like Fromage Blanc or Chevre), 

we like Lambics. For soft-ripened, Bloomy 

Rinded cheese (like Brie and Camembert 

styles), we often pair with Witbiers, 

Hefeweizens, or Bruts. For those oh-sostinky 

Washed Rind cheeses (like Epoisses 

or Munster), we opt for Pale Ales and IPAs. 

Semi-soft cheeses like Ossau Iraty or 

Tomme Crayeuse go well with Saisons or 

Blonde Ales. Firm and Hard cheeses can 

take on German Pilsners, Belgian Strong 

Ales, Bocks, or even Tripels. And for Blues, 

we often love Porters and Stouts. 

Thanks to the rise in the number of 

American artisanal cheese producers, as 

well as craft breweries, pairing cheese 

and beer has never been more fun or 

delicious. To really enjoy a pairing, follow 

Cheesemonger Courtney’s advice: “It’s 

not something you wolf down or you will 

miss all the subtle details that the brewer 

or cheesemaker were striving for. In other 

words, take your time with these well 

crafted goodies and get all you can out of 

them: the smell, the taste, the appearance, 

etc. Truly enjoy what you’re tasting and 

drinking.” That says it all perfectly. Enjoy 

your explorative pairings.

aBg pODCaST 

Hangin’ With 

the Co-op podcast 

You guys loved the last series of podcasts, judging by the millions of 

downloads. If you loved those, you will marry these. This go around was 

brought to you by Black Star Co-op. We actually get around to chatting 

about beer stuff: Co-op talk and IPAs with Jeff Young. Fear not, there is 

plenty of nonsense too (google Natural Harvest). Use the QR code to link 

directly to our podcast page. 

Where’s my theme music?! 

That is the Cheesecake 

Factory of beer. 

. . . and moving on. 

Are you talking about 

sperm again? 

Depends on how you 

judge a week. 

I wanted veto power if they were 

putting in baby kangaroo. 

Brought to you by:

from the editors - Austin Beer Guide

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