(512) Brewing Co. - Austin Beer Guide

Contents 

FROM THE EDITORS 

It took three issues, but I (Aaron) finally got a crack at 

this editorial/introduction. I wanted to start with a quote 

from Dave Carnie. Don’t know who Dave Carnie is He is 

just the best writer ever. Well, that is an exaggeration. He 

is the best writer who ever worked for a skateboarding 

magazine and has a “food” blog. That narrows it down. 

Anyway, as I was saying, I wanted a quote from Dave, but 

how could I apply it to this issue 

In this issue you will find the usual stuff: brewery and 

brew pub write ups (updated!), news and brew-mors 

(surprise hit last issue), maps, etc. But really, this is the 

Great American Beer Festival (GABF) issue. I know what 

you are thinking: “This is an Austin beer rag . . . why 

should I care about beer stuff outside Austin” Well, you 

should. Plus most coverage is about Austin (and Texas) 

brewers at GABF and it gives an Austinite’s perspective 

on GABF. So there you go, it works. 

I’ve looked and I’ve looked, but can’t come up with a 

good Dave quote. No worries, another time. I guess we’ll 

have to do with a Hemingway quote. From one of my 

favorite short stories “Hills Like White Elephants”: 

“Let’s drink beer.” 

That pretty much says it all. 

Chris Troutman 

Josh Spradling 

Aaron Chamberlain 

Shawn Phillips 

www.austinbeerguide.com 

.......................................02 

News & Brew-mors 

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

season’s drinking 

.......................................06 

BREWERIES 

.......................................31 

Brew pubs 

.......................................38 

GABF’ed 

.......................................44 

Beer & loathing 

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

MAPS 

.......................................52 

OVER A PINT 

.......................................54 

Games 

.......................................55 

Brewer’s brain 

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

My last pint 

BONUS STAFF 

PROOFREADERS.... Sofia, Sarah and Leti 

COVER DESIGN.................. Josh Cockrell 

ADVERTISE WITH US 

WE ARE CHEAP 

BUT WORTH IT 

PRINT AND WEB 

Available 

austinbeerguide.com/advertisers

NEWS & Brew-mors 

This is the News 

Return of the Fest 

Hops & Graining 

Remember when the Texas Craft Brewers 

Festival went away in 2005 That sucked. But, 

it came back! And it was better than ever. 18 

Texas brewers converged upon Fiesta Gardens 

bringing 75+ beers with them. There was 

something for everyone’s palate. You should 

really think about going next year. 

They have been listed in our brewery write 

ups since the first issue, but Hops & Grain are 

officially open and brewing. As you are reading 

this you could be drinking an H&G beer. 

not so weak week 

As you are reading this Austin Beer 

Week is happening (October 22-30). Visit 

austinbeerweek.com to plan out your week. 

TExas success at GABF 

Texas breweries took home four medals at this 

year’s Great American Beer Festival. Three 

of those medals were from Austin Breweries 

(Uncle Billy’s, Austin Beerworks and NXNW). 

More GABF fun starting on page 38. 

Overheard at GABF 

“Before you say anything, prepare to shut the 

fuck up. I’m walking on air.” 

—Our new favorite Texas brewer 

Whoops 

We strive to fill this guide with useful and accurate 

info, but sometimes we slip up. Last issue we 

incorrectly listed Real Ale’s “XV” Anniversary 

ale as “XXV.” If you see a mistake in the guide, 

please don’t jump on Twitter and shout about it. 

We prefer you write us a nice letter, walk out your 

back door, dig a hole and bury it. 

Austin Brew-mors 

(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 City of Austin health inspectors cite popular 

bar Flying Saucer Draft Emporium, for over 

200 counts of improper storage of plates. 

l Due to the overwhelming positive response 

to Austin Beerworks’ canned craft beers, 

brewers venture to expand into other 

canned products. Look for Arrow Head 

Chicken Broth, Trail Dust Baked Beans, 

and Ten Gallon Tomato Soup on shelves 

this fall. 

l 72 Texas beer festivals planned for 2011/12. 

l GABF revokes Texas blogger’s credentials 

and bans him from festival for asking 

brewer, “How did you come up with the 

stout and oyster pairing” 

l Billy Forester of Billy’s on Burnet visits 

popular brew pub on Barton Springs to 

discover he has nieces and nephews. He 

also enjoys beers while there.

Season’s Drinking 

Fall on a Few . . . 

by Chris Troutman 

With the weather getting colder, our bodies 

naturally crave more beer. You’ve heard the term 

“beer jacket” Yeah, it’s true. Science and stuff. 

It’s just in the high 70s tonight and I’ve already had 

maybe 6 beers since I’ve started writing this. See 

If you’re anything like me, autumn is your 

favorite season for drinking. The leaves start 

turning darker and so does the beer. Fresh hop 

pales and IPAs, oktoberfests, pumpkin ales, 

browns, and even some porters start to pop up on 

taps and shelves around town. 

Here in Austin you can look forward 

to the (512) Bruin a hoppy brown, the semirecent 

Real Ale Oktoberfest (now in bottles!), 

Live Oak’s near perfect Oaktoberfest, Austin 

Beer Works’ imperial red, aptly named Battle 

Axe, Independence’s ESB, the Thirsty Planet 

Smittlefest and Circle’s HOOLIGAN Hoppy 

Irish Red. 

And for any of you Austin beer scene vets, 

you know that this is the busy time of year for beer 

events. You can get your fill at the Flying Saucer 

Fall Beer Fest, Texas Craft Brewers Festival, 

Independence Anniversary party, the Draught 

House anniversary party, the (512) Fall seasonal 

release open house, and of course, the multitude 

of events going on during Austin Beer Week*. 

Oh, and everyone and their dog are throwing 

Oktoberfests these days. 

So whether you’re hitting up the festivals, 

anniversary parties, Oktoberfests, sneaking away 

for a well deserved camping trip, wrapping up 

an afternoon of leaf raking, or just wanting to 

appreciate being outside and not instantly soaking 

your clothes with sweat, do it with one of the 

seasonally appropriate beers found all over town. 

*Some of these events have already occured, but next year is just 12 short months away. 

An Autumn Brew 


Like drinking seasonal beers and also making your own Try our autumn seasonal homebrew recipe. If 

you don’t homebrew, skip to next page, because below will just look like some insane shopping list. 

John Brown’s Sweet Potato Pie Ale 

5 Gallon recipe 

7 lbs 2-row 

2 lbs Munich 10L 

1 lb Caramel 10L 

1 lb Victory 

1 lb Belgian Aromatic 

½ lb Red Wheat 

¼ lb Chocolate Malt 

5 lbs Cubed Sweet Potatoes (roast at 350 

degrees for ~1 hour until lightly caramelized) 

1 lb Rice Hulls (for preventing stuck mash) 

½ oz Hallertau at 60 minutes 

½ oz Hallertau at 10 minutes 

1 oz Pumpkin Pie Spice at flame out 

1 oz Pure Vanilla Extract at flame out 

Wyeast Rogue Pacman Ale 1764 

Mash for 1 hour at ~154 degrees 

Boil for 60 minutes 

Ferment at ~65 degrees for 5-10 days 

Give this beer time to condition as the spices 

will be more pronounced than the malt and 

subtle sweet potato flavor at first. Tastes best 5 

weeks after brewing. 

If you make this recipe, you are legally 

required to share one bottle with us. Enjoy!

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) Pale 

Style ...................American Pale Ale 

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

Imbibing Options ...................Draft 

Quick sip........Drinkable, hoppy, quenching 

Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . Burgers, 

chiles rellenos, fish and chips 

(512) IPA 

Style ........................American IPA 

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


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% 


Quick sip..........Full bodied, roasty, pecans 

Food it Chases Down Well . . . .Red meats, 

ice cream, chocolate 

Current Seasonal 

(512) Bruin 

Style .................. Imperial Brown Ale 

ABV ................................. 7.6% 


Quick sip.........Roasty, nutty, slightly sweet 

Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . . . Grilled 

sausages, fish 

(512) THREE 

Style ...............................Tripel 


Quick sip..................Banana, grain, dry 

Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . Lobster, 

scallops, crab 

coming soon 

(512) Wild Bear 

Style .................Sour/Wild Brown Ale 

Imbibing Options ... Limited Bottle Release 

we recommend 

IPA, Pecan Porter, Bruin, THREE 

*See full listing of available beers at 

www.austinbeerguide.com/breweries/512-brewing-co 

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 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. 

Keep your eyes open for (512) THREE, their third anniversary ale, which was released in 

early October. While you are looking for THREE, don’t forget Wild Bear, (512)’s first sour ale.

2011 GABF Medal Winner 

Austin Beerworks 

INFO 

Brewer/Founder ........Adam DeBower, 

Michael Graham, Mike McGovern 

and Will Golden 


Tours.......................Check website 

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 


Battle Axe Imperial Red 

Style .....................Imperial Red Ale 


Quick sip...................Hoppy, sticky, big 

Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . Cheddar 

popcorn, Chicago style hot dog 

coming soon 

Sputnik Russian Imperial Coffee Oatmeal Stout 

Style ...............Russian Imperial Stout 


we recommend 

Fire Eagle, Pearl-Snap, Battle Axe 

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

winnner Peacemaker Extra Pale, the four friends have come storming out of the gates and 

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

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

BREWERIES 

Circle Brewing Co. 

INFO 

Brewer/Founder ..............Ben Sabel 

and Jud Mulherin 

Established ..................Winter 2011 


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 

Coming Soon 

Hooligan Hoppy Irish Red 

Style ........................ Irish Red Ale 


Note: At press time Hooligan Hoppy Irish Red 

had not been released. For that reason, we have 

forgone descriptions/pairings until a later date. 

we recommend 

Blur Texas Hefe, Nightlight Dry Irish Stout 


www.austinbeerguide.com/breweries/circle-brewing/ 

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.”

BREWERIES 

Hops and Grain 

Brewing Co. 

INFO 

Brewer/Founder ...............Josh Hare 

Established .................... Fall 2011 

Tours........................Friday 2-6pm 

Saturday 12-4pm 

url ................www.hopsandgrain.com 


Note: At press time Hops and Grain had just 

begun brewing, with beers to be ready to drink 

by the time this issue is circulating. We’ve 

tasted Josh’s beers and thought they were 

great, but we’ve had a lot to drink since then so 

have forgone descriptions/pairings until a later 

date. 

Pale Dog Pale Ale 


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


Alt-eration Alt Ale 

Style .............. Düsseldorf-style Altbier 

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


The Greenhouse 

Style .......Rotating series of small batches 

Imbibing Options ....Draft/Bottles (Limited) 

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

the city’s latest craft brewery, with beer available by mid October. They’ll start out with two 

year-round beers that will be canned for easy use during your outdoor drinking endeavors. 

Additionally, Josh has plans to brew up to 10 more experimental beers in his first year on the 

3 barrel pilot system they’ve dubbed The Greenhouse. Expect styles like a barleywine, Belgian 

pale ale and schwarzbier to show up on draft and in 22 ounce bottles. If that isn’t enough, 

Hops and Grain is an environmentally sustainable operation that uses up- cycled malted barley 

from brewing to make natural and wheat free dog treats called Brew Biscuits (from what 

we’ve seen at beer festivals, people can be quite fond of them after a few drinks too). 

Head to the east side and stop by the brewery to check out their regular and experimental 

offerings. Don’t forget to take your furry four-legged friend as well; they’ll have some Brew 

Biscuits waiting.

BREWERIES 

Independence 


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% 

Imbibing Options .............Draft/Bottle 

Quick Sip..............Big roasty malt flavor, 

carmel, 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 . . . . . Ruebens, 

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 


ESB 

Style .................. Extra Special Bitter 

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


we recommend 

Stash IPA, Convict Hill Oatmeal Stout 


www.austinbeerguide.com/breweries/independence 

Husband and wife Rob and Amy Cartwright started Independence Brewing Co. in South 

Austin in 2004, but were active members of the ATX brewing community long before. Rob 

began brewing at 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. The most 

recent (early October) being Braggot.

www.independencebrewing.com

BREWERIES 

Jester King 

Craft Brewery 

INFO 

Brewer/Founder ........Jeffrey Stuffings 

and Michael Steffing 

Established .....................Fall 2010 

Tours......................Most Saturdays 

url ............www.jesterkingbrewery.com 


Commercial Suicide 

Style ...........................Dark Mild 

ABV ................................. 3.3% 


Quick sip..................... Smooth, malty 

Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . . . . Aged 

chedder, fish and chips 

Wytchmaker Rye IPA 

Style .............................Rye IPA 

ABV ................................. 6.7% 


Quick sip..........................Drinkable, 

hoppy, quenching 

Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . Burgers, 

pizza, chips and salsa 

Black Metal Imperial Stout 

Style .......................Imperial Stout 

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


Quick sip...........................Big roast, 

coffee, chocolate 

Food it Chases Down Well...Cheesecake, 

roast beef and other bloody meats 


Das Wunderkind Farmhouse Table Beer 

Style ......................Farmhouse Ale 

ABV ................................. 4.2% 

Imbibing Options...............Draft/Bottle 

Quick sip.......................Funky, earthy 

Food it Chases Down Well........Apples, 

roasted turkey 

we recommend 

Black Metal Imperial Stout, Das Wunderkind 

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’ve released Das 

Wunderkind Farmhouse Table Beer at the Texas Craft Brewers Festival with draft and bottles 

coming soon. Jester King has challenged conventional beer thinking while raising the bar 

high for the local Austin palate.

BREWERIES 

Live Oak 


INFO 

Brewer/Founder ...........Chip McElroy 

Established .........................1997 

Tours...................Saturdays at Noon 

url ...............www.liveoakbrewing.com 


Pilz 

Style ....................... Czech Pilsner 

ABV ................................. 4.9% 


Quick sip..............Hoppy, dry, refreshing 


pizza, burgers, 

anything really 

HefeWeizen 

Style ......................... Hefeweizen 

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


Quick sip..............Bananas, cloves, hazy, 

super refreshing 

Food it Chases Down Well...Blue cheese! 

Liberation Ale 


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


Quick sip..........Hoppy, great malt balance 

Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . Tobacco, 

foie gras or other duck dishes 

current Seasonal 

Oaktoberfest 

Style .........................Oktoberfest 

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

Imbibing Options .........Draft (Early Fall) 

Quick sip......... Malty and sweet, drinkable 

Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . . . Grilled 

sausage and pretzel with beer mustard 

Primus 

Style .........................Weizenbock 

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

Imbibing Options ..........Draft (Late Fall) 

Quick sip..............Bananas, booze, clove 

Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . . . Coffee 

and scone on a cold night, by itself 

we recommend 

Pilz, HefeWeizen, Primus 


http://www.austinbeerguide.com/breweries/live-oak 

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. Live Oak has purchased land on the outskirts of Austin and 

has plans to expand into a new facility in the future, with hopes of bottling their beers for the 

masses. If you have never been to one of their tours, take one in when you can—Chip and the 

gang are more than happy to host everyone!

BREWERIES 

Real Ale 


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 


Rio Blanco Pale Ale 

Style .....................English Pale Ale 

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


Quick sip......Light hops, biscuity malt, crisp 

Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . Seafood, 

grilled chicken, chips and salsa 

Full Moon Pale Rye Ale 

Style .........................Rye Pale Ale 

ABV ................................. 5.7% 


Quick sip......Sweet carmel, hoppy, gulpable 

Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . .Tex-Mex, 

burgers, fried foods 

Lost Gold IPA 


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


Quick sip ....................Citrusy hops, 

strong malt background 

Food it Chases Down Well . . . . . . . . . Fried 

chicken, gorgonzola, gumbo 


Oktoberfest 


ABV ................................. 5.7% 

Imbibing Options ...Draft/Bottle (early Fall) 

Quick sip .....Smooth, slightly spicey, sweet 

Food it Chases Down Well . . Smoked fish, 

pickles, schnitzel 

Shade Grown Coffee Porter 

Style .....................American Porter 

ABV ................................. 5.6% 

Imbibing Options ....Draft/Bottle (late Fall) 

Quick sip ......Coffee, slight roast, quaffable 

Food it Chases Down Well . . . . Chocolate, 

beef jerkey 

we recommend 

Full Moon Pale Rye, Coffee Porter 


www.austinbeerguide.com/breweries/real-ale 

One of the longer running breweries in central Texas, Real Ale has been in operation since 

1996. The brewery originally operated out of a basement of an antique shop in Blanco (50 

minutes outside Austin). In 1998, current owner Brad Farbstein took over. Maxed out at 5,500 

barrels a year, Real Ale moved just outside the downtown area in 2006 to a new facility that 

allowed them to produce 10-12 times that amount. 

In 2009 they started bottling their seasonal beers, kicking off with the excellent Shade 

Grown Coffee Porter. Last year they began turning out a series of experimental Mysterium 

Verum (Real Mystery) beers, including seasonals aged in oak barrels or entirely new brews. 

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. 

If you are lucky you might still be able to find their fantastic 15th Anniversary Russian 

Imperial Stout. If you see it, get it.

No other movie theater in 

the world puts as much 

emphasis on craft beers as 

we do at every Alamo 

Drafthouse location. 

In addition to our large 

selection of bottle and draft 

beers, be sure to experience 

our rotating Badass Taps at 

all four Austin locations 

showcasing a range of rare, 

aged and premium beers. 

DRAFTHOUSE.COM

BREWERIES 

Thirsty Planet 


INFO 

Brewer/Founder ...Brian & Tammy Smittle 


Tours.............Saturdays, check website 

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 


Smittlefest 


Imbibing Options .... Limited Draft Release 

Quick sip ....................Malty, bready 

Food it Chases Down Well . . . . Bratwurst, 

baked potatoe, pickles 

we recommend 

Buckethead IPA, Smittlefest 

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. Try their new seasonal 

and first lager: Smittlefest.

BREWERIES 

Twisted X 


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 

Coming Soon 

ChupaHOPra Tex Mex India Pale Ale 

Style .................................IPA 


Note: At press time ChupaHOPra has only been 

announced on Twisted X’s website. For that 

reason, we have forgone descriptions/pairings 

until a later date. 

we recommend 

Fuego, Señor Viejo 

Since our first issue in April, 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 seasonl 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!

BREWERIES 

More TX Breweries * 

Saint Arnold Brewing Company 

Location.........................Houston 

Established .........................1994 

url ..................www.saintarnold.com 

Franconia Brewing Company 

Location........................McKinney 

Established .........................2008 

url .............www.franconiabrewing.com 

Rahr & Sons Brewing Company 

Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling 

Location......................San Antonio 

Established .........................2010 

url .............www.drinkrangercreek.com 

Southern Star Brewing Company 

Location.......................... Conroe 

Established .........................2008 

url ..........www.southernstarbrewery.com 

Spoetzl Brewery (Shiner) 

Location.......................Fort Worth 

Established .........................2004 

url ................. www.rahrbrewing.com 

*Texas breweries with beer currently available in Austin 

Location...........................Shiner 

Established .........................1909 

url .......................www.shiner.com

Brew pubs 

Barber Shop 

INFO 

Location.................207 Mercer Street 

Dripping Springs, TX 78620 

Phone ...................... 512-829-4636 

Hours ............... Varied, check website 

url ...............www.barbershopbar.com 

House Beer sampling 

Floyd’s IPA....................American IPA 

Bald Spot ESB.........................ESB 

Pig Snout Stout.......................Stout 

Mullet Mild ....................English Mild 

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 focus 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.

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 


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

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

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

Recalcitrant Dockhand ...............Porter 

Elba................... American Wheat Ale 


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, High Esteem 

Darkside 

Fermentation 

INFO 


Location...............215 North LBJ Drive 

San Marcos, TX 78666 

(Located in Root Cellar Cafe) 


Hours ................Tues-Sun 7am-4pm, 

Thu-Sat 6pm-10pm 

url ...... www.rootcellarcafe.com/dark.html 


Mark of the Yeast................ Quadrupel 

Golden Mean..............Strong Golden Ale 

Pale Rider .................Belgian Pale Ale 

Sirius Dubbel ...................... Dubbel 

Saccromancer...................Barleywine 

Silas Parker offers an impressive list of 

handcrafted Belgian beers which becomes 

even more remarkable if you see his brewing 

conditions. He slaves away in the Root 

Cellar’s kitchen long into the night, after the 

restaurant closes, on his one barrel system. 

From the use of local ingredients and area 

well water to hand corked bottles with screen 

printed labels, Darkside is the embodiment 

of a craft nanobrewery. They plan to become 

a full-fledged brewery, but until then make 

the short drive south to grab a few bottles. 

we recommend 

Mark of the Yeast, Sirius Dubbel, Saccromancer

Brew pubs 

Draught House 

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 

Guy Smiley Mild ...............Dark Mild Ale 

Sidamo Milk Stout ......... Milk/Sweet Stout 

Pumpkinhead ................ Pumpkin Ale 


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 

Pumpkinhead, Red Planet (also Double Red 

Planet), Bombay IPA 

Flix Brewhouse 

INFO 

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

Round Rock, TX 78681 


Hours ...............Lobby opens one hour 

before first show time. 

(See website for show times) 

url ................www.flixbrewhouse.com 


Golden Ale......................Golden Ale 

Lupulus IPA...................American IPA 

10 Day Scottish Ale .............Scottish Ale 

Satellite ...........................Red Ale 

Beer of the Dead .............Halloween Ale 


Sure you have had good beer at the movie 

theatres here in town. But have you ever had 

house brewed beer while enjoying the latest 

Brad Pitt flick The answer is no, but now you 

can. Not technically in Austin, Flix Brewhouse 

is open and brewing their own beer now. 

Since opening, they have acquired Justin 

Rizza, formerly of Independence Brewing, as 

their brewmaster. 

we recommend 

Recommendations pending. None of us seem 

to leave our neighborhoods much. Try them all!

Brew pubs 

Lovejoys 

INFO 

Location................ 604 Neches Street 



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 




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. Their sour cherry 

ale, Barton Kriek, won a bronze medal at 

GABF this year. 

we recommend 

Pyjingo Pale Ale, Barton Kriek 

2011 GABF Medal Winner

2011 GABF Medal Winner 

Uncle Billy’s 

INFO 

Location #1......1530 Barton Springs Road 



Location #2...........6550 Comanche Trail 

Unit B - Suite 201 

Austin, Texas 78732 



url ............. www.unclebillysaustin.com 


Back 40 Blonde..................... Blonde 

Agave Wit.......................... Witbier 

Bottle Rocket Lager ................ Pilsner 

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


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. Bottle Rocket Lager won a silver 

medal at GABF this year. 

we recommend 

Hop Zombie IPA, Bottle Rocket Lager

GABF’ed! 


Great American Beer Festival: we came, 

we saw, we drank, we peed (a lot), we slept (a 

little), and now we’re writing it all down. And 

we also put a copy of Austin Beer Guide in Mr. 

Charlie Papazian’s hand (Relax, don’t worry. 

Have an Austin Beer Guide). 

The last weekend of September, Denver, 

CO witnessed a flood of brewers, drinkers, beer 

nerds, snobs, connoisseurs, media, bloggers, 

and lots and lots of great beer descend upon 

the mile high city. The Austin Beer Guide crew 

were there to document it all and also drink 

some of those great beers. 

For the 30th year of the Great American 

Beer Festival there were 2,375 different beers 

available in the festival hall, more than 36,000 

gallons of beer, over 49,000 attendees expected 

and 466 U.S. breweries serving in the festival 

hall. Wow. 

This year saw one of the highest 

numbers of Texas brewing participants with 

22 breweries and brew pubs submitting beers 

to the contest and pouring samples in the 

festival hall. Of those 22 Texan breweries, four 

came home with medals: Uncle Billy’s for the 

Bottle Rocket Lager, Austin Beerworks for 

their Peacemaker Extra Pale Ale, NXNW for 

their Barton Kriek, and Humperdink’s for their 

Uberbrau. 

In addition to the medal winners, there 

were several standouts among the Texas 

brewers present. Uncle Billy’s represented 

with a mini-mock up of their bar to serve their 

1 ounce samples of beers made with Texas 

love. The Live Oak crew brought out the big 

guns, serving their legendary Tree Hugger 

barley wine along with the super popular 

HefeWeizen. Twisted X quickly floated kegs 

of their Señor Viejo, a tequila barrel aged 

imperial schwarzbeir, and their newest beer 

Siesta, a Mexican style lager with a healthy 

dose of prickly pear. Real Ale showcased some 

of the best of Texas’ beers in the Farm to Table 

Pavilion with their ceviche and Oktoberfest 

pairing along with the very popular raw oyster 

and Fifteenth Anniversary Russian Imperial 

Stout pairing (some of us had more than a 

few of these . . . ). The Jester King booth was 

always busy with lots of love for the Black 

Metal in Denver. Darkside Fermentation’s 

Saccromancer and Sirius Ale were very 

popular among the sour fans, as was the

Freetail Bandito (only available at the media 

lunch. Yeah, we got the hookup, then some 

of us spilled it on the brewer). Independence 

was pouring the latest hopped up version of 

the Stash and many got their first taste of Flix 

Brewhouse’s beers. And as always, the (512) 

Pecan Porter proved to be a big hit. 

Beyond the Texas borders we enjoyed 

samples from several other great American 

breweries. The Deschutes Abyss, Stoic, and 

XXIII were amazing, as were the Russian 

River Pliny the Elder, Sanctification, and 

Supplication. The numerous barrel aged and 

sour beers being poured by Destihl were all 

incredible (we found them via an eavesdropped 

tip waiting in line for the urinals). Nearly every 

beer we had from Chuckanut Brewery was 

outstanding and many won medals. The line for 

the New Glarus Raspberry Tart was worth it. 

So were the lines for the outstanding Firestone 

Walker pours, especially Parabola. The 

Bruery’s Hottenroth Berliner was outstanding, 

as was the Our Barrel by Anchor Brewing. But 

the greatest highlight of the event, in my opinion, 

was the Alaskan Smoked Porter vertical tasting 

with the 2000, 2008, and 2010 bottles. 

With all the brewery booths visited, the 

Austin Beer Guide crew noticed a fair amount 

of trends. Sours and barrel aged beers were 

very popular as were Cascadian Dark Ales/ 

Black IPAs. I don’t believe I visited one table 

that wasn’t pouring an IPA. One of the more 

surprising trends was the amount of flavored 

beers. Shorts brought out a slew of odd flavored 

beers including a tomato beer, a white Russian 

inspired beer, and a carrot cake flavored beer 

while Rocky Mountain Brewery focused their 

efforts on pie flavored beers with key lime, 

peach, and blueberry pie inspired beers. 

Was Austin Beer Guide ready for this 

event Maybe not so much. Did Austin Beer 

Guide make the most of it If skipping the last 

session for Pasta Joe’s and a 7:30 PM screening 

of Money Ball in Boulder are included in “the 

most of it”, then YES. Will Austin Beer Guide 

return next year Maybe some of us. Maybe. Did 

some of Austin Beer Guide switch to ice tea on 

Saturday due to “liver quivering” Fearfully, yes. 

Did we drink more varieties and styles of beers 

in a period of 96 hours than we had ever before 

Yes, and there within lies the victory. 

So Denver, thanks for the beers, the 

stories, the multitude of free glasses, the gross 

amount of farts in the festival hall, that one cab 

driver who almost ran over a girl while he was 

busy telling us about all the hot girls in Denver, 

the inspiring prairie dog fields, the gloriously 

clean and private toilet stalls in the Four 

Seasons’ bar and lobby, the eternal aroma of 

cannabis in our AirBnB lodging neighborhood, 

and for the awesome amount of breakfast 

tacos, omelettes, breakfast burritos, and 

eggs of multiple styles that kept our punished 

bodies functioning for those four days in late 

September. 

TOO EXcited 

REAL ALE TABLE

MORE GABF’ed

GABF: Beer & Loathing 

Day Tripping 

to Ft. Collins 

by josh spradling 

Having missed the first Beer and Loathing 

trip down 290, Shawn and I knew we had to go 

big to make up for lost pints. So we headed to 

Fort Collins, CO. To be more accurate, we went 

to GABF then tacked on a day trip 65 miles 

further north. 

We arose for our first full day after a night 

of hugs, rare beers and awkward cab rides. 

With bellies full of bad coffee and microwaved 

eggs from Denver’s take on a Brooklyn deli, we 

set out to see what damage we could do before 

GABF even officially began. 

Our photographer fell on the sword to be 

the driver for the day. He acted like he was just 

being generous, but we suspect it may have 

been due to fears he had about us driving the 

rental car tied to his work account. Either way, 

thanks Shawn. 

The short trip was made slightly longer 

due to Aaron reading excerpts from his diary 

entries during his last trip to Colorado a decade 

ago. His entries were short on beer news but 

long on the 20-year-old’s dislike of the Dave 

Matthews Band. 

Eventually we pulled into Fort Collins and 

were immediately greeted by dozens of prairie 

dogs zig-zagging across open fields. This was 

more of a treat than it should have been and 

even prompted some in the car to roll down the 

windows and “bark” the way any Texan would 

moo at cows. As you can imagine, things only 

got better once we actually had beer in our 

systems. 

Odell Brewing Co. 

Finally, the beer part of this journey. We pulled 

into Odell just as they were opening their 

tasting room doors at 11:00 AM. Odell is an 

impressive brewery that many advocate for 

distribution here in Texas. They had grown 

noticeably since some of us had been here a 

few years ago. We opted to split flights of their 

seasonal, special and taproom-only selections. 

Thanks to our American Homebrewers 

Association membership granting us one free 

flight, it was a steal. 

All of the beers were solid 

representations, but standouts included 

the pumpkin ale, Cutthroat Porter on nitro, 

Myrcenary Double IPA, Bourbon Barrel Stout 

and Friek lambic (the latter two being the first 

of many, many of those styles we would have on 

Odell

New Belgium 

our trip). We were excited to see Friek go on to 

win a medal later in the week. 

New Belgium Brewing 

Before we knew it, we were having to move just 

down the road to New Belgium Brewing for 

our VIP tour set up through the help of Thirsty 

Planet’s “Beer Evangelist” Jake. We blew past 

the commoners waiting in the tasting room to 

the red carpet where we found a special media 

room waiting for us. 

We had our choice of a taster or full pour 

of any of the New Belgium offerings paired with 

a fine selection of food. Eric’s Ale, La Folie, La 

Terrior and the Dunkleweise from the Lips 

of Faith series were the Austin Beer Guide 

favorites. We quickly grabbed our full pours and 

made way to the tour. 

Our guide Simpson treated us to an 

extensive tour. Sometimes you think if 

you’ve been on one tour you’ve been on them 

all, but the size, story, growth and quality of 

their facility is truly impressive. The pit stops 

for refills and cans of Ranger IPA didn’t hurt 

either. 

One of the biggest highlights of the entire 

Colorado trip came when we were given access 

to the barrel room. Massive 30 foot wood 

barrels towered above us as we learned about 

the process of how they blend their sours. Then 

we all jumped the barrier to taste two souring 

ales (Oscar and Felix) STRAIGHT FROM THE 

BARREL. Even the most cynical of us were 

geeking out just a little bit as we puckered from 

the sweet and tart goodness. One more refill of 

La Folie and we were on our way. 

The day was getting short and with at 

least two stops ahead we ducked out to grab 

some lunch. 

Mayor of Old Town 

Needing to refuel, we drove into Old Town 

Fort Collins for lunch and beers at Mayor of 

Old Town, a bar that just opened earlier this 

summer with more than 100 beers on tap and a 

pizza/sandwich/burrito-centered menu. 

Little did we know, we were stepping 

into some space bar from the future. The 

sparse decor, stark white bar and hard surfaces 

Mayor of old town

felt like we were drinking in some sort of 

Stanley Kubrick meets IKEA set. With beer. 

Lots of beer. 

My Firestone Walker Union Jack hit the 

spot after all the sours battling it out in my 

stomach, but Aaron’s Crooked Stave Petite 

Sour was the first drink I’d ever seen that guy 

turn away. Nonetheless, our primary goal here 

was to line our stomachs for the rest of the day, 

and the big-as-your-face breakfast burritos did 

not disappoint. 

After my attempts at mindless banter 

with our bartender turned into awkward 

come-ons, we decided it was best to take off, 

destination unknown. 

Funkwerks 

Head back to Denver and rest before the 

evening’s events or squeeze in another stop 

Back and forth we debated as we left Old Town. 

Why were we even wasting our breath when we 

knew our destiny 

Funkwerks occupies the old Fort Collins 

Brewing Company building (which has moved 

to a larger space since we all last visited) 

and brews nothing but saisons with a focus 

on organic ingredients. The aforementioned 

Crooked Stave also operates out of their space 

and makes a nice saison of their own. 

We got a few flights to cover all the 

offerings from each brewery and were given 

generous samples. Begin saison overload. We 

worked our way through the different takes on 

the style while watching the bartender threaten 

to take out a drunk patron trying to help out 

behind the bar. 

Things got a little hazy here. It could 

have been a culmination of the days drinking, 

but we’ll attribute it to powering through the 

10 or so saisons sitting in front of us. Despite 

the overload of farmhouse ales, there were 

standouts, including a chardonnay barreled 

saison from Funkwerks and wild ale from 

Crooked Stave. 

We finished what we could and looked at 

our watches knowing Fort Collins had done as 

much damage to us as our time allowed. If we 

wanted to be back in time to get the most from 

our first GABF session, we were due to hydrate 

and hit the road back south. 

As we left Fort Collins, we made one last 

loop by the prairie dogs just in time to watch 

one go down in his hole, lamenting the fact 

there was not an over-sized plastic mallet in 

sight. 

Even with the non-stop action, we left a 

few stones unturned that day, such as Equinox 

Brewing, Fort Collins Brewing Co. and Choice 

City Butcher & Deli. Beer and Loathing: GABF 

2012 

FUNKwerks

South Austin 

S. MOPAC EXPY. / RT. 1 

J 

Q 

BARTON SPRINGS RD. 

CESAR CHAVEZ ST. 

A 

RIVERSIDE DR. 

B 

E 

D 

C 

I 

G 

S. LAMAR BLVD. 

OLTORF ST. 

F 

R 

M 

N 

K 

MANCHACA RD. 

O 

S. 1st ST. 

H 

BEN WHITE BLVD. / 71 /290 

RADAM LN. 

S. CONGRESS AVE. 

WOODWARD ST. 

INTERSTATE 35 

STASSNEY LN. 

L 

ST. ELMO RD. 

P 

BARS & 

restaurants 

A. Zax Restaurant & Bar 

312 Barton Springs Road 

B. Alamo Drafthouse / Highball 

1120 South Lamar Boulevard 

C. Hopdoddy Burger Bar 

1400 South Congress Avenue 

D. Barley Swine 


E. Black Sheep Lodge 


F. Whip In 

1950 South Interstate 35 

G. Red’s Porch 


H. Opal Divine’s, Penn Field 

3601 South Congress Avenue 

I. Draft Pick 

1620 East Riverside Drive, #1618 

BREW PUBS 

J. Uncle Billy’s, Barton Springs 


K. The Barber Shop 

207 Mercer Street, Dripping Springs 

L. Darkside Fermentation / Root Cellar 

215 North LBJ, San Marcos 

BREWeries 

M. Jester King Craft Brewery 

13005 Fitzhugh Road 

N. Thirsty Planet Brewing Co. 

11160 Circle Drive 

O. (512) Brewing Co. 

407 Radam Lane, F200 

P. Independence Brewing Co. 

3913 Todd Lane 

STORES 

Q. Thom’s Market 


R. Central Market 

4477 South Lamar Boulevard

North Austin 

L 

A 

B 

PARMER LN. 

C 

CAP 

. OF TX HWY. 

M 

H 

N 

J 

BRAKER LN. 

KRAMER LN. 

K 

D 

N. MOPAC EXPY. / RT. 1 

E 

BURNET RD. 

F 

ANDERSON LN. 

O 

I 

183 / RESEARCH BLVD. 

INTERSTATE 35 

G 

W. KOENIG LN. 

LAMAR BLVD. 

AIRPORT BLV D. 

P 

US 290 

BARS & 

restaurants 

A. The Dig Pub 

401 Cypress Creek Road, Cedar Park 

B. Flix Brewhouse/HomeField Grill 

2000 South Interstate 35, Round Rock 

C. Alamo Drafthouse, Lake Creek 

13729 Research Boulevard 

D. Mister Tramps 


E. Alamo Drafthouse, Village 

2700 West Anderson Lane 

F. Pour House Pub 

6701 Burnet Road 

G. Billy’s on Burnet 

2105 Hancock Drive 

BREW PUBS 

H. North By Northwest (NXNW) 

10010 North Capital of Texas Highway 

I. Black Star Co-op 

7020 Easy Wind Drive 

BrewERIES 

J. Circle Brewing Co. 

2340 West Braker Lane 

K. Austin Beerworks 

3009 Industrial Terrace 

L. Twisted X Brewing Co. 

3200 W. Whitestone Blvd., Cedar Park 

STORES 

M. Whole Foods Market 


N. Specs, Arbor Walk 

10515 North Mo Pac Expressway 

O. Sunrise Mini Market 

1809 West Anderson Lane 

P. Specs, Airport 

5775 Airport Boulevard

19th ST. / MLK 

central Austin 

BURNET RD. 

A 

51st ST. 

K 

MEDICAL PKWY. 

O 

N. LAMAR BLVD. 

GUADALUPE ST. 

45th ST. 

R 

P 

38th ST. 

DUVAL ST. 

W. 30th ST. 

N. MOPAC EXPY. / RT. 1 

DEAN KEATON ST. 

B 

University of 

Texas 

MANOR RD. 

15th ST. 

C 

E. 19th ST. 

D 

E 

Q 

N. LAMAR BLVD. 

12th ST. 

F 

G 

6th ST. 

GUADALUPE ST. 

LAVACA ST. 

J 

I 

Texas 

Capitol 

COLORADO ST. 

H 

SAN JACINTO BLVD. 

L 

INTERSTATE 35 

M 

N 

BARS & 

restaurants 

A. Flying Saucer 

815 West 47th Street 

B. Crown and Anchor Pub 

2911 San Jacinto Boulevard 

C. Dog and Duck Pub 


D. Scholz Garten 

1607 San Jacinto Boulevard 

E. 24 Diner 

600 North Lamar Boulevard 

F. Opal Divine’s Freehouse 

700 W 6th Street 

G. Little Woodrow’s 


H. Alamo Drafthouse, Ritz 

320 East 6th Street 

I. The Ginger Man 

301 Lavaca Street 

J. Frank 

407 Colorado Street 

BREW PUBS 

K. Draught House Pub & Brewery 

4112 Medical Parkway 

L. Lovejoys Tap Room & Brewery 

604 Neches Street 

BrewERIES 

M. Hops and Grain Brewing Co. 

507 Calles Street 

N. Live Oak Brewing Co. 

3301-B East Fifth Street 

STORES 

O. Central Market 


P. Hyde Park Market 

4429 Duval Street 

Q. Whole Foods Market 


R. Antonelli’s Cheese Shop 

4220 Duval Street

Over a Pint 

Twisted X Brewing 

Not long ago we drove north and 

west to see our friends Jim Sampson 

and Shane Bordeau out at Twisted X 

brewing Company in Cedar Park. They 

focus on premium craft Tex-mex style 

lagers and they do a pretty good job 

of accomplishing that. We were sipping 

on the Senor Viejo, Fuego, and Siesta. 

BTA: Alright, this is good. Tell me what I’m 

drinking here. 

Jim: That is Señor Viejo. That’s an imperial 

schwarzbier that has been aged in tequila 

barrels. We took a schwarzbier, bumped it up a 

little bit, and we’ve been working with Republic 

Tequila in Austin to get some of their tequila 

barrels and doing some aging of our beers in 

their tequila barrels to give it a little of that tequila 

sweetness on the back end of it. 

Yeah, you definitely get some of the vanilla from 

the oak. 

Shane: We saw a lot of companies out there doing 

barrel aging using mostly bourbon barrels, so 

with the whole Tex-Mex beer format, we thought 

tequila may be a little better angle for us so we 

made it happen. I think of this as our little baby. I 

think it turned out well. 

So what does “Tex-Mex Beer” mean 

Shane: I think we really came out on the market 

wanting to create a slightly different craft beer 

market. There’s a huge import from Mexico of 

Mexican style beers, there’s $6.9 billion worth 

of beer being brought into the USA. So we 

thought let’s make a little more full flavored 

beer. Take Mexican lager yeast, take a little bit 

different recipe profile, stick to the craft brewing 

guidelines, but create a beer concept that maybe 

is something that could gain some loyalty from 

the Texas crowd or the southwest corridor of the 

USA. So we came up with a craft beer concept, 

and Jim and I just kind of created as we went. 

Jim: So let me give you an example of what the 

Texas part of it is. Richardson Farms is a local 

grower around the Austin area, we get some 

corn from them, some yellow corn, some red 

corn. And we’re using some of that in some of 

our premium lager recipes. So we’re trying to 

use Texas style ingredients, things that are grown 

locally here, prickly pears that we picked out of 

the fields locally ourselves, and using those in the 

beers that we’re serving in the local market. So 

putting a Texas swing on the Mexican style lagers. 

Yeah, yeah. So at this point, we’re standing in 

your 3 barrel brewhouse here in Cedar Park, tell 

me where are we going from here 

Jim: This is our pilot brewery, it’s a 3 barrel 

brewhouse and we’re making beer here to put 

beer out on the market and prove this concept. 

We’re actively raising funds right now to build the 

next brewhouse to go on to the next level and we 

hope to pull the trigger by end of November this 

year, and hope to be spring or summer next year 

at our new location doing this at a much bigger 

style. That’s the idea. 

So what would the new location look like 

Shane: Here, obviously, we’re pretty small. We’d 

definitely start with something more like a 30 

barrel system. 

Huge thanks to Twisted X for having us out. To 

view the video interview in its entirety, log 

on to the World Wide Web and visit: 

www.beertownaustin.com/category/over-a-pint

Cross worT 

TX BREWERIES 

Across 

4. They worked hard to earn their 

first GABF medal. 

8. Never mind their name, they do in 

fact make a couple good lagers. 

9. Like Ludacris, they got beers in 

this area code. 

12. Freedom ain’t free, neither is their 

beer. Think free, you know as in 

freedom. 

13. If Jesus’ parents followed this star 

he would have been born on a bed 

of hops, instead of stinky hay. 

14. Sending divine beers from Houston 

for quite some time now. 

Down 

1. Round and round, day after day, 

making beer. 

2. Two brothers farming for ales, not 

tomatoes, out towards Dripping 

Springs. 

3. “This” and “that” are what they 

use to make the beer that bears 

their name, which is the same as 

“this” and “that.” 

5. Quenching Austin’s thirst first, 

later . . . Earth’s. 

6. Famous for their bock. That is all 

you need. 

7. The tree in East Austin where Chip 

resides. Dale is elsewhere. 

9. German inspired beers from 

North Texas. Is McKinney considered 

North Texas 

10. A family affair, Fort Worth style. 

11. Want some jalapeños with your 

nachos Try their pilsner. 

Wort Search 

The biggest problem 

when drinking beer is 

chooosing a favorite style. 

Altbier 

Old Ale 

Barleywine 

Rauchbier 

Braggot 

schwarzbier 

Doppelbock 

Tripel 

Faro 

Wee Heavy 

Gose 

Weizenbock 

Helles 

Wheatwine 

Oatmeal Stout

ewer’s brain 

From the Minds 

of Independence. . . 

Since you have taken the Head Brewer’s 

position you have made a quite a few 

changes, can you tell us about them 

My goal is to implement a true enthusiasm 

for the beer we’re making. The seasonal 

beers and limited Brewluminati releases 

are a good way to keep us interested and 

striving to make great interesting beers. 

A dedicated and creative homebrewer, 

Michael Waters started at Independence 

Brewing Co. in October 2009 working on 

the bottling line. He quickly worked his 

way up to Cellar, and then Brewer by 

learning how to translate his homebrew 

experience to the 15-Bbl system. Earning 

the opportunity to lead the Independence 

team as Head Brewer in July 2011, 

Michael set out to put his own personal 

stamp on the Independence beers. With 

a focus on increasing production to meet 

growing demand, while continuing to 

improve quality across the board, Michael 

reflects on what it means to lead the brew 

team at Independence on the verge of its 

7th Anniversary. 

What are some things that you have done 

as Head Brewer in pursuit of quality 

I think good breweries make 

improvements as they are able. I have 

been able to add some higher quality 

malts and a different selection of hops. I 

have also become more focused on quality 

at each stage of the brewing process, from 

adding to our dry-hopping additions to how 

beer is moved from tank to tank, to how it 

is filtered and packaged. 

I have been inspired by and learned 

a lot from brewers like Vinnie Cilurzo 

of Russian River, Matt Brynildson of 

Firestone Walker, and Jeff Bagby of Pizza 

Port. So it was natural for me to want to 

apply what I’ve learned. 

With the Independence Pale Ale, I 

increased the hop profile considerably with 

Centennial and Apollo hops to create a 

very robust classic American Pale Ale. 

With Stash IPA, it makes sense to go to 

the source, and IPA for me is defined by 

the West Coast. Three pounds of hops 

per barrel, 100 IBU, and a large dose 

of Columbus hops so that the aroma 

matches the name. 

Is quality all about ingredients 

Of course it is an element. It’s also about 

pride and enthusiasm. Everyone in 

the brewery has to be committed from 

the brew to packaging. If you have an 

exceptional team, exceptional beer will 

follow. 

Do you have any closing thoughts 

Austin is one of the best cities in the 

country and the only place to be in Texas. 

If we can stand side by side with California 

and Colorado as a beer destination, life 

will be even sweeter.

MY LAST PINT 

Silas Parker 

of Darkside 

Fermentation 

My Last Pint 

is about your last beer. It is 

a celebration of beer. Sure 

you are about to die, but 

look on the bright side, you 

can choose your last beer. 

www.mylastpint.com 

Austin. With Silas’ plans to expand 

Darkside into a full production 

brewery, San Marcos may eventually 

become the destination. 

What would be the last pint of your life 

Rodenbach Grand Cru, the epitome of Flanders 

barrel-aged sours. 

photo: silas 

Silas Parker is the brewer (Silas 

prefers Saccromancer) and owner 

of Darkside Fermentation. Darkside 

is a nanobrewery in San Marcos, TX 

run out of Root Cellar Cafe. They 

are true craft beer—small, hand 

bottled, hand labeled and tasty. 

They’RE quickly becoming the best 

reason to stop in San Marcos whilst 

driving between San Antonio and 

What would be the setting for your last pint 

Canoeing down the San Marcos River during 

the springtime, heading towards the Gulf of 

Mexico to meet my oily maker. 

What would you eat with your last pint 

One half ounce of Psilocybe Cubensis. 

With whom would you drink your last pint 

Nobody! 8 ounces of beer is a tease. If he 

brought his own, I would invite Aleister Crowley 

to sit in the FRONT of my canoe. He’s not the 

kind of guest you turn your back to. 

RODENBACH GRAND CRU

(512) Brewing Co. - Austin Beer Guide

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