Southwest
2022 Texas Craft Brewers Festival Beer Lists Announced
September 20, 2022 | Pam Catoe
The Texas Craft Brewers Festival, featuring more than 70 craft breweries, returns on October 1, 2022, to Fiesta Gardens in Austin, TX. The event, which the Texas Craft Brewers Guild organizes is the state’s largest beer event focused exclusively on Texas-brewed craft beer.
Yokefellow Beer | Sueño Peach Saison
September 8, 2022 | Ruvani de Silva
An hour west of Austin sits the quaint historic town of Johnson City, TX. It’s the home of Lyndon Baines Johnson, the 36th American President. It’s named for his grandfather, Samuel Ealy Johnson, Sr. And the Blanco County seat is now best known as a cosy, picturesque stop on the Texas Wine Trail.
However, between the dual impacts of the pandemic and sky-rocketing house prices in the greater Austin area, Johnson City is taking on a new identity. It’s the hip Hill Country outpost, with three craft breweries and new concept watering hole Nice N Easy, home of locally produced Lightsome Wines and Yokefellow Beer.
Texas Keeper Cider | Grafter Rosato 2022
July 11, 2022 | Ruvani de Silva
Texas Keeper Cider is one of South Austin’s best kept secrets. A stunning 19 acre Hill Country ranch with a lovely rustic wood-paneled taproom just minutes away from the SoCo tourist bustle, the tight, dedicated team have been creating sophisticated small-batch hand-crafted cider since 2013. Blending career expertise in wine-making, brewing, fermentation and, of course, cider making, Texas Keeper offer a refreshing alternative to the sweet fruit-flavored canned fizz that is most commonly associated with both macro and craft ciders.
2 Days 2 Nights | Scottsdale, Arizona: Spring Training Edition
March 28, 2022 | Danielle Engel
Northeast of Phoenix, Scottsdale comes alive every spring training when the Cactus League brings the deprived baseball fanatic out of their winter hibernation to enjoy the sunshine and the promise of a new season. With 10 stadiums in the greater Phoenix area, there are two that call Scottsdale home. With cities that have suffered for lack of tourism in recent years, there is an excitement to finally be welcoming back the influx of commerce and community. With an abundant nightlife, several golf courses, casinos and spas, Scottsdale can give an exciting vacation to any traveler.
Walter Station Brewery | Hazing Arizona Triple Dry Hopped IPA
March 24, 2022 | Dave Drury 1
Walter Station Brewery sits on the east side of Phoenix, AZ right near the city’s airport. Located in a former fire station, the brewery makes killer Mediterranean pizzas and ideal for sporting events and live music. And it’s definitely worth the stop for a beer or two, especially for the Hazing Arizona. Read More
Austin Beerworks and Kaiju Cut & Sew Launch Eastern Philosophy: A Kaiju Brew – The First Beer Supporting Stop AAPI Hate
February 2, 2022 | Ruvani de Silva
Sunday, January 30, was the launch of Eastern Philosophy: A Kaiju Brew – the first beer brewed to fundraise for Stop AAPI Hate. The brainchild of Will Golden, Director of Brewing Operations and Co-founder of Austin Beerworks and Chris Gomez, Owner of Kaiju Cut & Sew, the event brought together several local businesses, with hundreds of Austinites in attendance to show their support and get a taste of this very special beer.
Chile Line Brewery | Como Pica Green Chile Rauchbier
November 2, 2021 | Scott Grossman
Fall brings the tempting smells of aromatic wood smoke and roasting chiles all across New Mexico. Chile Line Brewery in Santa Fe capitalizes on this backdrop year-round with its focus on smoked and chile beers. The most emblematic of these is Como Pica, a green chile Rauchbier.
Event Recap | Texas Craft Brewers Festival 2021
November 1, 2021 | Ruvani de Silva 1
The Texas Craft Brewers Guild hosted its annual festival at Austin’s Fiesta Gardens on Saturday, October 23. After the festival pivoted to an online event last November, brewers and consumers were eager to return in person to this tremendously popular celebration of all things Texas beer, with over 85 breweries from across the state serving up over 200 beers to thirsty visitors. Both VIP and General Admission tickets sold out in advance, signaling the excitement for the first major Texas beer festival since Covid restrictions lifted.
Yakima Chief Hops Announces the Pink Boots Blend for 2022
October 11, 2021 | Pam Catoe
Typically the ladies of Pink Boots Society (PBS) come together at the Great American Beer Festival for the Annual Hop Rub. The tradition began in 2017 when PBS partnered with Yakima Chief Hops (YCH) to bring the best of their hop harvest, carefully laid out on tables for attendees to smell, touch and taste, with the goal of selecting the annual Pink Boots Society hop blend.
Hawkins Farmhouse Ales | Major Progression BA Belgian Quad
October 1, 2021 | Ruvani de Silva
Just over half an hour directly to the south of Austin sits Lockhart, Texas — the self-proclaimed “barbecue capital” of the state. The quintessential small-town-Texas vibe is punctuated by the enormous queues snaking out of Lockhart’s four famous barbecue joints on the weekend, which attract visitors from across the state and further afield. Now there is a new reason to visit Lockhart: Hawkins Farmhouse Ales.
2021 Texas Craft Brewers Festival Beer List Announced
September 30, 2021 | Pam Catoe
The Texas Craft Brewers Festival, featuring more than 85 craft breweries, returns October 23, 2021, to Fiesta Gardens in Austin, TX. The event, which is organized by the Texas Craft Brewers Guild is the state’s largest beer event focused exclusively on Texas-brewed craft beer.
Oddwood Brewing | Austinerbräu Oktoberfest Festbier
September 16, 2021 | Dan Renfro
Despite the temperature in central Texas still nearing 100 degrees every day, it’s finally time to start enjoying the wonderful Oktoberfest season.
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Inclusive Craft Beverage List for Craft Brewers Conference
September 9, 2021 | Pam Catoe
Julie Rhodes, owner of Not Your Hobby Marketing Solutions, is an educator and business coach focusing on the craft beverage industry. Ahead of this week’s Craft Brewers Conference (CBC), Rhodes shared a list of inclusive craft beverage businesses as a guide for those visiting the Denver metro area this week.
Cactus Land Brewing Co. | Lucas Salted Pilsner
July 28, 2021 | Dustin Wenger
Go to any backyard BBQ in south Texas and you’ll likely see beers dressed in some form of chili-lime salt. Usually used on mass-produced lagers (especially those in a green bottle marked with two red X’s), dressing a beer has typically been a way to add flavor to mediocre beer, and the trend seems to be spreading. But what if a beer was intentionally brewed to compliment the addition while also tasty enough to stand on its own? That’s exactly what Cactus Land Brewing Co. set out to do with their Lucas Salted Pilsner, and based on the reaction from the locals, they’ve created the perfect beer to enjoy in the South Texas heat.
New Braunfels Brewing Co. | Death for Breakfast
May 6, 2021 | Ruvani de Silva
Once a phrase linked solely with Oatmeal Stouts, the term ‘breakfast beer’ is now applied to beers ranging from Milkshake and Smoothie Fruited Sours to Oat IPAs. Of course, what you may or may not consider to be a true ‘breakfast beer’ invariably depends on what you choose to have for breakfast, but the link between oat content and breakfastiness in a beer remains undisputed.
Austin Beerworks | La Verdad Mexican Lager
April 28, 2021 | Ruvani de Silva
Austin Beerworks La Verdad is undoubtedly a champion of Texan Mexican Lagers. Its annual release heralds both Cinco de Mayo and the arrival of our sweaty summer season when lying by the pool or floating lazily down the Guadalupe is as much exertion as the weather allows any time after midday here in Central Texas. Now in its fifth year, the La Verdad was last year’s lockdown savior and kept us from parching even when we weren’t allowed in the water.
Boys Are From Märzen Podcast | Pam Catoe Craft Beer Austin
April 16, 2021 | Kindsey Bernhard
In Episode 38 of the “Boys Are From Märzen” podcast, Kindsey Bernhard converses with Pam Catoe, owner and chief contributor of Craft Beer Austin and Southwest regional editor for PorchDrinking.com.
Ultimate 6er | Six Arizona Beers to Weather Any Weather
April 14, 2021 | Bailey Mahon
The snow is melting. The sun is shining. Spring has sprung! Or has it? This time of year, the weather can never seem to make up its mind. One day could be a sunny day at the beach. The next, you may need to ask Noah to build another ark. Whatever the weather, you’ll need a beer to make it through. These six Arizona Beers are sure to help you withstand any weather. Read More
Texas Craft Brewers Guild Launches Liquid Bake Sale Fundraiser
April 9, 2021 | Ruvani de Silva
Who doesn’t love a bake sale? All manner of excitingly delicious, affectionately prepared offerings to tempt the taste buds, with any guilty feelings of over-indulgence thoroughly negated by the knowledge that one is stuffing one’s face to fundraise for a most-worthy charitable cause. A winning fundraising formula employed by school boards, scout troops and religious institutions across the nation, the bake sale has taken on a new and exciting beery form, courtesy of the Texas Craft Brewers Guild.
Weathered Souls | Double Barrel First In Line Imperial Stout
March 30, 2021 | Dustin Wenger
All craft beer heads remember the glory days of in-person bottle releases and time spent waiting in line with like-minded and equally dedicated beer fans. Coolers opened to reveal rare finds that would be shared amongst the crowd to make the wait more enjoyable for the craft beer elite. While times have certainly changed, those memories remain. San Antonio, TX-based Weathered Souls Brewing Company’s latest members-only beer release is reminiscent of those glorious whales that would breach within the crowd dedicated enough to be First In Line.
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