Saint Arnold Brewing Company | Art Car IPA

The phenomenon of the art car has intrigued me for some time. Have you ever seen these things? Cars covered from bumper to bumper with colorful paint jobs and anything from mosaic tile to plastic figurines. Sure, some look like a hoarder hoarked on a hooptie, but there are certainly some examples that truly are mobile art. The layers of detail and creativity are impressive, and it’s that creative spirit that inspired Saint Arnold’s Art Car IPA.

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Live Oak Brewing | Pilz

There are a lot of beers on the shelves that hang in the periphery of my vision in my regular quest for hops. I may notice a few of those beers from time to time—the traditional styles—and ponder for a second about trying them but instead, I predictably settle on a sixer of some flashy new IPA or stout. Then, one fine day, I decided to break the cycle. I now see the error of my ways, for where I was once blind, now I see. Pilsners can be downright delicious, too, and Live Oak Pilz is the best example I’ve ever had. 

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Martin House Brewing Company | Bubble Haze

In a crowded craft beer market, breweries are working harder than ever to catch the eye of the consumer walking down their local beer aisle. Breweries are investing in slick graphic design, updated branding and wild flavors. If the outside of the can isn’t enough to make the beer stand out then perhaps what’s inside might intrigue the consumer into a purchase.

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Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery | Texas Born and Bred Pale Ale

Even if you’re not from Texas, you know the state has a rich and storied history. That’s why it’s surprising to realize that throughout all the lore and legacy of the Lone Star state, there has never been a commercially produced beer using only Texas ingredients. At least, not until now. Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery head brewer, Les Locke, seized the opportunity and set out to create the very first all-Texas beer, aptly named Texas Born and Bred.

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Beer-To-Go Sales in Texas Are One Step Closer to Reality

In a historic win for craft brewers and consumers throughout the state of Texas, the highly anticipated Beer-To-Go measure cleared the Texas senate unanimously as part of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) sunset bill.

To recap: Texas remains the only state that prohibits beer-to-go sales from production breweries. So if you visit a winery, distillery or brewpub, you are free to take your beverage of choice home with you. But if you stop by Real Ale Brewing Company, Austin Beerworks, or a little over 100 other production breweries in the state, you are simply out of luck.

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Real Ale Brewing Company | Wallball IPL

On a Saturday night not too long ago, a hell of a storm blew through San Antonio. Overnight rains are certainly welcome to the area, considering the region’s aquifer-based water supply is highly dependent on the spring rainfall. What wasn’t so welcome, however, was the wind that accompanied the storm. With gusts between 30 and 50 mph, it was strong enough to topple over a section of my fence, adding a totally unexpected chore to my weekend to-do list.

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Historic Agreement Reached on Beer-to-Go Sales in Texas

After years of dispute, Texas brewers and distributors have reached a historic agreement on Beer-to-Go sales from craft breweries. Texas remains the only state where production breweries are not permitted to sell beer-to-go from their taprooms.

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Three Nations Brewing Company | Horchata Imperial Milk Stout

PorchDrinking is a firm supporter of the manta “drink local.” But there’s plenty of incredible craft beer that doesn’t come from your neck of the woods. I live in Austin, the capital of Texas and the city with the most craft breweries in the state. I could exclusively drink beers from my home town; however, I’d be making a mistake by ignoring my Texas beer brethren. The beer coming out of the Dallas Metroplex rivals its hipper southern city. It’s harder to find, but worth the effort to pick up.

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Event Preview | Pink Boots Society Biannual Conference

The second annual Pink Boots Society biannual conference kicks off this weekend in Austin, Texas with an evening welcome reception. The event is a two-day conference happening January 18th-19th. It features a dual track format covering the business and technical aspects of the brewing industry.

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Ultimate 6er | GABF Gold Medal Winners From Texas

Each year thousands of beer drinkers invade Denver for the Great American Beer Festival, a three day event dedicated to American craft breweries. Last year Texas walked away with 18 medals, six of which were GOLD. I caught up with each of the winners to ask how it felt to bring home the Gold in 2018.

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4th Tap Brewing Cooperative Brews Spooky Concept for Haunted House Entertainment Pioneer

Halloween is upon us and haunted house fans in Texas know the House of Torment in Austin, Texas is as good as it gets. Nationally recognized, this pioneer in haunted entertainment features three re-imagined immersive experiences and a new bar, Torment Tavern. Read More

Brewery Showcase | St. Elmo Brewing Company

I’m not sure what age I was when I started favoring breweries to bars. I distinctly remember frequenting the only brewery in my tiny college town more and more, while braving the sticky floors of the dive bars less and less. Not to say there isn’t a time and a place for a great dive bar; however, if you’re reading this it’s more likely that you’d rather drink something exciting, fresh and flavorful than pay for a bottom-shelf vodka soda. What hasn’t changed as I have gotten older is the desire to socialize over a drink.

Enter the neighborhood craft brewery. A far cry from the empty warehouses of my college days. Neighborhood breweries have become gathering places for the entire family, both two and four-legged, to come together to listen to music, play games and explore new styles of beer. However, occasionally these neighborhood breweries transcend beyond just a community hangout by producing extremely high-quality beers.

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Event Preview | Scallywag! Craft Beer Meets Punk Rock

Craft Beer meets Punk Rock – that’s the focus of the Scallywag! festival headed to Austin, Texas on Sunday, September 23 at the Austin 360 Amphitheater. The punk rock extravaganza features over … Read More

Texas Craft Brewers Festival 2018 Beer List Announced

The Texas Craft Brewers Festival, featuring more than 75 craft breweries, returns September 29, 2018 to Fiesta Gardens in Austin, TX. The event, which is organized by the Texas Craft Brewers Guild and co-presented by Craft Pride and Paychex, is the state’s largest beer event focused exclusively on Texas-brewed craft beer.

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Ultimate 6er | SXSW Craft Beer

SXSW is coming to a close; however, the music fest is in full swing. Unfortunately the fest is sponsored by Budweiser, but don’t let that discourage you – almost every official (and unofficial) venue is a popular Austin bar, club or music venue. Here are the six staple craft beers that you are bound to find around SXSW.

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Independence Brewing Company | Cowboys from Helles

Austin-based Independence Brewing Company just announced the release of their newest seasonal — a Munich-style Lager inspired by Pantera’s “Cowboys from Hell.” According to head brewer Brannon Radicke, “We listened to a lot of Pantera while making that beer, so it’s kind of infused with that attitude.”
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Texas Craft Brewers Festival Beer List Announced

The Texas Craft Brewers Festival returns September 30 to Fiesta Gardens and features 68 craft breweries. Tickets will sell out, so get yours in advance today! See the official beer list below.

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Ultimate 6er | Texas Charity Brews

Beer collaborations happen frequently and usually with other breweries; however, over the past few years, I have noticed a different type of collaboration throughout Texas.  Breweries all over the state are partnering with various charities in their communities by creating a beer, in many cases inspired by the charity, and donating a portion of their sales to the organization. For this piece, I have chosen six examples from Texas, but these are just a few examples of the many collaborations that occur all over the state. For each of the brews, I reached out to the brewery to find out what inspired the beer and why they partnered with a particular charity.
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Ultimate 6er | Beers to Drink in the Desert

Regardless of the time of year, when you’re spending time in the desert, it is important to stay hydrated, thanks to the dry climate and low humidity. The same concept applies to drinking beers in the desert—you want a beer that is refreshing and easy-drinking, particularly in the summer months when the daily temperature can easily exceed 110°F. This is a six pack that speaks to the lighter side of the desert culture.

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Let’s Start a ‘Revolución’ | An Austin Brewery Made A Beer to Pair with Tacos

Independence Brewing Co. (Austin, TX) and “The Tacos of Texas” authors start a ‘Revolución’ with new Saison made to pair with tacos.

Now, you know that is something we can get behind. Smashing tacos and skulling Saisons is, like, one of our top five favorite things to do during patio porch season.

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