Roughhouse Brewing | Sordid Nature Dark Saison

On a recent trip to Austin, Texas, my wife Jenna and I paid a visit to Roughhouse Brewing in nearby San Marcos. Alex Pasternak, co-founder and creative lead, was gracious enough to show us around the brewery during off hours and let us sample some Roughhouse beers, including their Sordid Nature Dark Saison.

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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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Craft Beer Industry Contributed Nearly $80 Billion to US Economy in 2018

The craft beer industry made its mark on the U.S. economy according to the 2018 Economic Impact Report released earlier today by the Brewers Association.

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Texas Craft Brewers Celebrate Beer-To-Go Day

On Sunday, September 1, Texans will finally have the opportunity to take beer home from their favorite craft brewery, which makes Texas the final state to allow take-home sales from a manufacturing brewery.

A brief history: Texas brewers have been fighting for reforms for more than a decade that would allow them the same benefits a winery, brewpub, or distillery enjoys — allowing visitors the ability to take home their product. Finally, during the 86th Legislative session, the law passed with a tremendous effort from the Texas Craft Brewers Guild, brewers and thousands of supporters.

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Whitestone Brewery | Melted Snowman

Living in Texas, we never really have a traditional fall season, or a normal winter, with temperatures frequently fluctuating 20-30 degrees in a week. So I always mark the start of fall based on the release of the first Oktoberfest brews, and then I wait patiently for the winter warmers to appear to let me know that “winter” is on it’s way. Regardless of the temperatures, nothing says winter and Christmas like a well-spiced winter warmer.

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Hold Out Brewing | Amarillo Thumb Puncher Pale Ale

Fall weekends in Austin, Texas can trick you into forgetting all about humid summer nights or surprise flash floods. Weather like that can convince someone that patio weather will never end, that you get an extra hour of sleep every night or that that the next beer might be the best beer — Hold Out Brewing is working to make at lease one of those dreams a reality.

An upcoming brewpub in central Austin, Hold Out is spearheaded by brewers Mark Stowe and Brent Sapstead. Brent is the former head brewer and production manager of Real Ale Brewing Company in Blanco, Texas. On Saturday, November 3, Hold Out Brewing threw a preview event hosted by their soon-to-be neighbors, Better Half Coffee and Cocktail Bar. Guests could sample four beers from Hold Out Brewing or purchase two different collaboration beers from Hold Out Brewing and Austin Beerworks.

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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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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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Flix Brewhouse | America’s Cinema Brewery is Expanding

Flix Brewhouse opened in Round Rock, Texas in 2011 with the unique concept of combining a state-of-the-art movie theater with a microbrewery. Today they operate four locations around the country with plans to more than double that over the next year. I caught up with Greg Johnson, Director of Sales and Marketing for Flix, to learn more about this ambitious expansion. Read More

Texas Craft Brewers Guild Forms CraftPAC

Beer Laws in Texas are Broken. That is the headline of the newly formed Political Action Committee aimed at protecting the rights of Texas breweries and championing for constructive, common sense legislative reforms. CraftPAC was established by the Texas Craft Brewers Guild earlier this week to raise funds that will be used to support various political initiatives designed to improve job growth and the economic impact of the Texas brewing industry.

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Event Preview | BrewMasters Craft Beer Festival

The 8th annual BrewMasters Craft Beer Festival returns to Galveston Island November 24-26, held at Moody Gardens Hotel, Spa and Convention Center. Originally planned for Labor Day weekend, the event was forced to reschedule due to the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

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Event Preview | San Antonio Beer Festival

In it’s 12th year, the 2017 San Antonio Beer Festival is gearing up to bring more than 450 premium and craft beers from 150+ breweries around the world to Texas beer lovers. Happening Oct. 21 from 1:30-6:30 p.m., the festival will take place at Dignowity and Lockwood Parks; a portion of the proceeds will benefit the San Antonio Food Bank.

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Craft Beer Comes Together to Support Flood Victims in Texas

The devastation in Texas is far reaching and stretches from the coast to communities outside of Austin. Texans are no strangers to disasters, but even the most seasoned residents agree this is one of the most the devastating storms to affect southeast Texas. As reported by craftbeer.com, some breweries have sustained damage, too. But, in true craft beer community spirit, several breweries are hosting events and making donations in order to assist in the recovery effort.

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Lone Pint Brewery | Yellow Rose IPA

ABV: 6.8% | IBU: 62

I literally spent the afternoon driving around town and following Twitter to find a Lone Pint Yellow Rose on the shelf for this piece because I think it is one of the most perfect beers brewed in Texas. Named after a popular Texas heroine, Yellow Rose is always in short supply due to the overwhelming popularity of this Single Malt and Single Hop (SMaSH) IPA beauty.

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Real Ale Brewing Co. | Axis IPA

ABV: 7% | IBU: 70

This year Real Ale Brewing Co. celebrated 20 years of brewing and is the Austin area’s oldest brewery. Recently they released Axis IPA, a brand new mainstay that highlights its ability to continually innovate and produce a wide array of styles. I caught up with head brewer, Schmitty, to find out more about the new release.

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Lakewood Brewing Co. | Sin Mint Temptress

ABV: 9.1%

I always look forward to Girl Scout cookie season, seeing the multitude of colored boxes laid out neatly on the table sparks a tiny bit of happiness inside. Whenever I see the girls eagerly awaiting, I just know I am in for some trouble. I have somewhat of a Thin Mint obsession. Luckily for me, Lakewood Brewing Co. has sinfully crafted my favorite treat into a glass with their Sin Mint Temptress. Read More