Welcome to 2018, craft beer drinkers! 2017 was a fantastic year for the local beer scene. New breweries, expanded offerings, and insane special releases made the year one to remember. As we look forward to another year of hoppy goodness, I asked some of Austin’s finest beer makers to share what we can expect from them in 2018. [Read more…]
Risks Reward Austin Beer Lovers at Hi Sign Brewing
This article marks my three-year anniversary of writing for The Austinot. In my role as Contributing Blogger and now Lead Blogger, I’m proud to represent this unique blog and contribute to its mission of celebrating everything I love about this fine city. Looking forward to many more years of good eats, great music, and diving into the heart of Austin entertainment. As always, thanks for reading.
To stand out in Austin’s beer scene, you need to be different. Far too many breweries jump out of the gate with the standard “core four:” light beer, ale, IPA, porter. Five years ago, the strategy made sense. But with new competition popping up every month, up-and-coming brew masters need to bring something special to the table.
By peppering its tap list with a blend of left-of-center styles and traditional brews, Hi Sign Brewing has managed to make a quick, positive impression on the local beer scene. If you’re looking for something accessible yet different, this brand new spot is sure to satisfy beer lovers of every taste. [Read more…]
Celis Brewery: Austin’s First Craft Brewery Reborn
In the ever-expanding world of craft beer, you rarely get a second chance. Fail to gain a foothold in the marketplace, and your brewery could be sunk. Austin’s beer community is as close knit and supportive as a competitive market gets, but if you can’t stand out, you’ll quickly be forced to stand down.
These cold, hard facts make the story of Celis Brewery one for the ages. Like a phoenix reborn, Austin’s first craft brewery has risen from the ashes to reclaim its place among Austin’s beer elite. And it’s doing so with a heart for tradition, family, and old school quality. [Read more…]
Tip Back a Glass of Our 8 Must-try Austin IPAs
In the wild, weird world of craft beer, one style reigns supreme: the IPA. A hopped up, more bitter version of the traditional pale ale, India Pale Ales serve as gateway brews that introduces non-beer drinkers to the world of craft.
With over 30 breweries making their home in the greater Austin area, there’s no shortage of these delicious hop bombs. In celebration of the style, and craft beer in general, we’ve picked eight of our local favorites IPAs. [Read more…]
St. Elmo Brewing Hosts Free Bluegrass Music Every Week
Austin’s music events are becoming flashier and more spectacular every year. International acts frequently entertain our city, and our festivals bring huge crowds and revenue to our city. But all the pizzaz and growth can cause us to overlook what made Austin’s music scene unique in the first place.
We’ve always been about local acts playing music for local people in local venues. Now, more than ever, it’s important to support local business and music if we want to retain what makes Austin weird. [Read more…]
Beer Lovers Seek Mort Subite for Sip of Belgium in Downtown Austin
With all due respect to local stouts, sours and IPA’s, I feel Belgium makes the best beer in the world. And while we have breweries dedicated to brewing in the Belgian style, it can be hard to find the real thing. Enter Mort Subite, a bar that not only specializes in beer from the land of waffles and chocolate, recreates the warmth and friendliness of a traditional Belgian pub. [Read more…]
Buzz Down to San Marcos for a Lovely Afternoon at Middleton Brewing
Located in San Marcos, 40 miles south of Austin, stands a 10-barrel brewpub by the name of Middleton Brewing. It’s one of those places you’re grateful to stumble upon, worth a trip on its own.
Middleton Brewing has 15 styles of beer, all crafted with pride and served in the most friendly manner. Patron-friendly, dog-friendly, kid-friendly. The whole aesthetic oozes relaxation and quality chill-time. Coming in for a visit solo? No problem. Looking to learn more about how a certain type of beer is made? Check. Wanting to celebrate any event at all with friends and family? This is the place. [Read more…]
Lazarus Brewing Company Comes to Eastside With Pints, Pups and Tacos
Guest article by Judy Rae Merhar
At the intersection of East Sixth Street and Chicon, you’ll notice a spruced-up teal structure with a navy crest logo reading Lazarus Brewing Company. A barrage of open garage doors allow melodies to drift onto the street. Next to me is a parked pickup with a friendly golden lab wagging its tail from the truck bed. The scene appears like an open invitation to explore this new Austin brewery, and so it is.
Austin Beerworks Marks Five Years as Local Go-to Brew, Announces Expansion
When you think of a fun hang, your first thought typically isn’t about an industrial park. But that’s where I found myself on a beautiful evening. Friends and colleagues lined the outside picnic tables. Friendly bartenders served friendly beer in a friendly environment. Everyone had a brew in hand, enjoying the impromptu celebration.
And for good reason. With a balanced line of consistent crowd pleasers and beer geek favorites, Austin Beerworks has earned its place among the ATX craft beer elite. And with this month’s announcement of a massive brewhouse expansion, Austin Beerworks is celebrating its five-year anniversary in style. [Read more…]
Blue Owl Brewing Pours Fresh Take on Austin’s Beer Scene
Austin’s newest urban brewery has opened on Caesar Chavez, offering a collection of rare brews you won’t find anywhere else in town. Blue Owl Brewing is Austin’s only all sour-mashed brewery. Those who know a thing or two about Austin beer might immediately think of Jester King, which for a long time has held the market on farmhouse-style sour beers.
Blue Owl brews don’t have the dramatic sour taste you might expect when you think of a tart sour beer. Instead, the one-of-a-kind sour-mash process creates a delicate sour that is gentle enough for anyone who is just trying out sour beers, yet complex enough for the pickiest of craft beer drinkers. [Read more…]