I'm heading to Austin next week! Need help!

[mytommygundont]

Hello all! My wife and I are heading to Austin, TX next week for a wedding. We have 4 days to enjoy all that Austin has to offer before her duties as a bride’s maid start. Our intention is to create a list of breweries that we would like to visit, as we collect growlers from every new place we go (over 70 and counting). To say that we are excited about going to a new city and trying beer that we can’t get in Denver, Co is an understatement.

Here’s the problem: Most of the breweries seem to be open for very short hours 1-2 days a week and with paid admission. It also seems that every place that is open normal business hours serves food as well. Are there any stand alone breweries in Austin that have regular tap room hours? Is there a legal reason for this? Am I crazy?

The only places that were are going for sure are the Noble Pig and the Flying Saucer, so any advice about restaurants and drinking establishments would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Haputanlas]

Jester King. It is $10 entry fee, but it includes free stemware and the equivalent of three full beers. They don't have growlers, but the stemware is cool and it's a great vibe out there. Only open on Saturdays from 1 to 4.

Also, check out the draughthouse pub. They have growlers and a great selection of beers.

Draughthouse is a local monument of sorts

 

[nestler]

Most of the breweries seem to be open for very short hours 1-2 days a week and with paid admission. It also seems that every place that is open normal business hours serves food as well. Are there any stand alone breweries in Austin that have regular tap room hours? Is there a legal reason for this?

I think there is a legal reason for this. Texas has silly laws about what breweries can sell to you directly. They cannot just sell you pints directly like a bar would. The laws favor the distributors who essentially have their middle man position enshrined in law since direct sale (from the brewery to you) is mostly prohibited even though wineries are allowed to do direct sale.

The breweries have to use weird loopholes to give you beer like selling you a tour or selling you a glass and then giving you some beer with it. It seems awkward but it is the best that they can do. Jester King actually mounted a legal challenge to this and other stupid Texas liquor laws, but unfortunately they were unsuccessful in overturning this particular one. They were successful in overturning an even stupider one that prohibited them from being able to tell you where their products are sold.

If you don't like this law then support Jester King and pay $10 for their tour, their glass, and three beers

You may be better off not focusing on brewery tours and just getting some local beers in bars downtown. My favorite local breweries that probably don't distribute to CO are Live Oak (try the Hefeweizen), Real Ale (try the Full Moon Pale Rye Ale), 512 (try the IPA), and Jester King (try anything). You can find Live Oak and Real all over the city, but Jester King is a bit harder to come by in bars. I think their output is lower and they don't keg much these days.

The Draughthouse and the Ginger Man would probably have beer from all of these breweries. The Draughthouse is a ways North of town. The Ginger Man is downtown.

 

[Braufessor]

Visited a year or so ago and can second The Ginger Man. Good selection of beer and I liked the atmosphere of the place - "old" pub like feel. Our hotel was close and probably went there 3-4 times.

 

[DisturbdChemist]

Also check out Whip In on I-35 south. They have a good selection of bottles and bar with local taps. It's a legal reason in Texas they dont have their own pubs like California and Colorado because in texas a commercial brewery cant sell on premise (paid emission is for a glass (8oz) and "free beer") but can distribute. A brew pub can sell on premise but cant distribute. Its a odd rule and hopefully one day it will go away. The only brewery i know that has Mon-Sat is St. Arnold in houston. But there are a lot great breweries and brewpubs in that area to have your fill

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

I was just down in Austin a couple of weekends ago. Unfortunately, most of the breweries do tours during the same hours from 1-4 on Saturday. I think real ale does Friday afternoons if you're willing to make the drive out. Jester King is a worthwhile adventure even though I wasn't crazy about most of their beers. Unfortunately, since it's a bit out of town that means you can't pack in many other tours around it. There are several breweries in the downtown and south Austin area worth checking out. Live Oak makes great beer but their tours are sporadic and fill up very fast. Same is true of 512. However, several smaller breweries, to my knowledge, did not have entry fees. You could probably get into Hops and Grain, South Austin Brewery, Austin Beerworks and the others in the area but I forget the names offhand.

You probably want to taste some of the beers before you decide on what tours you want. Whip In is a good place to find a lot of the local beers. If you can find any of the Twisted X beers, give them a whirl. They make some interesting stuff. If you can find Senor Viejo, definitely grab it (imperial schwarzbier aged in tequila barrels). Real Ale's kraken is also a gem: it's their barleywine but barrel aged. Adelbert's, South Austin, Hops and Grain and Austin Beerworks are all worth trying out. Gingerman is also a great option, they will have a wider range of craft beers than whip in but also some local beers Whip In may not have. They also normally have a cask ale. There's a flying saucer in the northwest but the selection isn't as good as gingerman and the beers are more expensive.

Austin also has a few brewpubs and lots of gastropubs are popping up. I don't have any recommendations on those but don't feel like you can only find good beer at Whip In and Gingerman. If you are looking for a bottle shop, Spec's is the best option. Wide variety (for Texas) and reasonable prices. The whole foods downtown should have a few beers and will fill growlers.

 

[mytommygundont]

The wedding I am attending is at 2pm on Saturday, so all of the breweries that are only open then will have to wait unil the next time we visit. We are renting a house in South Congress. From what I've heard, we should be within walking distance or a short cab ride of everything. I'm pretty bummed though. That's what I get for assuming every state operates like Colorado.

I will check out the Gingerman for sure. Whip In looks pretty awesome. Anyplace that says they have the largest beer selection in their city is a place for me. Is the draughthouse still open? Their website is still advertising their St Patrick's day event.

Thank you all for your responses. Please keep the recommendations coming. When I get back I'll post my experience.

 

[pedimac]

Go to Kerbey Lane on South Lamar. Get the migas with queso.

 

[jkendal]

Go to Kerbey Lane on South Lamar. Get the migas with queso.

+1 and AMEN on Kerbey Lane Cafe - BEST breakfast in Austin bar none. The gingerbread pancakes are their specialty - outstanding. We used to frequent Kerbey Lane every Sunday when we lived in Austin back in the 90's.

 

[mytommygundont]

I thought I'd post a few thoughts on Austin/San Antonio while I have a few hours to burn before we go out to 6th Street.

First thing that struck me was how beautiful it is here. I was expecting El Paso or Houston and I got a beautiful city with a great vibe. Second thing that struck me was that traffic is awful here. Third is the food scene has been very impressive.

About the beer scene: Texas liquor laws are miserable. It's like they are going out of their way to stifle a burgeoning industry. So far Austin/Texas is the worst beer experience I have ever had and I'm including Utah! Every place opens really late in the afternoon, which is killing me! As I have a wedding on Saturday, I will not be attending any stand alone breweries. I, however have had a chance to go to some pretty cool places.

Black Star Brewing Co-op. This is an example of a really good idea that has had a mixed outcome. First of all, the beer list is respectable but there is no bar to enjoy it at! How can you have a drinking establishment without a bar? Who do you ask about the beer? The food is a complete success. We had the bacon toffee-Delicious. When I come back to Austin I will probably not go back.

Whip-In. The best place we have visited period. Amazing selection of beers, knowledgeable staff and great atmosphere.

The DraughtHouse. Great beer selection, awesome beer garden and good atmosphere.

Freetail Brewing San Antonio. This is a great place. We sampled 14 of their house made beers! That's a great selection anywhere. 3 sours, really unique wits, only 1 IPA. They are rockin out and I would recommend getting to north San Antonio to patronize them now!

Blue Star Brewing. I can't say I was impressed. They reminded me of Bristol Brewing in Colorado Springs, CO. They were pioneers once but the world has caught up and they aren't responding.

Uncle Billy's Brew and Que: Great food, cool bartender but OK beer. The beers were somewhat one dimensional and fairly low in abv. Overall a cool place that we'll hit before we head back to Colorado just because we really liked the employees.

Best beers in Austin so far: 512 Brewing Altbier. Well executed and only $2.75 at the Draughthouse. We had two Rogness beers at Black Star. The Oak Aged Imperial IPA was huge! Austin is in for a treat when they open their doors next month.

That's it for now. I'll write another post when I get back home if there was any response to this post.

Edit: After reading this it seems pretty brutal. So let me restate my opinion on the beer scene: With the exception of the Whip In, I feel like there is no one to talk to or ask advice about beers that are being served. Black Star and the Draughthouse in particular treat you like cattle. You get in a line and order beer without a menu (or in Black Star's case an out of date menu and every beer I wanted was out) and you feel like you are being rushed.