This week in The Brew, We put a spotlight on Austin for an article I wrote for the Trillist. We say goodbye to a fairly new brewpub and lastly, we see what new beer is hitting the market and keeping fans guessing.

Austin – Craft beer, as you may have heard (because you are so trend savvy), it’s everywhere and it’s delicious. But one of the biggest downsides to the whole craft thing is that fledgling breweries don’t always have the funds for bottling and canning their beers, so they opt for the cheaper route of kegging. So, how do you get your favorite new brew to take home? Growlers, obviously! From a modest 750ml to a mighty 66oz, they’re there to help you transport that brew in bulk to share with friends and family. Actually, who are we kidding, you probably aren’t sharing. Nonetheless, here are the prime spots in Austin to get your literal fill. Check out the rest of the article here: http://www.thrillist.com/drink/austin/utwest-campus/where-to-get-growlers-thrillist-atx

Bastop – Just after the horrific wild fires that ravaged the city of Bastrop in 2011, construction began on the Bastrop Brewhouse. They officially opened the summer of 2012 offering a great selection of craft beer, good food and live music. Unfortunately, just shy of two years the Bastrop Brewhouse has closed their doors. While it’s always sad to lose a local watering hole, owner Michael Candelario plans to change the game and focus only on beer. While there is nothing solid in the works as of yet, Candelario does plan to get back to brewing soon. For now we can only wait for the news and wish all of his staff at the Bastrop Brewhouse the best.

Austin – Award winning brewers, Hops and Grain are releasing their Greenhouse IPA. Events have been going on all week in Austin for the release of the new beer which is going to keep their fans on their toes. The 7.6% ABV IPA is going to be a tongue twister because Hops and Grain has 18 different recipes along with a different varity of hops they will use to dry hop the beer. They plan to release a different one every month and a half under the same name and label. So what’s different? According to their website…

           ” After brewing over 18 different versions of the Greenhouse IPA on our Greenhouse 3bbl pilot system, we decided upon the canned version, a light copper-hued IPA grain bill that delivers a hefty, lasting foam head and just a hint of malt flavor to balance out the generous hopping. This IPA, however, is unlike any other, as every month we will release the brew to the marketplace with a very noticeable change in aroma and flavor. This is strictly due to the fact that we will utilize different hop varieties for each release of the Greenhouse IPA, but with the same grain bill, water profile, yeast strain and kettle hop additions. One release per month, 300 cases per year,12 releases per year with each smelling and tasting different from the last.”

Be sure to head over to their website for more information about the beer and the release parties going on this week in Austin,

As always, if you’re looking to get out this weekend we suggest you visit a local brewery, don’t forget that we have a list of all of the breweries near you so head over to the Breweries and Brewpubs page and go support your local brewers.

This week in the brew, the Texas craft beer scene is exploding this big news. As we enter the middle of January the outlook for 2014 seems to be a roiling boil of activity. First we receive news from Pflugerville about who has a new distributor and word about their upcoming new beer releases. From Houston we find out about what is expected to be one of the largest craft beer events in the state and lastly we see what infamous Houston pub owner is finally bringing his brewery where is belongs.

Pflugerville – Rogness Brewing announced this week that they have struck a deal with Austin distributors Keg 1 Central Texas. This will help get Rogness on shelves and establishments throughout Austin and the surrounding counties. As of now Rogness will continue to self-distribute to Houston and San Antonio. Rogness has also announced this week the upcoming release of two new beers. The Titanoboa named after a large prehistoric snake, it is a Triple IPA that is expected to be a shock to the taste buds while their new Sophina is going to make you pucker up with delight. Sophina will be the 2^nd release in the Rogness Reserve Series and is infused with caramelized pineapples to add a refreshing fruitiness.  The beers are still pending label approval but are expected to be released within the first quarter of the year.

Houston – In what looks to be one of the biggest craft beer events to hit the state, the Big Brew Destination is coming to Houston. The week-long event will take place Oct 20-26^th and culminate around the George R Brown Convention center for the main events. One event will feature 40 Houston chefs will pair dishes to sample with 40 craft beers in what sounds like a symphony of flavors. For those looking to support the local scene they will also have an event dedicated solely to the Texas brewed beer. The week will end with two grand tasting sessions which will offer over a thousand beers to sample. The event is put together by Food and Vine Time Productions which put together the very successful BrewMasters Craft Beer Festival in Galveston. It has many wondering if this event could steal some attention away from the well know Great American Beer Festival which will be Oct 10-12^th. This is a big move for Texas and the craft beer scene as a whole so we can only hope that that the first year goes off without a flaw. Tickets go on sale in February so be sure to check out http://www.bigbrewhouston.com/Home.aspx for all of events and information.

Houston – If you are a craft beer fan from Houston then I am sure you have spent more than your fair share of days drinking beer at Petrol Station and chowing down on their Rancor burgers. The Petrol Station has been a craft beer destination for both locals and visitors alike and has just once again been named as one of the “Best Bars in America” by Draft Magazine. Owner Ben Fullelove had always dreamed of opening his own brewery but due to the strict TABC laws he wasn’t allowed to own a bar and a brewery at the same time. Fullelove, though a series of connections saw an opportunity and bailed to Massachusetts to contract brew through Mercury Brewing Co. where he formed Brash Brewing Co. Since the beer hit shelves it made a big splash but unfortunately it wasn’t distributed in Texas. Last year with the change in Texas laws it gave Fullelove the opportunity to bring Brash Brewing to Houston and now that’s exactly what he is doing. Brash Brewing will be setting up shop in a 13,000 sqft warehouse with a 30-barrel brewhouse and canning system which is expecting to be up and brewing by the middle of this year. I know I’m not the only one that is excited to finally have access to the great beer. We wish Ben and his crew all the best of luck as they get setup and ready to put more beer into the hands of craft beer fans.

As always, if you’re looking to get out this weekend we suggest you visit a local brewery, don’t forget that we have a list of all of the breweries near you so head over to the Breweries and Brewpubs page and go support your local brewers.

Happy New Year you hop heads and welcome back to the brew! We took a little break to spend the holidays with the family but now we’re back and ready to get down to business. 2013 was a big year for Texas brewers, laws were changed and breweries flourished. Now that a new year is here, we believe the craft beer scene will continue to grow.

Community Beer Company from Dallas is coming up on their one year anniversary but just before they officially celebrate they are having a grand opening of their new tap room this Friday. At the grand opening, Community Beer Co. will also be releasing their Ascension Coffee Porter. If you want to taste this new brew, you’re going to have to get it directly from the source because it’s not yet out in the market. If you can’t make it this Friday to the grand opening then be sure not to miss their 1 Year Anniversary Celebration. Community Beer Co. has already gained a lot of attention in their 1st year by bringing home gold at GABF and we’re wishing them all the best in 2014.

Austin brewers, Independence Brewing Company is ringing in the New Year with a big expansion. This week they announced the arrival of their new 60-Barrel JV Northwest brewing system. Over the years and with the demand for their beer, Independence was stretched to their limits. They jumped on the opportunity to obtain the 10,000 sq ft. space adjoining their current brewery. This gave them the chance to work on the expansion without having to move. They still have more work to do but it would be a great opportunity to see their progress at their first Saturday tour in February.

There has always been a little competition between Houston and Austin but when it comes down to it, they are both craft beer loving cities. Last month, Karbach Brewing Co. from Houston announced their plans for their expansion and the ability it will give them to brew more beer. Fast forward a month later and Karbach is breaking in to a new market; Austin is in the crosshairs as the brewery works on their expansion. Starting next week, Karbach will be found in bars and restaurants across Austin along with some tap takeovers to celebrate. Be sure to check out http://karbachbrewing.com/events/austin for the week long calendar of events. I hope your taste buds are ready Austin, there is some great new beer headed your way.

If you haven’t had a chance to dedicate yourself to a New Years resolution, then do yourself a favor and visit more local breweries in 2014. Don’t forget that we have a list of all of the breweries near you so head over to the Breweries and Brewpubs page and go support your local brewers.