This week in, The Brew! It has been one heck of a wild ride. We have seen devastating storms rip through the state destroying homes and taking lives. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of these tragedies. This week we hear a moving story of how beer saved a man’s life, we talk about a German celebration going on in Austin this weekend and lastly, we give ourselves some shameless self-promotion. Check out now in this week’s edition of, The Brew!

Austin – Some people live for great beer but in some case, that very same beer can save your life… Sort of. With the wicked weather that has battered Texas over the last week, many have lost their homes and valuables with nowhere to turn. It has been devastating to see the areas that were ravaged by Mother Nature. Forrest Rogness of Rogness Brewing Company posted on his Facebook page a story that a fan sent him on how their beer saved his life.

“Hello Rogness Brewing!

My name is Colin Iliff, I’m a resident of San Marcos, TX and your beer saved my life.

Now I know that may sound crazy, but let me explain. I was dogsitting at my aunt’s house along the Blanco river in Wimberley Saturday May 23, and had settled down with a bomber of your Beardy Guard while listening to the rain outside. The power had already gone out so I had been debating whether to just go to sleep or stay up to enjoy the beer. Naturally, I chose the latter. Throughout the evening I had heard about the threats of a flood but after several trips to check the river I was sure I would be high and dry. But about mid-bomber around 11:45 PM, I heard a faint but then intensified roar coming from the river, and poked my head out the door to see what was happening. Low and behold the river had risen 30 ft within half an hour, and was already heading towards the doorstep. I ran frantically around the house collecting expensive paintings, pictures, important documents, etc and threw them upstairs hoping they would be spared from the incoming surge, grab the two dogs I had been watching, ran out the door, and drove off. After driving up to the gate uphill from the house, I swung the car around to see where the water was, and right then a wall of mud, water, and trees (accompanied by a massive propane tank) slammed right into the house and the ground I had been minutes before. I found refuge in a kind neighbors house uphill and out of reach of the flood with a few other evacuees as we were trapped in that little stretch of neighborhood. The next morning after the flood subsided, I drove back to the house only to find… Nothing. The entire house, and all of it’s contents were gone. Swept downstream and littering the shore. I fell to my knees and sobbed my heart out, not only realizing that my aunt did not have a home to come back to, but because I was still alive. I had considered falling asleep, which surely would have left myself, scrappy, and Suzy (the two dogs I was watching), dead. But I was too excited to have a great cold brew, and I survived.

That’s my story of how a beer saved my life. But others in the area weren’t so lucky. Hundreds of people are left homeless and heartbroken. I ask if you take anything from this story, it’s that you spead the word that people in Wimberley and San Marcos need donations of food, water, clothing, blankets, etc. Send it to the Red Cross and Salvation Army in the area, and there are multiple drop off points in those towns.

Thanks again for great brews Rogness, I wouldn’t be here without em.

Much love,

Colin Iliff”

Our hearts go to those that were affected by the storms and the families of victims that lost their lives. As the weather continues to rage Texas please be safe. There are plenty of organizations that are in need of donations so please consider giving back to the local community.

Austin – This weekend it will seem like Oktoberfest in Austin but nein, it is time for the annual Maifest. Rock out in your favorite lederhosen and head out for an afternoon of polka, food and German-style beers brewed by local breweries. Adelbert’s, Saint Arnold, Austin Beerworks and Live Oak are just a few of the breweries that are participating in this great event. Tickets are still on sell but this event tends to sell out so get your tickets now. For tickets and more information, please click here.

Texas – In the sport of shameless self-promotion, I am excited to announce that my book “Beer Lovers Texas” has finally been published. It can currently be purchased on Amazon and will be hitting book stores soon. I would like to thank everyone for their support on this project. It was a lot harder than it seems to travel across the state visiting the many breweries, brewpubs and craft beer bars in Texas. I had the pleasure of meeting a lot of great people who take pride in what they do and made a lot of new friends along the way. Unfortunately, with as fast as the scene is exploding I was unable to add many of the recently opened breweries but I wish you all well and plan to make a visit out to get you added to the website. Thank you for everyone for the continued support I hope that you all enjoy the book. I will be planning signing events coming in late June and early July so I will look forward to raising a pint with many of you soon. To purchase the book, please click here.

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! American Craft Beer Week is coming to a close but many local breweries still have something special to celebrate. This week, a brewery in Austin is celebrating 3 years on Saturday while another brewery in New Braunfels is celebrating 2 and lastly we talk about the continuing evolution of an Austin brewpub. Check it out now in this week’s edition of, The Brew!

Austin – This weekend Rogness Brewing Company will be celebrating 3yrs in business with a little shindig at their brewery. Rogness plans to have at least 14 beers on tap and I am personally rather excited to see what they have up their sleeve. Brewer Jon Airheart is excited to show off their latest special release Schoppe Private Stock Doppelsticke which is an Altbier style beer. Along with their great beers that will have a photo booth present to help you remember the fun and two local food trucks selling grub to keep you going. Tickets are on sell for on$12 in advance of $15 at the door and attendees will receive a keepsake glass with 3 pours and additional beers will only get $3 dollars. If this weekend continues to be a rain out, fear not because Rogness has plenty of indoor room. Well behaved dogs are welcome as well as children on leashes. For tickets and more information, please click here.

New Braunfels – New Braunfels Brewing Company happy to celebrate their 2^nd anniversary this Saturday at their brewery in downtown New Braunfels. This little brewery has really bloomed over the last year with their German inspired brews spreading across the hill country and Houston. While their brewery is small they are taking over the parking lot and setting up plenty of tents to keep attendees dry should weather not cooperate. Attendees how two options which getting a ticket, for $18 you will score a pint glass and three pours or you can double the price and also get a bottle of their Stardust which is their 2014 HimmelWeiss that has been aging red wine barrels from William Chris Vineyards. For more information about this weekend’s event, please click here.

Austin – After celebrating their 8^th anniversary last weekend, we had the pleasuring of attending an event at Uncle Billy’s Smokehouse & Brewery to meet head brewer Trevor Nearburg, assistant brewer Daytona Celis and Christine Celis to talk about the future of their beers and what is soon to come. As you may know, Uncle Billy’s was the first brewpub in the state to distribute their beers and you can still find 16oz cans of their Green Room IPA and Humbucker Helles but soon their cans will take a new look. Trever has tweaked the recipe for the Green Room IPA and they will soon change the packaging as well as switch to 12oz cans. They have also added two new beers which will hit shelves soon, the Barton Springs and Lazy Day. Lazy Day Lager is 5.5% ABV crisp and sessionable American lager that will be perfect for the upcoming scorching summer temps. The flavor profile is light and floral, perfect with nearly any dish. The Barton Springs Pale Ale is 6.6% ABV pale ale style beer that has a great malty profile with light hop bitterness. It is a very easy drinking beer that will hold up well in the heat and is great for paring with an array of smoked meats. Along with the new beers, the cans will take a new look featuring an image of Uncle Billy living up life in Austin. When speaking to Trevor, he promised fans that the Green Room IPA will remain a year round release but they have not made a permanent decision about whether Barton Springs and Lazy Day will remain core beers. Sadly, Uncle Billy’s has decided to discontinue Humbucker Helles to make way for the new beers but there is hope that we may see a seasonal return in the fall. Just in case, we suggest stocking up now and while you’re at it, pick up some Gypsy Dubbel Coffee Porter. While speaking to Christine, she said that the stock of the current Gypsy is starting to dwindle down but it is a beer that ages well so it would be wise to pick some up now while you still can. Christina did not reveal any details about the next Gypsy but has a couple of breweries she is in talks with to collaborate for the next release.

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! We have a lot going on in Texas. This weekend is Mother’s Day and we would like to wish all of you beautiful moms a very happy Mother’s Day. Don’t forget to take your mom out for a lovely brunch this weekend and make sure she is enjoying some of her favorite Texas craft beers. Also, Monday starts American Craft Beer Week so be sure to follow us for some great events worth attending all across the state. This week, we take a look at who has come a long way in 8yrs, we let you know about a beer festival located in a central Texas German town, we see what beer festival is going to be rocking north Texas this weekend, we get some news on who is dismissed in the court of law, we talk about a major expansion that opened this week down in Houston and lastly, we finally get to taste beers from one of the newest brewpubs in Dallas. Check it out now in this week’s edition of The Brew!

Austin – Time sure has flown by for the guys at Uncle Billy’s Brew & Que or as they are known now as Uncle Billy’s Brewery & Smokehouse. This week they are celebrating 8yrs in business and are celebrating with crawfish, special beers and live music. Over the years, Uncle Billy’s has gone through many ups and downs, from opening and closing a second location, winning 5 medals between 2008 and 2012, brewers leaving to start their own breweries, becoming the first brewpub in Texas to distribute their beer and now the $1 million dollar makeover that added a 20-barrel brewhouse which was completed at the end of 2014. With their head brewer Trevor Nearburg who was a former assistant brewer with Real Ale, taking over the brewing duties, Uncle Billy is on an upswing that is bringing people back to enjoy their great beers and delicious food. Uncle Billy’s also has two legendary generations of the Celis family involved with the company, Christine Celis who is the daughter of the late Pierre and her daughter Daytona Celis. Christina brewed the Gypsy Collaboration Series with Uncle Billy’s to make the Dubble Coffee Porter and Daytona is an assistant brewer who recently participate in the International Women’s Collaboration Brew Day. Hats off to the great folks at Uncle Billy’s and we wish them continued success.

New Braunfels – While Wurstfest is still about six months away, festival organizers are opening the festival grounds this weekend for the Wurstfest Craft Beer Festival. They will have over 40 beers on tap from breweries across the hill country region, food vendors and live music with the legendary Texas Tornados headlining the event, it is expected to big a big draw. No lederhosen is necessary to enjoy the event but rocking your favorite German attire is always welcomed. VIP tickets are sold out but general admission tickets are still available for only $25 ($30 at the gate). For tickets and more information, click here.

Fort Worth – If you are still trying to get something nice for your mom, we recommend spending quality time with her over some good beer, how about over 250 beer? This Saturday, the Untapped Indie Music and Beer Festival rolls into Fort Worth with tons of great beers and a pretty stellar musical line up. The Sword with literally rock the crowd and add a little metal to the air while headliners, De La Soul will cap the night off with a legendary set. There is nothing better than a fun afternoon of craft beer and good music. For many heading north for the festival, this will be a great chance to try some of the newer north Texas breweries such as Bearded Eel, The Collective Brewing Project, Nine Band, Texas Ale Project and Panther Island Brewing. Tickets are still available for this weekend’s event. For tickets and more information, please click here.

Austin – What was looking to be a nasty and bitter drawn out court battle between Oasis Brewing and New Belgium Brewing over the name “Slow Ride” has come to an end. A Colorado judge has dismissed the case and Oasis Brewing will continue to release their Slow Ride Pale Ale. New Belgium Brewing has claimed that they were the first to use the name for their Slow Ride Session IPA. Unfortunately, while they have still not come to terms, the judge stated that “the jurisdiction of Colorado was not appropriate”. This week, Oasis Brewing posted the following on their website.

“We are pleased to announce that our lawsuit with New Belgium Brewing is finally behind us. The judge dismissed it and agreed that the jurisdiction of Colorado was not appropriate. New Belgium claimed that our attendance at GABF satisfied “minimum contact” which was absurd and very costly to defend. Rest assured small brewers of America, you CAN participate in the Great American Beer Fest without falling under the long arm of Colorado law or violating the laws of interstate commerce created by your respective State’s beer distribution governance. NBB continues to say that we do not want to settle. This remains untrue. We have made multiple offers, even traveled to meet with them in Denver; however they won’t send anyone with the authority to make a settlement decision and reject all of our offers.”

Congratulations to Oasis Brewing on all of their hard work and determination to bring great beers to Texas. To read their full statement, head over to their website by clicking here.

Houston – In Texas it is go big or go home and Houston’s Karbach Brewing Company took that to heart. They have been brewing for less than 5yrs but they have definitely made a name for themselves. They opened their brewery in 2011 and just a couple years later in 2013, they decide to expand brewing operations by building out a whole new brewery just next door to their current location. This week the taproom and restaurant for the new brewery opened up to the public and many are excited for the new space. Now you will no longer have to sweat it out in the Texas summer heat. The taproom and restaurant will offer guests plenty of space to enjoy their favorite Karbach brews. The kitchen will offer a full menu from light bites to sandwiches and chef inspired dishes to fresh made pizzas. If you have yet to make it out to Karbach, now is a great time to enjoy both their amazing beers and their in house restaurant serving up gourmet dishes by Executive Chef Joseph Stayshich.

Dallas – Back in March, Braindead Brewing Company opened to the public and many were eager to try the beers from Brewmaster Andrew Huerter but unfortunately their beers were not ready so patrons would have to make do with their delicious food and guest beer taps. This Monday on May 11^th which also happens to be the first day of the American Craft Beer Week, Braindead Brewing will finally be releasing their beers. They will have their Scottish 75 Shilling, Foreign Export Stout, and a pre-prohibition style Cream Ale they call Gritz. If that isn’t a way to start your American Craft Beer Week celebration, I don’t know what is. Braindead has a lot of great events coming up but their website is still under construction so you will need to follow their Facebook page for upcoming new. For information about their event on Monday, please click here.

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 Mothers Day Mom!