This week in, The Brew! Well July quickly came and went now we move towards the back end of summer. We told you last week that this was going to be a big one so let’s get right to it. This week we talk about a massive celebration for an Austin establishment, we talk about a festival in the Hill Country, we see what unique brewery is spreading across Texas, we talk about a new brewery opening this weekend near Dallas and finally we raise a pint glass to two amazing breweries celebrating 3yrs this weekend. Finally we give you the heads up about the Beer Lover’s Texas book signing event. Check it out now in this week’s edition of, The Brew!

Austin – While bars are not usually the focus on Texas Beer Guide, it is impossible not to salute Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden. This Saturday they will be marking their three year anniversary and they’re basically throwing a beer festival to celebrate. They will have live music, over 25 varieties of sausage, 4 pigs cooked 4 different ways oh and over 100 of some of the best beer available in the state. 5 Stone Artisan Brewery, Jester King, Lone Pint will also be featuring some specialty one off brews and the latest releases from Brash Brewing. The best part about this event? It is completely free! With the exception for the cost of your beer and food but attending is free. Hats off to the great group at Banger’s and we wish them many more continued years of success! Click here for more information.

Horseshoe Bay – This Friday and Saturday head on out to the Beer by the Bay Music Festival at the gorgeous Horseshoe Bay Resort overlooking Lake LBJ. The festival features Texas music legends such as Asleep at the Wheel and Dale Watson but the reason we are even mentioning this great event is because they are featuring a package with all you can eat and drink. So you may be asking what that has to do with Texas beer, it has everything to do with it because the beers featured are from Real Ale, South Austin Brewery, Saint Arnold, Twisted X, Solid Rock, Save the World, Double Horn and Revolver Brewing. Now whether you are into the music or not, a beer line up like that for all you can drink sounds like a fun weekend to me. Click here for tickets and more information.

Houston – Last year when Austin based Whole Foods opened a brewery in their new Houston store, it left many other cities wondering if and when they would see a Whole Foods in their city with a brewery. Unfortunately, there won’t be breweries added to the nearly 30 stores across Texas at least for the time being. Instead, the Houston location will start distributing their beers to stores across Houston in August and across the state starting in September. Soon head brewer Dave Ohmer will be working overtime to make enough beer to be distributed. Due to their very limited size at the brewery, the beer will only be available on draft for the time being. Fear not, Whole Foods always offers growler fills so make sure to take your in on your next shopping trip.

Rockwall – This weekend we see the opening of yet another brewery in Texas and we are more than thrilled to see the scene grow. We welcome the opening of Woodcreek Brewing Company just east of Dallas in the town of Rockwall. Founded by friends Noah Cutshall and Brad Bramblett, the Woodcreek Brewery is doing their part by bringing craft beer to their small community. They will feature six beers to make up their line up including their New Horizon Wheat, Texas Star Bock, Rockwall Red, Lakeside Blonde, Vanilla Porter and their Highway 66 IPA. This weekend they will kick off the grand opening celebration at the brewery on Saturday from 12-8pm. We would like to wish Noah and Brad all the best of luck on their new endeavor. Click here for more information.

Garland – This weekend Lakewood Brewing Company celebrates their 3^rd year anniversary and they are breaking up the celebration over two days. On Saturday, they will host a huge party at their brewery to mark the occasion but unfortunately tickets are already sold out. For those lucky 500 people that were able to snag their tickets in time they will get to enjoy a day of live music, food trucks and over 20 of their amazing beers on tap. If you were unlucky enough to get a ticket for Saturday, they are hosting a second party on Sunday at Goodfriend Beer Garden & Burger House. They will have a limited number of souvenir glasses but they will have a lot of beer on hand (which is listed below) to keep the celebration going. Congrats to Lakewood on all of their success over the years and keep making great beer. Click here for more information.

The debut of our third anniversary beer, Lion’s Share III – an Old Ale aged in premium Napa Valley red wine barrels – 9% alc/vol

Druon’s Reserve** – a Belgian golden strong ale brewed w/ cherry wood-smoked malt aged in a wine barrel with Brettanomyces – 11.5% alc/vol

Barrel-aged Holiday Bonus** – our festive, winter seasonal Robust Porter brewed w/ chocolate and orange peel, aged in oak barrels – 7.7% alc/vol

Merlot barrel-aged Till & Toil** – Saison – 8.2% alc/vol

Tempranillo barrel-aged Till & Toil** – Saison – 8.2% alc/vol

Brabo’s Reserve** – a merlot barrel-aged Belgian dark strong ale brewed w/ wildflower honey – 9.6% alc/vol

La Dame du Bois** – a red wine barrel aged Biere de Garde – 9.3% alc/vol

Saint Dymphna – Belgian Tripel brewed w/ linden flowers – 8.6% alc/vol

Bokkenrijders – Doppelsticke Altbier – 8.5% alc/vol

Mole Temptress – Imperial Milk Stout brewed w/ vanilla; guajillo, pasilla, ancho, and chipotle peppers; cacao; and cinnamon – 9.1% alc/vol

Zomer Pils – Bavarian Pilsner – 4.8% alc/vol

The Temptress (on Nitro) – Imperial Milk Stout brewed w/ vanilla – 9.1% alc/vol

Hop Trapp (both regular and on Nitro) – Belgian-style IPA – 6.4% alc/vol

Hopochondria – Session IPA – 3.5% alc/vol

Lakewood Lager – Vienna-style Lager – 4.6% alc/vol

Rock Ryder – American Rye Wheat – 4.8% alc/vol

Seven Points – Yet another brewery is marking their 3^rd year anniversary this weekend. A big hats off to Jim Elliot and the crew at Cedar Creek Brewery on all of their hard work. Cedar Creek is a brewery that has lived many lives in the sense that it has been moved around a few times before it finally found its foundation in the lakeside town of Seven Points in northeast Texas. This weekend they will be throwing a celebration at the brewery to mark this occasion and there is no charge for entry. Bring a chair and head out to the brewery. They will have all of their core beers on tap including some specialties and firkins. At 5pm, they will be tapping a limited amount of their award-winning Belgian Dubbel. They will have live music and food available so head on out Saturday from noon till 10pm. Congratulations on three years to Cedar Creek Brewery. Click here for more information.

Austin – Well I know I have been constantly pushing the release of my book “Beer Lovers Texas: Best Breweries, Brewpubs and Beer Bars” but the shameless self-promotion continues. We have a great event coming up on August 21^st at BookPeople in Austin. Not only will you be able to pick up a signed copy of the book but I will also be brewing a few brewing friends who will be sampling some of their beers. We are currently planning events in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio coming soon so stay tuned. Click here for more information.

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 talk about a great event that supports a very special cause, we let you know how you can help a local brewery stay cool and then we give you the heads up about a couple new beer releases. Next week we have a bunch of events to announce and the list keeps on growing. Until then, enjoy this weeks edition of, The Brew!

Austin – Austin based Hops & Grain Brewery are hosting the Bike Affair Fiesta Part II this weekend to raise funds and awareness for the 1400 Miles organization. The 1400 Miles is a nonprofit organization that aims to spark the difficult conversation with stubborn men about prostate health and members annually ride their bicycles from Austin to Denver, Colorado leading up to the Great American Beer Festival. The Bike Affair Fiesta Part II is just one of the many events leading up to the ride. The Bike Affair is a 4-part series that will be held at the Hops & Grain Brewery. Tickets are $15 and get you a half-pint Hops & Grain glass along with 4 tickets for your choice of fills. Half of the proceeds from ticket sales will benefit 1400 Miles, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Click here for tickets and more information.

Richmond – If you know anything about Texas it is that the summer temps are scorching. Sometimes it feels nearly impossible to beat the heat and it is even worse for many breweries. On brew days the temps inside of the brewery can really become unbearable. Texian Brewing Company in Richmond is looking for help to fund their new Big Ass Fan to help keep them and their guests cool during the summer months. They have setup a GoFund me page to help cover the cost of the new fan and you can score some nice stuff for helping them out and supporting their brewery. For more information and to make a contribution. Please click here.

New Beer – With summer in full swing, it is time for the release of new beers that pair with the warmer seasoned temperatures. Lucky for you, we have the heads up about some great new beers you should check out.

• Adelbert’s – Castaway Blonde Ale – Belgian Blonde Ale (6.7%)
  This crisp, refreshing blonde ale is the perfect beer for summer sipping. Hints of honey and peach blend with Sladek hops to bring forth a bright and balanced Belgian ale. It pairs well with caprese salad, grilled shrimp, spicy Thai, and french fries.

• New Braunfels Brewing Company – Spread Eagle – Dark Farmhouse Table Beer
  Spread Eagle makes use of a centuries old brewing technique known as Parti-gyle brewing, still used regularly in Europe. Essentially, instead of using all of our mash run-off from our weizenbock, Shiva’s Tears, we use the ‘last runnings’ to create a smaller, lower alcohol beer. This is a more efficient use of our grains and results in two distinctly different beers. Spread Eagle is bottle-conditioned with freshly-brewed wort and allowed time to condition in the bottle prior to release. The resulting beer is very dry with nuances of dark malts presented in a light, flavorful blend of tart acidity and toasted chocolate.

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 got caught off guard last week with work and missed our post. This week we are keeping things light, we talk about a new brewery opening this weekend in Liberty Hill and give some possible updates about a Houston brewery opening in the coming weeks. Check it out now in this week’s edition of, The Brew!

Liberty Hill – This weekend Bull Creek Brewing Company is opening their doors to the public in Liberty Hill and they have a lot of great beers to share. Currently you can find a few of their beers on shelves around Austin but this weekend they will have a full line up featuring their Longhorn Blonde, Iron Balls Imperial Stout, Champs Au Sud Farmhouse Ale, Tommy Raj IPA and *Summer Slap*. What makes this Williamson County brewery extra special is their brewer and co-founder Julia Parma who joins the growing list of women in the Texas craft beer industry. The local VFW Post 8787 will be selling food so feel free to bring a chair and come hang out at one of Texas’ latest brewery. We are wishing the folks at Bull Creek Brewing the best of luck and look forward to seeing their beers in markets across the state soon. Click here from more information.

Houston – It looks like we finally have a date for another long awaiting brewery opening in Houston. The Town in City Brewing Company posted an ad on Craigslist looking for Bartenders/Servers and Barbacks for their Brewery Taproom followed by an event on their Facebook that will take place August 1^st. The White Linen Nights event in the Height neighborhood of Houston is an annual event where people descend on the local neighborhood checking out free local music, arts and boutiques. It just so happens, Town in City Brewing is located in the historic Heights neighborhood and will be opening their brewery to the public that day. They will have live music from Moji and they will have two cash bars set up serving up their first three batches of beer including City Porter, Mosquito’s Revenge Pale, and Chipped Tooth IPA. Click here for more information.

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 took a couple weeks off to host the Texas Tequila & Margarita Festival down in Galveston but now we’re back and it is time to celebrate 4^th of July! This week we talk about some legal drama brewing in Dallas, we let you know what new brewery is finally rolling beer out in Houston and finally give you a list of events to check out for the weekend. Austin, be sure to make your calendars for August 21^st, I will be doing a book signing of Beer Lover’s Texas at BookPeople and I will be bringing a couple of breweries along to celebrate the book release. I am currently looking for dates and locations for Houston, Dallas and San Antonio so I will let you know as soon as those dates are book. Until then, enjoy the holiday weekend and this week’s edition of, The Brew!

Dallas – As if we haven’t seen enough legal drama this year, another lawsuit is in the works. Dallas based Deep Ellum Brewing Company was issues a cease and desist letter from Maryland brewers Flying Dog. Flying Dog is claiming that Deep Ellum’s beer Easy Peasy IPA is too close to their Easy IPA. Deep Ellum took to Facebook to openly discuss the matter and stated that they registered Easy Peasy IPA with the United States Patent & Trademark Office back in February. While it seems like a stretch, Flying Dog plans to proceed with this situation while Deep Ellum goes about having fun and brewing beer. Many on social media outlets are showing their support for Deep Ellum and it is leaving many to wait and see the outcome. This could hurt Flying Dog sales in Texas much like the case against New Belgium and Oasis Brewing. We will be sure to follow up with any details.

Houston – Houston, we have beer! The long awaited arrival of Brash Brewing is finally over. On Tuesday, the brewery posted a photo of Brash branded kegs full of their EZ-7 Pale Ale and the Houston craft beer community in a hunt to be the first to try the beer. Tuesday evening many flocked to their local craft beer bar to show their support for the long awaited release of Brash Brewing’s beers. Brash has stated that the next release will be their Pussy Wagon IPA expected by the end of July but for now Houstonians is enjoying the EZ-7 Pale Ale over the long holiday weekend.

Texas – With the 4^th of July here many will be spending time in or around water, barbequing and drinking a cold beer. While we strongly suggest celebrating Independence Day with a Texas beer, we have a list of some great events to check out this weekend at some of the breweries across the state.

July 3^rd

Bitter Sister Brewery Addison, TX

Start your celebrations early with Bitter Sisters Brewery on Friday from 6pm-10pm. Bitter Sisters has the prime location in Addison to watch the Kaboom Town Fireworks show. Come enjoy this kid friendly event with craft beer, warbird fly-bys, and legendary fireworks. Yim Yam food truck will be serving some delicious eats. Make sure to bring chairs and arrive early to guarantee the best spot.

Real Ale Brewing Company Blanco, TX

We’ll have on our usual 8 year-round taps plus the 6 special taps with limited edition Brewers’ Cut beers, Mysterium Verum tappings, plus plenty of Real Ale swag for you to buy in the Tap Room from 11am-5pm. Old 300 BBQ will be on-site selling food on Friday and Saturday to keep you fueled for your holiday in the Hill Country. Let’s raise a glass to ‘Merica!

Saint Arnold Brewing Company Houston, TX

It’s a Freedom Edition of PUB NIGHT this Friday night! You have the freedom to come to the brewery and enjoy one of the options from our cellar or something from our regular lineup. You also have the freedom to order the Hott Messs (chips, fries, brisket, Santo queso, sour cream, guac, jalapeño – no substitutions).

July 4^th

TUPPS Brewery McKinney, TX

Get the family together and celebrate the 4th of July in McKinney! Start the day off watching the McKinney 4th of July parade starting at 10am in historic downtown McKinney. Then come down the street to TUPPS Brewery for a day filled with award winning Craft beers, Live music including “Oil Boom”, Spoons food truck, and games! (kiddos are welcome and will love the family games!) TUPPS is a 15,000 sq. ft. indoor brewery with a large bar, stage, seating, games, and an outdoor covered beer garden with acoustic stage. We’re adjoined to a 105-year-old cotton mill and brought that historic feel to the brewery with century old building materials and artifacts. Get away from the city for the day and spend it with us. We guarantee you will have an amazing day without the long lines and remote parking.

Hops & Grain Austin, TX

What are you doing this 4th of July? Because here at Hops & Grain we’re COMPLETELY FREE! So in the spirit of freedom we’re throwing another one of our famous shin-digs! The event will offficially start at 12:00 pm, tickets are $15 and for the first 125 people, that includes a special glass with 4 pours, an American Flag key chain and an all around good time! Hand Helds food trailer will be there (menu for the day can be seen below and it looks excellent) to serve up some all-american sliders and you better believe some American tunes will be pumping through the old speakers until we close! (God Bless The U.S.A. sing along, anyone?). Click here for tickets.

Independence Brewing Company Austin, TX

There’s no better place to be for 4th of July than here at Independence Brewing Co. to celebrate this historic day! Our founders Rob and Amy Cartwright founded Independence Brewing within the same spirit as our forefathers that fought for Independence. And we here at Independence Brewing fight to bring you incredible craft beer that’s separate from all others!

Music: The Mutton Busters (fronted by Silas Lowe Musician) – 12:30-3:30pm Palomino Shakedown – 4:00-7:00pm Food: Wünder Pig Barbecue Co. will be providing all of your 4th of July barbecue needs all day. The Good Times Ice Cream Austin food truck will be keeping us cool from 2-4pm

What you can bring: Lawn chairs & well-behaved dogs — must remain on leash and under owner’s control, and cannot be in production areas.

All ages welcome! Please bring the whole family but children must remain under adult supervision at all times. If you bring EZ up tents, please don’t forget weights or tiedowns

We’re proud to offer you all of our classic and limited release beers along with our new summer seasonal RedBud Berliner Weisse, for purchase by the 4 oz. taster, 10 oz., 16 oz., or a flight of your choice! No cover OR charge, so come on out with the whole family as we celebrate 4th of July together!

No Label Brewing Company Katy, TX

Price: $10/person ($5 for DD, children accompanied by parent are FREE) Price includes sample glass, 4 beers, live music and vendors! Nom Mi, Custom Confections and Savor the Bite food trucks will be out selling delicious foods. Let’s celebrate our freedom and those who fought for it!

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.