This week in, The Brew! We have some very sad news coming out of Abilene, we have our fingers crossed for a bill that is hitting the state capitol, we see who is turning 4 and lastly, we tell you about some events worth checking out during SXSW. Check it out now in this week’s edition of, The Brew!

Before I talk about the news this week, I would like to thank everyone who came out last Sunday to help us rally for Lynn Smith of Fatback Boucherie & Catering. Fatback Boucherie went through an 80lb pig and sold out in just under two hours. We would like to thank Rogness Brewing for allowing us to host this event at their wonderful brewery and thank them for their hospitality. We will continue to rally behind Lynn as she continues her fight against cancer. Thank you again to everyone that come out to make the event a big success.

Courtesy of Cypress Street Station

Abilene– It is with heavy hearts we announce that Brian Green, the owner of Cypress Street Station out in Abilene has passed away at the age of 56. He died of a heart attack while on vacation Thursday. Brian opened the Cypress Street Station in 1993 in downtown Abilene serving new American cuisine. In 2009 Brain introduced craft beer to the restaurant and became the first brewpub in Abilene. Our thoughts are with the family of Brian and his wonderful staff.

Texas – Today news broke from the Texas Craft Brewers Guild that a bill has been filed by State Senator Kevin Eltife of Tyler which would grant Texas craft brewery visitors the right to take home beer purchased at Texas craft breweries. This news is one of the most exciting things for Texas brewers since the bill passed in 2013 which allowed breweries to sell beer for on premise consumption. While there is still a long battle to go, it is exciting to see this new bill on the table. The following comes directly from the Texas Craft Brewers Guild.

“Texas State Senator Kevin Eltife (R-Tyler) introduced Senate Bill 1386, which grants Texas craft brewery visitors the right to take home beer purchased at Texas craft breweries. Along with a companion bill (House Bill 3086) introduced in the Texas State House of Representatives by Rep. Jim Keffer (R-Eastland), this legislation is expected to further enhance the national recognition Texas craft beer brings to the state, encourage craft beer fans to travel to Texas, and bolster Texas’ reputation as a craft beer destination.

Building on legislation introduced by Senator Eltife in 2013 allowing breweries to sell beer to guests for consumption in their tap rooms, this legislation enables those same breweries to sell beer in cans, bottles or growlers for visitors to take home. As beer tourism grows, the ability for brewery visitors to purchase souvenir beers enhances the experience for these customers. This modernization of the Texas alcoholic beverage code is seen as a great step toward making Texas a leading craft beer state.

The bills allow breweries that produce less than 225,000 barrels of beer per year (a barrel is equivalent to two kegs of beer) to sell beer directly to the ultimate consumer. The consumer can purchase up to 576 fluid ounces, or the equivalent of two cases of beer, once a month from a Texas brewery.

“Texas craft brewers continue to bring economic growth, jobs, and national recognition to the state,” said Senator Eltife. “This legislation is designed to finish what we started last session and bring people from around the country to this state which is rapidly becoming the epicenter of craft brewing quality.”

Representative Keffer commented “This gives Texas breweries the same rights already enjoyed by wineries, distilleries and many of their out-of-state competitors. Most important, it gives consumers greater access to Texas-made beer.”

Texas craft beer is on a recent tear with 44% growth in production by breweries impacted by this legislation, delivering an economic impact of $2.3 billion in 2013, and by bringing home 16 medals at the most recent Great American Beer Festival. Only three other states brought home more awards.”

This is a story we will be following closely so stay tuned and we will bring you all of the news as it develops. We are keeping our fingers crossed and hoping to see this bill get approved.

Austin – Time sure has flown by quick for the guys at Circle Brewing Company who will be celebrating four years in business this weekend. While the madness of SXSW will be taking over downtown, Circle Brewing will be celebrating with all of their fans at their brewery in north central Austin. Along with the celebration, Circle will also be serving their latest beer, “Devil’s Envy” which is an amber ale that has been aged in whiskey barrels. They also have food vendors available and live music to keep the crowd entertained. You better get there early if you want to snag one of their 1000 4^th Anniversary souvenir glasses. We would like to congratulate the guys of Circle a happy four year and wish you many more brewing years to come.

Austin – Texas Beer Guide officially launched during SXSW in 2012 because we found that to be the best place to interact with people from across the world and promote Texas craft beer. It is that time of year again when Austin becomes overrun with film, tech and music fans for this year’s SXSW festival. For many that descend on Austin for the festival, they don’t tend to stray far away from downtown but fear not there is plenty of places to get a taste of Texas brewed beers. If you are here for a good time, we have a few events worth checking out that will feature Texas beer.

3/14 – Circle Brewing 4yr Anniversary

While this Austin brewery is not located in downtown, it is just a short train ride north. Jump on the train at the convention center and get off at the Kramer stop. The event will take place from 1-5pm and feature live music and food vendors. 2340 W Braker Ln, Austin, TX 78758

3/17 – The Feast of Saint Patrick @ Hops & Grain Brewery

Let’s not forget that next Tuesday is Saint Patrick’s Day and while many will be drinking green colored fizzy water, you can head east on 6^th St until it dead ends into the Hops & Grain Brewery to get a taste of fine Texas craft beer. The event is from 5pm-11pm so you have plenty of time to celebrate. 507 Calles St., Austin, TX 78702

3/20 – Mother of Pearl Vinyl 2015 Unofficial SXSW Showcase w/ Big Bend Brewing Co.

This event is big news for everyone in Texas that hasn’t had the chance to try beers from Big Bend Brewing Company. They will be showcasing their Tejas Lager and La Frontera IPA at Stay Gold in East Austin from 12pm-7pm and this will be just a teaser before their beers arrive in the Austin market in the summer. This is a free event but you must RSVP to: RSVP@MotherofPearlVinyl.com. 1910 E Cesar Chavez, Austin, TX 78702

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”…

Texas made it through the first big freeze of the season but in Dallas things seem to be heating up. The second annual Dallas Winter Warmer is going down this weekend at the Main Street Garden in downtown Dallas. The festival will feature big bold beers and winter seasonals to warm you up in these cold temps.  Many of the Dallas regional breweries like Martin House Brewing, Lakewood Brewing and 2013 GABF Gold Medal winners Community Beer Company will be at the festival sampling their beers along with other breweries across the country. For tickets and more information be sure to check out http://dallaswinterwarmer.com/      

Austin’s own Adelbert’s Brewing has to be one of the hardest working breweries in the state. Not only are they working with famed Celis Brewing but now they have teamed up James Vaello to help Naughty Brewing Co. off the ground. Originally a wishful dream, Naughty began to take shape when James Vaello, visionary and brewer behind Naughty, met Scott Hovey, owner and brewmaster of Adelbert’s Brewery in Austin, Texas. The two quickly became friends through their shared passion of brewing and Naughty Brewing was born using James’ recipes and Scott’s knowledge of large-scale production and brewery.This month they will officially launch their first beer “I Think She Hung the Moon”, which was brewed with Belgian candy sugar and Mexican piloncillo sugar cones for a drier body, sweet pecan smoke for a bold stroke and hibiscus for a hint of tartness. The name and label pay homage to James’ wife, Katie, and features a vintage inspired brunette pinup. “We had a vision of a dark, dry, tart and smoky beer that would pair well with anything you would put on a grill. We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed making it,” added Mr. Vaello. Kegs will precede bottles by a few weeks, releasing in early December. Bottles will be available mid-December giving them time to bottle condition. Both will be available with limited availability across Texas at retailers currently selling Adelbert’s Brewery ales. These stores include Spec’s, Whole Foods, Twin Liquors, Central Market, HEB and a wide array of local craft beer and liquor stores. Following the release of Hung the Moon, Naughty plans to release a limited release of Kentucky Streetwalker, an Imperial Vanilla Porter aged in Kentucky Bourbon barrels, and Zijden Kousen (Dutch for Silk Stockings), a delectable Belgian IPA in the coming year. So much for being nice, sorry Santa but we’re planning to end this year Naughty!

Karbach Brewing from Houston announced this week that they will be expanding. They plan to break ground next year on a larger brewery next to the existing site. Karbach is reportedly one of the fastest growing breweries in the nation which is pretty impressive for a brewery that has only been open for a couple of years. The new brewery will help Karbach expand towards the mark of 60,000 barrels of beer annually. There is even talks that the new brewery will also have a kitchen in the tap room that will be opened and serving daily. Looks like there is going to be some head to head competition in Houston between Saint Arnold and Karbach.

Also this week the San Antonio Brewers/Distillers with Ranger Creek have released their new Small Batch Series No. 7 which has hit shelves in San Antonio and Austin. The Small Batch No. 7 is an 8% ABV Imperial Sweet Potato Stout which Ranger Creek say it has a balance of holiday spices, earthiness and rich chocolate notes. Over the last few years’ pumpkin beers have dominated the Thanksgiving season, are sweet potatoes the new thing for Christmas? You will have to hunt down a bottle of No. 7 to see.

As always, if you’re looking to just get out this weekend and 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.

SXSW is one of the biggest events in Austin and between all of the social networking, free concerts and events one can be a little overwhelmed. With all the freebies and commercialization it’s a given that most events will be giving away free beer but it’s rarely the good stuff. Sure you can stand in hour long lines to get a watered down flavorless beer for free but if you’re looking to get your craft beer fix then check out this list of places while in town.

“Dirty 6th”

Chicago House
607 Trinity St. (Between 6th & 7th St)
http://thechicagohouse.com/

One of the latest venues to open up along the 6th St corridor, Chicago House is putting out a pretty impressive lineup of craft beers. Every day you visit you could find a new beer on tap. They keep their taps listed on their website and it is updated every time they swap out a keg. The best part, all beers are only $5 except during happy hour when beers are $4.

Easy Tiger
709 East 6th
http://www.easytigeraustin.com/

From the street Easy Tiger looks like a bakery but walk inside and you will find a craft beer bar and beer garden downstairs. While they lack a little on the Texas selections, Easy Tiger still keeps a great selection of beers on tap. To make the deal even sweeter they are serving up some decent beer drinking chow from fresh baked artesian breads and sausages made in house.

“West 6th”

The Ginger Man
301 Lavaca St. (Between 3rd & 4th St)
http://aus.gingermanpub.com/

An Austin original, the Ginger Man has been bringing craft beer to downtown for almost 20 years. With a large selection of beers from Texas and across the county this is usually a very low-key place to relax away from the madness that is SXSW. The Ginger Man is always bringing in hard to find and special beers. With plenty of seating and a nice outdoor patio in back, the Ginger Man is a must for craft beer seekers in downtown.

The Brew Exchange
706 West 6th
http://brewexchangeaustin.com/

When it comes to stocks the rule has always been buy low, sell high, the same goes for beers at the Brew Exchange. The beer list is rolling like a stock ticker above the bar and all throughout the day the prices of beers go up and down. They have a pretty big selection and if you get there when the market is doing good you can get some great beers for a low price. Careful, when the market is up beers can be a little pricey. It’s west 6th so take it for what it is.

“Rainey St.”  

Craft Pride 61
Rainey St.
http://craftprideaustin.com/

Just in time for SXSW, newcomer to the hip Rainey St. is Craft Pride. This bar will be a big hit for the tourist because Craft Pride has over 50 taps of Texas brewed beers. They also offer flights of 5 beers so you can sample to your heart’s content and see why Texas beers are really making a big splash in the beer world. For the wine snobs, they carry Texas on wine too.

Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden
79 Rainey St.
http://bangersaustin.com/

Banger’s is one of the biggest bars on Rainey St. While their inside is rather small they have a big outdoor seating area complete with a stage. They also have over 100 beers on tap featuring beers from Texas and across the country. I will say that this bar can get a little pricey but they have a really great selection. If you’re looking to grab a bite to eat their food is pretty solid too but again be prepared to pay around $8 for a gourmet hotdog not including fries. Just a little side note for you ink freaks, Bangers offers a free tattoo of their logo for those brave or crazy enough. Ask your server for details!

“Outside the loop”

Draught House Pub & Brewery
4112 Medical Parkway
http://www.draughthouse.com/

For those of you who just want to get away from all of the SXSW madness and just grab a good beer, look no further than the Draught House Pub. This isn’t near downtown so you’re going to have to drive up or hail a cab but it will be worth it in the end. Not only does Draught House feature an amazing selection of beers brewed near and far, they also brew their own beer. If you happened to stop in on a Sunday all Texas beers are only $2.75. If you check out their website they keep an updated list of beers on tap. During SXSW you never know who you will see there; last year Anthony Bourdain made a stop to film for his show No Reservations.

Pinthouse Pizza Craft Brewpub
4729 Burnet Rd
http://pinthousepizza.com/

Another newcomer to Austin is Pinthouse Pizza. They feature gourmet pizzas along with some pretty great beers brewed in house. It’s up for debate whether the beer is better than the food but all in all, it is a great place to get away from the SXSW partygoers and have a relaxing experience. What could be better than craft beer and pizza?

“Honorable Mentions”

The Whip-In
1950 N I-35 Frontage Rd
http://whipin.com/

From the outside the Whip-In looks like a convenience store, from the inside well it still kinda looks like a convenience store but with a bar and a stage. That’s because the Whip-In started as a convenience store until it evolved into a store with some home cooked Indian food. Skip a few years later and the Whip-In has become one of the best places to catch live free music daily, Indian fusion food, one of the best beer selections Austin has to offer and now home to Namaste Brewing Co. Not only are they whipping up some great Texas-Indian Fusion food, they are also brewing some very interesting and delicious experimental beers. This place is a must for any beer fan visiting Austin. Warning, parking is very limited and the place is rather small so it would be best to take a cab. They always do events during SXSW so you can enjoy the experience while not missing out on the SXSW fun.

Black Star Co-Op
7020 Easy Wind Dr. #100
http://www.blackstar.coop/

This is another bar outside of the loop but it is a great place to check out for great food and beer. Black Star Co-op carries a great selection of beers and brews some pretty impressive beers themselves. The food here is superb as well and together they create a very pleasurable experience. Be warned, this place can be a little hard to find from the main road. If you’re headed north on Lamar look to your left as you pass Airport and Black Star will be below a row of trendy apartments.