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.
