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 11th 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!
