You may be heading to Austin, Texas looking for live music, or maybe you’re just looking to keep it weird. Either way, don’t leave before visiting a few of their awesome breweries. Personally, I love seeking out breweries whenever I visit a new place. The atmosphere is good, the food is usually great, and it’s fun for me to try all the different beers! Here are 5 breweries worth a trip next time you’re in Austin, TX.
Jester King Brewery
Quite possibly one of my favorite breweries I have been to. It’s on a huge property with 4 different bars, a 165-acre farm where they grow as many ingredients for their brewery and kitchen as they can, and a kitchen with an impressive pizza selection. They are well known for their sours, but I would argue that any of their beers are going to be good. I had the Bière de Syrah and the Balcones Whiskey Barrel-Aged Montmorency Vs. Balaton. They were my favorite beers of the trip. I doubt you will be able to get the exact same beers I had, but they were sort of like different versions of the same beer that they recreate pretty regularly. (I had a specific beer recommended by a friend and the bartender explained that these were not the same, but were very close with small differences like the type of grapes they used.)
Family Business Beer Company
CALLING ALL SUPERNATURAL FANS AND BEER LOVERS ALIKE! Ok, hear me out. Jensen Ackles (AKA Dean Winchester from Supernatural) and his wife, Daneel, own this brewery with Daneel’s family. It’s a little out of the way from Austin, and to be completely honest, that alone is why I made the trip to Dripping Springs where it is technically located. THAT BEING SAID, there is absolutely nothing Supernatural themed about this brewery. I actually really liked this one and would have liked it with or without the supernatural ties. This brewery was also on a ton of land to walk around and had a fenced-off playground in the back. For whatever reason, people seem to feel like bringing their children to a brewery is different than bringing them to a bar? I don’t get it, but I liked that they had something to keep kids occupied while their parents still got to enjoy their time. The beers were really good and the brewery tour was small and personable. The brewers seemed to really love what they were doing and it was fun to talk to them about all the trial and errors of a new brewery. Also, the interior was beautiful. It’s called Family Business Beer Company for a reason. It technically is a family business and all the staff seemed to feel like family. It was a nice atmosphere and a great place to spend your time.
PRO TIP: Family Business is outside of Austin, but Jester King was about halfway in between. Take the opportunity to visit both on the same trip!
Can you believe this is a sour?
Wee Beastie: Sour Wee Heavy with Peat Malt
Our take on a Wee Heavy or Scotch Ale, this small-but-feisty little beastie packs a punch.
FLAVOR PROFILE: Balanced malt-forward Wee Heavy with a warming, nutty and toasty finish.
Blue Owl
This was the most enjoyable day for my friend and I. We literally stayed for hours. There was a dog adoption event going on so there were a ton of dogs. As soon as we saw them we knew we weren’t leaving anytime soon. This brewery exclusively makes sour beers, but not JUST your typical sour beers. Here you can get a sour stout, a sour IPA, a sour wee-heavy, take your pick. They also have you buy a glass (from a variety of sizes from tasting/flight size to pints) and give you four refills while your there. With so many interesting variations of sour beers you are going to want to try them all, and with this system you can. I wish this was an option at every brewery!
Follow one of the precious pups we met on Instagram @atxolivia
Zilker Brewing Company and Taproom
This brewery had a pretty good selection of IPA’s and as someone going through an IPA phase right now, I was here for it. They had a food truck with AMAZING chicken. Think fried chicken with an Asian twist.
PRO TIP: Get one order of chicken to share with your friends and maybe a side. The portions are HUGE!
Lazarus Brewing Co.
I loved this place! Their story alone was enough to make me want to come. Here’s the short version: Lazarus Brewing Co. was started by a pastor. He and his family had a garden and planted two hops plants. The hops took over. In the spirit of resourcefulness they decided not to let the hops go to waste and they started brewing. They were already roasting their own coffee, so why not? Today they have an impressive brewery and cafe where you bring your friends or your laptop, grab a coffee or a beer, have some tacos, and spend the afternoon. I personally got a kick out of all the Bible story references throughout the menu.
I’m no expert when it comes to beer, but I don't think I had a bad one at any of the breweries I visited on this trip. I think that sometimes it boils down to what kind of atmosphere you’re looking for and hopefully this guide helps you narrow it down. Comment below or on my Instagram and let me know if you got to try any of these out or have any brewery recommendations for my next trip!