Top 5: Breweries in Austin, Texas

Great things are brewing along Texas’ beer trail, especially in the state’s capital of Austin, where brew enthusiasts will find a plethora of breweries creating refreshing concoctions that perfectly complement the barbecue and 100-degree days the city is known so well for.

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Hops & Grain

Hop-forward beer is the focus at Hops & Grain, located downtown at the eastern end of Sixth Street. Hop heads flock to the friendly taproom seven days a week to get their fill of the brewery’s latest can release of its renowned Greenhouse IPA series; each month it changes the hop varieties used in order to give drinks a different aroma and flavor experience. In addition to beers, Hops & Grain offers coffee and kombucha on tap as well as a bunch of board games and brew biscuits made from leftover grains for dogs to enjoy on the patio.

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Austin Beerworks

The brewers at Austin Beerworks brew what they like to drink, and a lot of beer enthusiasts like what this microbrewery in North Austin creates, especially its “Core Four” consisting of its Fire Eagle American IPA, Black Thunder German-style Schwarz, Peacemaker Anytime Ale and Pearl-Snap German-Style Pils. The brewery was put on the Texas beer map when it sold out of their 99-packs of Peacemaker Anytime Ale the same day they were released in 2014. Share Austin Beerworks’ passion for a strong core as well as seasonal creations and exclusive beers on a visit to the friendly taproom, open at select times Thursday–Sunday.

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Jester King Brewery

Nestled on a 200-acre ranch in breathtaking Texas Hill Country, Jester King Brewery is an authentic farmhouse brewery set a 30-minute drive from downtown Austin that boasts postcard-perfect views and delicious brews. Jester King is unique in that it harvests naturally occurring wild yeast from the flora at the brewery to blend and ferment its beer. The results from the process are wild ales and spontaneously fermented beers with both a sense of place reflecting the character of the location and delicious taste.

The brewery recently purchased an additional 58 acres of land to plant and harvest grains, herbs and vegetables for brewing this spring and to start both a vineyard and orchard. Take a tour to learn more and visit the tasting room for an on-site beer Friday–Sunday. Pair a beer with handcrafted, artisan pizza from neighboring Stanley’s Farmhouse Pizza, set on the same ranch.

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Live Oak Brewery

The city’s oldest craft brewery has been producing well-liked lagers and ales since 1997. Live Oak is committed to crafting old-world style beers that are rarely commercially available, like a hefeweizen modeled after the classic wheat beers of Bavaria, a pilsner styled after the Bohemian classic and an amber lager inspired by the clean, dry lagers of Vienna. The brewery is in the middle of constructing a new space on a patch of prime Texas landscape along the Colorado River minutes from downtown Austin. Here, visitors will find the same great beers Live Oak has always offered, as well as seasonal and exclusive beers and a new taproom and beer garden.

Blue Owl Brewing

Blue Owl is a relatively new to the Austin craft beer scene, but boasts an impressive lineup of brews. The urban brewery is the first in the United States to exclusively make, distribute and sell sour-mash beers, featuring delicious concoctions with unique names like Spirit Animal, a sour pale ale; Little Boss, a sour session wheat; Professor Black, a sour cherry stout; and Van Dayum!, a sour red ale. A visit to the brewery promises not to sour anyone’s mood, as tours guide guests through the sour-mash process and Blue Owl’s different beer styles and the tasting room provides thirsty visitors the chance to enjoy the tart versions of beer styles we all know and love.