Craft Beer stores in San Antonio - sources????

I've been somewhat disappointed by the selection of craft brew in San Antonio, but maybe I'm just not looking in the right place. Does anyone have any recommendations for stores with the best selection of craft brew? These are the ones I know about:

Doc's Liquor on Bandera - small but decent selection

Gabriel's off Blanco and 1604, by the furniture outlets - large selection, even has some homebrew gear. Problem is, it's 45 minutes - an hour away.


On a side note - are there any LHBS options that are any good? Home Brew Party on Bandera doesn't seem to keep much in stock, neither does the one on the North Side.

Don't y'all have Whole Foods and Central Market in San Antonio? They carry a decent amount of craft beer, or at least they do in the Austin area stores. You also have a couple breweries there like Freetail and Blue Star.

Specs has a good selection and there are 3 in town. 281 and 1604 close to the heb, 35 and 1604, 10 and dezavala. As far as home brew party I have never had an issue with finding what I need what are you looking for. Talk to Adam at the Nacogdoches store he should be able to order any Thing you need.

turvis said:

Specs has a good selection and there are 3 in town. 281 and 1604 close to the heb, 35 and 1604, 10 and dezavala. As far as home brew party I have never had an issue with finding what I need what are you looking for. Talk to Adam at the Nacogdoches store he should be able to order any Thing you need.

Click to expand...

Yea the main problem I had with both locations is them having on-hand supplies. The one at Nacodoches didn't have any Pale 2 row or Centennial hops, and the other location didn't have magnetic stir sticks, etc... in fact, they didn't know what a magnetic stir stick was... nor what an erlenmeyer flask was... nor much of anything, for that matter...

Do you (or anyone) know of any good beer stores/supply stores anywhere west/south of I-10?

Did you talk to the girl at the bandera location if you did sorry she is dumb doesn't brew and is a friend of the owners that is why she has a job there. As far as supplies home brew party and gaberials is about it. As far as craft beer heb at bandera and 1604 has an OK selection and my heb at potranco and 1604 has a decent selection but not as much as the band era store. You could try Alon market off of wurzbach or huebner can't remember which road. What part of town are you at that might help.

Yes, that was the one. I figured she didn't brew, which made me even more confused, because she has a cocky attitude like she runs the joint.

I have checked out the Bandera HEB, I'll have to look for Alon market, too.

I'm located 10-15 minutes outside 1604/Culebra, so it's usually for a good reason that I make a trip anywhere but that immediate area.


I remember there being a little yellow brick gas station in the San Marcos/Austin area that stocked an awesome variety of craft beer... if only we had a place like that.

She is horrible I hate shopping with her. There is a guy that works there that seems alright. I my self live off potranco and 1604 so being on your side of town I know the pains of limited selection. Try the heb off of potranco and 1604 it is passable as far as selection and closer to culebra but bandera does have a better selection.

For Craft Beer, check out Big Hops Growler Station when they open at the end of the week near Broadway and 410, right inside the loop. In addition to carrying a large selection of craft beer, they will also have a 25 tap wall for growler fills or to buy a pint to shop around with. They want to focus on beer you can't get at the grocery store and their tap wall will carry a lot of Texas taps.

If you see Rob or Kylie out there (the owners) tell them Rob from Busted Sandal Brewing sent ya!

Notorious_HOP said:

For Craft Beer, check out Big Hops Growler Station when they open at the end of the week near Broadway and 410, right inside the loop. In addition to carrying a large selection of craft beer, they will also have a 25 tap wall for growler fills or to buy a pint to shop around with. They want to focus on beer you can't get at the grocery store and their tap wall will carry a lot of Texas taps.

If you see Rob or Kylie out there (the owners) tell them Rob from Busted Sandal Brewing sent ya!

Click to expand...

It looks like they have postponed their opening, otherwise I would probably be down there right now!

For your location, you are stuck with the Specs off of 10 and De Zevala, Central Market, HEB Alon on Wurzbach and Northwest Military, or Gabriels and the HEB off of Blanco and 1604.

Since they reopened the Bandera store to an HEB plus, they haven't made that beer selection any larger? The old store wasn't terrible.

Can't wait for the growler station to open up. Sounds like a cool setup.

Big Hops opened this weekend. All Texas brews on draft.

Notorious_HOP said:

For Craft Beer, check out Big Hops Growler Station when they open at the end of the week near Broadway and 410, right inside the loop. In addition to carrying a large selection of craft beer, they will also have a 25 tap wall for growler fills or to buy a pint to shop around with. They want to focus on beer you can't get at the grocery store and their tap wall will carry a lot of Texas taps.

If you see Rob or Kylie out there (the owners) tell them Rob from Busted Sandal Brewing sent ya!

Click to expand...

Rob - I visited on Sunday afternoon, thanks for the tip! I met the owners, really cool people. Can't wait to go back again!