Austin Brewery choices and Beer for trip

I will be making a short trip to the Austin Area on Friday October 24th and leaving Sunday. Any suggestions on places to visit or beer to pick up while I'm there? I'm really wanting to go to Jester King Saturday or Sunday. I am somewhat familiar with the area. I'm from Houston but currently living in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Check into Live Oak. Just a few minutes from downtown, and one of the best hefes you'll ever have.


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Good choice on Jester King, that place is awesome. I've been meaning to go back.

There are many good breweries to choose from in Austin in terms of quality beer, but I've not actually been to any Austin breweries besides JK, so I can't really speak to whether or not they are worth visiting.

Live Oak, Austin Beer Works, 512 Brewing, Thirsty Planet, Independence Brewing Co....

2ND for Jester King. Just read an article in BYO mag about their wild harvested yeast.

3rd for Jester King. The owners are a few guys that like to brew and drink beer. Their philosophy is ,if there is some left over to sell and you like it great, if not more for them.

Next to Jester King is a pretty good pizza place to try.

I've been traveling weekly back and forth to Austin for work for the past year and a half. I head out to Jester King every chance I get (only a few times since I'm not usually here on weekends), so I'd consider that a must do. Hoping to get out there again this weekend though.

I can also recommend the following, in terms of breweries/brewpubs to visit:
- Hops and Grain - far end of E 6th St. Their standard beers are good and they usually have a couple interesting taproom-only choices on. They've got picnic tables inside, board games etc, it's a fun vibe.
- Whip In - South Austin. Great tap selection (local and regional), plus a few of their own + indian food. Usually have something on cask too.
- Austin Beer Garden Brewery (ABGB) - South Austin. Newer brewery/beer garden. Beers are pretty good, great place to see live music (the stage backs onto the bright tanks). Check their website for show schedule.
- Pinthouse Pizza - North Austin. Brewpub w/ good pizza.

Plenty of other places, but those are the first that come to mind, and the ones I've visited most often.

Bottle Shops:
- Whichcraft - S. Lamar - New shop w/ only craft beer. Good selection, lots of singles available too.
- Whole Foods Downtown
- Quickie Pickie
- Sunrise Minimart & E 1st Grocery

Thanks guys. I am pretty excited to try out Jester King. I have heard a ton of cool things about it. One of them replied back on my attempt to clone El Cedro within 5 minutes of me sending the email and helped me brew the closest possible clone I could. The guys there seem awesome. They even helped me source out the really hard to find Spanish Cedar Spirals to age it on. I see on there website the tap room is open on sunday. So I will probably save JK for sunday and try a couple other places out friday and saturday.

Do I ever!

Breweries
- Jester King, as previously mentioned. It's a little outside of town, but worth the trip. Thirsty Planet is basically on the way, so make sure you have a designated driver! Also, the Farmhouse Pizza adjoining Jester King has a pretty good tap selection.
- 512 Brewing. No tap room (I don't think) but brewery tours on Saturdays. Their IPA is my go-to in any beery situation.
- Austin Beerworks. Another great brewery and they have weekend taproom hours.

I'm not as big of a fan of Hops and Grains or Independence (though the former is basically across the hall from my daughter's trapeze school). They both have some good beers for my tastes, don't get me wrong, but if it were me and time was limited I might skip them.

Pubs and Brewpubs
- ABGB. Good (and improving) beers and decent pizza (feel free to discount my former-New-Yorker pizza snobbery )
- Dog & Duck. Nice british-style pub with 40 taps. One of my regulars. Also good fish and chips and (incongruously) good queso.
- Whip In. Good tap list and bottle shop. They have their own brews, but last I checked they weren't anything special.
- Would be remiss not to mention The Draughthouse. Probably the biggest tap selection in town and apparently they're having some kind of anniversary event on Sat Oct 25.

Best Kept Secret Bottle Shop
- Sunrise Super Stop at 45th St and Duval. This unassuming little gas station with all the flags out front contains an absolutely vast selection of beers from all over the world.

Twisted X Brewing and The Salt Lick Barbeque, both in Dripping Springs. Stop at Twisted X's taproom first because The Salt Lick is BYOB.

Collmorgen said:

Twisted X Brewing and The Salt Lick Barbeque, both in Dripping Springs. Stop at Twisted X's taproom first because The Salt Lick is BYOB.

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Salt Lick is actually in Driftwood. I should know. I was married there.

If you are downtown, take a walk to Rainey street and check out Craft Pride. It's in an old house in an old neighborhood just recently being converted to condos and bars.

They broke out a cask or two when I was there after the Tx Craft Brew Festival.

Slow_Day said:

If you are downtown, take a walk to Rainey street and check out Craft Pride. It's in an old house in an old neighborhood just recently being converted to condos and bars.

They broke out a cask or two when I was there after the Tx Craft Brew Festival.

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Yesss. All TX craft beers, 50+ taps.

Bangers sausage and ale house next door too. Even more taps, not just TX.

Your right.
Great BBQ