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Luckily for Austinites, great breweries don't fall short on the horizon of town. From floral and citrus-like characteristics to a hop-forward beer with a malty flavor, Austin breweries have you covered with beers for everyone.
With the hot Texas weather approaching, even if you're not a beer fan, there's nothing quite like enjoying a cold drink at a local brewery.
Here are 15 breweries to visit in Austin.
St. Elmo Brewing Company, 440 E. St. Elmo Road
Since 2016, St. Elmo Brewing Company has provided South Austin with lots of laughs and great beers. The brewery has a great list of rotating beers on tap and an even better beer garden where everyone can have a good time. Founded by Tim Bullock and Bryan Winslow, the brewery has beers for all beer lovers, whether you're picky or adventurous. We recommend you try Gary, St. Elmo's IPA and enjoy some fantastic Asian-inspired food at the food truck on site.
Jester King, 1387 Fitzhugh Road
Sour beer lovers will be happy to know there is a local farmhouse brewery where beer is good and relaxation is achievable. One of the most known Austin breweries, Jester King Brewery provides all undercover beer snobs with wild ales and "spontaneously fermented beers" showcasing the passion and inspiration from the Texas Hill Country. The farmhouse brewery uses water from its well, locally grown grains and native wild yeast to give Austinites what they deserve to have on a great day: great beer.
Southern Heights Brewing Company, 6014 Techni Center Dr. suite 2-101
If you're in need of a place where you'll meet great local people and drink great local beer, Southern Heights Brewing Company is the place to visit. When described as a hole in the wall, there is no exaggeration. The east Austin hidden gem is located inside an office building and could easily be overlooked. Yet, with so many friendly smiles and a selection of great beers and exceptional IPA's, the rustic Southern Heights is one of those places you can enjoy on a rainy, sunny or cloudy day.
Oddwood Ales, 3108 Manor Road
An urban patio, hip interior and good beer and food is something we all know we need as the days get warmer. Oddwood Ales Brewing, with a unique amount of flavor profiles and options, has you covered for those days you just want to have a good day. The brewpub focuses on American-style wild ales and hoppy pale ales, so make sure to add those to your "must try" list before anything else. Besides good beer, you can also find a food menu with delicious strombolis and pizzas.
Hold Out Brewing, 1208 W. 4th St.
If you consider yourself too much of a foodie, we have a perfect brewery for you. Hold Out Brewing, a new hot spot located West of downtown and next to Better Half coffee, has all burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs and beers you can only dream about. Whether you're trying to cool off on a hot day or enjoy a meal with a refreshing cold drink, Hold Out brewing has light and elegant beers to make your day just a little bit better.
Pinthouse Brewing, 2201 E. Ben White Blvd.
Pinthouse Brewing and Pizza is a must hit for anyone looking for a crazy good time, delicious pizzas and a great hoppy IPA. The beloved Austin brewpub has evolved the vibrant community with a passion for craft beer and good food. After all, isn't that the best part of enjoying a cold beer? Pinthouse Pizza also focuses on locally and organically sourced products for their hops and food supplies.
Austin Beerworks, 3001 Industrial Terrace
You might be familiar with Austin Beerworks from their colorful beer cans, but if you haven't visited the brewery yet, it's time to change that. The Austin staple has a great range of craft beer and a regularly rotating tap list. As the weather warms up, you might be looking for a beer with clarity and intention, and Austin Beerworks has just that. The brewery focuses on a creative take on beloved classics and is inspired by seasons, so if you're feeling the spring and summer spirit, they have the right beer for you.
Celis Brewery, 10001 Metric Blvd.
An Austin classic, Celis Brewery is the first Texas craft brewery to open its doors in 1992. Created by the Father of Wit Beer Pierre Celis, Celis Brewery has provided Austinites with a range of citrusy, aromatic and sharp flavors for all beer drinkers. Whether you're craving a sour or a beer to drink away the hot summer days ahead, Celis has you covered.
Circle Brewing Company, 2340 W. Braker Lane b
As the oldest microbrewery in North Austin, Circle Brewing Company is top of the list of Austin classics worth visiting. With a great selection of creative beers and a guaranteed great time, it's hard to stay away. The brewery was founded by beer lovers Ben Sabel and Judson Mulherin after spending years and years attempting to brew beer and learning how passionate one could be about it. The brewery focuses on merging Reinheitsgebot, a German purity law from 1516 limiting the ingredients in beer in Germany and "Texas ingenuity." Water, malt, hops and yeast make Circle Brewing Company possible.
Live Oak Brewing Company, 1615 Crozier Lane
Live Oak Brewing Company is one of the top spots in Austin to feel like you've transported yourself to olden times—flavorwise. The German-focused brewery has been a staple in the Austin beer game since 1997, providing Austinites with authentically unique and rich flavors. By using an old-world style of brewing mainly practiced in central Europe, the brewery has a unique experience waiting for everyone looking to visit their taproom and biergarten. If you're looking for something unique, try their variety of smoked beers, also called Rauchbier.
(512) Brewing Company, 407 Radam Lane
The Austin classic speaks levels of its authenticity and love for the city by its name. (512) Brewing Company works on providing consciously crafted beer to Austinites by conserving water, reusing kegs, using organic base malt and so much more. Besides, the beer is pretty tasty. The microbrewery offers great options, but if you're looking for something to knock you out of the park, try their Pecan Porter and you won't be disappointed.
Zilker Brewing Company, 1701 E. 6th St.
In the heart of East Austin you'll find a land where beer is cold and good energy can be found. Zilker Brewing Company, influenced by world travel and experimentation, offers Austinites with a large list of pungent, elegant and bright beers for a perfect day. Whether you're a fan of a classic IPA and stouts or fruited beer, this brewpub has you covered with amazing flavor profiles and seasonal beers to match every time of year. Plus, you can find one of the many great chicken sandwiches in town here.
Hi Sign Brewery, 1201 Old Bastrop Hwy.
Hi Sign Brewery provides Austinites with a space where nature meets community. The somewhat new-to-Austin brewery has an understanding of IPA flavor profiles worth every last sip, and with a beautiful beer garden surrounded by trees and wooden tables, there's nothing quite as aromatic and relaxing as enjoying a cold one on a sunny Austin day.
The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co.
If you're a fan of lagers, look no further than The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co., also known as ABGB. ABGB won the brewpub of the year award from the Great American Beer Festival in 2016, so you know it's good stuff. ABGB has you covered with flavor crazy beers, delicious food and a great time. We recommend you try their pilsner "Industry" and the killer muffuletta sandwich for a guaranteed happy stomach.
Lazarus Brewing Co., 1902 E. 6th St.
Coffee, beer and tacos should be on everyone's favorite list of things, and there is no doubt that Lazarus Brewing Co. has all the categories covered for you to have a great time. With an urban patio, great interior and a selection of beers that will truly make you question your regular order of beer, this neighborhood brewpub in East Austin is worth the visit and more. Feeling tired? They have great coffee. Feeling hungry? They have all the breakfast tacos you'll need. Feeling adventurous? They have fun beers worth trying.
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(Paxton Smith/Instagram)
Paxton Smith’s 2021 valedictory speech at Lake Highlands High School in Dallas wasn’t the same speech she had previously shared with school administrators. She dropped the approved speech and made a case for women’s reproductive rights after lawmakers passed the Texas "Heartbeat Bill.”
Her advocacy made news on NPR, YouTubeTV and in The Guardian. Just over a year later, the “war on (women’s) rights” she forewarned has come to a head as the U.S. Supreme Court voted Friday morning to overturn Roe v. Wade, ending constitutional protection for abortion access.
“It is up to the people to show up and show the courts and the politicians that we won’t sit back and let this happen,” Smith told Austonia Friday morning. “We will show up, we will fight back. Before, we were scared of them, now they should be scared of us.”
Now a University of Texas sophomore and abortion rights activist, 19-year-old Smith said she wanted to give the same speech in the “the most public way possible” to reach “as many people as possible who don't agree that I deserve this right.”
However, she says the response was “actually overwhelmingly positive” and supportive of her cause. According to a recent UT poll, 78% of Texas voters support abortion access in most cases.
The speech opened up further opportunities for activism: she advocated for reproductive rights at the International Forum on Human Rights in Geneva, interviewed with Variety magazine and spoke to tens of thousands at Austin’s Bans Off Our Bodies protest at the Texas Capitol in May.
Smith also serves on the board of directors for the Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project, a national nonprofit organization that helps fund abortions or medication abortion—like Plan C pills—in all 50 states. Most recently, Smith has been attending protests in Washington, D.C. leading up to the ruling.
“This is land of the free. This is where you get to choose how you live your life,” Smith said. “Overturning Roe v. Wade violates everything that we have come to believe about what it means to live in this country. I think a lot of people aren't willing to accept that this is a human right that is most likely just going to be gone for over half of the country within the next couple of weeks.”
Bracing for the next steps, Smith gave some tips for supporters:
- Find a protest to attend.
- “I would say invite somebody to go to those protests with you, invite a couple of friends, invite people into the movement,” Smith said.
- Talk about the issue on social media—use the platform you have.
- “Have these kinds of conversations where people can just talk about their fears and then find ways to go and advocate for yourself,” Smith said.
- Volunteer at a nonprofit near you.
“I feel like a lot of the reason things have gotten as bad as they have within the abortion rights world is that people are not making a scene, not protesting, not putting the effort into ensuring that the government doesn't take away this right,” Smith said. “I want to emphasize that if you're not doing anything, don't expect the best scenario, expect the worst because that's the direction that we're going in.”
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(Council Member Chito Vela/Twitter)
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that guaranteed a constitutional right to an abortion, Friday morning. Moments later, Austin City Council set a special meeting for next month to pass a resolution aimed at decriminalizing abortion.
The GRACE Act, which stands for guarding the right to abortion care for everyone, is a twofold plan submitted by council member Jose “Chito” Vela. It recommends that city funds shouldn’t be used to surveil, catalog, report or investigate abortions. It also recommends that police make investigating abortion their lowest priority.
Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, who co-sponsored the resolution along with council members Paige Ellis, Kathie Tovo and Mayor Steve Adler, said the importance of the GRACE Act cannot be overstated.
“By introducing this resolution during a special session, City Council is doubling down on fighting back for reproductive health,” Fuentes said. “Items like the GRACE Act will promote essential healthcare while enabling individuals to exercise their bodily freedom.”
The act takes an approach similar to when former council member Greg Casar moved to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana. Ultimately, state law doesn't allow city officials to order police chiefs to adopt specific enforcement policies so the resolution would be a request to Police Chief Joe Chacon. In May, Politico reported that Vela is having "ongoing conversations" with Chacon about the proposal.
Austonia contacted Attorney General Ken Paxton for comment on the GRACE Act but did not hear back by time of publication. On Friday, Paxton celebrated the overturning of Roe and announced an annual office holiday on June 24 in recognition of the high court's decision.
In a press release, Vela said the Texas state government has a history of overturning municipal protections of human rights. Thirty days after the Supreme Court’s ruling, Texas will ban all abortions, with exceptions only to save the life of a pregnant patient or prevent “substantial impairment of major bodily function.”
Still, Vela expressed hope for the GRACE Act’s longevity. Council’s special meeting on it is set for the week of July 18.
“We know this resolution is legally sound, and Austin is not alone in this fight,” Vela said. “We are working with several other cities who are equally horrified by the prospect of an abortion ban and want to do everything they can to protect their residents.”
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