26. February 2010 by Brother Spargealot.

Working under the radar Thirsty Planet Brewing Company www.thirstyplanetbrewin.net is set to begin brewing and possibly selling beer in six weeks. BeertownAustin.com posted pictures of a new sparkling 30 bbl brewhouse and a finished out space near Oakhill where the brewer/owner Brian Smittle (formerly of Hubcap brewpub in Vail and part owner of Coaches in Oklahoma) will inititally produce three beers, an amber, IPA and wheat.  The location is near that of the next likely startup, Jester King www.jesterkingbrewery.com which is also expected to startup this year with an initial line of of four beers (one of which might be the winner of a proposed homebrew competition).  Seems like everyone wants to startup a brewery these days. in addition to the aforementioned also keep your eye on South austin brewing Company http://southaustinbrewing.wordpress.com reportedly under the leadership of former Balcones brewer Jordan Weeks which many also expect to startup this year along with Circle Brewing www.circlebrewing.com.  At some point I will have to put together a list of prospective Texas breweries and organize them according to progress. In other news the Flix Brewhouse cinema www.flixbrewhouse.com is reportedly getting closer to opening in Round Rock this summer with the hiring of a general manager.

Posted in Central Texas Beer Happenings | No Comments »

22. February 2010 by Brother Spargealot.

Hopefully I can get around to posting a comprehensive list of great beer bars and brewpubs in the New York City area, there are so many (from Blind Tiger and Rattle and Hum in Manhattan to Mugs in Brooklyn). It maybe be expensive but if you stay in Queens or Jersey and don’t eat at Tavern on the Green everyday it is actually not that bad at all. And if you have been or looked though any beer lists you will find both regional selections as well as imports from Europe that never make it beyond the boroughs. The latter is especially true of English casks if you are a fan. Anyway, my reason for this post is to link to a new story about Dogfish, Russian River, Baladan and del Borgo hooking up to open what sounds like a one of a kind brewpub in Manhattan - http://beernews.org/2010/02/sam-calagione-and-vinnie-cilurzo-to-open-nyc-brewpub-with-italian-brewers/. Stay tuned.

Posted in Beery Happenings Beyond | No Comments »

20. February 2010 by Brother Spargealot.

Wimberley Brewing Company opened again as Brewsters Pizza (http://www.brewsterspizza.com/) only a few doors down from their old location on February 2nd. As of last Friday February 19th owner Bruce Collie confirmed they had two beers on tap, a brown ale and a hoppy red ale, and are augmenting their tap line up with other craft beers including Stone IPA, although in the future he plans to have six of his own beers on tap at all times.

Posted in Central Texas Beer Happenings | No Comments »

2. February 2010 by Brother Spargealot.

Uncle Billy’s brewpub in Austin is ready for a long awaited celebration this Friday, it’s getting parking back! For quite some time patrons have had to park several blocks away and either walk or take a shuttle to the brewpub, but on Friday a new parking garage behind the location will open and for the occasion brewer Brian Peters will release Parking Lot Pilsner to commemorate the historic event.

Posted in Central Texas Beer Happenings | No Comments »

2. February 2010 by Brother Spargealot.

Dave and Brian have been busy, not just selling beer but also scheduling a bunch of events taking place this Spring at the Brewery.  First the up is the second annual Pro-Am competition with entries of four beers due by April 17th. Check the website for guidelines as there are some parameters (must be ready in two months, above 5% ABV etc). I will post a judging date once one is established as they will need people to help, especially those BJCP certified. Next up on March 27th from 4 to 8pm is their Anniversary party. Total attendees will be limited so you must book in advance ($10 or $15 at the door if they don’t sell out). Lastly they will roll out the red carpet for homebrewers again on May 1st as they invite up to 100 people to help Dave brew a batch on the 15 bbl system and then take home 5 gallons of wort at the end of the day. Brian will be making a small 5 gallon batch on a homebrew system at the same time. There is no charge but only 100 homebrewers will be allowed to sign up and as of today (February 1st) over 25 already had, so if you intend to go send them a note soon. Information on all of these events can be found at www.southernstarbrewery.com.

Posted in Houston Beer Happenings | No Comments »