Over time, Austin, Texas, has become famous for a lot more than its beautiful lakes and southern hospitality. These days, Austin’s bustling nightlife, art and music scene, restaurants, and growing beer-making industry have become major attractions. Austin breweries are now pulling in the crowds, and for good reason!
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Does Austin Have Many Breweries?
In 2018, a survey made for the Brewers Association database revealed a total of 37 breweries in Austin, the highest over any other single area of Texas. Today, there are over 58 active Austin breweries, a noticeable increase. This has been part of the greater beer industry trends that have been sweeping across the US, and also globally, in the past decades.
Such a large and growing concentration of breweries in a single area though, makes Austin not only the state capital but also the veritable beer capital of Texas. Therefore a great place for beer-lovers to visit.
What Are The 5 Best Breweries In Austin?
Lazarus Brewing Co.
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A cosy brewery famous for its delectable house beers, Lazarus Brewing Company is considered one of the best breweries in Austin and offers a great variety of food and drinks for its customers to enjoy. Their stylish restaurant and taproom has a warm and welcoming atmosphere where visitors can relax and enjoy their fine selections. It also features a large outdoor patio and also plenty of free parking spaces.
Address: 1902 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702
Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30am-11pm; Saturday 9am-11pm; Sunday 9am-10pm
Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co.
This popular warehouse-like beer garden, with its delicious house microbrews and excellent pub menu, is a regular hotspot for beer-lovers in Austin. It has plenty of open space, tables and seating, a wide selection of first-rate beers, and a great food menu featuring a speciality in pizza & sandwiches. They offer free WiFi, and live music events, and to top it off, dogs are also allowed. It’s no wonder they won the Great American Beer Festival Brewpub Of The Year awards for three years in a row.
Address: 1305 W Oltorf St, Austin, TX 78704
Hours: Tue-Fri 11:30am-11pm; Saturday 12pm-12am; Sunday 12-10pm; Closed on Mondays
Austin Beerworks
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This vibrant and successful brewery has become famous for crafting quality IPAs & ales, and for offering regular tours & tastings of their acclaimed selections. They also have a popular restaurant and taproom with loads of indoor and outdoor seating, a great food menu, and excellent service. Their taproom serves a rotating line-up of some of the best beers on tap, and they also feature a merch shop on-site, as well as a handy Beer-To-Go service.
Address: 3001 Industrial Terrace, Austin, TX 78758
Hours: Mon-Sat 11am-10pm; Sunday 11am-8pm
The Brewtorium
The Brewtorium’s smart and stylish brewery, restaurant, and beer garden offer a range of quality German-style beers, plus a menu of excellent pizza, German-inspired snacks, and other delicious pub fare. The beer hall and outdoor area are spacious and warmly lit, providing a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Events held at the Brewtorium include regular tours and tastings, night markets, and also charity events.
Address: 6015 Dillard Cir A, Austin, TX 78752
Hours: Tue-Thu 4pm-10pm; Fri-Sat 12-11pm; Sunday 12-9pm; Closed on Monday
Oasis Texas Brewing Co.
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One of the most popular breweries in Austin, Oasis Texas Brewing Company is famous for its beautiful view, live music and entertainment, spacious beer hall and taproom, and excellent food. It’s decorated with a rustic appeal, with wood-panelled tables and bar, ceiling and walls, and offers a variety of amazing award-winning craft beers. The stellar restaurant is also highly-rated and worth visiting just for the food.
Address: 6650 Comanche Trail Suite #301, Austin, TX 78732
Hours: Wed-Thu 12-9pm; Fri-Sun 12-10pm; Closed on Mon & Tue
Does Austin Have Good Beer?
The Austin breweries are regularly rated among the top breweries in Texas. Austin Beerworks, for example, has received great esteem and recognition for their award-winning Amber Vision, a lean, classic amber ale, and for Fire Eagle, their popular IPA. Other popular and highly-rated Austin beers include:
- Special Brewski, Pailhead Pale Ale, Thirsty Goat Amber, and other beers made by Thirsty Planet Brewing Company.
- The Pecan Porter, made by (512) Brewing Co.
- Rocket 100, made by Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co.
- Sputnik, made by Austin Beerworks.
What Are The Major Beer Festivals Or Events In Austin?
The Texas Craft Brewers Festival, hosted and organized by the Texas Craft Brewers Guild, is the biggest beer festival in Texas and is held annually in East Austin. The festival showcases the amazing quality and variety of craft beers in Texas and the talent of their brewers.
Austin breweries and their beers are frequent winners at the festival. In the past, the festival has attracted huge crowds of beer-lovers each year, and after a necessary closure during the Covid epidemic, they have re-open for October 2022. Though the crowds may be fewer this year, the brewers are certain to have used their time to create some exciting new beers for the judges and attendees to sample.
Another famous annual event is the CultureMap Tastemaker Awards, a prestigious celebration of Austin’s top restaurants, bars, and brewpubs, rated according to their peers. This year’s beer tasting event and awards ceremony will be held in April at Fair Market.
Which Brewery In Austin Has The Best Food?
While all of the breweries in the above list were selected for their great beers, as well as their food and dining service, there are many other Austin breweries that are also particularly highly rated for their great beer and food. These include:
- Black-Star Co-op
- The Beer Plant
- Zilker Brewing Company & Taproom
- Draught House Pub & Brewery
A Brew Lovers Pardise
The Austin breweries and brewpubs are bountiful, with plenty of superb beers, great food, and fun and exciting events and entertainment to keep the avid beer enthusiast busy for quite some time. So if you’re in the area, make sure to set some time aside to tour some of the best Austin breweries. Chances are you won’t be disappointed.
Jake has been a craft beer and homebrew enthusiast since his college days. He loves scouring Europe for unique and unusual hops to add to his beers.
Founder of Jake’s Brew Haven – he currently hosts beer-tasting sessions at select local pubs in Baltimore.