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I S SU E 7
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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08
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LETTER from the EDITOR
THE STATE of SAN ANTONIO BEER
BRUNCH VILLAGE
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CACTUS LAND BREWING CO.
DIRECTORY of BREWERIES
Harrison Civick Founder/Creative Director
CON TR IBU TOR S
JoMando Cruz Editor in Chief/Photographer
Collette Orquiz Jennifer Alejos
Alexandria Rutledge Designer
Scott Metzger
CON TAC T US S A B E E R M AG
S A B E E R M AG I N F O @ S A B E E R M AG . C OM
S A B E E R M AG
Visit us at the Alam mo Beer Hall & Garden
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202 LAMAR | SAN ANTONIO, TX 78202 OPEN TO THE PUBLIC THURSDAY - SUNDAY | ALAMOBEER.COM
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I S SU E 7
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR “Work and play are words used to describe the same thing under differing conditions.” —Mark Twain It’s never been a rule, but every time I meet with Harrison (our Creative Director) to plan our next issue, event, interview, or photo shoot, it’s not surprisingly over craft beer (mostly) and food (usually). The most relevant question next to when and where is “are you hungry?” (Answer: “I could eat,” or “no, but I will be.”) We probably shouldn’t bother asking ourselves these questions anymore, but at least we can say they’ve been incredibly conducive to planning the direction of the SA Beer Magazine. This pattern has led us to highlight some of our favorite San Antonio brunch spots in this issue, as well as Cactus Land Brewing Co., a spot we’ve been wanting to highlight since their impressive opening at the beginning of this year. Finally, I want to wish Freetail Brewing Co. sincere congratulations for their prestigious recognition at the Great American Beer Festival only days ago. Shortly before sending this issue to print, we learned that their 2014 La Muerta earned a gold medal in the Aged Beer category. It poetically confirmed what Freetail Brewing Co. Founder Scott Metzger eloquently illustrates in his article for Issue 7—San Antonio and its surrounding area is currently experiencing its best beer climate ever (as if the very existence of this magazine didn’t already, I must humbly add). While it’s unfortunate that we can’t feature everything we want to every time, we’re incredibly fortunate to have this problem. It only means that we have plenty of fodder for future issues and beyond. Let’s keep growing together. ¡Salud! JoMando Cruz, Editor in Chief/Photographer SA Beer Magazine
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T H E S TAT E of SA N A N T ON IO BE E R
THE STATE of SAN ANTONIO BEER By: Scott Metzger Founder, Freetail Brewing Co. Photography by: JoMando Cruz
Sometime in the middle of 2006, while pitching friends and family on the crazy idea to open what would be San Antonio’s second operating brewery, a common sentiment emerged: San Antonio has already demonstrated it can’t support craft breweries, and it won’t support another one now. I don’t think this was the result of a systematic ignorance amongst my friends and family—many of them are very smart people—it was just a reaction to all the data we had on craft beer in San Antonio. This reaction was tame compared to what I heard from strangers and bankers (“You are crazy, this will never work!”). Indeed, the history of beer in San Antonio is a graveyard of mash tuns and fermenters from Frio, Yellow Rose, and The Lab, amongst others. Additionally, two significant regional players (Lone Star and Pearl) left town, leaving only Blue Star Brewing Co. still standing. When we opened the original Freetail location in 2008, it was the first brewery to open in San Antonio in years, and people were skeptical. »
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T H E S TAT E of SA N A N T ON IO BE E R cont.
Fast forward to today, and the publishers of this magazine tell us that San Antonio is home to 10 brewing companies operating 11 breweries with at least another half dozen in various stages of planning, ranging from about-to-open Künstler Brewing Co., to under-construction Big Bend Brewing Co., to equipment-ordered Black Laboratory Brewing, to various others putting together their business plans. Another 17 brewing companies operate in the surrounding areas of Adkins, Boerne, Fredericksburg, New Braunfels, San Marcos, and Seguin. We’ve come a long way since 2008, and the state of San Antonio craft beer is stronger than ever.
THE NUMBERS A quick review of the numbers: Since 2012, the amount of beer produced in San Antonio and the aforementioned surrounding area has grown from 3,567 barrels to 22,322 barrels in 2016, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 58.2% over that period. In that time, of course, we’ve seen the addition of two significantly scaled packaging breweries: Alamo Beer Company (whose contract volumes prior to 2015 are not included in this computation) and the Freetail S. Presa brewery. Consider also the opening of what is likely the largest brewpub by volume in the state, Southerleigh Fine Food and Brewery.
San Antonio Area Brewery Production 22,322
15,965
8,496 3,567
2012
5,281
2013
2014
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2015
2016
T H E S TAT E of SA N A N T ON IO BE E R cont.
Production in San Antonio was heavily weighted toward the largest players. Of the 22 brewery locations included in this data set (for 21 brewing companies—Freetail is the only brewery with multiple locations), the top 6 accounted for 78% of the volume. While the average brewery size in 2016 was just over 1,000 barrels, 15 of the 22 fell below that level of production and the median brewery size was only 315 barrels (translation: half of the breweries in this data set were under 315 barrels).
2016 Growth Rates by Size Bands (x axis in barrels) 63.1% 51.6% 37.7% 28.5% 28.1% 18.7% 9.5% 11.9%
2.7% -5.4%
-1.8%
over 1 million
100,000 – 199,999
15,000 – 49,999
5,000 – 9,999
2,000 – 2,999
0 – 999
None of this is cause for alarm though, as I’ve witnessed two primary trends throughout the state and the US in general: small and local are beautiful. The chart above is the growth rate for all US breweries in 2016, and a clear correlation between size and growth rate is apparent. This makes sense from a practical perspective (it’s easier to grow when you’re small) and it fits the narrative that beer drinkers today continue to seek new options. Local is the other big trend, and San Antonio brands have proven to be growth drivers in off-premise retail, with the chart below demonstrating YTD growth through the end of July for 4 classes of craft/craft-y beer broken down by parent company geography. »
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T H E S TAT E of SA N A N T ON IO BE E R cont.
Top 25 Brands in 07/30/17 IRI San Antonio Market 16.2% 6.7%
-1.3% -7.7% National Big Beer
National Craft
Texas Brands
San Antonio Brands
The National Big Beer category includes crafty offerings such as Shock Top and Blue Moon, but also recently acquired Karbach Brewing Co. and Revolver Brewing. It’s worth noting that without Karbach and Revolver, the National Big Beer category would be down 12.4%. It appears that these have been successful acquisitions for AB InBev and MillerCoors, respectively. These are all encouraging numbers for a city full of new breweries and beer drinkers looking for further development of the local scene. The diversity of offerings in our city is greater than ever, with each brewer offering their own unique representation of what San Antonio should be. Together, San Antonio’s breweries create a beautiful tapestry of flavors and experiences that is continuously being expanded and elaborated upon by our newest breweries, yearning to further push the boundaries of beer, the same as we sought to in 2008. With each new brewery pushing those boundaries, they also push those of us who have been doing it a while to maintain our relevancy. That is a good thing for us all, but especially for beer drinkers.
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T H E S TAT E of SA N A N T ON IO BE E R cont.
QUALITY I need to say a few things about quality. For all the threats that we craft brewers and craft beer drinkers face, paramount among them is beer quality (or lack thereof). Still only a fraction of the overall beer market, craft brewers are often judged by the quality of the overall market as opposed to merely their own. A macro beer drinker delving into craft doesn’t make it past the gateway if their gateway beer is a diacetyl bomb or is laden with acetaldehyde or suffers severe attenuation issues. It is incumbent upon all craft breweries to make a firm commitment to quality. I will not mince my words here: there is bad San Antonio-made beer on shelves here. I also won’t be naive about ourselves here either. There have been times that Freetail has made sub-par beer. But we’ve made our own internal improvements in order to prevent it from happening in the future. Brewers, you may be able to get away with substandard quality in the short run, but eventually this will harm us all. Quality is expensive, and few—if any—of us can afford the required investments. With that said, as there has been growth in the local industry, there has also been growth in the wealth of knowledge available to us. Brewers, don’t hesitate to lean on your peers for help and advice. We can all improve together.
CONCLUSION In spite of these tough words on quality, let me reiterate: the state of San Antonio beer is stronger than ever. I’ve been very impressed by the passion, drive, and creativity of our newest brewers, and I’ve been even more impressed by some of the strides that existing brewers have made as the local scene continues to evolve. And of course, all that evolution is thanks to the support of beer drinkers. We simply couldn’t do it without you. Here’s to an even brighter future ahead.
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BRUNCH VILLAGE By: Jennifer Alejos Photography by: JoMando Cruz
Have you ever seen that episode of Portlandia called Brunch Village? It’s the one where Fred and Carrie are invited to brunch by Agent Cooper (I mean, Mr. Mayor). Well, to cut it short, chaos ensues when multiple characters try to get into the hottest brunch spot in town. Sometimes going to brunch in San Antonio can feel like that. An endless line, the constant glares to the nearest table as the server delivers the most beautiful plate of chicken and waffles...but there’s an upside to brunch: There’s beer! Here are some excellent brunch picks that don’t only pack a punch but also serve knock-out brews. »
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HOP & VINE “We take classics and elevate them,” said Kelly Cavazos, owner of Hop and Vine. Kelly and her husband, Angelo, started Hop and Vine almost a year ago. “We originally started off wanting a craft beer bar, but it kind of evolved into the food aspect.” Kelly has a rich background in culinary training, which you can taste with every savory bite. She usually curates the beers featured on tap while Angelo focuses on the kitchen offerings, but their roles are interchangeable. The brunch menu has a bit of everything—eggs Benedict, chicken and waffles, and a breakfast platter for the Ron Swanson in you. The avocado toast is topped with strawberries. Like Kelly said, modern classics, but taken to the next level. Drawing inspiration from their taps, each dish is made with consideration to the perfect beer or wine pairing. Kelly recommends the chicken and waffles paired with a double IPA. It’s the spicy syrup poured on top that sets it off. As for the shrimp and grits, you really can’t lose. “It has some fried components to it so it’s friendly to a lot of types of beers,” Kelly added. Hop and Vine supports small scale breweries by offering visibility in their menu. Many local favorites have a home on their tap wall. And the brunch menu maintains consistency, but every now and then will offer a new dish. “That’s the beauty of being small, trial and error; it’s like, ‘Let’s try it out and see if it works.’” »
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CULLUM'S ATTAGIRL Attagirl’s Southern-fried chicken wings always bring to mind Mariah Carey’s hit “Honey” (complete with a choir playing in my head). The honey drizzled on their fried chicken will do that. And it's these wings that feature on their chicken and waffles. With a new brunch menu coming soon, expect disco chicken and waffles to sparkle alongside their 12 taps and accompanying can/bottle selection of craft beer (and Pop Rocks® mimosas). »
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THE HOPPY MONK Accompanying The Hoppy Monk's very extensive and ethically curated draught and bottle list is a brunch menu available all damn day on Sundays. The Hoppy Monk's take on the chicken and waffles is served with a side of pork belly, a bacon-infused waffle with umami aioli, and a fried egg topped with an IPA sauce. Breaking from the chicken and waffle tradition, though, we also recommend the grilled avocado and nopal tacos topped with tomatillo salsa, cotija, cabbage slaw, and fried quail eggs.
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CACTUS LAND BREWING CO. By: Collette Orquiz Photography by: JoMando Cruz
C AC T US L A N D BR E W I NG C O. cont.
It’s 2 a.m. and Dustin and Erica Teague’s first attempt at homebrewing is going horribly wrong. What started off as a family activity on Dustin’s birthday ended up boiling over on the stove and the couple calling it quits while wort chilled on ice in their bathtub as they slept. But instead of giving up, the couple continued to brew for the next five years, won several competitions and events, and did so well that opening a brewery became the next natural and realistic step. So Dustin and Erica opened Cactus Land Brewing Co. with a modest premise: “We’re very humble people; we are not people to like brag or anything. That’s just not us. We just love sharing. Beer brings people together,” Erica said. Since January 2017, they have created experimental beers with fruits, spices, herbs, and vegetables while still maintaining their respective full-time jobs. Dustin is a landscape architect and Erica is an office manager at a real estate firm. They brew two weekends out of the month, and any time they have in between you can find them at the brewery. “There’s so much hard work. People don’t understand how hard this is. This is beyond stressful, it’s mentally draining, it’s physically draining, and just to see somebody rave about something is just the best feeling in the world. It a sense of accomplishment,” Erica said. Cactus Land sits on seven acres ripe with cacti (some of which they had to mow down—hence the brewery’s name) that belong to Dustin’s family. It’s a good distance away from the urban center of San Antonio, but well worth the drive. “We want to be a destination brewery, where people can come out and escape the city for a little bit, and really just feel like they’re in the country,” Dustin said. “We felt like we were contributing to bringing this side of San Antonio, showing them what craft beer is... bringing life out here because there’s nothing out here,” Erica added. »
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C AC T US L A N D BR E W I NG C O. cont.
The Teagues apply the farm-to-table concept to beer by using local, organic ingredients and are no strangers to foraging around their property for items like prickly pear (from their cacti) for the La Tuna Wheat or mesquite tree pods for a future beer experiment. “We’re adventurous,” Erica said. “We want to be crazy; we can be. We’re so small, we aren’t brewing batches that are taller than this building...we just have more control. Our favorite thing is seeing public reaction to our creation,” Erica continued. “Seeing someone enjoy something that you created is like the best feeling ever,” Dustin added. Their grand opening had a whopping 800 people in attendance, leading one patron to call the event a “logistical failure,” something they later turned into a name for a beer. There’s practically a story behind every beer name—just ask them about Truth of Darkness or Church Property. “A lot of the names are kind of just something that’s going on with our lives or the brewery.” Emily said. Dustin and Erica have several long-term goals for Cactus Land, including a barrel-aging program, monthly bottle releases, tank expansion, and eventually, a restaurant. But patience is paramount, according to the couple. “We have to be beerforward. The restaurant is going to be nice, but at the end of the day we’re both very patient. Beer is our number one priority,” Erica said. “We just don’t want to grow too fast and kick ourselves in the foot.” Considering their first experiment with homebrewing, it’s amazing and a credit to their persistence and hard work that they can even have these goals. And given their current success, the future for Cactus Land is bright.
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D I R E C T O R Y of B R E W E R I E S
DIRECTORY OF BREWERIES San Antonio and its surrounding area is a prime location for exploring a wide-ranging selection of craft breweries and brewpubs—and that isn’t even counting Austin’s offerings. In our experience, most people don’t take as wide a view of the region as they should. With that in mind, we’ve gathered the pertinent information you require and created a directory of San Antonio’s vibrant and growing brewery and brewpub scene. To be clear, this directory highlights places that brew beer, from production facilities with taprooms to brewpubs with food programs. And we’re making sure to include both San Antonio proper and our friendly neighbors in Adkins, Boerne, New Braunfels, San Marcos, and Seguin. This directory will evolve along with the city’s beer scene. You can always consult the SA Beer Magazine for an updated and comprehensive list of the local craft beer scene because we’ll be sure to print it in every issue. All you need to do is decide which venue to visit next. Cheers! »
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DI R E C T ORY OF BR E W E R I E S cont.
A DK I NS CACTUS LAND BREWING CO. 368 County Road 325, Adkins, TX 78101 1st & 3rd weekend / month | Fri: 3pm–9pm | Sat: 12pm-9pm cactuslandbrewing.com
BOER N E BOERNE BREWERY
THE DODGING DUCK BREWHAUS
9 Hill View Ln., Boerne, TX 78006
402 River Rd., Boerne, TX 78006
Fri Tours: 2pm-5pm (last tour at 4:45pm) Sat Tours: 1pm-4pm (last tour at 3:45pm)
Mon–Th: 11am–9pm | Fri–Sat: 11am–10pm Sun: 11am–9pm
boernebrewery.com
dodgingduck.com
CIBOLO CREEK BREWING CO.
KINEMATIC BREWING CO.
448 S. Main St., Boerne, TX 78006
635 Texas 46, Boerne, TX 78006
Mon: 11am–9pm | Tue: Closed Wed–Th: 11am–9pm | Fri–Sat: 11am–10pm Sun: 12pm–8pm
Fri: 5pm–9pm | Sat: 12pm–9pm kinematicbrewingco.com
cibolocreekbrewing.com
N EW BR AU N FE L S 5 STONES ARTISAN BREWERY
GUADALUPE BREWING CO.
New Location Coming Soon
1580 Wald Rd., Ste. 1, New Braunfels, TX 78132
TBD
Fri: 4pm–9pm | Sat: 2pm–9pm | Sun: 2pm–8pm
5stonesbrew.com
guadalupebrew.com
FAUST BREWING CO.
NEW BRAUNFELS BREWING CO.
499 S. Castell Ave., New Braunfels, TX 78130
180 W. Mill St., Ste. 100, New Braunfels, TX 78130
Thu: 4pm–10pm | Fri: 4pm–11pm Sat: 12pm–11pm | Sun: 1pm–10pm
Th-Fri: 4pm–9pm | Sat-Sun: 1pm–7pm nbbrewing.com
faustbrewing.com
RUGGEDMAN BREWING CO. 7600 S. Old Bastrop Rd., New Braunfels, TX 78130 Thu: 2pm–8pm | Fri: 2pm–10pm Sat: 12pm–10pm | Sun: 12pm–6pm drinkthedamnbeer.com
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DI R E C T ORY OF BR E W E R I E S cont.
SA N A N TON IO ALAMO BEER COMPANY
THE GRANARY ’CUE & BREW
202 Lamar St., San Antonio, TX 78202
602 Ave. A, San Antonio, TX 78215
Th: 3pm–9pm | Fri: 3pm–12am Sat: 12pm–12am | Sun: 12pm–9pm
Sun-Mon: CLOSED | Tu-Th: 11am–10pm Fri-Sat: 11am–11pm
alamobeer.com
thegranarysa.com
BLUE STAR BREWING CO.
KÜNSTLER BREWING CO.
1414 S. Alamo St., San Antonio, TX 78210
302 E. LaChapelle, San Antonio, TX 78204
Mon: 11am–10pm | Tue-Th: 11am–11pm Fri-Sat: 11am–12am | Sun: 11am–9pm
Opening Soon kunstlerbrewing.com
bluestarbrewing.com
MAD PECKER BREWING CO. BUSTED SANDAL BREWING CO.
6025 Tezel Rd., San Antonio, TX 78250
7114 Oaklawn Dr., San Antonio, TX 78229
Mon-Fri: 4pm–12am | Sat-Sun: 12pm–12am
Wed–Fri: 5pm–9pm | Sat: 2pm–9pm
madpeckerbrewing.com
bustedsandalbrewing.com
GHOST PIXEL BEER STUDIO
RANGER CREEK BREWING & DISTILLING CO.
2000 S. Presa St., San Antonio, TX 78210
4834 Whirlwind Dr., San Antonio, TX 78217
Th-Fri: 4pm–9pm | Sat: 12pm–10pm Sun: 12pm–6pm
Fri: 5pm–9pm | Sun: 2pm–9pm drinkrangercreek.com
ghostpixelbeer.com
SOUTHERLEIGH FINE FOOD & BREWERY
FREETAIL BREWING CO.
136 E. Grayson St. #120, San Antonio, TX 78215
Production Facility & Taproom 2000 S. Presa St., San Antonio, TX 78210
Mon–Wed: 11am–11pm | Th–Sat: 11am–12am Sun: 10am–4pm
Th-Fri: 4pm–9pm | Sat: 12pm–10pm Sun: 12pm–6pm
southerleigh.com
Brewpub 4035 N. Loop 1604 W., San Antonio, TX 78257 Mon–Sat: 11am–12pm | Sun: 12pm–12am freetailbrewing.com
HIGHWHEEL BEERWORKS
WEATHERED SOULS BREWING CO. 606 Embassy Oaks, Ste. 500, San Antonio, TX 78216 Mon-Th: 4pm–10pm | Fri: 2pm–11pm Sat: 12pm–11pm | Sun: 12pm–6pm weatheredsouls.beer
1902 S. Flores St., San Antonio, TX 78204 Th: 5pm–10pm | Fri: 5pm–12am Sat: 5pm–1am www.dorcolspirits.com
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SA N M A RCOS AQUABREW BREWERY & BEER GARDEN
ALTMEYER & LEWIS BREWING CO.
150 S. LBJ Dr., San Marcos, TX 78666
15898 TX-123, San Marcos, TX 78666
Mon-Wed: 11am–11pm | Thu: 11am–12am Fri: 11am - 1am | Sat: 10am - 1am Sun: 10am - 11pm
Fri: 3pm–10pm | Sat: 2pm–10pm altmeyerlewisbrewing.com
aqua-brew.com
MIDDLETON BREWING 101 Oakwood Loop, San Marcos, TX 78666
THE ROOT CELLAR CAFÉ & BREWERY 215 N. LBJ Dr., San Marcos, TX 78666
Mon: 2pm–10pm | Tue: Closed Wed–Thu: 2pm–10pm | Fri: 12pm–10pm Sat: 12pm–11pm | Sun: 12pm–10pm
Tue-Sun: 7am - 10pm
middletonbrewingtx.com
rootcellarcafe.com
SEAN PATRICK’S IRISH PUB & TEXAS GRUB 202 E. San Antonio St., San Marcos, TX 78666 Mon–Wed: 11am–12am | Thu–Fri: 11am–2am Sat: 10am–2am | Sun: 10am–12am seanpatrickstx.com
SEGU I N BS BREWING CO.
SEGUIN BREWING COMPANY
1408 Old Lehmanns Rd., Seguin, TX 78155
111 W. Gonzales St., Seguin, TX 78155
Fri: 5pm–9pm | Sat: 2pm–8pm
Th-Sat: 12pm–10pm | Sun: 12pm–8pm
bsbrewingtx.com
seguinbrewing.com
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