San Antonio Beer Magazine

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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LETTER from the EDITOR

PEARL FARMERS MARKET

WHY SHUN the LAGER?

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ALAMO BEER COMPANY

SAN ANTONIO BEER WEEK

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

Blake Murrah

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 O M

S A B E E R M AG

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I S SU E 6

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR “The most successful people are those who do all year long what they would otherwise do on their summer vacation.”

—Mark Twain If you find yourself wondering why you’ve barely got the summer issue of the SA Beer Magazine in your hands—in August—think again. Texas summers, as a rule, are nasty, brutish, and decidedly not short. So from that perspective, we have plenty of summer left.

We’ve spent the first half of this summer looking for ways to hydrate in non-traditional places, such as the Pearl Farmers Market. And throughout that time, the lager love has been undeniable. It’s completely informed our search for other German styles that complement/ combat (take your pick) the heat, granting us the opportunity to spend some valuable time at an old favorite in Alamo Beer Company.

But before we did all that, we kicked the summer off in May with San Antonio Beer Week. Coinciding with our release of Issue 5, as well as the honor of serving as the official media sponsor (and printing the supplementary Event Guide for SABW 2017), our work has been cut out for us. But we’ve got no complaints. Other than the heat.

We’re delighted to get Issue 6 of the SA Beer Magazine into your hands. Lots of sweat went into this one (because heat), and perhaps our crowning achievement is that our magazine doubles as a fan. For that alone, you’re welcome. But we’re confident that you’ll enjoy this issue as much as we’ve enjoyed printing it. Thank you for reading! ¡Salud!

JoMando, Editor in Chief/Photographer P.S. Is it possible to max out on heat/summer/Texas clichés?

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PEARL FARMERS MARKET By: Coll et te O rquiz Photog raphy by: JoMando Cr uz

PE A R L FA R M E R S M A R K E T cont .

Now I don’t know about y’all, but for me, the weekends are for day drinking. The fact that I can browse through locally made goods and pick up a brew directly from the source sounds like heaven.

Waltzing around all the food trucks and market stalls has never been better because Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery sells beer to-go.

Southerleigh staff said it adds to the excitement of the market. “Not only does it allow you to enjoy a beer during the market, but it also gives people who are in search of local vendors of craft beer products the ability to get that beer directly from the source,” said Lynnette Montemayor, Giant Noise Publicist for Southerleigh and The Pearl.

The same goes for The Granary ‘Cue & Brew. You can visit prepared with a growler (or purchase one onsite) to fill with house beer, or even take home a couple of bottles from local breweries. And like Southerleigh, you can simply walk out with a pint to explore the rest of the Pearl grounds.

Some of the shops not only let you bring your beer inside—some provide a complementary drink while shopping. The Sporting District offers beer and bourbon for patrons, which owner Sean McNelis said adds to the shop’s ambiance. “It makes you feel at home. That’s what we want to do, to make people feel very welcome,” McNelis said. »

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PE A R L FA R M E R S M A R K E T cont .

The Sporting District’s motto is “Provisions for Manly Pursuits.” In other words, items for modern men who enjoy traveling, family, good clothes, good food and drink, and a good time. This is reflected in the wide range of items they stock, from boots, hats, and jeans to tools, accessories, and barware/drinkware.

The shop features Southern brands (including Stetson, Helm Boots, and Ledbury), with most of the products handmade in the USA by small businesses. “It is unique to San Antonio in that it is a carefully curated men’s shop featuring the very best of hard-to-find guy stuff,” McNelis said. “We have a lot of things to catch your eye at the shop.

It’s an attractive place. It’s an interesting place,” he continued.

The Sporting District has offered beer from Alamo Beer Company and typically stocks Pearl Lager (when in Rome, right?). They also offer Bulleit and Maker’s Mark, as well as a local whiskey option in Nine Banded Whiskey, making the shop a comfortable place to spend an afternoon.

The Pearl has always been a magical place to me. It’s filled with history and is a great place to hang out with friends, dogs, or a date.

I’ve run around Cured’s grass before it was fake and explored The Stable with wine disguised in a reusable coffee cup. I’m glad those days are over and I can have a beer in the open, legally.

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BE E R S T Y L E S

WHY SHUN THE LAGER? By: Bl ak e Mur rah Photog raphy by: JoMando Cr uz

For decades, the Bud/Miller/Coors triumvirate known as the Big Three has marketed lagers as triple hop-brewed or beechwood-aged or guaranteed fresh “lite” beers presented by bikini-clad models.

This deception has resulted in a craft beer-drinking public that often despises what is truly a beautiful beer—no, not the light adjunct lager that comes in 30 racks, shotgunned at will on the beach during Spring Break—but the classic, proper lager like the pilsner (that these beers claim to be).

The pilsner style originated in Plzeň, a city in what is today the Czech Republic. Brewed with crystal-clear water, Saaz hops, and a caring hand, the modern-day pilsner is attributed to Bavarian brewer Josef Groll and is characteristically crisp, clean, dry to medium dry, slightly floral or spicy, and exhibits a hint of pilsner malt sweetness akin to a touch of graham cracker. With low alcohol, medium to high carbonation, and a refreshing quality, this is the beer that many emigrants from Europe longed for once they arrived in Central Texas.

This is the style that Kosmos Spoetzl would’ve been accustomed to before he was brewing in Egypt. And this is the style perfect for San Antonio and Central Texas during our unforgiving summers.

So why doesn’t every local brewery have this style in their repertoire?

Why aren’t lagers brewed in every brewery across the state? I presented this question to Gregg Spickler of Alamo Beer Company, a brewery known locally for their lagers and authentic German brewhouse.

The answer is simple: lagers are hard to brew. »

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BE E R S T Y L E S cont.

According to Gregg, “lager yeasts are fickle. You have to be very patient with them and treat them more delicately. When crashing the beer, you are dropping the temperature just two degrees Celsius a day.” When a lager is crashed too quickly, it develops off flavors and will not finish as dry as necessary. It’s no wonder German breweries have brewed the same beer for 500 to 700 years in the same way every single day. The Germans have developed flawless processes to ensure the beer is perfectly consistent.

Lagers also take longer to brew. Whereas a typical ale can go from grain to glass in as little as 22 days, a lager requires weeks (if not months) for a single batch. Between longer fermentation times and a proper lagering period (maintaining the fermented beer at a low temperature for a set amount of time), startup breweries often lack the capacity for this lengthy process. Their business needs require velocity of product to keep the doors open.

While I can hope for more breweries to embrace the lager, I can take comfort in the existing local options and encourage more consumers to explore them. Ranger Creek’s San Antonio Lager just won a gold medal in the Helles Lager category at the World Beer Championships for 2017. Other local options that adhere to the Reinheitsgebot (German beer purity laws) are Southerleigh’s Gold Export Lager (a Dortmunder) and Alamo’s Munich Dunkel (when in season). The lager legacy is a proud one. Prosit!

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ALAMO BEER COMPANY By: Jennife r Al e jos Photog raphy by: JoMando Cr uz

A L A MO BE E R C OM PA N Y cont.

Unlike the Battle of the Alamo, which took place over 13 days, Alamo Beer Company took roughly 15 years for the once small operation to assume its current place under the historic Hays Street Bridge.

The brewery's origins begin with owner Eugene Simor, a Californian, visiting a friend in San Antonio. That visit persuaded him to settle in Texas. “I came to visit and never left,” Eugene said. “I just fell in love with this city.”

Eugene was a homebrewer in the 1980s. “Like anyone else, I had bottles that exploded during fermentation. It was fun though," Eugene said. After a few failed experiments, he discovered the perfect recipe—his golden ale—which he named after the Alamo.

In his words, "the name is perfect for a fiercely independent Texas beer. The story is already built; you don’t need to make anything up.” Possessing a beer and a name, Eugene took a chance and was originally contracted through a brewery that ultimately fell through.

“I came to visit & never left,” Eugene said.

“I just fell in love with this city.”

Rather than call it quits, however, he reached out to a little brewery named Real Ale Brewing Co. “I found out about Real Ale through the San Antonio Business Journal," he noted. "They were just a small brewery then.” Eugene and Real Ale ultimately worked closely for many years, with Real Ale using their tanks to brew Eugene’s golden ale recipe and distributing it to San Antonio.

But when Alamo’s golden ale started to gain popularity, Eugene had to make a choice: stay with Real Ale and the golden ale or expand his business. “If I was going to take a bigger step forward, I needed to get a distributor to help get the word out. It was just time to either make a real business out of it or let Real Ale keep brewing the brand. Real Ale was super accommodating and very encouraging throughout the whole process,” Eugene said. »

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A L A MO BE E R C OM PA N Y cont.

When he signed his name on the multi-million dollar note to begin construction on Alamo Beer Company, the uneasiness of the situation had him feeling both excited and nauseous. He soon encountered a major obstacle with the name. Apparently, Alamo beer existed—in 1883. The brand perished sometime after Prohibition. Luckily, he secured the trademark, noting “I was the one that revived it and got it trademarked. I was just the guy that followed through after the old one had expired.”

Additional obstacles dealt with land ownership and building the brewery. “There was a small contingent of about five people that really didn’t want it built on some land that the city wanted to sell me. That’s all since been resolved.”

The original vision for Alamo Beer Company wasn’t exactly for its current scale. Legislative changes allowed them to have consumption at the brewery, which turned the planned tasting room into a Germanstyle beer hall and a proper beer garden. “Thankfully we have the right team together and we’re meeting our goal,” Eugene added.

That team includes James Hudec, Eugene’s right-hand man since they met at a craft brewer’s conference 15 years ago. James has an impressive résumé under his belt—or overalls notch, as was the case when we met in person. Immediately after college, James moved to Nuremberg, Germany to work at a brewery for two years. “My brewing style changed greatly from being exposed to German culture," James noted. "I was actually kind of a hop head and I wanted to brew scotch ales and ESBs; we didn’t know what an IPA was back then. Working in Germany completely changed my world view on beer and I’ve been a lager head ever since."

James has also brewed all over the U.S., with brewery stints in Austin, Houston, Fort Worth, New Orleans, and finally, Kansas City, to work at Gordon Biersch Brewing Co. for about six years. It was a frigid winter in Kansas City that drove him to our sunny state. “I called James on a cold winter day in Kansas City and I think he knew that he didn’t want to spend another winter there,” Eugene said.

James sees himself as more of a traditionalist when it comes to brewing. “That’s one of the things me and Eugene really see eye to eye on. We want to create sessionable, high quality, and well-made beers. I like keeping it simple.”

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SA N A N T ON IO BE E R W E E K

SAN ANTONIO BEER WEEK Word s and Photog raphy by: JoMando Cr uz

While several of us had previously attended San Antonio Beer Week events as consumers and fans, 2017 was the first year that we contributed much more than our palates and support. We at the SA Beer Magazine were truly honored to be the official media sponsor for San Antonio Beer Week and, while printing the official Event Guide for San Antonio Beer Week resulted in a lot of extra work, it was incredibly rewarding.

From the public brew day for the 2017 SABW collaboration beer to the local beer and live music events during the week, we had a lot of fun and can’t wait for next year. Thank you to the SABW organizers and everybody that contributed to and supported this weeklong celebration. And a special thank you to everybody that helped make the official SABW Event Guide possible. Cheers!

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A DV ERTISE W ITH

email us at: I N FO@SA BEER M AG.COM

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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D I R E C T O R Y of B R 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: 3pm–11pm Sat: 12pm–11pm | Sun: 12pm–8pm

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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D I R E C T O R Y of B R 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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