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Tossing back brews at Banger’s in Austin. (Photo by Will van Overbeek)

On this day in 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt signed a law that ended prohibition and opened the doors for people to brew, sell and buy beer to their heart’s content. Today, beer drinkers have not lost their thirst  for a nice, cold one, and Texans have been crafting better and better brews ever since.

Head East

What’s brewing in East Texas

As the craft-beer movement explodes in the Lone Star State, well-made beers are originating beyond Texas’ major cities and long-established small-town breweries. This is particularly evident in East Texas. Beer-lovers seeking new breweries to explore should drive 90 minutes east of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, or a few hours north from either Austin or Houston, to visit three breweries separated by just 60 miles of tree-shaded roads. Read more.

Gardens of Beer

AuslÄnder and Banger’s Keep Tradition Alive

Halfway through a pumpkin porter and a bluegrass song, my Thursday night is humming along nicely. I’m sitting outside at a long wooden table at Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden in the heart of Austin’s Rainey Street. Read more.

The Beer from Out Here

Big Bend Brewing Co. makes Beer with A West Texas Attitude

Although craft beer-making has flourished in Texas for decades now, the Big Bend region has been slow to benefit, only recently welcoming the arrival of a sustainable local brewery. Read more.

Brewing in the Hills

Austin’s Jester King Brewery Brings a Fresh Spin to Beer

Inspired by small farmhouse breweries in France and Belgium, Jester King’s brewers produce artisan ales with a true sense of place. It is a sunny and crisp Austin day, perfect for showing our visiting family some of our area’s attractions. We wanted to venture off the beaten path, and since both of my brothers-in-law are craft-beer enthusiasts, my husband and I chose to showcase the city’s growing craft brewing industry by heading to Jester King Brewery. Approximately 18 miles southwest of downtown Austin on a 200-acre ranch, Jester King produces beers unlike any others in the area. Read more.

A Devotion to Craft

It’s All about Community at Houston’s Saint Arnold Brewery

Tours of Houston’s Saint Arnold Brewery take place every day but Sunday. Saint Arnold also offers chef-prepared lunches—with beer pairings, of course. Located in a warehouse district just beyond the northern edge of downtown Houston, a 101-year-old brick building that once served as a storage warehouse now draws hundreds of visitors six days a week. Read more.

Brewery Tours

The craft-beer craze has officially taken Texas by storm, with more than 70 breweries and brewpubs now adding variety to the landscape. In June 2013, Governor Perry signed legislation that enabled craft breweries to sell their beers on premises, fostering both economic growth and competition in an industry estimated by the Texas Craft Brewers Guild to have contributed more than $600 million to the state’s economy. That’s a lot of barley pop, folks! Read more.

From the April 2017 issue

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