Best of Texas
Texas craft has matured fast. Austin is the cultural capital — Live Oak's German lager program, Jester King's mixed-culture pilgrimage destination, plus a half-dozen modern hop-forward operations. Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, and San Antonio each have serious independent scenes worth their own day.
Covers: Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Dallas-Fort Worth, Hill Country
Brewery
Bottle shop
Beer bar / brewpub
Tap a marker to see the spot
One day
Austin: Jester King (afternoon) → Live Oak → Pinthouse. Pinthouse closes early so finish there.
A weekend
Day 1: Austin. Day 2: drive to Houston for Holler + 8th Wonder. Day 3: detour to Weathered Souls in San Antonio.
Austin
Brewery
Hill Country (30 min west of downtown) · 13187 Fitzhugh Rd, Austin, TX 78736
Among America's most respected mixed-culture breweries. Hill Country goat farm setting, mixed-fermentation Belgian-inspired program, and a destination experience that sets it apart from the urban Austin scene.
Known for: Atrial Rubicite, SPON, mixed-culture saisons
Pinthouse Brewing
Brewery
Downtown / South Lamar · 4729 Burnet Rd, Austin, TX 78756
Austin's most reliable IPA brewery. Electric Jellyfish Hazy IPA is a Texas staple; the West Coast IPAs hold their own. Pizza-and-beer model done right.
Houston
8th Wonder Brewery
Brewery
EaDo (East Downtown) · 2202 Dallas St, Houston, TX 77003
Houston's best-known craft. Dome Faux'm cream ale is a local mascot; the IPA program holds its own with the Austin scene.
Holler Brewing
Brewery
Sawyer Yards · 2206 Edwards St, Houston, TX 77007
Houston's modern craft anchor. Tight rotation of clean IPAs and approachable lagers in a converted warehouse. Sawyer Yards arts district setting.
Dallas
Community Beer Co.
Brewery
Riverfront · 3110 Commonwealth Dr, Dallas, TX 75247
Dallas's craft anchor. Mosaic IPA is a workhorse; the rotating program covers everything from lager to imperial stouts. Sprawling taproom good for groups.
Craft and Growler
Bottle Shop
Bishop Arts · 3601 Parry Ave, Dallas, TX 75226
Dallas's serious craft bottle shop. Strong rotation of TX releases plus national and international curation. Growler fills from a rotating tap list.
Del Valle
Live Oak Brewing
Brewery
Southeast of downtown Austin · 1615 Crozier Ln, Del Valle, TX 78617
Texas's premier traditional German lager brewery. Pilz, Hefeweizen, Berliner Weisse — all reference-grade. Texas heat makes their cold-stored lager program even more impressive.
Blanco
Real Ale Brewing
Brewery
Hill Country (60 min from Austin) · 231 San Saba Ct, Blanco, TX 78606
Texas's longest-running independent craft brewery. Fireman's #4 is a Texas Hill Country staple; the wine-barrel-aged Mysterium Verum series is destination-tier.
San Antonio
Brewery
Northwest SA · 606 Embassy Oaks #500, San Antonio, TX 78216
Marcus Baskerville's brewery, originator of the Black Is Beautiful collaboration. Strong hop-forward program and a serious barrel project.
Fort Worth
Martin House Brewing
Brewery
Northside · 220 S Sylvania Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76111
Fort Worth's most adventurous brewery. The Anything Goes series goes truly anywhere — pickle beers, dessert experiments. Underneath it, a serious traditional program.