With almost 100 active breweries throughout the state of Texas and with all the choice and diversity the large state offers, it can be daunting to pick a location. However, there are craft breweries that stand out from the rest with great flavor, unique atmosphere and quantity of brews. From large cities like Houston to smaller towns like Magnolia, we have compiled a list of the 10 best craft breweries in Texas.
Founded in 2009 by Lee Hereford, a seventh-generation Texan, Pedernales Brewing Company offers a selection of ‘Lobo’ as well as Pedernales beers. From the Lobo midnight porter (a classic ‘olde English’ porter), the Lobo Texas lager (a German-style pilsner) and the Lobo negro (a German-style dark lager) to the Pedernales hefe-weizen and the Pedernales Indian pale ale, it is virtually impossible to go wrong at the Pedernales Brewing Company. Available on Fridays and Saturdays, tours include a journey throughout the brewery, samples of Pedernales brews and a souvenir glass. Pedernales Brewing Company also hosts ‘Beers & Hymns’ on the first Saturday of every month.
Rahr & Sons Brewing Company with the motto ‘Quality brewed, community strong, Texan proud’ offers a variety of year-round brews, like the ‘Storm Cloud,’ a German-style India pale ale, ‘Rahr’s Blonde,’ a helles lager, the ‘Ugly Pig,’ a black lager, and the ‘Texas Red,’ an American amber. Seasonal offerings have included brews like the Scottish ale ‘Iron Thistle,’ the German ale ‘Summertime Wheat’ and English dark ale the ‘Winter Warmer.’ Tours at Rahr & Sons Brewing Company occur on Wednesdays and Saturdays and include three free beer samples with purchase of the brewery tour. Rahr & Sons Brewing Company also offers a ‘To Thee Series’ including brews like ‘Snowmageddon,’ an oatmeal stout, ‘Tenderfoot,’ an American barleywine, and the ‘Regulator,’ a German doppelbock.
Peticolas Brewing Company (pronounced ‘petta-cole-luss’) is a three-year-old brewery located in Dallas and run by seventh- and eighth-generation Texans. With a remarkable list of awards for its beers, Peticolas Brewing Company prides itself on quality brews and professionalism. Tours of the brewery are held on both the first and third Saturdays of every month, complete with complimentary beers and a Peticolas Brewing Company glass. The inspiration behind the brewery began with Jacque Peticolas, current-owner Michael Peticolas’ mother, who began brewing Mexican-style beer in El Paso in the 1990s. Year-round beers at Peticolas include the ‘Velvet Hammer’ (an imperial red ale), the ‘Royal Scandal’ (an English pale ale) and the ‘Thrilla in Brazilla’ (an Indian pale ale). Peticolas also offers an array of seasonal beers and limited releases.
Saint Arnold Brewing Company claims to be Texas’ oldest craft brewery and brews, filters, kegs, bottles, sells and serves its own craft brews. Saint Arnold’s tours occur every day of the week but Sunday and include a souvenir glass. The brewery also serves a lunch menu with items like salads, sandwiches and smaller treats like pretzels, short rib tacos and a vegetable tray. Saint Arnold serves a variety of year-round beers, including the ‘Saint Arnold Amber Ale’, the ‘Saint Arnold Fancy Lawnmower’ (a German-style Kölsch), the ‘Santo’ (a black Kölsch) and the ‘Boiler Room Berliner Weisse’ (a sour wheat beer). Saint Arnold also offers an array of seasonal beers, like the ‘Saint Arnold Spring Bock’ (a German-style Bock), the ‘Saint Arnold Christmas Ale’ and the ‘Saint Arnold Pumpkinator’ (an imperial pumpkin stout). Be sure to also check out Saint Arnold Brewing Company’s special brews.
Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling, located in San Antonio, is a ‘brewstillery’ whose owners believe in utilizing local ingredients to make quality, handmade products. Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling’s owners took their love of home-brewing and opened the microbrewery. From delicious ales to ‘a robust porter smoked with Texas mesquite’, Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling offers something for everyone to enjoy. Ranger Creek’s drink menu offers year-round offerings a well as seasonal and specialty beers. Tours at Ranger Creek showcase how the ‘brewstillery’ creates its beer and bourbon. Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling serves handcrafted Texas whiskey and other drinks, including the ‘Ranger Creek La Bestia Aimable’ (a Belgian-style dark, strong ale), the ‘Lucky Ol’ Sun’ (a golden, Belgian-style ale), the Ranger Creek OPA (an American pale ale with oats) and the Ranger Creek MSP (smoked with Texas mesquite).
Jester King’s mission is to create beers ‘that reflect the unique character’ of ‘the beautiful Texas Hill Country.’ Tours at Jester King’s are free and reservations are not required. During the tour, one may purchase wine, cider, beer and sake from Jester King’s tasting room menu for consumption at the brewery or to take home. The tasting room menu changes with time, but has offered items such as the ‘Oi Oi’ (a barrel-aged sour brown ale), the ‘Wytchmaker’ (a farmhouse rye), a ‘Texas Keeper Cider’ from Austin and ‘Virtue Cider’ from Michigan. Jester King utilizes water from its own well and locally sourced wild yeast and malted grains. The tasting room and brewery tours are available on Fridays and weekends.
Karbach Brewery in Houston offers tours and tastings every day of the week and showcases a huge variety of beers and brews. Karbach’s ‘starting lineup’ includes the ‘Hopadillo IPA’ (a dry-hopped, Texas IPA), the ‘Weisse Versus Wheat’ (containing citrus peel and coriander), the ‘Weekend Warrior Pale Ale’ (including Cascade, Bavarian Mandarina, Amarillo, Zythos and Simcoe hops), the ‘Sympathy for the Lager’ (with fine malt and German hops) and the ‘Rodeo Clown Double IPA’ (dry-hopped with Citra, Sapphir and East Kent Goldings). Karbach also offers a ‘Bourbon Barrel Hellfighter’ series and the ‘F.U.N’ series, including the ‘Bodacious’, a double IPA aged in merlot barrels, and the ‘Cherries of Fire,’ an imperial porter aged in bourbon barrels with added cherries. Karbach Brewery also hosts events at the brewery and throughout the state of Texas, such as disk golf tournaments, live music Thursdays and the Karbach running club.
Thirsty Planet Brewing Company, located in Austin, Texas, believes in ‘brewing with a purpose’. Part of that purpose is Thirsty Planet’s passion for great tasting, quality brews, whilst another portion of that purpose resides in Thirsty Planet’s decision to give part of its proceeds to a local cancer research and support foundation and to help disadvantaged people in developing countries. Thirsty Planet Brewing Company’s year-round brew offers include the ‘Yellow Armadillo’ (a light, American-style wheat beer), the ‘Thirsty Goat’ (an American-style amber ale) and the ‘Buckethead’ (an American-style India pale ale). Seasonal offerings include items such as the ‘Dr.’ (an English-style brown ale), the ‘Smittlefest’ (Marzan-style) and the ‘Hatcha’dillo’ (a pepper beer). Thirsty Planet’s tours are free and available every Saturday with a reservation. Check out Thirsty Planet’s website to discover the brewing company’s ‘art of making beer.’
Named after the proximate Guadalupe River, Guadalupe Brewing Company in New Braunfels prioritises using locally sourced ingredients (such as honey from a Beeville Amish community and wheat from Marion, Texas) and donates some proceeds to Texas A&M ‘s bee-keeping program. Guadalupe Brewing Company offers four year-round beers, the Texas honey ale, the rye ale, the Scotch ale and the American wheat ale; as well as changing seasonal brews, like the Guadalupe IPA, with hints of plum and American citrus hops. Owners Keith and Anna Kilker became inspired after beer-focused journeys throughout Europe and the U.S. Pacific Northwest, studying the many different styles of beer throughout the world.
Lone Pint Brewery, considering itself a ‘grassroots insurrection with the true beer-lover in mind’, is located in the small town of Magnolia, Texas, half an hour out of The Woodlands. Lone Pint dedicates itself to creating ‘distinctive local Texas ales’ and uses raw whole cone hops in every brew. Tour Lone Pint Brewery on Saturdays and receive a pint glass and several tasting tokens. On tap at the Lone Pint Brewery, you can find brews such as the ‘Gentleman’s Relish’ (a brown ale), the ‘Jabberwocky’ (an Imperial India pale ale), the ‘Tornado Shark’ (an American strong ale) and the ‘Lily and Seamus’ (an American wheat beer). With 13 additional brews, Lone Pint Brewery offers an array of unique, delicious beers for every palate.
