Brunches, brewing, and bugs

Here are the 7 best food and drink events in San Antonio this week

Ranger Creek Brewing & Distillery welcomes Food Maniacs for a very special brunch.

Brunches, brewing, and bugs are taking over San Antonio this week. The city’s packed with an exciting mix of lively and “unique” food and drink events that are sure to tickle your taste buds. After all, what better way to kick back than cracking open a cold one and chowing down on some kickin’ cricket tiramasu?

Sunday, May 6

Brewstillery Brunch with Food Maniacs
Draft favorites, Bloody Marys, and beermosas make this event a can't-miss for all boozy brunch lovers. From noon-4 pm, Ranger Creek Brewing & Distillery is bringing in food truck favorite Food Maniacs for an epic brunch takeover with a menu of chicken and waffles, huevos rancheros, and a mouthwatering banana nut French toast. Attendance is free, and kids and pets are welcome, with supervision.

Monday, May 7

Swine & Sparkling Wine
Join Max’s Wine Dive for this exclusive dining event which pairs Texas raised Iberico pork with sparkling wines from the Catalonian region of Spain. For $75, guests can indulge in savory Spanish classics during a five-course tapas dinner curated by executive chef Cesar Hernandez. The event will also feature special guests Manuel Murga of Anornseeker’s Farms in Flatonia, Texas, and Josep Samso of Raventos Winery in Barcelona, Spain.

Wednesday, May 9

Splendor in the Garden: La Dolce Vita
Embrace “la dolce vita” (the sweet life), at this '60s-inspired Italian garden party, presented by the San Antonio Botanical Garden. The night begins with a sunset cocktail hour, where attendees can stroll through the new Family Adventure Garden and enjoy flowing prosecco and signature cocktails before moving onto the Conservatory and WaterSaver Garden for an Italian alfresco dinner under the stars. At the evening’s finale, guests can unwind with post-dinner drinks and a dolci (sweets) station. Admission to the cocktail and food stations in the WaterSaver Garden is $250, and limited seating in the Conservatory is $300.

Salud Culinary Night at the Witte Museum
This fascinating dinner spotlights a truly unique main dish – bugs! The unforgettable dining experience, hosted by the Witte Museum, features masterfully crafted dishes by experienced chefs who will prepare a four-course dinner using tasty crawling critters. Each course is paired with a complimenting craft brew from Karbach Brewing Company. Special guest Robert Nathan Allen, founder of Little Herds, will be in attendance to teach guests about the use of edible insects in kitchens around the world and how they can sustainably feed communities in the future.

Thursday, May 10

Zoo La-La (A Taste of San Antonio)
You can’t feed the animals but definitely feel free to feed yourself at this adult night out at the San Antonio Zoo. The annual fundraiser allows guests to stroll along the zoo’s pathways while enjoying live music, locally crafted beer and wine, and fierce foods from more than 50 of San Antonio’s premier restaurants. Festivities run from 7-10:30 pm, and standard admission tickets are $85, which can be purchased online or at the gate.

Friday, May 11

Welcome to Summer Beer Fest
More than a dozen breweries are coming together at The Corner pub to bring summer's best brews to San Antonio. A $10 cover will get you into this beer-tastic event, which opens at 6 pm. Stick around to hear a New Orleans funk band play from 8-11 pm.

Saturday, May 12

Lafitte's Reserve Beer Release & Masquerade Piano Party
Take a trip back to old New Orleans as Busted Sandal Brewing transforms its space into an 18th century masquerade ball. Emulating the era, the venue will be completely candlelit, and guests are encouraged to come in late-1700s era attire, pirate costumes, or masquerade wear. The old timey party is celebrating the debut of the brewery’s new Lafitte’s Reserve, a strong dark ale aged in rum-soaked oak with Madagascar vanilla beans. Tickets are $30, and includes three beers paired with cured meats and cheeses, as well as two drink tickets for a choice of wine or pint of beer. The evening will host two seatings, one from 7-9 pm and the other from 9-11 pm.

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BREW BLUES

Acclaimed brewery taps out of San Antonio after 11 years

Busted Sandal Brewing Company/Facebook

Busted Sandal is closing all three of its locations.

Nationwide, the gusty tradewinds of the craft brewing industry have capsized several industry leaders. In San Antonio, it has been a hurricane. Less than a month after revered beermaker Weathered Souls shuttered, Busted Sandal Brewing has written its own epitaph. The closure affects all three locations.

The team shared the news in an October 2 social media post. Although the statement didn’t dig deeply into the reasoning, it cited economic pressures, including its customers' ability to pay for “housing, food, and day-to-day life.”

“We do not close Busted Sandal with immense regret, but rather with a great sense of pride, holding our heads high knowing we made great beer and created a fun place for our Sandal family,” wrote a representative.

Busted Sandal opened its first outpost in San Antonio in 2013, largely committed to lighter beer styles like Mexican lagers and hefeweizens. In early 2020, the company expanded to a beer garden in Helotes. Its newest location in Kerrville has only been open since July 2023.

The economy had undoubtedly been unfriendly to breweries. According to a 2023 study by the national trade group Brewer’s Association, the industry has been burdened by rising costs in almost every production area. At the same time, climate change has reduced crop yields, and changes in drinking preferences have damaged sales.

The market forces are definitely felt in the Alamo City area. In addition to Weathered Souls’ passing, Barrelman Brewing Co., Boerne Brewery, Kinematic Brewing Co., and Second Pitch Beer Co. have all shuttered in recent months. Alamo Beer owner Eugene Simor has placed his East Side property for sale, and Black Laboratory has traded beer for seltzers.

The last day of business for Busted Sandal’s San Antonio location will be October 12, followed by November 3 and 10 for Helotes and Kerrville, respectively.

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