WHAT'S BREWING

What's Brewing in San Antonio: Oktoberfest fun and a 'weird' collab

Künstler Brewing is one of several San Antonio-area breweries hosting Oktoberfest parties.

The bustling San Antonio beer scene is always brimming with new reasons to raise a glass. From Oktoberfest celebrations to a sudsy collaboration out of the Hill Country, here's the news every beer lover should know.

Prost to festival season
As summer turns to autumn, there is no shortage of San Antonio-area breweries that will be hosting Oktoberfest-themed events this fall. Break out the dirndls, lederhosen, and Tyrolean hats and bring your festival A-game:

Longtab Brewing will put on its sixth annual Oktoberfest throughout the weekend of September 26-28. The Northwest Side brewery will offer a special German food menu, a stein-holding contest, and live music from local Fiesta fave The TubaMeisters.
Ranger Creek Brewing and Distilling will showcase traditional German fare from popular San Antonio food truck Schnitzel Box during its September 27 fest. Live music and an ever-popular stein-holding contest will go down in the beer garden with limited seating inside the taproom.
Southtown hot spot Künstler Brewing will celebrate German culture during the weekend of September 27-28. The biergarten will pour its specialty German beers; serve schnitzel-on-a-stick, sausage, and other Teutonic eats; and raffle off prizes throughout the day.
Five Stones Artisan Brewery near New Braunfels will have its annual Braunfelser Fest on September 28. Revelers can check out German-inspired beer releases, specialty food, and an artisan vendor market.
New Braunfels Brewing Co. will host an Oktoberfest celebration on October 18. More details are coming soon, but the brewery has announced — you guessed it — a stein-holding competition and live music.
Altstadt Brewery in Fredericksburg will turn up the oom-pah-pah on October 18 with food, music, and games.
Back Unturned Brewing will host Backtoberfest on October 25. Attendees will get three full beer pours and a free souvenir mug while enjoying the Alpine fun.
Spring Branch's Star Republic Brewing, one of the newer breweries in the region, will celebrate its first Oktoberfest on October 25. The Hill Country brewery will offer its seasonal festbier as well as schnitzel, sausage, hayrides, polka, and a petting zoo.

Free Roam Boerne Free Roam and Altstadt's new collab has "dank undertones."Free Roam Brewing Co./ Facebook

Free Roam and Altstadt get weird
Two Hill Country breweries — Boerne's Free Roam Brewing Co. and Fredericksburg's Altstadt Brewery — recently unveiled their latest collaborative effort, available on tap at Free Roam. True to its name, Dos Fríos is a double cold IPA, a punchy style made by fermenting yeast at lower temperatures.

Anchovy and Strata hops give the beer some notes of marmalade and citrus and "dank undertones." Casual beer drinkers, however, might be warned. A reviewer on Untappd warned, "Yo, I love you guys, but these hops are weird."

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San Antonio's iconic Burger Boy expands to Far West Side

Photo courtesy of Burger Boy

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After opening its milestone 10th restaurant in June, San Antonio’s Burger Boy isn’t sitting on its laurels (or should it be crinkle fries?). On Friday, December 5, the beloved local chain announced it was looking forward to opening its 11th unit at Loop 1604 S. and Marbach Road.

The chain announced its latest project in a playful Instagram Reel featuring an employee asking Siri to find the not-yet-existing location. The post was slim on details, but recently filed project details at the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation state that the 2,410 square foot new building is set to wrap up construction in July 2026.

Burger Boy has been on a growth spurt since 2017, when a locally owned investment group bought the brand from its original owner, Carl Bates. Six of the current 10 locations have opened since 2021.

While the current owners may be busy building a modern chain, the menu keeps true to the roots established by Carl’s father, Frank Bates, who ran Whopper Burger from 1955 to 1983. For the uninitiated, the menu skips buzzy food trends in favor of simple burgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, and signature crinkle fries.

Burger Boy does go for broke when it comes to shakes. Going beyond classic flavors like vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate, the restaurant sells coconut, banana, and Big Red varieties. The limited-edition drops, currently a Peppermint Drop, keep customers coming back as much as the juicy burgers.

Meanwhile, there are still no updates on the original restaurant on the St. Mary’s Strip. The iconic outpost has been closed since August due to a kitchen fire.

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