What's brewing in San Antonio: Popular German brewpub opens an outpost at Hemisfair, and more news

San Antonio Brewing News

(Courtesy Küenstler Brewing Co.)

Editor's Note: With a new craft beer spot popping up in San Antonio seemingly every month, it's a lot of work to track all things beer in Alamo City. Here's our roundup of everything that's brewing in San Antonio.

Künstler Brewing opens Hemisfair taproom

Künstler Brewing (sometimes Kuenstler Brewing), a popular German-inspired brewpub in the Lone Star neighborhood, has opened a small taproom at Hemisfair.

Künstler Tap Haus is located in the renovated historic 19th century Pereida House at the corner of South Alamo Street and Cesar Chavez Boulevard. The taproom offers a small number of Künstler beers, as well as boozy cocktails, wine, bratwurst, hot dogs, and other fare.

Seating can be found indoors at the bar or on the front porch. Visitors can take their drinks to go if they plan to continue roaming the Hemisfair grounds.

Vista Brewing on the move

Vista Brewing Co. closed its West San Antonio taproom in mid-July. Representatives for the Driftwood, Texas-based brewery say they are relocating the taproom to a larger space, but have yet to offer details.

From 2021 until now, the local beer garden was located on Buena Vista Street, west of downtown. It resided in a renovated warehouse that also hosts Shotgun House Coffee Roasters and other micro-businesses and artists’ studios.

28 Songs debuts first beers

Boerne’s newest brewpub, 28 Songs Brewhouse and Kitchen, has released its first original beers.

The first brew, 81 Days, is a copper ale featuring German Hallertau Blanc hops blended with American Pale Ale and Red X malts. It debuted July 9. The following weekend, 28 Songs released In Essence Azacca, a single-malt and single-hop IPA.

Additionally, 28 Songs recently expanded its food and drink service to seven nights a week, and adjusted its schedule to open later in the afternoon Monday through Thursday.

Busted Sandal arrives in Kerrville

$K\u00fcnstler Brewing's new Hemisfair taproom, K\u00fcnstler Tap Haus$

Photo courtesy of Künstler Brewing Co.

Künstler Brewing's new Hemisfair taproom, Künstler Tap Haus, has a condensed selection of the beer and food offerings seen at the South Presa-area location.

San Antonio’s Busted Sandal Brewing Co. continues its expansion into the Hill Country with the opening of a third taproom, this time in downtown Kerrville.

Located at 709 Water St., Busted Sandal Favorite Saloon features 20 tapped craft beers, a wine menu, and a food truck on site.

The Kerrville taproom opened July 1. Busted Sandal has a taproom in Helotes in addition to the flagship brewery on Fredericksburg Road.

From Your Site Articles

Courtesy Off Main Brewing

What's brewing in San Antonio: Woman-owned brewery opens in Kerrville, THC beer, and more

Brews and spirits

Editor's Note: With a new craft beer spot popping up in San Antonio seemingly every month, we've started a new column to track all things beer in Alamo City. Here's our roundup of everything that's brewing in San Antonio.

New brewery in Kerrville
Off Main Brewing, a woman-owned venture, had a grand opening June 2 in Kerrville, offering a taproom in a renovated historic downtown space with indoor and outdoor seat.

Owned and operated by Laura and Travis Lindner, Off Main has 10 beers on tap — two IPAs, an American Pale Ale, one stout, one porter, one maibock and four lagers — alongside champagne and local wines.

The Lindners also own and operate a mobile brewery tap trailer, which makes beer, wine, champagne, and cocktails available at events.

New products and pet tributes from Alamo Beer
Alamo Beer Co. is producing faux beers containing hemp-derived THC instead of alcohol. Alamo Beer’s brewing team recently began making three beer-like beverages originally created by Wyoming-based company HighBridge Premium, following recipes provided by HighBridge.

HighBridge had previously tried (and failed) to get two other brewers to manufacture their THC-infused faux beers before finding success with Alamo Beer. According to HighBridge, the three “beers” — eeZee daze, Alpine Rush, and Neblina del Pacifico — come in different potencies of hemp-derived delta-9 THC: 5 mg, 8 mg, and 10 mg, with consumers so far reporting no hangover.

"With its history, expertise, and capacity, Alamo can accommodate the growing needs of HighBridge as we build the hemp-based Delta-9 portion of our corporate portfolio", said HighBridge CEO and co-founder James Hunter in a statement.

Alamo Beer is also producing HighBridge’s THC-infused seltzers. HighBridge said it plans to sell its THC-infused beverages in Texas and Minnesota soon.

Earlier this month, Alamo Beer also revealed a new can label in collaboration with the local pet rescue group San Antonio Pets Alive. Alamo Beer’s new label features a photo of Nairobi, winner of SAPA’s recent Pawparazzi Pet Photo Contest. Alamo is donating $2 to SAPA for every six-pack of the special can label beer sold.

New owners at The Corner
The are new owners at The Corner craft beer bar in northwest San Antonio. The new owners have been keeping The Corner’s fans updated on new developments, such as replenishing the tap beer board, implementing poker nights on Tuesdays, unveiling a new logo, and launching happy hours 5-7 pm Sunday-Thursday.

There are also plans for more pint nights, opening a kitchen, and renovating or expanding the physical space.

New exhibit on brewing history opens at SAMA
From June 30 to September 30, San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) will host “Still Brewing Art,” an exhibit of photos, Belle Époque beer advertising posters, and found objects chronicling the history of brewing in San Antonio and at the former Lone Star Beer brewery, which now houses SAMA. Celebrating San Antonio’s brewing history, the exhibit highlights SAMA's status as the first and only accredited U.S. art museum housed in a historic brewery.

Courtesy Off Main Brewing

Off Main Brewing is a new brewery that recently opened in downtown Kerrville.

Freetail Brewing/Instagram

What's brewing in San Antonio: 5 San Antonio-area breweries win at World Beer Cup, and more news

San Antonio Brewing News

Local breweries among World Beer Cup winners

Five San Antonio-area breweries were among winners of the World Beer Cup, which was held during the annual Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America events. All of the 2023 events took place in Nashville; More than 200 beer professionals judged World Beer Cup entries in 100-plus categories, where gold, silver and bronze medalists were named.

In the end, Freetail Brewing Co.’s "Imagine 14 Years" won a gold medal for hoppy lager. Imagine 14 Years, released as part of Freetail’s 14th anniversary celebration last fall, is a variation of the brewpub’s award-winning "Imagine a World with Beer Cellars Instead of 401ks."

Five Stones Artisan Brewery’s "Norma Jeane" was awarded a bronze medal in the fruit beer category. While "Norma Jeane" is part of Five Stones’ seasonal lineup, it has been popular with Five Stones fans since its launch. Located north of San Antonio, Five Stones marked its 10th anniversary earlier in May. “The beer has given us both grief and joy in our pursuit to get it right. Being awarded bronze at this competition blew major wind in our sails as a brewery and a family,” the folks at Five Stones said in a social media post about the award.

Three Hill Country breweries claimed World Beer Cup honors, too. Fredericksburg’s Altstadt Brewery’s hefeweizen was a gold medalist in the South German-style hefeweizen category. Blanco’s Real Ale Brewing Co.’s "Scots Gone Wild" received a gold medal in the wood- and barrel-aged sour category. Johnson City’s Pecan Street Brewing Co.’s rye lager received a bronze medal in the rye beer category.

Other distilled news and notes

Maverick Distilling in downtown San Antonio has released its limited-edition Samuel Maverick Barrel-Aged Texas Dry Gin, which was distilled in small batches using locally grown Texas ingredients. It was then aged in bourbon barrels on-site in the underground vaults of the historic Lockwood National Bank. Only 250 bottles were produced for this small-batch release, which was barreled at 120 proof and aged in No. 3 char white American oak barrels.

“With our barrel-aged Texas Dry Gin, we wanted to create a spirit that is refreshing and unique to the Lone Star State,” distillery founder Dr. Kenneth Maverick said. “Gin continues to grow in popularity as people discover that good gin doesn’t taste like bad medicine. We wanted to offer our customers another version of gin and knew that the impressive botanicals that we use for our Texas Dry Gin would evolve into something beautiful with barrel aging.”

In a May 9 media event previewing the new gin, Maverick provided an update on his facility, saying they have eliminated full kitchen service in favor of partnering with neighboring restaurants and food trucks. Distillery visitors will be able to order food for delivery onsite. Maverick Distilling is open to the public, but it is also available for private special events, from family celebrations to corporate functions. Maverick did say, however, that there are plans to expand the original craft beer offerings.

The biergarten at Faust Brewing Co. in New Braunfels is buzzing once again. Having closed their doors to the public at the outset of COVID-19, the brewery is back open with an expanded biergarten, a new food trailer serving pub grub, and improvements around the tasting room.

Additionally, Faust now has a liquor license and is able to offer spirits, and the brewery owners are promoting their ability to host special events on site. While Faust had a soft re-opening April 1, the brewery hosted the New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce for a formal opening and ribbon-cutting May 18 to celebrate their revamp.

Courtesy 28 Songs Brewhouse and Kitchen

What's brewing in San Antonio: New Boerne brewpub opens

San Antonio Brewing News

28 Songs is open for business
28 Songs Brewhouse and Kitchen, the new brewery on the block in Boerne, opened their doors April 8. Located north of downtown Boerne, where most of the town’s brewpubs reside, 28 Songs has plenty of indoor seating and a small stage for musicians.

Representatives of 28 Songs said their kitchen is fully open, but they are still recruiting talent to fill available positions. They are also awaiting a license to brew, so for now, visitors may choose from a variety of guest beers mainly from San Antonio-area breweries such as Weathered Souls.

Idle Beer Hall and Brewery coming soon
This summer, San Antonio’s downtown area will be welcoming a new brewery. There are plans to open Idle Beer Hall and Brewery next to an under-development food hall, Make Ready Market, in the River North neighborhood between Broadway and the San Antonio River.

Idle Beer Hall and Brewery and Make Ready will be on the same block as The Soto office building at 711 Broadway, an up-and-coming area that local developer Hixon Properties and hospitality group Pouring with heart are developing to serve as a gathering spot for residents, office workers, cyclists, and passersby day and night. Both spaces will be located in the historic, repurposed Cavender Cadillac dealership buildings.

Courtesy 28 Songs Brewhouse and Kitchen

28 Songs Brewhouse and Kitchen had a soft opening in north Boerne in April, offering a food menu and guest beers until it receives a license to brew its own beer.

A recent news release said Idle Beer Hall will boast a rotating selection of craft beers, draft cocktails, an agave program, and a patio with room to play lawn games.

Make Ready Market, which will offer guests a range of foods from 10 vendors, from classic comfort foods to Mexican street food. The first Make Ready tenant, Mila Coffee, opens May 1.

‘Black is Beautiful’ on the big screen
A crowd gathered at the Finesilver Building on March 30 for the premier of “Black is Beautiful,” a short documentary film about the creation of Weathered Souls Brewing’s iconic Black is Beautiful beer.

It includes interviews with Weathered Souls’ owner and head brewer Marcus Baskerville who, moved by the killing of George Floyd and protests against police brutality in 2020, brewed Black is Beautiful as a symbol in the fight for equality and against injustice.

Baskerville and Weathered Souls also transformed Black is Beautiful into a community initiative where numerous craft brewers locally, statewide and nationwide promoted the beer, and raised funds for social justice causes and shined a light on inclusiveness in their own communities.

Courtesy Novo Brazil Brewing Co

What's brewing in San Antonio: 2 breweries expand while one makes a welcome return

San Antonio Brewing News

Openings

Based in Chula Vista, California,Novo Brazil Brewing Co. said it plans to open four new locations in 2023: three in California, and one in north central San Antonio. According to San Diego Beer News, Novo Brazil looks to occupy 10,000 square feet of space at North Star Mall. An artist’s rendering has been provided, but no opening date or other details are available. Founder Tiago Carneiro told San Diego Beer News that San Antonio offers a prime opportunity at expansion outside of Southern California: “San Antonio is a city with a lot of potential for a brand like Novo to provide great food and high-quality beers."

The Growler Exchange, a popular Alamo Heights craft beer bar which celebrated its seventh anniversary on March 25, plans to open a second location at 914 E. Elmira St. According to a recent filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, the Growler Exchange will begin a four-month renovation project in early April at a small commercial building that contains a Black Swan Yoga, among other small businesses and vacant spaces. The building is located off North St. Mary’s Street, near downtown San Antonio and Man Overboard Brewing Co.

Courtesy Novo Brazil Brewing Co

An artist's rendering of Novo Brazil Brewing Co.'s planned San Antonio location at North Star Mall.

New Braunfels’ Faust Brewing Co. is making a triumphant return after closing its brewery, biergarten, and tasting room to the public in spring 2020 during the pandemic. Three years later, Faust is revealing a renovated brewery, biergarten, and tasting room at an April 1 event. Faust Brewing has undergone some major changes since spring 2020, including ending its longtime partnership with New Braunfels’ Faust Hotel, the result of new hotel ownership taking over. Former hotel owner Vance Hinton has since consolidated beer production at the brewing site at 499 S. Castell Ave., which opened in 2016. The expanded and enhanced Faust Brewing location now includes a large live music stage, a renovated tasting room, a food trailer, and the ability to book private events. But that's not all: Faust Brewing also plans to build out the rest of its property with a coffee shop and a restaurant.

Other beer news and notes

Free Roam Brewing Co. in Boerne introduced a new motivational series in February. Held every third Thursday from 6-8 pm, Men’s Night at Free Roam features an inspirational presentation from a guest speaker. Brewery representatives say Men’s Night is open to males ages 13 and up, and provides “a sense of community and camaraderie in a safe space where guys can just be guys. The February edition of Men’s Night featured motivational speaker and author John Lynch; the March edition included former Spurs star Bruce Bowen, who is now a motivational speaker and a community basketball coach.

Local actor Jensen Ackles of Supernatural and The Boys fame — and co-owner of Dripping Springs’ Family Business Beer Co. — is using his social media platform to rally beer fans in favor of some recently filed state legislation. He shared a video on Instagram about Senate Bill 752, which if passed would let Texas breweries and brewpubs deliver beer directly or indirectly to the homes of consumers in Texas or nationwide. Ackles promoted a petition being offered by the Texas Craft Brewers Guild’s Craft Political Action Committee, which says current state laws that permit wineries, retailers, and third-party apps to deliver their beverage products should also cover Texas beer producers.

(Courtesy Wild Barley Kitchen and Brewing)

The month in beer: House beer now pouring at 2 fledgling San Antonio breweries

San Antonio Brewing News

Some beer-lovers have a favorite sipping spot, and others are happy as long as their favorite brew is flowing. San Antonians now have a few options to expand those preferences, from new house beers to new options at the Alamodome.

Wild Barley pours it on
Wild Barley Kitchen and Brewery opened their doors in 2022 north of Alamo Heights, and during the new restaurant’s first few months visitors enjoyed the offerings of guest beers, plus sourdough pizzas and sandwiches baked in-house.

But since late January, Wild Barely has invited local craft beer fans to sample some of their first house beers, including Meander in the Meadows, a Belgian blonde; Sedona red IPA; Crooked Grind IPA; and Awaken, a coffee porter brewed with the Bank Robber blend from San Antonio Gold.

Breakaway Brewing breaks away
The owners of the cycling-themed Breakaway Brewing located in the East Side neighborhood of Government Hills unlocked their doors to the public on February 3. Guests have since enjoyed house beers, such as the Vogel, an altbier; King of the Mountains, a red IPA; Maglia Rosa, a grapefruit pale ale; and The Texan, an American pale ale.

Aside from their regular food menu offerings such as burgers, brisket street tacos, salads, even barbecue tofu bites, Breakaway recently had a Mardi Gras menu with Cajun, Creole and New Orleans-inspired dishes such as jambalaya and gumbo.

People checking out Breakaway may also take advantage of the gastropub’s living room-style lounge setting or outdoor benches, non-alcoholic offerings such as Laguinitas Brewing’s Hoppy Refresher, or free bike racks.

Alamo Beer, Brahmas football team up
San Antonio Brahmas, a new San Antonio football franchise and the latest addition to the rebooted XFL, debuted with an 18-15 loss to the St. Louis BattleHawks at the Alamodome.

A short distance from the dome, Brahmas fans cheered on their team at Alamo Beer Co., which snagged a corporate sponsor deal with the XFL.

According to the pact, the East Side brewery is producing special 19.2-ounce cans containing its Alamo Golden beer with XFL and Brahmas branding.

The specially designed cans of Alamo Golden beer are available at the Alamodome on Brahmas game days, at major convenience and retail stores, and some area restaurants and bars. Alamo Beer is also hosting tailgating opportunities at Brahmas home games this season.

Alamo Beer had a similar partnership with the San Antonio Commanders of the Alliance of American Football, which abruptly folded a few weeks into its premiere season in 2019.

$Wild Barley Kitchen and Brewing on Broadway began pouring the first of their original house beers in early January. \u200b$

(Courtesy Wild Barley Kitchen and Brewing)

Wild Barley Kitchen and Brewing on Broadway began pouring the first of their original house beers in early January.

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Nola breaks new ground and a Hill Country eatery heads to City Hall in San Antonio food news

NEWS YOU CAN EAT

Editor's note: We get it. It can be difficult to keep up with the fast pace of San Antonio's restaurant and bar scene. We have you covered with our weekly roundup of essential food news.

Openings

The long lines at Nola Brunch & Beignets may soon double. According to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation Records, the brunch behemoth is opening a location at 1101 Broadway. The restaurant did not return a request for comment by publication time, but Nola executive chef Melissa Villanueva is listed as the tenant. It's unclear if this is a relocation or a second outpost, but the project is set to wrap up in March 2024. CultureMap will update as we hear more information.

New Braunfels will have a new dining destination when an ambitious redevelopment is completed. According to state filings, Wiggins Hospitality Group — the folks behind McAdoo's Seafood Co. — will renovate the town's former City Hall into a mixed-use building incorporating offices on the ground floor. New Braunfels Historic Landmark Commission records give more details about the unnamed eatery, including plans for a bar and courtyard. Construction is set to wrap up in May 2024.

Other news and notes

San Antonio standout The Jerk Shack will be featured in a new book from national food site Eater. The restaurant — an Eater darling since being named one of the best new restaurants in the country by Hillary Dixler Canavan in 2029 — appropriately contributed a chicken dish.

Favor gave some insight into San Antonio's ordering habits via its first-ever dining report, released September 19. Alamo City requested more orders for barbecue than any other city in the state but surprisingly fell behind Austin in overall taco orders. The delivery app also shared a few tidbits about how San Antonians customize their meals. Locals favor lean brisket, flour tortillas, chorizo, and — controversially — chili with beans. Read all the findings at favordelivery.com.

Not content at only being a Food Network personality, chef Braunda Smith is now set to break the internet. The owner of Lucy Copper's Ice House will soon be featured on the popular web series America's Best Restaurants. The restaurant confirmed the filming via a Facebook post but did not share when the segment will be aired.

Here are the top 7 things to do in San Antonio this weekend

Weekend Event Guide

Entertainment is the name of the game for the days ahead, and this list of happenings is proof. Catch Becky G or Alejandro Fernández live in concert, or sample some of the best beers around at Flying Saucer’s inaugural BeerFest. Check out the top seven things to do in San Antonio this weekend. For a complete list of events, please visit our calendar.

Friday, September 29

San Antonio Parks Foundation presents the 40th Annual Jazz’SAlive
Jazz’SAlive, San Antonio’s official jazz festival and one of the largest festivals of its kind in the country, is back for another year of music at Civic Park at Hemisfair. The two-day event will feature a lineup of jazz talent including Kirk Whalum, Jackie Venson, Dirty River Jazz Band, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, and the Aaron Prado Sextet featuring Azul Barrientos across two stages. For a schedule of events and more details, go to saparks.org.

Majestic Theatre presents Becky G in concert
Latin music sensation Becky G comes to San Antonio for a live concert. The California-based artist is best known for hit songs such as "Mamiii" and "Bubalu" performs at Majestic Theatre in support of her 2022 album, Esquemas. Get more details on Ticketmaster.

13th Floor Haunted House
Test your mettle at this year’s 13th Floor Haunted House San Antonio experience. Guests can choose between two separate haunted attractions — The Deadlands and the Rot Shop — to explore. Cocktails will be available onsite at the Copper Tavern for guests who prefer a frighteningly good drink. Check out 13thfloorsanantonio.com for more information. The haunted house is open through November 4.

Saturday, September 30

Flying Saucer Draught Emporium presents BeerFeast
The first-ever BeerFeast at Flying Saucer Draught Emporium invites guests to celebrate all things brewed for one day only. Tickets include samples from a curated selection of 80 local, national, and international breweries in commemorative BeerFeast taster cups for attendees to take home. Special tasting cards will also be available as souvenir swag. To purchase tickets, learn about VIP experience offerings, and more, go to beerknurd.com.

Tobin Center presents OktobinFest
Local entertainment takes the stage at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts in homage to the rich cultural background of Texas. Festival programming includes several live performances from Grupo TanTan, Conjunto Heritage Taller, El Tallercito de Ballet Folklorico, and others. This event is suitable for guests of all ages. Go to tobincenter.org for more information.

AT&T Center presents Alejandro Fernández in concert
Mexican singer Alejandro Fernández brings his Amor y Patria U.S. Tour to San Antonio’s AT&T Center for a live show. The multi-Grammy-winning artist, widely known as “El Potrillo,” is the voice behind songs such as “Hoy Tengo Ganas De Ti” and “Caballero.” Find more information on Ticketmaster.

Sunday, October 1

Majestic Theatre presents "Russell Peters: Act Your Age World Tour"
Comedian Russell Peters performs live as part of his Act Your Age world tour at Majestic Theatre. He’s been recognized by Rolling Stone among the magazin'e's "50 Best Comics of All Time" and for his specials on Showtime and Comedy Central. Guests can expect a humorous evening of Peters’ musings and takes on the current state of the world fully uncensored. Get ticket details on majesticempire.com.

Photo by Andrews Cope

Flying Saucer Draught Emporium presents BeerFeast on September 30.

Hot San Antonio hotel brings back popular live fire dinner series for fall

Straight fire

Fall is finally upon us, and while we welcome the end of 100 degree days, we're all for the heat at Ambler Texas Kitchen + Cocktails, which is bringing back its popular live fire series.

The downtown restaurant, located inside the Hotel Contessa, is reprising a summer series, this time for the fall season. Led by executive chef Michael Collins, the Ambler live fire dinners are a fun, interactive dining experience out on the hotel patio. If you're looking for a way to eat well and stay warm as temperatures (hopefully) cool, the live fire dinner is a guaranteed way to get the best of both worlds.

Chef Collins and his team are essentially hosting a hotel cookout where every item on the plate is grilled. It kicks off with a complimentary welcome cocktail, alongside buttermilk biscuits made with Shiner Bock beer and honey, plus a romaine salad for starters.

Guests will then choose between starters like mesquite-smoked and grilled Texas Akaushi ribeye, cast iron-blackened Gulf mahi-mahi, or mesquite-smoked beer can chicken. These entrees have more than a touch of Texas in the tasty mesquite smoke — and the 22-ounce ribeye and the half-chicken are seriously big portions.

Ambler invited CultureMap to a previous live fire dinner, where the sides were a surprising star. The cast iron-griddled potatoes also caught some smoke from being on the grill, and each dish is only lightly seasoned, to enhance the natural flavors rather than create a new taste.

Reservations for the fall live fire series ($79-$129 per person depending on entree, beverages at additional cost) are available on OpenTable. The fall live fire dinners kick off on September 30, and occur every Saturday all the way through November.

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