Austin’s (512) Brewing Company was founded in 2007, at the front end of a wave of new brewery openings in the Texas capital. The brewery has benefited both from Austin’s thirst for local product and from its burgeoning community of brewers.
Today, Shrago’s still working a day job. But he’s also in the brewhouse on nights and weekends, churning out creative takes on American and Belgian styles for Long Beach, Calif., brewers Beachwood BBQ & Brewing. It’s a long way from the stovetop he started on.
When Daniel and David Kleban started the Maine Beer Company, they were brewing their hoppy American ales one barrel at a time in an industrial park on the outskirts of Portland; they’re now on pace to do 1,500 barrels a year, and that quantity doesn’t come close to meeting consumer demand.
Alex Ganum places Upright Brewing Company in the Belgian/French farmhouse vein, in the sense that the brewery is cranking out beers that can stand on their own, without getting hung up on style.
During the day, Doug Dozark runs production for Cigar City Brewing. And when he’s not working the production line, he’s in Gulfport, Fla., churning out beers in 35-gallon batches for the family restaurant.
The jump from employee to owner-brewer is an expensive one. But for Jason Meyer, co-founder of Driftwood Brewing Company in Victoria, British Columbia, the really hairy stuff came in the months after his brewhouse got cranking.
Allagash’s Rob Tod recalls visiting spontaneous Belgian breweries with a group of American brewers, and wondering whether their techniques could be imported to the US.
Carl Melissas, brewmaster at Asheville’s Wedge Brewing Company, brews up unpretentious ales and lagers inspired by the classic style benchmarks. It’s a simple-sounding proposition, until you account for the stiff competition all around town. The city knows quality and craftsmanship.
The guys at Barrier Brewing Company don’t think of themselves as nanobrewers. They’re just brewers who happen to be producing beers at the ridiculous rate of two kegs per batch.
Brad Clark has wanted to push the envelope since the first beer he ever brewed. At Clark’s Athens, Ohio, brewpub, Jackie O’s, he’s pushing boundaries in several directions.
Since 2006, Ashman, a barrel aging pioneer, has plied his trade at Truckee’s FiftyFifty Brewing Company. And for the brewer, the barrels are still the draw.
At his environmentally conscious Philadelphia brewpub, Earth Bread + Brewery, guest taps outnumber Baker’s own beers by nearly two to one. That way, customers looking for an American IPA can drink somebody else’s, and Baker’s taps are free for his more unusual and experimental beers.
The teeming Metroplex area runs from Dallas to Fort Worth, a decent-sized city in its own right that’s since been pulled into Dallas’ orbit. There’s a lot to take in, so it’s best to take it a step at a time, a bar at a time.
Shaun Hill runs his brewery with a profound sense of purpose. He brews his beers with well water from the farm that’s been in his family for generations.
Boise bars eagerly stock the biggest, most fragrant beers that Oregon and Washington can pump out. And its homegrown breweries are following that brewing tradition to great effect. Come see for yourself.
Will Hamill has one foot in each faction of the craft brewing community. He built Uinta Brewing Company on the strength of solid, approachable session beers, and he’s also cranking out giant specialty recipes.
Spokane has good water running through its center, and it’s surrounded by wheat and barley fields, with Washington’s hop fields a couple hours to the west. This college town, best known for its ties to NBA short-shorts hero John Stockton, is a fine place to knock back a pint.
The Baltimore-based brewer, who produces adventurous ales on both sides of the Atlantic, sees some advantage in not having a home. Nothing about his Stillwater Artisanal Ales project is straightforward, from the beer in the bottle to the labels outside.
When you throw high and low culture in a bag, douse it in bourbon and shake it around a bit, good things tend to come out. The city has vibrant arts and music scenes, and a level of comfort with folks on the fringes. All of which makes it a fine place to pause and tip back a pint.
The Green Flash Brewing Company brewmaster touts his wide stylistic résumé—he cranks out Stouts, Belgians and barrel-aged oddities. At the same time, he says, he knows where demand in the craft market is going, and he’s more than happy to help lead the way.
Good beer can’t be stopped; quality will prevail. Just look at Texas. If you want to see the revolution crystallizing before your eyes, head to San Antonio, a massive city that’s just now at the precipice of becoming a brewing hot-spot.
California boasts a number of premier brewing regions; the base of Sequoia National Forest hasn’t traditionally been one of them. Kyle Smith is working to change that. His small brewpub, the Kern River Brewing Company, is cranking out buzzed-about beers at the edge of the wilderness.
It’s big and dense and modern, the people are welcoming, the food is fresh and tasty, and should you be inclined to venture outside—some pretty staggering natural sights are right outside the city limits. And here’s where to drink while you’re taking it all in.
