From Boston to Austin for the weekend

Rainey St. It's close enough that you should be able to walk there and they have quite a few bars like Bangers or Craft Pride with killin selections. Plus that area is "aimed" at the "30" year old crowd. You also should try hitting up Draught House- its a bit up north, around 45th st., but you can take the bus up there easily.

 

If you're looking to pick up some bottles to potentially send home, I'd recommend East 1st Grocery. It's just down Cesar Chavez (east of 35). It would take about 5 minutes from the Omni.

 

Here are some other similar threads with good suggestions:
http://beeradvocate.com/community/t...d-food-combo-in-austin-tx.80611/#post-1164225
http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/austin-beer-scene.65024/#post-900462
http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/austin-suggestions.64710/

I would suggest Rainey St during the daytime. Most of the bars have nice patios. Otherwise head North of downtown and go to Draught House, Hopfields, Pinthouse, Billy's on Burnet and Black Star. Check out www.beermapping.com to get a visual of where everything is in town.

If you're hoping to visit any breweries, and are limited to a cab, I would recommend Hops & Grain (open Fri and Sat afternoon). You could also stop at Hi Hat for beers and food when you're on the East side too. From there you could get on the light rail at the Plaza Saltillo stop and head North to Black Star which is at the Crestview stop. Lots of options.

 

I approve these messages.

and from an ex-masshole, hope you have a good time!

 

Lots of good advice here. Bangers and Craft Pride are excellent downtown choices, as is taking the train north to Black Star (the damn thing literally lets you off on their patio). Draught House and Pinthouse are less easily accessible but you can take a cab, they're close to one another, and both lots of fun.

If you want to stay downtown in the 6th Street corridor, you can also try Easy Tiger, Chicago House and Brew Exchange.

I would HIGHLY recommend a brewery trip to Hops and Grain on Saturday. Start out eating beef ribs at J. Mueller Meat Company, then walk over to Hops & Grain for 12-4 tasting, then hit the Hi Hat before you head back. You won't be sorry you did.

And yes, for bottles in the downtown area, East 1st Grocery or the bottle store at Craft Pride

 

For downtown places to eat, definitely check out Parkside (oysters), Backspace (800 degree wood fired pizza oven), 24 Diner (good craft beer too), Whole Foods flag ship (great beer bottle selection with good bar at the back). Would also recommend having a swanky drink at the Driskill bar or having a cigar on the 2nd floor of the Stephen F Austin hotel (both have crappy but improving beer selections). There's a cool sushi place called Silhouette that's close, with accompanying karoake bar upstairs if that's your thing.

Oh yeah definitely have a burger at Casion El Camino on dirty 6th. Amazing dive bar burger.

Easy Tiger, Bangers, and Craft Pride for (long) walkable beer goodness as others have stated.

BK

 

Driskill Bar always has Chimay Red on draft (my fsvorite thing to get there) and usually a Live Oak or Real Ale selection.

Ladies love their cocktails. Some of the best downtown. The only place my gf has really gotten fall down drunk; lol.

 

one of the beer sites i check out had something for sxsw vistors

http://www.craftisbetter.com/2013/02/20-beer-bars-in-austin-worth-your-time.html

 

Chimay RED on draft?!?! we may need to meet here some night. Im a red and blue guy much over the white.

 

Just looked at their current menu to confirm... looks like it's Chimay White right now as well as Fireman's 4, Live Oak Seasonal (probably schwartzbier) and Guinness.

They might rotate those Chimays. It was definitely Red a few months back, unless I'd had one too many, lol.

 

Damn. Everyone has white on draft, never seen red or blue on tap. Would be a welcome change, not that i dont love white but blue and red are MUCH better beers IMO.

 

Elephant Room used to have red and blue on tap. haven't been in about a year though, so don't know if still the case.

 

Was at the driskill last week and red was on tap. I remember going there the first time and my friends jaw nearly dropped when he saw that.

They make a great makers old fashioned there btw

 

So I'm not crazy! Yaaay!

 

I'd recommend the Black Star Coop, which is a brewpub that also has a good selection of guest taps. They have great pub food, and imho, their house beers are some of the best in Austin. Check the schedule first, but you can take the light rail from downtown to the Crestview station, which is right by the Black Star.

 

I'll second all of the recommendations for Draught House. It's my favorite place and I'm a huge ***** for it. Hopfields was also really nice the one time I went. I've seen the Hops and Grain tour suggested, which makes sense given the cabbing. If any BA is going to Jester King this weekend, though, maybe they'd be willing to give you a ride . You definitely, definitely wouldn't regret doing that, if you could.