The 2019 Texas Craft Brewers Festival is quickly approaching the final weekend of September. I was able to cover the full fest last year with media credentials, and had a blast. Check out my writeups of last year’s Partners in Craft event and the main Texas Craft Brewers Festival. In my opinion, it’s the best beer festival in Texas.

Why You Should Attend Partners in Craft

While the main festival on Saturday is a lot of fun and a great value, the heat and crowds may be too much for some people. Luckily, the smaller Partners in Craft event has neither of those things! This more intimate event takes place Friday evening, where temps will be lower. It still takes place at Fiesta Gardens, but in a smaller area to the East of the park.

Last year was my first year attending. Along with most people I spoke with, we agreed it was a great value, and less stressful experience. We were really impressed by the quality of food options available, and the unique vendors market on site. This year, Hold Out Brewing, Vista Brewing, and S. Baker Kitchen at Roughhouse Brewing will be serving food for purchase. Some acoustic music will be played by Aubrey Hays and Rock Bottom String Band.

The smaller capacity also meant beer lines were much shorter. Speaking of which, the event is focused on small batch collaborations between Texas craft brewers and other members of the community like: coffee roasters, artisans, and farms. The full list of beers of 35 beers can be found here: Official Beerlist. Here’s my selection that I’m looking forward to trying first:

Tiger’s Blood – Blue Owl & Easy Tiger, Sour Summer Beer with Watermelon, Strawberries, and Coconut.

– Blue Owl & Easy Tiger, Sour Summer Beer with Watermelon, Strawberries, and Coconut. El Cuero – Lone Pint Brewery and Cuvee Coffee, A white stout brewed with extra Extra Pale Maris Otter, Caramalt, flaked oats, flaked barley, Ecuadorian Cacao Nibs, and Cuvee Coffee

– Lone Pint Brewery and Cuvee Coffee, A white stout brewed with extra Extra Pale Maris Otter, Caramalt, flaked oats, flaked barley, Ecuadorian Cacao Nibs, and Cuvee Coffee Pizza Party Pils – ABGB & Pinthouse, a crispy boi brewed by friends showcasing a new experimental hop ADHA1940.

– ABGB & Pinthouse, a crispy boi brewed by friends showcasing a new experimental hop ADHA1940. Austin Underground,Downpour Lager, Well Head – Vista Brewing, Blackstar Coop, Real Ale Brewing, This beer was brewed with breweries from 3 different water sources across the central Texas area. Inspired by the Texas Brewshed Alliance, all 3 breweries used the same ingredients and recipe to create 3 unique versions of the same beer.

Tickets for Partners in Craft are still available for $55 and include 8 pours and a commemorative cup. You can also save $5 and bundle them with a Saturday festival ticket. Hurry though, there is a good chance they’ll sell out any day. You can find them at Eventbrite here. Hope to see you there!

Last Minute Guide to Texas Craft Brewers Fest

What: A festival put on by the Texas Craft Brewers Guild showcasing guild-member breweries throughout the state with proceeds benefiting the guild.

When: Saturday, September 28th, 2:00PM – 6:30PM or 12:00 entrance w/ VIP

Where: Fiesta Gardens

Cost: $40 GA, $15 DD , $75 VIP , $55 Partners in Craft Tickets still available.

Planning Tips

Watch the Forecast – Even though the we often associate the end of September in Austin as a time when weather is getting more pleasant, the festival historically is either absurdly hot and/or partially rainy. This years forecast looks to be showing a good chance of rain. While umbrellas aren’t allowed into the fest, you can pack a poncho. There is a large covered pavilion on the festival grounds, but it does get crowded quickly during rain.

Plan Your Safe Transportation – Street parking around the festival is very limited and will get congested quickly. It can be difficult for your DD to find a spot, so consider checking out bus routes, using the Lady Bird Lake trail, or using the Lyft code provided by the festival

Plan to Not Arrive Hungry – While the festival will have food vendors on site, it’s important to not arrive with an empty stomach. You’ll undoubtedly want to start sampling immediately and it could be some time before your able to make it over to the vendors. Samples hit harder on an empty stomach.

Plan to Arrive Early – For the GA session, a line generally starts forming at the entrance a half hour early. Come 2pm, it can be pretty long for the first hour of the session. This usually isn’t an issue for the VIP session.

Bring the Goods – Your ID and printed or mobile tickets are essential. On top of that, you’re allowed to bring in an empty, reusable metal or plastic water bottle. These are handy to refill from the water tanks around the fest to stay hydrated and rinse your cup. Cash for food, merchandise, or beer tickets is useful as well.

Festival Tips

Try New Beer Styles – This is a perfect opportunity to try a few styles of beer outside of your normal comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to use up your 8, 3oz pour tickets quickly. TABC limits the single sale transactions in festivals to 24oz, so you’ll be able to buy more tickets, 8 at a time for $5.

Check Out New Breweries – There were a good number of first time breweries last year, and even more this year. Hopsquad Brewing Company, Ingenious Brewing Company, and SpindleTap Brewery are just a few new one’s you’ll see this year. Use this as your opportunity to see if you like the brews from an out-of-town brewery before you make the trip there. You can see the full list of Breweries attending here.

Watch out for Lines – Some of the more popular breweries will have consistently longer lines than others. If you don’t have a beer there which you’re dying to try, move on to a shorter line. You’ll also see lines forming for that rotating tap lists. If you’re wanting to try one of these, go ahead and set your phone alarm 10 min ahead of time, so that you can get queued up before the line is unbearable.

Don’t like it? Don’t finish it – Each tent will have dump buckets nearby. If you try a beer and find it unenjoyable, don’t feel obligated to finish it. Just be respectful when pouring it out, as some of the brewers will be by their tents, and that is their craft you’re dumping. While not everyone loves every style of beer or execution, it’s always nice to be polite.

Take a Moment to Listen to Music – This year’s fest will be headlined by Sweet Crude. They’re traveling in from New Orleans, and have a pretty unique sound. Local Austin brass band Meow Now will also be belting out tunes. Filling in the cracks, you’ll find DJ GrossYall spinning his tables. You may recognize him from hosting The Austin Beer Guide awards party.

The Beers

This year’s festival will have 214 different beers to sample. While most of them are available at the start, 27 will be Special Rotating Taps, with new ones every 30 min. Breweries are sorted alphabetically for the most part, along the perimeter of the park. Most will have signs on the tent with what’s available, with a few maps sprinkled around the grounds. While most of the servers will be volunteers, don’t hesitate to ask questions about the beers. Brewery representatives are usually near by each booth (early on) to answer.

The Official Beer List is located on the event website. In the list below, I’ve sorted the beers into broad categories to help if you’re looking to try all of a certain style. I’ve marked a few of the beers that I’m looking forward to trying in green.

I like to make a quick list on a note card of beers that I consider must-tries. While I don’t always end up hitting all of them, it does help to reference during the fest. Be okay with knowing you won’t try them all.

Hop Forward Beers

(512) Juicy IPA|(512) Brewing Company

Shepherd Warrior|5 Stones Artisan Brewery

Swine Dive IPA|AquaBrew

Nebulous Pale Ale|Astral Brewing

Brett IPA|Austin Beerworks

Hydraulic Lunch|Austin Beerworks

A Couple of Juice Bags|B52 Brewing

Hop Ons|Black Star Co-op

Trophy Buckle IPA|Bluebonnet Beer Company

Crush City IPA|Buffalo Bayou Brew Co.

Tuxedo Tshirt|Circle Brewing Co.

Citra Slice IPA|Community Beer Company

Deep Ellum IPA|Deep Ellum Brewing Company

Mini Boss|Eureka Heights Brewing Co.

El Saico!|Family Business Beer Company

Hamilton Pale|Family Business Beer Company

Nebulas Hazy IPA|Flix Brewhouse

Rye IPA|Frontyard Brewing

Fruity Pellets|Great Heights Brewing Company

Hi-C|Hi Sign Brewing

Super Astronaut|Hi Sign Brewing

Real Good Hops|Holler Brewing

Beachfront Rodeo IPA|Hops & Grain Brewing

Haze County|Hops & Grain Brewing

Lupulin Rodeo IPA|Hops & Grain Brewing

Professor Pleasant Pale Ale|Hopsquad Brewing Company

C800|Ingenious Brewing Company

Hawaiian Fog|Künstler Brewing

Lake Austin Ales – Juicy Blonde Ale|Lake Austin Ales

Lake Austin Ales – Juicy IPA|Lake Austin Ales

Melon Baller|Lakewood Brewing Co

Citra SMaSH IPA|Last Stand Brewing

Walks on Water|Lazarus Brewing Company

Hazeas Corpus|Legal Draft Beer Co.

667 The Neighbor of the Beast|Lone Pint Brewery

Galaxy SMASH|Lorelei Brewing Co

Juicy Visions IPA|Middleton Brewing

Dude, Where’s My Scooter?|North by Northwest Brewing Co.

Guava Zombie Dragon|North by Northwest Brewing Co.

Metamodern IPA|Oasis Texas Brewing Co

CAN-O-BLISS CITRUS IPA|Oskar Blues Brewery

Fully Adrift|Pinthouse Pizza Craft Brewpub

Wet Hop Green Battles|Pinthouse Pizza Craft Brewpub

I Raise Wolf Hybrids|Pondaseta Brewing Co.

The Fast & The Hazy|Pondaseta Brewing Co.

Fresh Kicks|Real Ale Brewing Company

Choomerang Kapow|Red Horn Coffee House and Brewing Co.

Art Car IPA|Saint Arnold Brewing Company

San Gabriel IPA|San Gabriel River Brewery, Inc

Tahitian Dreamin|Southern Heights Brewing Co

Faded DIPA|Spindle Tap Brewery

Houston Haze|Spindle Tap Brewery

Hoppy Duck|Texas Beer Company

Pillow Fort|The Brewtorium

Trunk Pop’n IPA|Thirsty Planet Brewing

Daddy’s Juice Box|True Vine Brewing Company

DDH IPA Series 14|TUPPS Brewery

DDH IPA Series 2|TUPPS Brewery

Azaccalypse Now|Two Wheel Brewing Company

Race Pointe|Two Wheel Brewing Company

8.5 Minute Abs|Whitestone Brewery

Wet Hop Heavenly Daze|Zilker Brewing Company

Yeast Forward Beers

People’s Champ|8th Wonder Brewery

Hefeweizen|Altstadt Brewery

Blur Texas Hefe|Circle Brewing Co.

Hefeweizen|Fredonia Brewery

Comtesse de Duval Saison|Hopsquad Brewing Company

Cashmere|Künstler Brewing

Taco’ Bout Wit|Lazy Beach Brewing

Freaky Deaky|Oak Highlands Brewery

Minitel|Oddwood Ales

Doppeldunkelweizenbock|Rentsch Brewery

Contact Light|True Anomaly Brewing Company

Small Giant|True Anomaly Brewing Company

Dirty Blonde|Twin Peaks Brewing Co

Malt Forward Beers

(512) Nut Brown|(512) Brewing Company

Bat Country|4th Tap Brewing

Highland Scoundrel|4th Tap Brewing

Melo Rainbow|5 Stones Artisan Brewery

Boysenberry Haterade|8th Wonder Brewery

Negra Royale|Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co.

Amber Vision|Austin Beerworks

Liquid Concussion|Austin Beerworks

Montecore|Austin Beerworks

Oktoberfest|Bluebonnet Beer Company

Das Umlaut Oktoberfest|Flix Brewhouse

Oktoberfiesta|Freetail Brewing Co.

Coconut Caramel Delight|Ingenious Brewing Company

Grodziskie|Live Oak Brewing Co.

Tornado Shark|Lone Pint Brewery

Munich Dunkel|Lorelei Brewing Co

Black Lab Porter|Middleton Brewing

Copperbock|Orf Brewing

Velvet Hammer|Peticolas Brewing Company

Oktoberfest|Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling

Blakkr|Real Ale Brewing Company

Double Rumtoberfest|Rentsch Brewery

Guten Tag|Saint Arnold Brewing Company

Wee Heavy|San Gabriel River Brewery, Inc

Smittlefest|Thirsty Planet Brewing

Dark Skies|Vista Brewing

Oktoberfest|Whitestone Brewery

Sours & Wilds

Mango Passion Project|Astral Brewing

Sakuma|Austin Beerworks

Little Smokey Gose|Blue Owl Brewing

Plum de Plume|Blue Owl Brewing

Professor Black|Blue Owl Brewing

Tiki Hop Totem|Blue Owl Brewing

Play Date|Deep Ellum Brewing Company

Le Petit Prince|Jester King Brewery

Mr. Mingo|Jester King Brewery

Nocturn Chrysalis|Jester King Brewery

Kombucha|Lazy Beach Brewing

Gose|Live Oak Brewing Co.

What Limes with Cucumber|Oak Highlands Brewery

AUSTINER WEISSE|Oskar Blues Brewery

Ona|Roughhouse Brewing

Treeform|Roughhouse Brewing

Friend and Berry|Roughhouse Brewing

UNLESS|True Anomaly Brewing Company

Galactic Minotaurt|True Vine Brewing Company

Glen Rose|Vista Brewing

Wood Aged Beers

(512) Peach Sour|(512) Brewing Company

Viet Irish|8th Wonder Brewery

Russian Imperial Coffee Milk Stout|Alamo Beer Company

Wild Boss with Fredericksburg Peaches|Blue Owl Brewing

Razzé All Day|Circle Brewing Co.

Hibernia|Friends and Allies Brewing Company

Volumes of Funk|Hops & Grain Brewing

Zaydorf|Orf Brewing

BLACKLANDS BARREL AGED BARLEYWINE|Oskar Blues Brewery

Bourbon Barrel Wee Heavy|Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling

Santa Poco|Real Ale Brewing Company

25th Anniversary Grand Cru|Saint Arnold Brewing Company

Bishop’s Barrel 23 with Oranges|Saint Arnold Brewing Company

Little Ivan McGregor|The Brewtorium

Daisy Explorer|True Anomaly Brewing Company

Light Session Beers

Kolsch|Altstadt Brewery

Lager|Altstadt Brewery

Alamo Golden Ale|Alamo Beer Company

Kraftwerk Kolsch|Astral Brewing

Rocket 100|Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co.

Sun Shovel|Austin Beerworks

Texas Lager|Community Beer Company

Dallas Blonde|Deep Ellum Brewing Company

Neato Bandito|Deep Ellum Brewing Company

Wow Factor|Eureka Heights Brewing Co.

Golden Age|Family Business Beer Company

Professional Texan|Fredonia Brewery

Bat Outta Helles|Freetail Brewing Co.

Lager-ish Kolsch|Great Heights Brewing Company

Berto the Mexican Lager|Hi Sign Brewing

Dollar Pils Y’all|Holler Brewing

River Beer|Hops & Grain Brewing

FineTime Pilsner|Hops & Grain Brewing

Texas Forever Lager|Last Stand Brewing

Lil’ Bruder|Lazarus Brewing Company

Fall Guy|Legal Draft Beer Co.

Sunset Cerveza|Oasis Texas Brewing Co

Pool Dad|Oddwood Ales

SALOON JUICE|Oskar Blues Brewery

Bicycle Pump|Peticolas Brewing Company

Adios Pantalones|Rahr & Sons Brewing Co.

Paleta de Mango|Rahr & Sons Brewing Co.

Hans’ Pils|Real Ale Brewing Company

Todo El Dia|Red Horn Coffee House and Brewing Co.

Lawnmower|Saint Arnold Brewing Company

Horimana Dry|Skull Mechanix Brewing

Wahrsager|Skull Mechanix Brewing

Local 2731|Southern Star Brewing

Texas Golden Bock|Southern Star Brewing

Carl|St Elmo Brewing Company

Pecos Amber Lager|Texas Beer Company

La Guera|Twin Peaks Brewing Co

Duel In the Sun|Weathered Souls Brewing Co.

Billy Jenkins|Wild Acre Brewing Company

Texas Blonde|Wild Acre Brewing Company

Flavored Beers

Honey Please|Armadillo Ale Works

Brunch Money|Armadillo Ale Works

Cool & the Gang with Fresh Lemon Zest|Blue Owl Brewing

Dreamsicle|Buffalo Bayou Brew Co.

Govalle|Friends and Allies Brewing Company

Coffee Milk Stout|Frontyard Brewing

Fruit with Friends: Blackberry Cobbler a la Mode|Ingenious Brewing ompany

Peanut Butter Temptress|Lakewood Brewing Co

Tūtū Pele|Pondaseta Brewing Co.

Sunday Morning Coming Down|Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling

House United Coffee Stout|Red Horn Coffee House and Brewing Co.

Pumpkinator 2013|Saint Arnold Brewing Company

DDH IPA Series 14 – Horchata|TUPPS Brewery

Full Grown Beast|TUPPS Brewery

Merriwether|Vista Brewing

Don’t Drop that Cake|Weathered Souls Brewing Co.

Cavernous with Coconut|Weathered Souls Brewing Co.

Fruited Beers

Brut of all Evil w/ Watermelon & Strawberry|4th Tap Brewing

Ape-pricot Wheat|AquaBrew

Tropical squeeze|Armadillo Ale Works

YSB #16: Kitten Mittons|Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co.

Imperial Fruit Sour|B52 Brewing

Roze Sap|Black Star Co-op

Wish You Were Queer|Black Star Co-op

Double Dapper Devil|Blue Owl Brewing

Violet the Blueberry Blonde Ale|Hi Sign Brewing

Lakewood Lemon Ale|Lakewood Brewing Co

Second Nature Gose|Lazarus Brewing Company

PopTart Ravioli? Kettle Soured Wild Berry Milkshake IPA|Red Horn Coffee House and Brewing Co.

Texas Peche|Saint Arnold Brewing Company

Jam Session|Southern Heights Brewing Co

Yolanda|St Elmo Brewing Company

Hoppy Clouds|Texas Beer Company

Tiny Boombox|The Brewtorium

Mango Tangerine Sour|Wild Acre Brewing Company

Chaos Magic|Zilker Brewing Company

Afterparty

If you’re thinking of leaving the festival early, or it’s just closed and you’re still kicking, consider checking out the Official After Party at Craft Pride. They’ve got some unique beers on from festival brewers, and plenty of music. Check out the Facebook Event page for more.

Protip: If you’re hungry, call Via 313 on your way over and place an order. They’re sure to have a long wait time.