Craft beer enthusiasts will be thrilled to know that we now have a craft brewery located in Red Rock. Wild Bunch Brewing Company is owned and operated by brew master Jarle Lillemoen, who was on-hand at Leon’s on Nov. 18 for a special tasting event. Wild Bunch Brewing’s first offering is an India pale ale, called Red Rock Wild IPA. They will eventually add an amber ale and other varieties.

Besides offering samples of the IPA, Lillemoen was happy to chat with customers about his process and background. He uses a traditional method which respects the German "beer purity laws" and uses only malt, hops, water and yeast. He uses well water and the finest local ingredients available, plus direct flame propane, which results in flavors that are more explicit than most other craft brews.

While there are other investors in Wild Bunch Brewing, Lillemoen hand-built the brewery himself, designed it and developed the recipes. Some may recognize his name, as it can be found on the back of Moody June Gin, Fitch’s Goat Whiskey and Smith’s Vodka, which are sold by Bone Spirits Distillery in Smithville. Lillemoen was a master distiller there, and he helped create the processes and formulas for the distillery. His Moody June Gin was particularly successful, winning a silver medal at the San Francisco International Spirits Competition in 2015.

Lillemoen first got interested in brewing when he was in graduate school at the University of Texas. He earned a bachelor of science degree from the University of Houston and a doctoral degree in biochemistry from UT, which helped shape his love of brewing.

"Biochemistry definitely has its roots in brewing," Lillemoen said. "Louis Pasteur discovered pasteurization by souring alcohol, so it’s intimately related to my degree."

Besides Leon’s, Red Rock Wild IPA may be purchased at Red Rock General Store, Clint’s Liquor in Bastrop, and LG Spirits, Beer and Wine in La Grange. The Back Door Café and Coach Q’s Social Club in Smithville also carry it, and the 602 on Main in Bastrop offers it on tap. Several stores and restaurants in Austin currently offer it, and more locations are being added all the time, so sample it for yourself or grab some to add a local flavor to those holiday gatherings.

Wild Bunch Brewing is located at 1764 Taylorsville Road, with an on-site tasting room scheduled to open in December.

Rockne Market Day

Don’t miss Rockne Market Day this Saturday at Sacred Heart Parish Hall from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is an indoor sale with a huge variety of vendors. Handmade items for sale include wooden benches, Christmas wreaths, silver jewelry, crystal jewelry, children’s clothing, leather goods, homemade noodles and canned pickles, beets, and okra. There will also be chair massages, metal yard art, collectibles, furniture, and much more. R and D Catering will be there, so plan on stopping by for lunch or take out. For more information, visit their Facebook page or email rocknemarketday@gmail.com. Proceeds will benefit the Herman Goertz Memorial Fund, which helps those in need who are from Rockne and surrounding communities.

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