With the Hill Country Craft Beer Festival less than a week away, we looked at three New Braunfels breweries people can check out before they punch their ticket to the day-drinking festival on Saturday, April 23. From sprawling outdoor patio areas to intimate bar settings, here area a few of the local New Braunfels breweries that are worth the drive.
The New Braunfels Brewing Company. Photo by Gabriel Romero
New Braunfels Brewing Company
The New Braunfels Brewing Company's downtown tasting room is located at 180 W Mill Street, New Braunfels, TX 78130 and is open on Thursdays from 3 to 9 p.m., Fridays 1 to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 11a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 8 p.m. New Braunfels Brewing Company has 13 different beers on its menu, along with guest beers that aren't on tap, and a vast wine selection for those that prefer grapes to hops. They have 4 oz. and 12 oz. pours along with other growler filling options.
The "New Blondefels Blonde" a crisp blonde ale that is light and refreshing with low bitterness. It is the perfect beer to drink during the day or when you are chilling after work. A 4 oz. pour costs $3.50 and a 12 oz. pour is $6.25 for the 5.1% ABV draft brew. There are plenty of seats to grab by the beer batch barrels or outside under the umbrellas. The patio area is an intimate setting where friends can have a conversation or chat with the neighboring-sitting beer enthusiast.
The bartender was quick to recommend beers based off people's likes and dislikes. The service was great and it was really cool being inside a brewery — all the shiny beer equipment included — and then stepping outside and being next to a dog drinking water in a cozy patio area. A must visit if you are in the downtown area.
Faust Brewing Company. Photo by Gabriel Romero
Faust Brewing Company
The Faust Brewing Company is unique for its connection to the Faust Hotel. This hotel and brew pub is located at 240 S Seguin Avenue, New Braunfels, TX 78130. The bar and restaurant is open everyday from noon to 9 p.m. As soon as you step into this restaurant, you can see the brewery vats behind the bar. The bar top is spacious yet snug without feeling cramped. Faust has nine craft beers on tap ranging from pilsners to IPAs.
The "Bucket Brigade" a smooth and light bodied red cream ale, with a portion of the 3.9% ABV brew going to the New Braunfels Professional Firefighter Association, all for $5. Faust also make specialty cocktails underneath the TVs over the bar. The restaurant menu features build-your-own-burgers, fresh sandwiches, and great bar favorite appetizers.
The service was quick and they made sure customers got a brew they would enjoy. The Travelers Hotel, later named Faust Hotel, opened in 1929. They have multiple suite rooms and single rooms for people that want to make a night out of this brewery stop in New Braunfels.
Guadalupe Brewing Company. Photo by Gabriel Romero
Guadalupe Brewing Company
This brewery was tucked away from the main roads on 1586 Wald Road, New Braunfels, TX 78132. The Guadalupe Brewing Company is open Thursdays from 5 to 9 p.m., Fridays from 5 to 10 p.m., Saturdays from noon to 10 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 7 p.m. This brewery has over 30 beers to select. Guadalupe Brewing Company opened its doors in 2012 with a focus on full-flavored, well-balanced, and approachable craft beers with natural ingredients.
The property is huge and has a massive outdoor patio area where friends and family can gather under the awnings for a concert or just hang out. There were kids and dogs enjoying food from the pizza kitchen. The most popular beer is the "Texas Honey Ale," a blonde ale, that is enriched with Texas honey. A 5 oz. glass is $3 and a 13 oz. glass is $6, but prices of other beers vary. The ale was crisp and smooth, the 7.32% ABV beer, was refreshing, slightly sweet with the Texas honey.
There are plenty of TVs for people to watch sports and the tables, benches, and chairs in the area give you enough space between parties. The brewery has plenty of inside bar space too for the summertime heat. You might have to spend more than a day here to try all of the beers.