Starting this Saturday we’ll be having our 12 Days of Christmas (Tastings). That’s right, we have a free tasting every single day between Saturday the 12th and Christmas eve. Every day is a great one to visit your favorite bottle shop! See the full list below.
We’re happy to offer Victory Brewing’s winter seasonal Winter Cheers 6 packs for only $6.99 while supplies last! Winter Cheers is made with wheat and barley malt and citra hops for a citrusy kick.
We’ve had multiple people ask, and yes, we DO sell gift cards. Call or come into the shop and we’ll help you get a gift card for your loved ones this season.
Multiple people have asked about when and how we’ll be releasing Hops & Grain Volumes of Oak. We’ll be throwing a free tasting, release and ugly Christmas sweater party on Tuesday 12/22. All details are here.
12 Days of Christmas In-Store Tastings!
Thursday, December 10th – TONIGHT!
Clay from Cycler’s Brewing will be in the house tasting everyone on the two cans they just started distributing to Austin within the last month or two: 55-11 imperial red ale and Domestique witbier.
Friday, December 11th
Bailie from Community is back with the two latest awesome releases from those folks in Dallas: Ascension Coffee Porter and Oaked Mosaic. They’ll also be releasing Inspiration Belgian quad we’ll be sampling as well!
Saturday, December 12th
Local awesome cider makers Texas Keeper will be back at the tasting bar pouring their brand new Cider Noir – 100% Northern Spy apples double fermented with pecan and orange peel and aged on oak. Incredible! Also sampling Ciderweizen and Heirloom.
Sunday, December 13th – 2 to 4pm
Our own in-house tasting will feature: Save the World Agnus Dei witbier, Sierra Nevada Harvest Wild Hop, Zilker Pale ale, Guadalupe Bourbon Barrel Chocolate Stout, 5 Stones Home for the Holidays.
Monday, December 14th
Our own in-house tasting will feature: Austin Beerworks English IPA, 5 Stones Merry Christmas, Southern Tier 2xMas, Adelbert’s Sundowner.
Tuesday, December 15th
Matt Hogue from Boulevard will be back at the tasting bar featuring his quick wit as well as some newish releases from Kansas City. We’ll be tasting the Cigar City collaboration pale ale, Nutcracker, Tell Tale Tart and the outstanding Love Child #5 sour. Plenty of those will be available for sale too!
Wednesday, December 16th
Abita just released their new oyster stout Bad Mother Shucker so Hunter from the brewery will be back pouring free samples of that as well as Christmas ale and Grapefruit IPA.
Thursday, December 17th
BLACK CRACK. Southern Star’s bourbon barrel Buried Hatchet stout is going to be in single 16 oz cans this year. It is extremely limited and will be first come first serve starting at 6pm. We’ll crack open one can for free samples while supplies last in addition to the others we’ll be sampling – Buried Hatchet, Pine Belt pale ale and Bombshell Blonde.
Friday, December 18th
Seth from Wasatch & Squatters will be back pouring the fantastic winter weather Outer Darkness – an imperial stout made with molasses for a rich & decadent finish. We’ll also have Hop Rising double IPA and First One Down winter warmer for tasting.
New Beers This Week
Back in stock: Anchor Christmas 1.5 Liter!, Lone Pint Yellow Rose, Four Corners Block Party, Evil Twin Hipster, Evil Twin Falco (all Evil Twins arriving Friday).
Adelbert’s Sundowner – Biere Brut is a blend of the spicy, fruity notes of a Belgian ale balanced with the mouthfeel and body of a sparkling wine. Brewed with champagne yeast, this effervescent ale possesses white grape and green apple notes with a crisp, bone dry finish. 12% ABV/Austin, TX/No ratings yet/Availability: plenty
Dogfish Head Bitches Brew – Bitches Brew is Dogfish Head’s 40 year anniversary tribute to jazz legend Miles Davis’ seminal album of the same name. It’s a 9% imperial stout brewed with honey and gesho root and is one of Dogfish’s most sought after annual releases. We’ve been told it won’t be brewed in 2016 so get it while you can! 9% ABV/Milton, DE/Ratebeer 99/Availability: decent
Abita Bad Mother Shucker Oyster Stout – Brewed with pale, caramel, roasted and chocolate malts, this Mother Shucker is hopped up with Willamette hops and balanced out with the sweet and full flavors of oats. Fresh Louisiana Oysters are added to the boil in the final stages, infusing a slight taste of sea salt that offsets the sharpness of the stout. 8% ABV/Abita Springs, LA/Beer Advocate 86/Availability: plenty
Austin Beerworks English IPA – Unlike the huge assault of citrus and pine flavors of a modern American IPA, East Kent Golding and Fuggle hops create a flavor and aroma profile that is floral, earthy and delicate. 6% ABV/Austin, TX/No ratings/Availability: plenty
Zilker Pale Ale – Those boys on East 6th made a huge splash a couple months back with their first canned release – Marco IPA – named after their brewmaster Marco. Their second release is a golden hued pale brewed with pilsner malt, noble hops, and their unique house yeast. Dry hopped with a blend of noble and American hops to complement the subtle fruity yeast profile. 4.9% ABV/Austin, TX/No ratings yet/Availability: plenty
Crafted Meadery Criminal KLP – A mead collaboration with Cigar City Brewing out of Tampa, FL. If that doesn’t get your attention I don’t know what will! It’s a key lime pie inspired mead brewed with graham cracker crust, pecan, lime zest and key lime juice. 6% ABV/Mogadore, OH/No ratings yet/Availability: decent
5 Stones Merry Christmas – Christmas spice in a glass! Made with cinnamon, vanilla beans, nutmeg and allspice. Cibolo, TX/No ratings yet/Availability: plenty
Valencia Saison – From the same Spanish brewers who make Er Boqueron and La Socarrada, this one is a saison brewed with dried Valencian orange peel, orange blossom honey and dried rose hips. Aromas and flavor of orange and lemon zest, tart apple, ripe plum and rosewater. 6.2% ABV/Valencia, Spain/No ratings/Availability: limited
Querkus Smoked Oaked Porter – To get a subtle smokiness Querkus brews this beer with Scottish peated whisky malt, English pale and roasted malts and boil only whole leaf goldings hops. Querkus is then patiently cold matured over pieces of old French oak barrels. The flavors from the toasted wood slowly seep into the beer. 5.8% ABV/South Stoke, England/Ratebeer 82/Availability: decent
Evil Twin Christmas Eve in a NYC Hotel Room* – An imperial stout that is nearly impossible to find any info online about! Great name though. 10% ABV/Brooklyn, NY/Ratebeer 99/Availability: limited/*Arriving Friday
Evil Twin Citra Sunshine Slacker* – A citra session IPA in 16 oz cans that is super citrusy and infinitely crushable. 4.5% ABV/Brooklyn, NY/Ratebeer 95/Availability: limited/*Arriving Friday
Brooklyn Insulated Lager – German Munich, roasted Carafa, and Pilsner malts create a nimble, racy body, while a helping of American black barley adds just a hint of roast coffee. A light dry hopping of American and German hops pitter-patters across the nose and dives into the dry, warming finish. 5.6% ABV/Brooklyn, NY/Beer Advocate 88/Availability: decent
Ska Euphoria – A big backbone of malt–with plenty of caramel sweetness and just a touch of chocolate and toast–provides enough alcohol to stay warm through the winter months. But it’s the epic grapefruit hop aroma and flavor, provided by a huge dry hop addition at the end of fermentation, that really make this seasonal beer shine. 6.1% ABV/Durango, CO/Ratebeer 86/Availability: decent
Stone Enjoy By 12.25.15 – The DRINK IT NOW series is back, this time with a Christmas deadline. 9.4% ABV/Escondido, CA/Ratebeer 100/Availability: plenty
Upslope Oatmeal Stout – Smooth, roasty and sessionable, Oatmeal Stout packs full flavor and a robust body for a silky drinking experience. Brewed with oats, roasted malts and East Kent Golding hops, this one is perfectly balanced with a full body and smooth finish. 5% ABV/Boulder, CO/No ratings yet/Availability: limited
Sierra Nevada Harvest Wild Hop IPA – Made with a wild hop from New Mexico dubbed Neomexicanus, this one has melon, apricot and citrus aromas and is quite unique. 6.5% ABV/Chico, CA/Ratebeer 96/Availability: decent
Seattle Cider Oaked Maple* – Fermented with toasted oak chips, this semi-sweet cider is back-sweetened with pure Vermont maple syrup. Offering notes of vanilla and oak with a hint of maple, this unique cider is the perfect accompaniment to chilly winter weather. 6.9% ABV/Seattle, WA/No ratings yet/Availability: decent/*Arriving Friday
Southern Tier Krampus* – St. Nicholas, aka Santa Claus, is a magical figure, the bringer of gifts and an icon of holiday spirit. Forgotten by most is his evil side kick and enforcer of ‘the list’. European tradition says while St. Nick is busy delivering presents to good little boys and girls, Krampus hands out punishments to the bad. A fanged, goat-horned bully, the Christmas Devil uses sticks and chains to beat the naughty children. A dark and malty imperial helles lager. 9% ABV/Lakewood, NY/Ratebeer 94/Availability: decent/*Arriving Friday
Southern Tier Choklat* – The Blackwater series continues with Choklat, the chocolatey brother of Mokah, Crème Brulee, Choklat Oranj & Warlock. Rich, velvety chocolate flavor and mouthfeel. Perfect winter weather dessert beer. 10% ABV/Lakewood, NY/Ratebeer 100/Availability: decent/*Arriving Friday
3 Nations American Wit – 3 Nations from Farmers Branch just started distributing to Austin in 6 pack cans. American hops add a dynamic that compliments the ample amount of spices added to achieve this beer’s bold, malty sweetness. These mosaic hops enhance a strong, fruity and juicy fruit like aroma that precedes the hint of citrus and coriander spices that’s subtle and refreshing. 5.5% ABV/Farmers Branch, TX/No ratings yet/Availability: decent
3 Nations GPA – A hybrid style of a German altbier and kolsch but with American hops. 5.2% ABV/Farmers Branch, TX/No ratings yet/ Availability: decent
Audacity Brew House Bulletproof – Another new brewery that just hit Austin, Audacity Brew House is based in Denton and just released 2 new 6 pack cans. Bulletproof is billed as a Texas Pale Ale and is brewed with Texas craft malts and Texas-grown grapefruit, dry-hopped for a strong citrus aroma, a subtle honey-like sweetness and a crisp, easy to drink finish. 5.2% ABV/Denton, TX/No ratings yet/Availability: decent
Audacity Brew House Sunset Vienna Lager – Their other new release is a Vienna-style lager that tasted to us a bit closed to a dry hopped lager. Easy drinking and sessionable. 4.5% ABV/Denton, TX/No ratings yet/Availability: decent
Free Weekend Tastings: 6-8pm
Friday
Community Brewing free tasting! See details above.
Saturday
Texas Keeper Cider in the house with their brand new release! See details above.