It’s Texas, it’s summer, it’s 100+ degrees, it’s time to go drink some beer!
Texas is a big state, so we broke our Craft Brewery Tour Day Trips article into three cities for your traveling convenience. We’ll be covering five breweries in Dallas, five in Austin, and five in Houston.
For those of you who would prefer not to drive, we’ve got a short list of professional tour companies for you–You Drink, They Drive!
Dallas Brew BusAustin Brewery ToursHouston Beer Bus
The Dallas/Fort Worth area has over 45 breweries so narrowing it down to just five was almost impossible… almost. We’ll be taking a look at the following breweries:
• Lakewood Brewing Co.
• Franconia Brewing Co.
• Deep Ellum Brewing
• Four Corners Brewing Co.
• Rahr & Sons Brewing Co.
The Austin area is a hotbed of craft beer growth with over 46 breweries and counting! We based the list on location and beer styles, so if your favorite isn’t listed, we’ll get to it next time!
• Jester King Brewery
• Hops & Grain Brewery
• Adelbert’s Brewery
• Austin Beerworks
• Oasis Texas Brewing Co.
The Houston area may have fewer breweries than Austin or DFW, but what they lack in quantity they more than make up for in quality! We’ll be looking at some of the oldest and newest craft breweries.
• Saint Arnold Brewing Co.
• The Lone Pint Brewery
• Karbach Brewing Co.
• Southern Star Brewing
• Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co.
DALLAS
Lakewood Brewing
A small-batch brewery with strong European roots, Lakewood Brewery offers free brewery tours Saturdays at 1pm, 3pm, 5pm and Sundays at 2pm and 4pm.
They have a variety of beers on tap at any given time, including year-round favorites, seasonals, limited release offerings, and bottled selections from time to time. You’ll also find some shade and maybe a live show in their 4,000 square foot beer garden with a stage and seating for 200+.
“Here at Lakewood, we strive to create the highest quality beers by developing new and exciting styles while staying true to the art and precision of craft brewing. We handcraft small batch beers that are full of unique, exciting flavors and reflect the timelessness, creativity, and energetic fun that makes Lakewood less of a place and more of a feeling.”
Contact:
2302 Executive Dr
Garland, Texas 75041
(972) 864-2337lakewoodbrewing.com
Franconia Brewing Company
“The Beir From Here” alludes to the Franconia Brewery’s Bavarian heritage. They offer a $5 brewery tour every Saturday at 11am and it takes about two hours.
The brewmaster and owner, Dennis Wehrman, studied brewing in Munich at the University before moving to Dallas and opening Franconia in 2008. His family brewing history dates back to the 1800s and is still actively in the German brewing business.
“With a brewing Heritage that dates back to the 1800s, Franconia Brewing Company is more than just a local brewery, it is the essence true Bavarian brew. By combining the local accessibility to North Texas with our German/heritage/history, we are able to provide the fine people of North Texas with a taste of some of the most genuine and freshest Bavarian beer available. Please come with us and learn more about our brewery and our methods that make us Franconia Brewing Company.”
Contact:
495 McKinney Pkwy
McKinney, TX 75071
(972) 542-0705franconiabrewing.com
Deep Ellum Brewing
Deep Ellum Brewing Company proudly offers tours on Thursdays from 6-8:30pm and Saturdays from 12-3pm. $15 gets you a branded pint glass and three full pours from any of their beers. The Deep Ellum Taproom & Kitchen is open from 3-10pm Monday-Thursday, Fridays from 3pm-12am, and Saturdays from 12pm-12am.
“Beerfesto – To you, the beer drinker, Deep Ellum Brewing Company pledges: To never waste your time with gimmicks. To let our beer do the talking. To never live or work in a dry county. To remember our roots. To never serve a single glass of bad beer.”
Contact:
2823 St Louis Street
Dallas, TX 75226
(214) 888-3322deepellumbrewing.com
Four Corners Brewing Co.
“All-day ales as refreshing as the soul of Dallas.”
FCB offers tours every Saturday at 12pm and 1:30pm, and their taproom is open daily. The tour is free, but due to its popularity, you’ll want to reserve your spot online in advance.
A laidback neighborhood hangout featuring a tire swing in the middle of the canning room, they draw inspiration for brews from their surroundings.
“Perched just west of downtown Dallas. A place where neighborhood roots and craft brewing come together. We love craft beer. We love our city. Local flavor is the inspiration. All-day ales as refreshing as the soul of Dallas.”
Contact:
423 Singleton Blvd
Dallas, TX 75212
(214) 748-2739fcbrewing.com
Rahr & Sons Brewing Company
Heavily involved in the community, Rahr & Sons donates a portion of their tour admission price to a selected charity every week. Tours are $10 (includes a branded pint glass) and are Wednesdays from 5-7:30pm and Saturdays from 1-3pm. Although this is an open-air facility with no air conditioning, there is plenty of cold beer!
“It is because of the rich history we decided to continue in the paths of my ancestors and open our own brewery – Rahr & Sons Brewing, in the town of Fort Worth, Texas – a town very dear to my heart. We will follow in the traditions of my family and brew majestic lagers and rich ales using age-old recipes in the styles of the Rahr brewmasters of the past. We are dedicated to brewing only the finest beers possible – we hope you enjoy drinking them!”
Contact:
701 Galveston Avenue
Forth Worth, TX 76104
(817) 810-9266rahrbrewing.com
AUSTIN
Jester King Brewery
This brewery features farmhouse ales from an actual farmhouse. Located in the Texas Hill Country, Jester King offers brewery tours on Fridays at 6pm, and Saturday-Sunday at 1pm, 3pm and 5pm. Their tasting room is currently open on Fridays from 4-10pm, Saturdays from 12-10pm, and Sundays from 12-9pm.
“Jester King is an authentic farmhouse brewery committed to making wild ales and spontaneously fermented beers that reflect the unique character of our location in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. Like the small farmhouse breweries that inspired us, we pursue beer making that involves time, patience, unique fermentation, full attenuation, and refermentation in the serving vessel. We use water from our well, locally grown and malted grains, and native wild yeast to make beer with a sense of place unique to our brewery.”
Contact:
13005 Fitzhugh Rd
Austin, TX 78736
(512) 537-5100jesterkingbrewery.com
Hops & Grain
On the east side of Austin, you’ll find Hops & Grain giving tours of their sustainable brewery Tuesday-Friday at 5pm and Saturdays at 1pm, 3pm and 5pm. The taproom is open 7 days a week from 10am-10pm. Dog-friendly to the point of making dog treats from their spent grains.
“This is Hops & Grain Craft Brewery in Austin, Texas, where we love to make beer and we love the beer we make. We’re living one day at a time, living with a passion for our craft and a passion for sustainability, living the dream.”
Contact:
507 Calles
Austin, TX 78702
“East on 6th St. When it ends, you’re there.”
tours@hopsandgrain.comhopsandgrain.com
Adelbert’s Brewery
Award-winning, handcrafted Belgian style ales, tours of Adelbert’s Brewery are offered Fridays at 6pm and 7pm and Saturdays at 2pm and 3pm. The taproom is open Wednesday-Friday from 5-10pm, Saturdays from 1-10pm, and Sundays from 1-7pm. For $13, you get a souvenir glass, tour and six sample pours. Individual beers are available from $4-$6. Inside you’ll find a TV, darts, ping-pong, and a foosball table, while outside are several tables, food trucks, and shade.
Adelbert’s Brewery is an award-winning microbrewery that produces bottle-conditioned ales in Austin, Texas. The brewery was started as a tribute to the founder’s brother, Del, who was a world traveler. There is literally a story behind each beer, as each one is named after one of his entertaining traveling experiences.
Contact:
2314 Rutland Drive, Suite #100
Austin, TX 78758
(512) 662-1462adelbertsbeer.com
Austin Beerworks
A can-only brewery, which made headlines for its infamous 99-pack, offers a tap room in the middle of the brewery on Thursdays from 5-9pm, Fridays from 5-11pm, and Saturday-Sunday from 1-7pm. $10 gets you a brewery pint glass and three fills. There is also a rotating selection of food trucks.
“Local brewers hell-bent on excellence! Beer brings people together. And we believe with better beer people have a better time. We want as many people as possible to share in the fun. So we started Austin Beerworks with two goals: to consistently brew exceptional craft beers and build community in the town we love.”
Contact:
3009 Industrial Terrace
Austin, TX 78758
(512) 216-7661austinbeerworks.com
Oasis Texas Brewing Company
Easy drinking session beers with a stunning view of Lake Travis, the taproom is open on Thursdays from 4-10pm, Friday-Saturday from 12pm-12am, and Sundays from 12-10pm. Happy hour is held on Thursdays from 4-6pm, and Fridays from 2-6pm. They also feature a full-service kitchen open from 1-9pm.
“What is a session beer? It’s a word often thrown around in beer culture that can mean many things. In general, it means a lower alcohol beer (often 4-6% abv) that is bright, easy to drink, and satisfying. At its core, it’s a quaffable drink that you can have more than one of. It’s more than just a drinkable beer though. These are the beers that your local bar has on tap all the time. Your go-to. Your failsafe. Your all-year beer. These are the types of beers that people say XXX was my gateway beer. They become the stuff of routine, comfortable, close-knit, fraternal routine. These beers become a part of the community based on the love that people share for them.”
Contact:
6550 Comanche Trail
Austin, TX 78732
(512) 284-9407otxbc.com
HOUSTON
Saint Arnold Brewing Company
The oldest craft brewery in Texas, Saint Arnold offers free public tours every Monday through Friday at 1pm and 3pm. Saturday tours are at 12pm, 1pm, and 2pm. The Saturday tour is $10 and you’ll receive a souvenir glass and four 8 pours. The Beer Hall is open Monday through Thursday from 11am to 4:30pm, Friday 11am to 10pm, and Saturday 11am to 3pm. Visitors are more than welcome to bring snacks, games, folding chairs and picnic blankets.
“Our small crew does everything at the brewery: brew the beer, filter the beer, keg the beer, bottle the beer, sell the beer and drink the beer. For us, this is a passion, not a job. We believe that this comes through in the beers we make. Our beers have soul.”
Contact:
2000 Lyons Ave.
Houston, TX 77020
(716) 686-9494saintarnold.com
The Lone Pint Brewery
The Lone Pint Brewery is dedicated to creating distinctive local Texas ales that are tasty, hoppy, and quaffable. Tours are held every Saturday from 12pm to 4pm. The tour happens around 1:30 with later ones planned as needed. $10 gets you a souvenir pint glass and three tasting tokens. There is food available for purchase from local food trucks. Tables fill up fast so people are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
“The Lone Pint Brewery is a grassroots insurrection with the true beer lover in mind. We are dedicated to creating distinctive local Texas ales that are tasty, hoppy, and quaffable. We use raw whole cone hops for bittering, flavoring, aroma, and dry hopping additions in all of our brews. However, an equally important ingredient is the renewable energy that powers our Brewery. The spent grain is fed to a local dairy farmer’s cows and the spent hops are composted.”
Contact:
507 Commerce Street
Magnolia, Texas 77355
(713) 304-5069lonepint.com
Karbach Brewing Company
This is the second fastest growing brewery in the U.S. Tours are offered Monday through Friday at 3pm, 5pm, and 7pm. Saturday tours are held every hour on the hour from 1pm to 7pm and Sunday every hour on the hour from 1pm to 5pm. All tours meet in the Biergarten. Admission is $9 for a 9 ounce glass and four tokens or $13 for a pint and four tokens. Tokens are redeemable for the Biergarten only, not restaurant and patio. Take note- closed-toe shoes are required!
Karbach Restaurant + Patio delivers a brewery and dining experience unlike anywhere else. The culinary team has created a menu of dynamic, world-class cuisine that just so happens to pair really freaking well with beer! Restaurant hours are Sunday through Monday 11am to 9pm and Tuesday through Saturday from 11am to 9:30pm.
“We’re extremely excited about this brewery, and we think it shows in everything we do. This is just plain fun for us. The day it starts to feel like a job is the day when lightning shall strike us dead. Cause, hey, at the end of the day we’re making beer. And beer is fun.”
Contact:
2032 Karbach Street
Houston, TX 77092
(713) 680-BREW (2739)karbachbrewing.com
Southern Star Brewing
Rated “Best Gateway Brewery”, they recently opened a new brewery and taproom and host events on a regular basis. On Fridays, they have $3 Beers all night long. Brewery tours are available every Saturday at 2:00pm and 4:00pm. $10 per person gets you a SSBC pint glass and three beers with your tour.
On Sundays, from 12pm to 6pm, they offer $3 pints of your favorite SSBC beer, activities, fun and games. Russo’s Pizza also serves concessions in the Taproom.
Contact:
3525 N. Frazier St.
Conroe, Texas 77303
(936) 441-BREW (2739)southernstarbrewing.com
Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company
Putting creativity first, they drown ideology in beer. Tours are open to the public every Saturday
from 12pm to 3pm for $10 which includes a souvenir glass and three samples.
“Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company is a new twist on an old craft. With creativity as our main
goal, we subscribe to our own definitions regarding brewing parameters and guidelines,
without sacrificing flavor or consistency.”
Contact:
5301 Nolda Street
Houston, TX 77007
(713) 750-9795buffbrew.com
