It’s hot, hot, hot outside! While spring-fed water in places near Dripping Springs keeps you cool, sometimes you just want to quench the thirst with refreshing local craft beer. The Dripping Springs area has plenty of unique craft breweries for exploring.
Here’s your chance to see how they churn out liquid gold. When you tour a craft brewery, you learn about the fascinating brewing process and sample a few brews.
Before you go, visit the brewery’s website for their hours, prices, and offerings. Some have an open house or set days and times for tours. These are worth the trip. Of course, there’s a catch: visitors must be at least 21 years old to sample their wares. But you knew that.
Parents of young children, some of the breweries welcome families. It can make for a fun and educational family outing.
Jester King
13187 Fitzhugh Rd., Austin, TX 78736
jesterkingbrewery.com
The Jester King is more than an authentic farmhouse brewery. Its 165 acres of land houses a restaurant, farm, and event hall. Their beers use local fruits, vegetables, foraged plants, yeast, and Texas-grown barley and wheat. Committed to mixed culture and spontaneous fermentation, they get their inspiration from the classic farmhouse breweries of Europe.
Their tasting room is open Thursday through Sunday. On the weekends, you can go on their 30-minute brewery and 45-minute farm tours.
Twisted X Brewing Co.
23455 W RR 150, Dripping Springs, TX 78620
twistedxbrewing.com
Whoa-Mango! That’s not an exclamation! That’s the name of one of Twisted X’s UPAs. They develop their recipes using a three-barrel pilot system. At the epicenter of the Twisted X experience is their tasting room that’s open Thursday through Sunday. You can expect to see small batches of craft beers that you can enjoy in their tasting room.
You don’t need reservations to go on Saturday and Sunday brewery tours. Next time you feel spontaneous and want to try flights of up to six varieties, just head to Twisted X.
Real Ale Brewing Co.
231 San Saba Ct., Blanco, TX 78606
realalebrewing.com
Drive west from Dripping Springs for 30 minutes and you’ll end up in Blanco where you can Visit Real Ale Brewing Co. to discover how they make beer with as little processing as possible. Their beers are unfiltered, unpasteurized, and free of preservatives and artificial colors. And it’s truly local as the beer’s water comes from the nearby Blanco River.
You won’t find Real Ale outside of the great state of Texas because they’re proud Texans. Their website explains that beer tastes best when it’s enjoyed nearest where it’s made. The taproom is open Wednesday through Sunday with free tours on Friday and Saturday.
Family Business Beer Company
19510 Hamilton Pool Rd., Dripping Springs, TX 78620
familybusinessbeerco.com
As the name suggests, this is a family-owned brewery. One thing that makes this one different is that they’re kid- and pet-friendly. They even have a fenced-in playscape place for the kids.
Open Wednesday through Sunday, a food truck is on the property that’s open whenever the brewery is open. They also serve a variety of ciders from an Austin cidery and non-alcoholic options. The taproom offers sampler beer flight, live music, and a huge oak grove with games.
Suds Monkey
1032 Canyon Bend Dr., Suite B, Dripping Springs, TX 78620
sudsmonkeybrew.com
The nano brewery welcomes families and pets and encourages you to chat with the locals to learn about their mascot Suds Monkey. You can’t help but smile when browsing their brews with names like Zen Monkey Hefeweizen, Cheeky Money Session American Wheat, Funky Monkey IPA, and Tex S. Amber.
Suds Monkey started in a Michigan basement at Mom’s house. The founders relentlessly pursued their dream of opening a brewery. The brewery is open Wednesday through Sunday with NY style pizza available from Hop’d Up Pizza.
Vista Brewing
13551 FM 150, Driftwood, TX 78619
vistabrewingtx.com
Just a short 10-minute drive from Dripping Springs and the Caliterra Community, Vista Brewing will have you buzzing with excitement. That’s because they have a 16-hive apiary, something you don’t typically find at a brewery. Family- and dog-friendly, they offer brewery and farm tours every Saturday and Sunday at 1 pm and 7 pm respectively.
Check their calendar of because it’s filled with a variety of events. They also have an onsite restaurant. Every fall, they hold the Outside the City Limits Festival, a celebration of local food, beer, music, and the outdoors.
Want more? Check out Yelp’s list of best breweries near Dripping Springs, Texas.
One of the coolest things about living in Dripping Springs is that you have a diversity of brewery options to visit all around the Texas Hill Country. In the meantime, if you want to live in a charming small town where you’d be at home with nature near Austin, explore these new homes in Dripping Springs.
