Best Brewery Tours and Breweries For a Craft Draft in Austin

Looking for a great place to grab brews with your buddies or start a night out on the town with the girls? Austin offers dozens of breweries serving up craft beers and Texas favorites that are sure to please everyone in your group whether they prefer rich, caramel porters or fruity ciders. Even better, several breweries in Austin offer brewery tours where you can get a look at the science behind some of your favorite IPAs and pale ales. Brew up an evening of fun with this list of the best brewery tours and breweries in Austin.

The Best Breweries in Austin

Hops & Grain Brewing

https://www.hopsandgrain.com
507 Calles St | San Marcos location as well

Hops & Grain is an award-winning craft brewery located in East Austin. The taproom brews a tasty few IPAs all year round in addition to a Baltic style porter and lagers. This year they’re offering a Texas Honey IPA that has a balanced sweetness amid the punch of hops. In the past, they’ve brewed limited edition Saison beers. They’re heavily focused on sustainability and community involvement. Beers are always packaged in sustainable aluminum, one percent of all profits are donated to environmental charities, and grains used during the brewing process are turned into tasty dog treats for your furry friend.

St. Elmo Brewing Co

http://www.stelmobrewing.com
440 E. St. Elmo Road

St. Elmo brewing offers a classic beer garden vibe with community seating and a great outdoor space for enjoying brews. The patio is dog-friendly so you can bring along Fido to enjoy a sunny afternoon. Cool off in the scorching summer months with a refreshing Kolsch or a strawberry hefeweizen loving named Leslie. For something a little richer try the Darrell  — a burnt orange IPA or the Angus stout. If you get hungry, grab some Asian treats from the SourSop food truck on-site.

Photo courtesy of Jester King

Jester King Brewery

https://jesterkingbrewery.com 
13187 Fitzhugh Road

Jester King is considered the top dog in the Austin beer scene by numerous beer enthusiasts. It’s an authentic farmhouse brewery serving up some of the best farmhouse ales in the state. The brewery sits on 165 acres of preserved land in Dripping Springs and also features an event hall and local farm. The brewery is massive, offering plenty of space to cruise in with a gaggle of friends.  The brewery is located in Hill Country and raises goats, which are the stars of community events like goat yoga sessions.

Adelbert’s Brewery

http://www.adelbertsbeer.com
2314 Rutland Drive Suite #100

Adelbert’s is an award-winning microbrewery serving up beers proudly made in Austin. The company uses non-GMO Bohemian floor malted barley, Noble hops, and fresh yeast to create tasty brews with complex flavors. Try the hibiscus Saison or the lemon rye if you like fruity flavors or opt for the Scratchin Hippo if amber is more your style.

Pinthouse Pizza

http://pinthousepizza.com
4729 Burnet Road |4236 S. Lamar Blvd. | 2800 Hope Trail Round Rock

Run by the director of brewing affectionately known as Mr. Joe, Pinthouse Pizza offers more than 40 craft beers from their creations as well as other craft brewers. The brewer focuses on beers that are hop-forward with a touch of innovation and loose connection to traditional styling. There’s always something new on tap at Pinthouse so check out their beer release schedule and live tap feed before heading in. Drinking beers here is also great for the Austin community as they frequently run charity beer events where a portion of proceeds goes to local partner charities.

Photo courtesy of Austin Beerworks

Austin Beerworks

https://austinbeerworks.com
3001 Industrial Ter

Describing themselves as “hell-bent on excellence” Austin Beerworks is a haven for beer enthusiasts. The beer workers at the brewery are all about having a good time while crafting the best brews possible. Many of their beers have won awards and their deep love of craft beer keeps them on the job of creating your next favorite beer. Try the Anytime Ale Peacemaker or the Pearl Snap German-style pilsner from their core beer lineup.

Zilker Brewing

https://zilkerbeer.com/ 
1701 E. 6th St

Zilker Brewing offers an urban, industrial taproom that is located in the heart of downtown Austin. The tables are large and inviting and the brewery features local art and music as the foundation of its atmosphere. Try seasonal magic with the Scooter Wasteland featuring hazy, coconut and grapefruit flavors or opt for mainstays like the coffee milk stout and the Marco IPA.

Blue Owl Brewing

https://blueowlbrewing.com
2400 E. Cesar Chavez St #300

Blue Owl’s motto is “be unique. Drink unique” and they offer a special take on traditional breweries. The taproom is devoted exclusively to sour beers like the Van Dayum sour red ale and the Professor Black sour cherry stout. Grab a glass of beer or sign up for the tasting option where you can get several pours of different sours to find your favorite.

Celis Brewery

https://www.celisbeers.com
10001 Metric Blvd

Celis Brewery brews up craft beer magic in their one-of-a-kind Copper Kettle taproom. Their core beers are focused on Belgian style witbiers and include classics like the Celis White, Juicy IPA, and Pale Bock. The brewery was first started by Pierre Celis in 1992 and is now run by his daughter, Christine, who uses his inspiration and original yeast strain in all the craft beers. The brewery is also located within easy walking distance to other neighborhood breweries like Oskar Blues and 4th Tap.

Lazarus Brewing

https://www.lazarusbrewing.com
1902 E 6th St

Lazarus is a community staple serving up delicious beers in a friendly atmosphere. Try the flagships draught beers like he Achilles Heel dry nitro stout or the Walks on Water American IPA. Best of all, this brewery serves up amazing Tex-Mex food. Don’t miss their queso and tacos when bellying up to the bar for a cold one.

Oddwood Ales

https://www.oddwoodales.com
3108 Manor Rd

Oddwood Ales is a small brewpub and draught house focusing on American-style lagers, pale ales, and wild ales with hoppy notes. The neighborhood brewery pairs beer with tasty Italian food including thin-crust pizza. The brewery features lively events almost every night of the week including horror movie nights in October, Super Smash Bros. tournaments, and happy hour jazz.

Independence Brewing

http://independencebrewing.com
3913 Todd Ln Suite 607

Independence Brewing is backed by Lagunitas and offers playful beers highlighting cultural attractions and Austin staples. The beers are named for legendary Austin locales like the Redbud Berliner Weisse that references a popular dog park in the city. Don’t forget to check out a brewery tour or stop in when the pup is featuring live music. Like other Austin breweries, Independence offers community events including acro and ales — a fun event that combines tasty brews with acro yoga classes.

Live Oak Brewing

https://liveoakbrewing.com
1615 Crozier Lane

Located eight miles from downtown Austin and conveniently situated near the Austin International Airport, this brewery is a great place to hit on your way in or out of the city. Stop in for one of the public brewery tours or check it out from the comfort of your home with their virtual tour. Stop in for a smoky Rauchbier and enjoy the shady biergarten nestled amongst the live oaks along the Colorado River.

Friends and Allies Brewing

friendsandallies.beer 
979 Springdale Road #124

This brewery is located in the same complex as the Austin Bouldering Project so you can wind down after a fun activity with a glass of cold beer. Try the Urban Chicken Saison or the fresh Coat IPA from the core beer offerings or opt for a seasonal beer to try something unique. Feeling hungry? Grab some grub from the Wholly Cow Burger food truck located on-site.

Hi Sign Brewing

http://www.hisignbrewing.com
1201 Old Bastrop HWY Bldg A

This dog-friendly and family-friendly brewery serving high-quality beers in a relaxing taproom and beer garden in East Austin. The brewery was originally started along the banks of the Blackfoot River in Montana before opening a satellite operation in Austin. Try the El Berto The Mexican Lager or opt for something fruitier with the Violet the Blueberry Blonde.

Southern Heights Brewing Company

http://www.southernheightsbrewing.com
6014  Techni Center Dr

The beer and good times are always flowing at Southern Heights — a brewery that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Get playful with the board games and ping pong tables or relax with your furry friend in the dog-friendly patio area. If that’s not lively enough for you, the vibrant wall décor and playful on-site VW bus are sure to put you in a good mood. Famous for their IPAs, this brewery is a dream for hop-lovers.

Skull Mechanix Brewing

https://www.instagram.com/skullmechanix/?hl=en
1005 E St Elmo Rd #2

Skull Mechanix offers a rough-around-the-edges style that features rock, blues, and great beers. The vibe here has a distinctive metal atmosphere. Stop in for weekly events highlighting local bands and musicians or drop by for a guided brew tour to go behind the scenes. On tap, you’ll find six different lagers, four IPAs, a pale ale, Irish red, and a Japanese rice ale.

Oasis Texas Brewing Company

https://otxbc.com
6550 Comanche Trail

Located high in the hills of Texas Hill Country, this brewery features award-winning craft beers and delicious food to pair with it. The taproom is located along the shores of the Colorado River and offers stunning views of the sunset. Stop in for happy hour Taco Tuesdays where you can snag tacos for $2 apiece or try something more substantial with their tasty sandwiches.

Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co

https://theabgb.com
1305 W Oltorf St

Known by local Austinites as the ABGB, this biergarten has won the award for brewpub of the year at the Great American Beer Festival three times. The staff at the ABGB love Austin and their brewery shows it by working closely with charities and community organizations to improve the neighborhood. Through their Hell Yes Project, the brewery teams up with nonprofits to help make the city safe and fun to bike, preserve the pristine nature of Barton Springs Pool, and ensure children have food to eat. Try their Hell Yes Helles beer or the Big Mama Red — two of our favorite always on-tap beers.

Belly Up to the Bar With the Best Breweries in Austin

These Austin breweries are great places to catch up with old friends and make some new ones. Thriving on Austin’s desire to keep things weird, they offer lively atmospheres and access to Austin staples like food trucks with tasty tacos. Spread from North Austin to South Austin, Hill Country and everywhere in between, you’re never far away from a great brewery in the city. Stop in for tasty lagers, pilsners, pecan porters, and Belgian hops and stay for the live music and inviting atmospheres.