Take Two Days on the Austin Craft Beer Trail

Day 1

Sleep in (you’ll need the rest), then start your first day by having lunch at one of these popular brew pubs. Consider the Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co. for a little live music, along with crave-worthy pizza and craft beers. From dunkels to double IPAs, it’s hard to go wrong at ABGB.

Relax on the patio at East Austin’s 10 barrel Lazarus Brewing Company, pairing your craft brews with tasty street-style tacos. Get a true taste of the Austin brewing community at Black Star Co-op, a people-powered brewery in central Austin offering a savory menu of quality bites and cooperatively designed beers.

​Experience the best of Austin

Shop local boutiques and see our most iconic murals on South Congress Avenue. Then take the ACL Live at the Moody Theater Venue Tour (and don’t forget to snap pic with the Willie Nelson statue out front). Stop for some recreation while the sun is shining with a kayak rental from the Rowing Dock, a hike at the Barton Creek Greenbelt or a climb at the world’s largest bouldering gym, the Austin Bouldering Project (followed by a pint at Friends & Allies Brewing). (Photo courtesy Austin CVB)

If want to let others do the work, hop on one of many local food and beer-oriented tours and let the experts be your guides. Check out Austin Eats Food Tours, Access ATX Tours, Austin Brewery Tours, Twisted Texas Tours and more.

Start your evening at a beer garden

Watch the sun go down from the shade of the live oak trees at Live Oak Brewing Co. and a pint of their famous Live Oak Hefeweizen. Relax at St. Elmo Brewing Company in South Austin with good friends, live music and killer comfort food from the Soursop trailer on site. Experience the best sunset views in Austin over Lake Travis at Oasis Texas Brewing Company

Check out these Austin eateries for dinner

Make reservations from Central Austin’s Hopfields where you can treat your taste buds to French-inspired fare and 44 brews on tap. Play a round of ping-pong at Easy Tiger, a creek-side beer garden and German-inspired café. Start off with the pretzel and beer cheese before noshing on artisan sandwiches and housemade sausages.

Looking for a low-key vibe? Grab a pint from Rainey Street’s Craft Pride, home to one of the largest selections of local and Texas beers in the city, and enjoy the Detroit-style pizza from the Via 313 food trailer out back.

Keep the party rocking into the night hours

Enjoy a cold one at one of our many bars featuring local music like Stay Gold, Scoot Inn or Antone’s Nightclub. Boot scoot at an iconic dancehall: Little Longhorn Saloon, Broken Spoke, White Horse. Soak up the hottest homegrown local music scene in the Red River Cultural District.

Day 2

Enjoy a big breakfast. Grab a coffee porter and bagel from Wright Bros. Brew & Brew before getting in line at Franklin Barbecue. Don’t miss the Sunday brunch at Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden pairing live music and 100+ beers on tap, like Zilker Brewing Co.’s Coffee Milk Stout. Head to Batch Craft Beer & Kolaches for Czech-style kolaches with a Texas twist (try the Brisket, pickle & Swiss kolache featuring Micklethwait Craft Meats) and a great selection of local and national craft brews.

Spend the afternoon in the Hill Country exploring the sights

Take a free brewery tour at Jester King Brewery and learn about the famed farmhouse brewery’s wild ales and spontaneously fermented beers. Head to Pedernales Falls State Park for a day hike before stopping in to Dripping Springs’ Twisted X Brewing Co. Get the full experience with a tasting flight on the patio, capped off by an order of the Twisted fried and green chili queso. (Photo courtesy of Visit Austin)

An hour outside of Austin, Real Ale Brewing Co. has been brewing up favorites like Fireman’s #4 Blonde Ale, Devil’s Backbone Belgian-style Tripel and Full Moon Rye IPA since 1996.

If you aren’t still stuffed from your breakfast, load up on these eats for lunch:

Find artisan pizza and a huge selection of award winning beers at Pinthouse Pizza, located in South and Central Austin. Enjoy vegan comfort food like buffalo cauliflower wings or beer plant curry in a farmhouse setting at The Beer Plant. Situated right down the road from Zilker Park, Uncle Billy’s Smokehouse & Brewery will fill you up with tasty Texas BBQ and brews like the Lazy Day Lager.

Squeeze in mid-day fun

Catch a flick at the Alamo Drafthouse movie theater, home to a rotating selection of local taps and a great menu of artisan snacks. Go for a dip at Barton Springs Pool or a nearby swimming hole. Up for another round? Visit Blue Owl Brewing to sample a selection of innovative sour-mashed beers. Or, take on a tour and tasting at the Argus Cidery taproom.

Wrap up your touring with evening with a local legend

Austin Beerworks is a true staple of the Austin brewing scene and their weekend tasting hours feel more like a backyard barbecue than a bar. Quaff Belgian-style ales at Celis Brewery, owned by a family with a rich beer brewing heritage. Hand-crafted Belgian-styled ales await at award-winning Adelbert’s Brewery along with a dog and family-friendly atmosphere and plenty of patio games.

Don’t forget to stop by the Whichcraft Beer Store on your way out of town to pick up a six pack of your favorite local brew!