Sawyer Yards' new brewery

Growing Houston beer brand claims prime Sawyer Yards brewery and taproom

Tejas Beer has claimed the former Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company space.

Tejas Beer/Facebook

It didn’t take long to find a new occupant for the Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company facility in Sawyer Yards. Gulf Coast Distillers announced it has leased the building at 2101 Summer Street as the new home for its Tejas Beer brand.

Also marketed under the brand Giant Texas Distillers, Gulf Coast Distillers is the largest distillery west of the Mississippi, according to the company’s website. It has been brewing Tejas Beer since 2020, which is when it acquired the brand from the shuttered Big Bend Brewing Company in West Texas.

Initially, Tejas will sell both its Clara lager and Negra amber beer at over 500 locations, including Houston-area H-E-B stores, according to a release. The beer will be distributed locally by Houston Distributing Company and Faust Distributing Company.

“We are excited to bring the beer Tejas Beer brand and this beautiful Houston brewery under our family of companies” Carlos de Aldecoa, president and CEO of Gulf Coast Distillers, said in a statement. “Our group’s 100-year history in beverages, plus our business operations expertise, financial stability, and strategic business alliances with great organizations such as Faust Distributing Company and Houston Distributing Company will bring the Tejas brand into a market leading position.”

Tejas will open the Sawyer Yards facility later this summer after completing renovations. Its beers will also be available at the Giant Texas tasting room, which is part of Gulf Coast Distillers facility in the greater Fifth Ward (5610 Clinton Drive).

“We are proud to be a part of helping bring this Texas-style brand to Texans,” Houston Distributing Company CEO Bo Huggins added. “Tejas Beer will be a prominent part of HD’s distribution portfolio. Look for it everywhere soon.”

In January, CultureMap broke the news that Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company had been locked out of its facility by Sawyer Yards owner Jon Deal. At the time, he promised that whoever took occupancy of the building would be “well run and well funded.” Deal says. Working with a company as large as Gulf Coast Distilling would indicate Deal kept that promise.

craft-beer openings closings

family-friendly outdoor bar

Massive, German-inspired beer garden coming to new Energy Corridor project

Photo by Eric Sandler

The new beer garden will be similar to Katy Beer Garden.

One of Houston’s most successful bar operators is bringing his talents to the Energy Corridor. Steven Salazar is opening Ashford Beer Garden at the Ashford Yard mixed-use development.

Slated to open in early 2026, Ashford Beer Garden will build on the success Salazar has had with Katy Beer Garden, the project he opened last summer at The Dryer, a mixed-use development on the property of Katy’s historic Cardiff Rice Dryer. Like KBG, Ashford Beer Garden will be large — roughly 21,000 square feet — divided into a 10,000-square-foot indoor beer hall with a companion cocktail bar and a 11,000-square-foot outdoor beer garden that’s shaded by trees.

“We’re sticking with that Bavarian charm,” Salazar says about his vision for Ashford Beer Garden. “Bring your family. It’s really relaxed. The kids are playing. You have multiple generations hanging out. It’s worked well in Katy. We’re excited to bring it to a new area.”

Of course, the new project will make some improvements on the original. Most importantly, Ashford will have a full kitchen (KBG mostly relies on food trucks and a nearby food court). Salazar says he’s looking for a chef to lead the kitchen.

In response to customer demand for private event space, Ashford Beer Garden will also have a larger second floor patio than KBG does. The beer garden will have a larger screen to make it easier for people to watch sports.

Located on the site of a former Schlumberger campus near the intersection of Dairy Ashford Rd. and Briar Forest Dr., Ashford Yard is a 12.7-acre development that will include apartments, restaurants, and retail tenants. Salazar says he found his values aligned with the projects developers, Houston real estate firms Market Square Companies and Tenon Property Company.

“We have a similar vision of quality for the community and creating a space and having great neighbors. Not being a strip center but a true development that’s above and beyond what the area has to offer,” Salazar says. Later, he adds, “It seems great for us to be surrounded by companies such as Shell and Baker Hughes and all these great neighborhoods."

news-you-can-eat openings craft-beer ashford beer garden

Sawyer Yards' new brewery

Growing Houston beer brand claims prime Sawyer Yards brewery and taproom

family-friendly outdoor bar

Massive, German-inspired beer garden coming to new Energy Corridor project

4 fresh new restaurants now open in suburban Houston

Houston's most pretty-in-pink restaurant quietly closes in Upper Kirby

New Houston pizzeria serves up slices and vintage vibes in the East End