We all know the Hill Country has good wine. But what else? Good views, cool architecture, and, many may not realize, great beer.
Austin-based Beerburg Brewing is making sure the area gets its brewing laurels at Texas' inaugural Beers Made by Walking Festival on November 11. The event, expanded from an existing festival in Colorado Springs, brings together 13 Central Texas breweries and four local nonprofits that will benefit from ticket sales, bringing both beers and environmental consciousness to the table — or the bar top.
As part of the festival's development program, Beerburg has been working for nearly a year with the nonprofits to figure out how beer and local environmentalism can fit together. Brewers went on guided nature walks, learned about native and plants, and dove into the area's environmental issues like "water scarcity, protecting wildlife habitats, and land preservation," according to a release.
The result of all this study is a new beer to be launched at the festival. Beerburg has not released a name or description of the beer, so for now it's an eco-friendly mystery.
A participant makes a discovery on the Hill Country walk.Photo by Lisa Hause
"I’ve always been inspired by what [festival founder Eric Steen] created, and the intention behind Beers Made by Walking was one of the drivers behind our ethos at Beerburg,” said Beerburg founder Trevor Nearburg in the release.
“We’re excited and honored to bring this truly important program to Texas for the first time," he added. "The goal is to not only learn about native plants growing around us, but [to] gain a real understanding and respect for these ingredients, and an awareness for how we can engage and give back to our natural environment to ensure it thrives for the future.”
Other breweries participating in the festival include:
- Back Unturned Brewing (San Antonio)
- Batch Brewing
- Black Star Co-Op
- Brewtorium
- Central Machine Works
- Frontyard Brewing
- Ghost Note
- Hold Out
- Middleton (San Marcos)
- Red Horn
- Roughhouse
- Vector Brewing (Dallas)
- Vista Brewing
In Colorado, Beers Made by Walking intended to get people more involved in their natural surroundings, and since 2011, it has engaged more 200 breweries nationally. For its Austin debut — which is also its first time being hosted in the Southwest — it adds the Shield Ranch Foundation, the Watershed Association, Colorado River Land Trust, and the Nature Conservancy to its rolodex of benefactors.
All four nonprofits and the festival founder will be onsite to share information and opportunities to get involved. That also includes presentations by Sacred Journey School of Herbalism, Community Cultures, and Mike the Beekeeper, as well as a local craft market and food vendors.
Tickets ($40-65) to the inaugural Beers Made by Walking at Beerburg Brewing (13476 Fitzhugh Rd.) are available at beerburgbrewing.com. The festival will be held on November 11 from 1-5 pm. All tickets include a 12-sample pour tasting card and a commemorative glass; VIP tickets tack on early entry at noon and a festival T-shirt. Attendees must be at least 21 years old.
