The Great American Ale Trail - Christian DeBenedetti [89]
THE FLYING SAUCER DRAFT EMPORIUM
815 W. 47th St. • Austin, TX 78751 • (512) 454-8200 • beerknurd.com/stores/
Six of the fourteen all-craft-focused Flying Saucer Draft Emporiums are located in Texas, which says a lot about the kind of beer Texans are getting into these days. With 70 taps, 140 bottled selections, and a couple of casks at any given time, this most recently added outlet’s selection makes its mall-like exterior and college crowd eminently bearable. Early on, the servers were more eye candy than beer experts but the level of institutional knowledge has ramped up considerably in the last few years. Once akin to Hooters with better beer, the Flying Saucer, founded in 2008, is headed higher.
UNCLE BILLY’S BREW & QUE
1530 Barton Springs Rd. • Austin, TX 78704 • (512) 476-0100 • unclebillysaustin.com
Decent Texas-style barbecue, pulled pork sandwiches, fried chicken-and-waffles, and brisket share the bill with award-winning house brews. Brewer Brian Peters breaks out fresh cask beers on the first Tuesday of every month, and has recently been experimenting with smoked beers to go with all the mesquite-grilled fare. Try the Hell in Keller, a kellerbier (aka zwickelbier) which has earned two medals at the GABF. There’s a sleek second location overlooking Lake Travis serving the same fare.
New Mexico
Albuquerque
MARBLE BREWERY
111 Marble Ave. NW • Albuquerque, NM 87102 (505) 243-2739 • marblebrewery.com • Established: 2008
SCENE & STORY
A hoppy oasis in a dusty warehouse area of Albuquerque not far from the main drag of Lomas Boulevard, Marble produces a modest, but growing, 6,000 bbl per year. The brewpub has hardwood floors, deep red walls, a forty-inch-wide bar, and a spacious, umbrella-equipped seating area outside. “It’s a great scene,” says founder Ted Rice. “We get blue-collar guys coming in from the machine shops that are right around the corner. But then we’re also right next to the courthouse facility, so we’ll get lawyers coming in, too. And we get the local beer nerds—all walks of life, all commingling and just gathering around a great local flavor.” Try one of the ten beers available, including seven year-round brews plus the three Brewer’s Specials, and fortify yourself with the Marble Nachos draped with a layer of homemade beef chili made with New Mexico red chiles. Casks are tapped Fridays, and tours are possible when the brewer’s schedule allows (try calling ahead). Growlers go for a mere $7.75. This is a short drive from the airport, so it would make a great first or last stop in the Land of Enchantment.
PHILOSOPHY
Rice and Co. have helped New Mexico embrace the tang and bite of spicier beers. “We want the malt character and the residual sweetness to be low, to allow layers of hop flavors to shine through,” Rice says. “So, when you have those layers of hop flavors and that low residual sweetness, the malt base is dry, and you have drinkability.”
The water in Albuquerque is fairly alkaline and fluctuates depending on whether the city is drawing from surface or well sources; turning a potential liability into a strength, Marble runs brewing water through a reverse osmosis filter and then adds back in necessary minerals and salts, allowing them to mimic classic brewing styles.
KEY BEER
Marble Red is a chewy, 6.2% ABV sipper with ample caramel malt body enfolded by juicy Cascade, Crystal, and Simcoe hops.
Santa Fe
SANTA FE BREWING CO.
35 Fire Pl. • Santa Fe, NM 87508 • (505) 424-3333 santafebrewing.com • Established: 1988
SCENE & STORY
The road leading to New Mexico’s oldest brewing company was known as a section of Route 66 as it passed through town during the 1920s and 1930s. Today it’s known as Route 14, aka Cerillos Boulevard, and the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway. Time your visit (it’s about a 15-minute drive from the city center) for sunset, because the taproom and its outdoor tables