Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Poll: What is your favorite Austin-area brewery?

For the Austinites, and those who have visited Austin:

At the newspaper for which I write, The Austin Chronicle, we're preparing for our annual "Best of Austin" issue. Which got me to wondering: Now that the number of breweries here is expanding enough to almost say we have an actual brewing scene, I want to know what is your favorite among our locals. Thus, please see the poll in the right-hand column of this blog.

Although I realize an argument could be made that Shiner qualifies as an Austin brewery, I decided I'm limiting it to nothing further away than Blanco – in other words, anything within about an hour's drive of Downtown.

I'm also limiting it to breweries that are actually fully operational and currently putting product out on the shelves and in the barroom taps, so you fans of Black Star and others will just have to wait until next year, when I'll hopefully remember to run another such poll.

Yes, the poll is unscientific, and you could get away with voting multiple times, but I'd really appreciate it if you'd just vote only once. I'm leaving this open for a good long time: a whole month.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

512 over Real only because Real is farther away!

Bill Night said...

Ummm... Even when I lived in Austin I wouldn't have considered Blanco part of Austin. I like their stuff but I don't see how you can call Real Ale an Austin brewery.

Lee said...

Given Real Ale's presence in the Austin market (and what I presume is Austin's huge importance to their sales), I think it's fair to associate them with Austin. Twenty years ago, on the same basis, I probably would have considered Shiner an Austin beer, but since you can get Shiner damn near everywhere now, I'm less inclined to do so.

Lee said...

Phrased another way: If the city of Austin suddenly disappeared, I think Real Ale would instantly be out of business. I think that makes them an Austin beer.

Organic Beer Boy said...

A very thoughtful idea to hold a voting, to judge the favorite beer of Austin, More people should participate & decide the Winner.

Chris Lehr said...

Real Ale is easily our favorite to drink, buy, and visit.

Unknown said...

(512) gets my vote due to the fact that I thoroughly enjoy all of their beers. They don't make a bad beer.
Real Ale comes in second for me, as there are a couple of their beers that simply aren't very good.

Clark said...

I'll say "Real Ale", even though it is away from the city a bit. Heck, I'd have called Shiner an Austin beer at one point in time.

If Real Ale is off limits, then count me as a Live Oak vote. I admit, though, that I need to sample a bit more of 512's offerings.

Lee said...

Po: Actually, what I meant was for you to cast a vote in the poll in the right-hand column, not just here in the comments section.

Krups beertender b90 said...

I've been there once and I'd say that Real Ale tasted good. Hope I could get back there to have some more..Wish there's a time for me to travel that far