Each year, area breweries come together in the time leading up to San Antonio Beer Week to collaboratively craft a brew that celebrates the city’s burgeoning beer culture, community and history.
Now in its ninth year, San Antonio Beer Week, which runs June 15-22, has expanded to include special beer dinners, pub crawls and — of course — opportunities that bring special once-a-year brews to local enthusiasts.
This year’s collaboration serves as an homage to San Antonio’s German roots — a dry-hopped pilsner brewed at Alamo Beer Co., which produced more than 30 barrels of the beer. The style is made to be easy-drinking and refreshing, using a selection of malts in addition to Bavarian and Magnum hops. In a modern twist, it’s also dry-hopped with Blanc and Melon hops.
This year’s brew, along with a special commemorative 2019 Pilsner-style glass, will be available at select locations, events and venues for a limited time during Beer Week.
Since San Antonio Beer Week kicked off in 2011, its special beer — produced both collaboratively and individually — has run a gamut of styles, including an English mild with pecans, an American saison brewed with palm sugar and an IPA brewed with eight different hops.
“I think it’s an essential part of what it means to be a craft brewery,” Mark McDavid, co-founder of Ranger Creek Brewing, said of the project’s collaborative spirit. “We’re working together to fight against the big beer behemoths and convince macro beer drinkers to try something local.”
The number of breweries participating in Beer Week varies year to year, but each installment allows the industry to come together to tell its story to the public.
This year’s participants includes not only Alamo and Ranger Creek but als Roadmap Brewing, Islla Street Brewing, Freetail Brewing Co., Künstler Brewing, High Wheel Beer Works, Weathered Souls Brewing, Back Unturned Brewing and Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery.
“Coming together for a collaboration brew really shows San Antonio that craft beer is about community, and that’s one of the many reasons that we’re better than the big guys,” McDavid said.
To learn more about 2019 San Antonio Beer Week, or its events, visit sabeerweek.org.
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