TEXAS TAPS CENTER STAGE AT BONESHAKERS
Boneshakers is all about bands, bicycles, and beer, but what sets it apart is a pleasant riverside patio and Texas brews.
The venue at 116 West Mitchell has just undergone a remodeling behind the bar that increases the number of its Texas-only taps to 25. If it’s made in Texas and J.P. Perez can get his hands on it, you’ll find it at the bar on the edge of Southtown.
Perez said there is a possibility of rising to 30 taps soon, making it an easy rival with some of the best Texas-centric beer bars in Austin.
Boneshakers is participating in the first San Antonio Beer Week, May 15-22, but don’t wait until then to check it out.
BEER BILL WATCH
There was a bit of a victory in the battle for small Texas breweries in the Texas Legislature last week. House Bill 602, which would allow microbreweries to make take-home beer available as part of a brewery tour, was passed out of committee and heads to the full House.
This is the third session for some version of this bill and no strong opposition has arisen so far.
The popular HB 660, however, has yet to pass out of committee despite a passionate grassroots campaign and lobbyists being paid from the sale of Texas Beer Freedom T-shirts and pint glasses. The two major distributor associations are split with regard to their stance on letting brewpubs also sell beer off-premises through a distributor.
At this point the brewpub bill is likely to die in committee with no vote. Even if it does come to a vote, at best it has four out of the five votes needed.
The most likely scenario, sources say, is that it would be kicked to an interim committee in the off year for the Legislature to explore further.
SUMMER SAMPLING
The Friendly Spot on South Alamo will have free samples of several summer brews from 5-8 p.m. on Thursday, April 21. Sierra Nevada Brewing reps will be there with Summerfest and Saint Arnold Brewing will serve up Summer Pils.
Also on the menu are Magic Hat Brewing’s Wacko from Vermont (which includes beets for a pink grapefruit-like color) and Pyramid Curve Ball Blonde Ale.
If you want a full pint, get a special pint glass for $2 and fill it for $1 off to support Friends of Bonham, which aids downtown public charter school Bonham Academy.
MAUI TO TEXAS
Meanwhile, Ben E. Keith Beverage Distributors announced that it is bringing the beers of Maui Brewing Co. to Texas. The 6-year-old Hawaiian microbrewery is saying aloha to us with Bikini Blonde Lager, Big Swell IPA, Mana Wheat, and CoCoNut Porter (yes, coconut beer).
Travis E. Poling writes about beer weekly for the Current and is author of Beer Across Texas: A Guide to Brews and Brewmasters of the Lone Star State. You can reach him at [email protected].
