Saturdays around Brewer’s Alley has gotten quite busy these days. If you want to experience some of the newest brews to come out of Central Texas, just take a short drive to the outskirts of Austin, out near Hamilton Pool Road and Fitzhugh Road to have your taste.
From Jester King Brewery to Thirsty Planet Brewing Company, the portal to the Texas Hill Country is home to a growing collection of beer makers keen on quenching your thirst for craft beer.
Meet the newest brewers on the block, Last Stand Brewing Company, which is headed by a trio of beer creators — husband and wife Kerry and Mandi Richardson and Louisiana native Mignonne Gros.
It was a dream of Kerry’s since 2008, when his beer brewing hobby was to grow to a whole new level as he developed plans for opening and running a brewery full-time.
It took a few years of planning and then a couple more years of business school before Kerry was ready to make the jump into the world of weekend taprooms and brewhouse brouhaha, but the public reception was almost instant. After a few soft openings to test the waters at the end of 2014, they held their first open taproom in February and have had packed Saturdays ever since.
Part of the appeal of Last Stand Brewing Company is the welcoming vibe you get when you roll in to their little tucked away slice of Texas.
On a typical Saturday you can expect to see a smattering of families and doggies running around the space. They’ve worked hard to build out the roomy picnic area where you can lounge under shady Live Oaks, in addition to the indoor taproom where you’ll find their mainstays and more experimental beers.
A Trio of Mainstay Offerings
Which brings us to the main topic of discussion — the beers.
In particular their three year-round beer offerings — IPA, BPA (that’s a Belgian Pale Ale) and Coffee Porter. It’s a very eclectic collection that has proven popular with the taproom crowds so far with many happy drinkers coming back for more.
“We wanted to have a pretty diverse line-up,” Kerry mentions as he pours the first bits of his prized Belgian Pale Ale into a glass for inspection. They thrive on consistency and their recipes start as experiments in their pilot brewing system before they go on to mainstream production. You can find their newest creations at their taproom on Saturdays from 2 – 8 pm.
To open a full-time brewery, it is not enough to simply love brewing beer, you must live for it. Here the small but growing team of brewers make some of the tastiest pale ales and porters you’ll find this side of the Colorado River.
When the time came to decide on a name, it came down to a feeling of giving it your all that made him go with Last Stand.
“We had a list of a lot of names and a friend of mine mentioned that this was kind of like my last stand — like I was going ‘all in’,” Kerry tells me as we tour the flourishing facilities.
Growing as Fast as Austin
Within a few months time, Last Stand has already maxed out their space at the brewery, which is why you might notice a few new areas of construction next door when you visit. That’s going to be the new taproom, which will make space for more barrels and tanks for the brewing process and give thirsty Texans a little more room to sample their scrumptious brews.
In the future there are plans to add a small bottling line to the operations side of things, which will expand their distribution from draft only to bottle, as well.
Check back for updates to their taproom hours; in the near future Kerry plans to add Sundays to the calendar. Visit the Last Stand Brewing Company Facebook page to let you know of upcoming charities that are held at the brewhouse, in addition to local music acts.
Well-behaved dogs are welcome, so bring your four-legged friend and enjoy a sunny Saturday out in one of the most scenic and delicious spots in Texas.
Last Stand Brewing Company (map)
12345 Pauls Valley Rd.
Building I
Austin, TX 78737
Taproom hours: Saturday 2 – 8 PM
