THE BARBER SHOP BREWPUB OPENS IN DRIPPING SPRINGS

DRIPPING SPRINGS, TX - January 27, 2011 – Don’t be fooled by the name, the only need for sharp scissors at this barber shop is for cutting a grand opening ribbon. With a nod to its location’s history, The Barber Shop, a new brewpub in downtown Dripping Springs, Texas, opens for business this weekend.

Owned and operated by long time Dripping Springs resident and competitive homebrewer John McIntosh III and his business partner Dave Niemeyer, the bar promises a local pub atmosphere with community-style tables, darts, a dedicated dominoes table, and big screen television for sports. The beer tap line-up features a heavy emphasis on the area’s burgeoning community of microbrewers.

“Dripping Springs is just a stone’s skip from brewers gaining national acclaim including Real Ale, Jester King, 512, and Thirsty Planet,” notes McIntosh. “The Barber Shop was created to celebrate and support local and our selection definitely reflects that.”

Wine drinkers will also be able to sip and eat local as The Barber Shop offers wine selections including hometown favorite Bell Springs Winery, and is working closely with The Goodnight Diner, located just a couple of blocks down. Chef Jana Muniz is not only creating a custom nut mix for snacking, but also a convenient takeaway bar menu with easy to order, walkable eats.

The Barber Shop’s building started its life around November 1924 as a wooden and tin garage. In 1938 it was given its rock exterior and served as a garage and gas station until around 1960. After that, it was not used commercially for most of the next 25 years when it was then remodeled and turned into a barber shop. 

“While Dripping Springs old timers may chuckle at calling this building ‘the old barber shop,” that’s what it was for the past quarter century and that’s the sign that was still up when we took over,” said McIntosh. “Plus it had ‘bar’ in the name so we went with it.”

Repurposing the bar’s name and sign is in line with much of the building’s revitalization, which includes walls made from leftover tin from a friend’s barn and a bar built from wood salvaged from a family member’s home remodel. Décor includes garage memorabilia and dozens of decades old beer cans that revealed themselves during the remodel.

“We feel fortunate to be in such a unique location and we’re keen to maintain a sense of history and community,” says McIntosh, a University of Texas graduate who also studied at Oxford where he acquired his appreciation for the local pub. “The Barber Shop warmly welcomes all, but if your family was around when the building was first built, you get dibs on the dominoes table.”

The Barber Shop is located at 207 Mercer Street, Dripping Springs. Hours: Wednesday and Thursday: 3pm-10pm Friday: 3pm-12am Saturday: 11am - 12am Sunday: 12pm - 7pm For more information visit the brewpub’s website at www.barbershopbar.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/barbershopbar.

Coming to Marble Falls: Double Horn Brewing Company

As sure as the sun rises each day, there is a new brewing operation announced in Texas.  And guess what?  It's near Austin.

Double Horn Brewery is under construction in New Braunfels, Dusty Knight (a homebrewer) and Eric Casey (a microbiologist) plan to be open in March.

Freetail Brewing Company

Satan came for a visit and we went to San Antonio to hoist a few at Freetail Brewing Company. We had several beers, and finally settled on the wits, with me favoring the Morning Wit, and Satan prefering the Rye Wit.

It was a beautiful day and we sat on the patio. I wish this was closer to my house.

Freetail Brewing to Open

(November 7, 2008) San Antonio, TX – Freetail Brewing Co. will open the doors of their inaugural location on the corner of 1604 and NW Military in the Hill Country Plaza retail development on Thanksgiving weekend, November 28-30. The opening marks a fresh approach to San Antonio’s brewpub scene combining artisan pizza, salads and sandwiches with a microbrewery featuring unique selections of craft beer. Opening specials will include happy hour prices throughout the weekend.

“My philosophy here is to explore the nuances of beer that most people didn’t even know existed,” said Scott Metzger, founder and operator of Freetail Brewing Co. “We will have the finest quality examples of traditional styles, but also some that may not have even existed a few years, or even days, ago.”

The new location will offer spacious open seating, an outdoor patio with bar service, several high-definition televisions featuring live sporting events and take out service. Metzger plans on having eight to ten house style beers on tap at all times as well as have a number of draft beers from other Texas craft breweries and best wines from across the state.

Metzger first became involved with microbrewing through a passion for the unique and a quest to find some of the best craft beers in the U.S. and abroad. Metzger toyed with the idea of owning his own microbrewery, but it wasn’t until he began visiting breweries around the world that he finally decided to open Freetail Brewing Co.

“Having traveled to many beer-rich areas in both the U.S. and abroad, I developed a sense of what I really wanted to see in a brewpub. It should be a communal place where locals and visitors can enjoy a beer, some good food, catch a game and make a new friend,” said Metzger. “Unlike the English-styled pub, which seems to favor intimacy, I prefer a German-style biergarten approach that lends itself to interaction with your neighbors. Beer is a great way to make a new friend!” The Freetail name was chosen by Metzger to honor the official Texas flying mammal, the Mexican Free-tail Bat. “The Mexican Free-tail Bat is an often overlooked and underappreciated little creature that makes our lives better through the work it does in the darkness of night,” said Metzger. “In many ways, I hope my little brewery is defined in the same manner. Maybe a little overlooked, but out there changing the beer culture for the better in San Antonio and throughout Texas.”

Freetail Brewing Co. is founded on the pursuit of creating exciting, innovative and unique world class beers and artisan pizzas. We embrace the laid back and fun-loving South Central Texas culture and set out to create products that mirror the lifestyle of our diverse and rapidly growing community. We believe in promoting an increased appreciation of craft beer and its responsible enjoyment. We believe in going above and beyond customer expectations not only through our products, but also through exceptional customer service. We believe in providing a dining and leisure experience unmatched in the local community. And in case you didn’t get it the first time… we believe in having fun.

Dodging Duck Brewhaus - Boerne, Texas

Satan and I stopped in on Sunday for lunch and a beer. We had been talking about stopping at Dodging Duck Brewhaus for a year or so and finally managed to think about it as we were driving back from Fort Sam Houston. We arrived as the place opened and ordered a sampler. One of the wait staff brought us a bowl of tortilla chips and salsa, explaining that before noon on Sunday, they could only give us beer with food. Stupid beer laws!

The place has a casual atmosphere outside, a bit more formal inside. The deck has a great view of the park along the Guadalupe River. We were tempted to order something to go and a something in a growler, but there was no air conditioning outside.

I had fish and chips, which were excellent. My cousin had pork tenderloin with chimichurri sauce and looked really good, too.

There are only four beers on tap: a honey wheat, Biergesfest Ale (named after the local beer fest coming up), an English bitter (That was excellent! If I could remember the name, I would recommend it hartily! It was perfect with the fish and chips.), and a vanilla porter that was a little light on vanilla and should have been named a coffee porter (It was good, though! Just a let down).

Dodging Duck Brewhaus is worth a stop the next time time you're cruising down I-10 north of San Antonio.