INFO
BREWER/FOUNDER . . . . Philip & Diane Conner
(Founders), Brad Farbstein (Owner), Tim Schwartz, Erik Ogershok (Head Brewers)
ESTABLISHED . . . . 1996
TOURS . . . . Fridays 2-5pm
URL . . . . www.realalebrewing.com
YEAR ROUND BEERS
Brewhouse Brown Ale
STYLE . . . . Brown Porter
ABV . . . . 5.3%
IMBIBING OPTIONS . . . . Draft/Bottle
QUICK SIP . . . . Roasty, hints of chocolate and carmel
FOOD IT CHASES DOWN WELL . . . . BBQ, burgers, any hearty meal
ESB
STYLE . . . . Extra Special Bitter
ABV . . . . 5.5%
IMBIBING OPTIONS . . . . Draft
QUICK SIP . . . . Biscuity, toffee/caramel malt
FOOD IT CHASES DOWN WELL . . . . Philly cheese steak, enchiladas
Firemans #4 Blonde Ale
STYLE . . . . Blonde Ale
ABV . . . . 5.1%
IMBIBING OPTIONS . . . . Draft/Bottle
QUICK SIP . . . . Light, bready malts
FOOD IT CHASES DOWN WELL . . . . Poultry, pizza, whatever’s on the grill
Full Moon Pale Rye Ale
STYLE . . . . Rye Pale Ale
ABV . . . . 5.7%
IMBIBING OPTIONS . . . . Draft/Bottle
QUICK SIP . . . . Sweet carmel, hoppy, gulpable
FOOD IT CHASES DOWN WELL . . . . Tex-Mex, burgers, fried foods
Lost Gold IPA
STYLE . . . . American IPA
ABV . . . . 6.6%
IIMBIBING OPTIONS . . . . Draft/Bottle
QUICK SIP . . . . Citrusy hops, strong malt background
FOOD IT CHASES DOWN WELL . . . . Fried chicken, gorgonzola, gumbo
Rio Blanco Pale Ale
STYLE . . . . English Pale Ale
ABV . . . . 5.3%
IMBIBING OPTIONS . . . . Draft/Bottle
QUICK SIP . . . . Light hops, spicy, biscuity malt, crisp
FOOD IT CHASES DOWN WELL . . . . Seafood, grilled chicken, chips and salsa
CURRENT SEASONAL
Phoenixx Double ESB
STYLE . . . . Extra Strong Bitter (ESB)
ABV . . . . 7.2%
IMBIBING OPTIONS . . . . Draft/Bottle
QUICK SIP . . . . Toffee, hoppy, biscuity, drinkable
FOOD IT CHASES DOWN WELL . . . . Popcorn, shepherd’s pie
Sisyphus Barleywine Ale
STYLE . . . . Barleywine
ABV . . . . 10%
IMBIBING OPTIONS . . . . Draft/Bottle
QUICK SIP . . . . Balance of strong hops and malt, toffee
FOOD IT CHASES DOWN WELL . . . . It’s great by itself
WE RECOMMEND
Full Moon Pale Rye, Phoenixx Double ESB
One of the longer running breweries in central Texas, Real Ale has been in operation since 1996. The brewery originally operated out of a basement of an antique shop in Blanco (50 minutes outside Austin). In 1998, current owner Brad Farbstein took over. Maxed out at 5,500 barrels a year, Real Ale moved just outside the downtown area in 2006 to a new facility that allowed them to produce 10-12 times that amount.
In 2009 they started bottling their seasonal beers, kicking off with the excellent Shade Grown Coffee Porter. Last year they began turning out a series of experimental “Mysterium Verum” (“Real Mystery”) beers, including seasonals aged in oak barrels or entirely new brews. The beers, such as “The Devil’s Share” (barrel-aged Devil’s Backbone) make appearances on rare occasion around town or at special events. They always seem to have something special on tap at their tasting room, whether a cask or barrel aged beer, so make the scenic drive to Blanco one Friday and give them a visit.
[...] Real Ale: We’ve been putting the final touches on the plans for our upcoming expansion project. If all [...]
[...] years! Head out to Blanco and celebrate with the folks at Real Ale. Happening June 25th, 12pm-5pm. Their parties are always fun. And hot. So get there early to grab a [...]
[...] while you drink a Shiner. I’d rather a Shiner than a Lone Star, but would really prefer a Real Ale Full Moon Pale Rye Ale or maybe a Austin Beerworks Fire Eagle IPA. Still, it’s an [...]
[...] luck to the Real Ale crew. See you in [...]