Brew City program aims to boost tourism and economic development across Texas

The Texas Craft Brewers Guild is helping to promote the growth of the brewery industry in the state, leading to the continued expansion of craft beer. The Texas Craft Brewers Guild is a nonprofit organization that represents craft breweries in the state. They recently started a program called Brew City, Texas on March 28. The goal of this program is to promote economic growth and establish Texas as a popular place for beer lovers. The program has a total of 12 members, which includes Sugar Land and Galveston in the Greater Houston area. Caroline Wallace, the executive director of the Texas Craft Brewers Guild, provided this information.

The program has two options for cities and municipalities to join, including:

  • Craft beer destinations: cities known for their craft beer scenes
  • Emerging brewscapes: small communities looking to stimulate economic development by attracting their first brewery

Sugar Land is becoming known as one of three up-and-coming places for brewing beer, according to Wallace. Galveston, on the other hand, is recognized as one of nine popular locations for craft beer.

Sugar Land is getting ready to open its first brewery, Talyard Brewing Co., at 1033 Imperial Blvd. in July. The brewery will offer a 3.5-acre space where families can enjoy good beer and food. According to co-owner Keith Teague, the idea for the brewery in Sugar Land came from wanting to enjoy craft beers with good friends in the backyard.

“We really loved craft beer and wanted to have a brewery in Sugar Land,” he said. Talyard Brewing Co. will have a 20-barrel brewhouse where they make beer. They will also have a big outdoor area with shaded seating, a pickleball court, a playground, and a stage for live entertainment. This information was reported by Community Impact. The restaurant will serve “Texas comfort food,” which includes handhelds, pizza, and desserts, according to Teague.

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There is another brewery in the area called Texas Leaguer Brewing. They make beers with baseball themes, like 2 Hopper which is an American IPA, and Ghost Rose which is an American light lager. They also have a root beer called Little Leaguer that is safe for kids to drink. Owner Nathan Rees wants to create a place where people from the community can come and hang out. They can catch up with friends or watch a game on the big screens, in addition to enjoying the drinks.

Texas Leaguer Brewing is a brewery that opened in Missouri City, Texas in September 2017. It is located at 13503 Pike Road. According to Rees, the beer industry has been growing rapidly in the Houston area since it started. “I have noticed many changes in the industry in the past 10 years,” he said. “When we first opened, there were only 21 breweries in Houston, but now that number has tripled.”

By Numbers

In the Houston area, several breweries including Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co., CounterCommon, Wicked Boxer Brewing, Indigenous Brewing Co., and Twisted Acre Brewery have closed. However, despite these closures, the overall brewery industry in Texas has been growing rapidly.

“We’re noticing that the industry is growing and changing. Sometimes a brewery may close, but then a new brewery concept might open up in the same location,” she explained. “I believe now is an opportune moment for this program to prioritize economic development and attract new audiences to visit and enjoy breweries.”

Based on the 2022 data from the Brewers Association, Texas is ranked highly compared to other states in:

  • Number of craft breweries: 407 (sixth in the nation)
  • Economic impact: $4.55 million annually (third in the nation)
  • Barrels of craft beer produced: 1.3 million (fourth in the nation)

According to Wallace, there are about 50 breweries that are members of the guild in the Greater Houston area.

Get involved

You are encouraged to download the Texas Brewery Passport app on your mobile device. It provides a complete list of over 200 breweries that are members of the guild. The app lets users add stamps to their digital passport. By doing so, they can earn badges and collect points. These points can then be used to redeem prizes and merchandise.

“It’s a really great tool if you enjoy going to breweries,” she said. “The app uses your location to help you find breweries nearby. It works whether you’re at home or on a work trip in Texas.”

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