One local brewing company is introducing something fresh to the east side: an urban brewery in the thick of Austin's nightlife scene.
Nestled on East Sixth Street near The Grackle and The Liberty is Zilker Brewing Company, a new brewery that aims to be a purveyor of great local beers as well as a destination for weekend hangs.
"We have always wanted an urban brewery where people from the neighborhood could come visit and taste our beer," says co-founder Marco Rodriguez. For the team, finding an ideal location was as much a part of the process as designing the beer lineup. "Our location is in a great part of Austin. The east side has an individuality to it — a creative spirit and a close-knit, old neighborhood charm."
Zilker Brewing Company is the brainchild of brothers Forrest and Patrick Clark and Rodriguez. The trio began homebrewing together in 2008 and founded the company in 2012.
It took a while to snag the necessary permits, but the company officially opened its taproom to the public on April 10.
"[A taproom] is something that can really set breweries apart from one another and can help create and extend the individuality of the brewery," says Rodriguez. "It's a place where you can get to know the people behind the beer."
At the taproom you'll find Zilker Brewing Company's American-Belgo brews, ranging from a honey saison to a hoppy session IPA and well-rounded pale ale. You'll also find the founders nearby.
"You can almost always find all three of us somewhere in the building during taproom hours," says Rodriguez. "It's the face of the brewery as we are the face of the company, so we feel it's important to have good representation."
The Zilker Brewing Company's taproom is open Wednesday through Sunday, and it's currently the only place in Austin to snag the company's beer. For the taproom schedule and updates on beer, you can follow the brewery on Facebook.
Zilker Brewing Company's taproom serves beer Wednesday through Sunday.
