Can I Kick It?

Top Austin brewery kicks off new sports club with volleyball and soccer

Meanwhile Brewing Co. has new reasons to visit.

Photo by Traverse Photography

Even Austinites who don't drink have plenty of reasons to visit Meanwhile Brewing Co., and now there's another for volleyball-lovers. The brewery has set up brand new sand courts, ready for the launch of the new Meanwhile Sports Club. The club will organize both volleyball and soccer games, so there's always someone to play with.

Sand volleyball games will be divided into teams of four or six, with the first games starting the week of January 6, 2025. Soccer teams will be five-on-five, with play beginning the week of February 3.

Teams will be in it to win, but the short "seasons" will avoid triggering commitment issues at just six weeks long. At the end of each season, the club will host a championship game for the chance to win a $200 bar tab.

Soccer field at Meanwhile Brewing Co. Austin The soccer field is right next to Meanwhile's resident food trucks.Photo by Traverse Photography

The brewery recommends that teams sign up together to increase the likelihood that everyone gets a chance to play. The leagues do accept free agents, but availability constraints mean that no one is guaranteed a spot. Multitalented athletes can increase their chances by signing up for both sports, but should choose different days so games don't conflict.

For those who maintain that beer — and not running — is still their favorite part of visiting a brewery, there's always opportunities to spectate. Meanwhile's South Austin grounds are well-stocked with brews, cocktails, and food trucks. Plus, there's almost always an event going on, from flea markets to movie screenings.

Registration for volleyball is open now and closes December 19; registration for soccer opens December 1 and closes January 16. The team fee is $675 for the first two weeks of registration, and increases to $725 later. Meanwhile Brewing is located at 3901 Promontory Point Dr.

Iced Out

Rainey Street bar Icenhauer's closes after ongoing sales losses

Photo courtesy of KVUE

Icenhauer's has closed.

Austinites spent Sunday celebrating one last time at a Rainey Street staple: Icenhauer's.

The bar's owner, Michael Icenhauer, said all of the construction in the area is taking a toll on the bar's sales.

"We've been losing money since April 2023, and it's just not something we want to deal with anymore," Icenhauer said. "Our best year, our best month was ... we were down 20 percent. Our worst month, we were down 70 percent. So the last year and a half has been brutal for us."

Other Rainey Street bars like Reina, Container Bar, Bungalow, and Stagger Lee have all closed since 2022.

With this latest closure, longtime Central Texan Shelby Campbell said this is just another example of how the story of Rainey Street keeps changing.

"I remember being down here when it was all just little houses and tiny bars and everybody was just like that kind of a quaint feeling when you wanted to escape the crazy Sixth Street," Campbell said. "And now, to see so many high-rises, it's honestly wild."

Campbell has been living in Central Texas over the past 10 years and still hopes a part of the "old" Austin she knows can be preserved.

"I think it's a booming city and I don't think it has any signs of slowing down, which again, there's a lot of positives in that," Campbell said. [...]

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

closings rainey street downtown