The Return of Hops and Grain

Updated based on press release on 12/31

You may have noticed a lovely surprise around town this holiday season, Hops and Grain A Pale Mosaic and the popular The One They Call Zoe are back on store shelves. But don’t rush out to visit the brewery, it remains permanently closed. So how is it possible the beer is on shelves? The ownership group of Hops and Grain relaunched the beer brand in partnership with Austin Beerworks via a royalty agreement. To clarify further, Hops and Grain does not hold a TABC license and is not contract brewing at Austin Beerworks. Instead, the brand, recipes, and intellectual property are being licensed to Austin Beerworks, which then pays a royalty back to the Hops and Grain ownership, allowing them to distribute to local stores as well as offer the beers in the taproom. The initial relaunch only includes the Lager and IPA for now, with additional beers hitting shelves some time in 2022.

“It’s a wonderful feeling to see Hops & Grain back on store shelves and the positive response we’re getting from the craft beer community,” says Jerrad Lindenmuth, part of the Hops and Grain ownership team, “I’ve been a fan of the beer pretty much since the original launch, so the opportunity to be even a small part of its revival is very thrilling. Most of the credit belongs to Josh and our awesome brewing partners at Austin Beerworks, whom I’ve also been a fan of since they launched.”

“We have always had a deep respect for Hops & Grain. I believe we have a mutual philosophy in brewing and brewing standards,” said Austin Beerworks Co-Founder and director of brewing operations, Will Golden. “We were thrilled to help bring back this piece of Austin’s brewing community because they were rooted in the fabric of Austin’s culture.”

The beers will be distributed to Bastrop, Burleson, Caldwell, Colorado, Comal, Fayette, Grimes, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Hays, Lee, Travis, Washington, and Williamson Counties by Capitol Wright Distribution. “Zoe and Pale Mosaic are quintessential Austin beers, and our team is thrilled with the opportunity to again share them with Central Texas,” said Capitol Wright General Sales Manager, Jason Soll. “It will be exciting to reconnect with Hops & Grain fans and to introduce these iconic beers to the many new beer lovers in our area.”

Feature photo courtesy of @muellerbeer