Aaron Stevens

My fascination with craft beer began in college as a bartender and grew as a volunteer at Peticolas Brewing in Dallas. Since relocating to Austin, I have closely followed the growth and evolution of Central Texas' brewing scene.

Picadas Hard Aguas Frescas Begins Distribution in Texas

By / / Craft Beer News

Picadas Hard Aguas Frescas Begins Distribution in Texas Hard seltzer has rapidly colonized the beer coolers and liquor departments of Texas grocery stores in the past five years. An intriguing newcomer will be joining the hypercompetitive malternative ranks at an H-E-B near you soon. Monterey, Mexico-based Picadas Hard Aguas Frescas began distribution across more than 200 Texas H-E-B stores earlier in March. “Más Sabor” and “Escarcharlo”: the Picadas Story Picadas was founded in 2021 by […]

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What to Drink in Yucatan

By / / CBA

Beer Tripping | Yucatan, Mexico Earlier this month, I visited the southern Mexican state of Yucatan. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that a craft beer scene had sprung up since my last visit in 2015. Read on to learn more about Mexican beer, Yucatan’s brewery scene, and the best places to get a pint. Beer in Mexico (not the Kenny Chesney song) Mexico’s “big two” brewers Cerveceria Modelo (Modelo and Corona) and Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc-Moctezuma

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Austin’s Big Country is First Ever Organic, Fair Trade Hard Seltzer

By / / Austin Breweries, Craft Beer News

Austin’s Big Country is First Ever Organic, Fair Trade Hard Seltzer The rise of hard seltzer continues to be one of the biggest trends in craft brewing. Central Texas is no stranger to the fad. Austin is already home to more than half a dozen hard seltzer brands. Newcomer Big Country Organic Hard Seltzer has a standout claim that goes beyond exotic flavors. Big Country is the first and only hard seltzer that is USDA

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Looking to Make a New Beer’s Resolution? Join the American Homebrewers Association!

By / / CBA

Looking to Make a New Beer’s Resolution? Join the American Homebrewers Association! Looking for a new hobby in 2023? Want to learn more about brewing? Just trying to save money at your favorite brewery? Got get an American Homebrewers Association (AHA) membership! Founded in 1978, AHA is a non-profit organization that supports the homebrewing community and empowers newcomers to make the best beer possible at home. The AHA has a wide variety of helpful resources for

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Brewer’s Association Publishes 2022 Year in Beer Report

By / / CBA

The 2022 Year in Beer The Brewers Association looks back at a year marked by varied recovery Boulder, Colo. • Dec. 14, 2022—As the year draws to a close, the Brewers Association—the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American craft brewers—recounts a year filled with varied growth, continued supply chain disruptions, and increased competition. Despite these challenges, 2022 also saw a return to in-person events and the nurturing of the next generation of

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Central Texas Continues to Shine at the 2022 CBMAs

By / / Austin Breweries

Central Texas Continues to Shine at the 2022 CBMAs Most craft beer enthusiasts have heard of brewing contests like the Great American Brew Fest and the World Beer Cup, but they may not know about the Craft Beer Marketing Awards. Founded in 2019, the CBMAs celebrate excellence in craft beer marketing and design around the world. A global panel of 300 beer, marketing, and design experts vote on entries to 38 different categories (increased from

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4th Annual Beer for Water Event Happening at Live Oak October 2nd

By / / Austin Breweries, Charity, Craft Beer News, Event Listings and New Releases

4th Annual Beer for Water Event Happening at Live Oak October 2nd While less heralded than hops, grain, or yeast, water is essential to any craft beer. Water is used from beginning to end of the brewing process, and 80 to 90 percent of the final product is water. Breweries also use water to clean, cool, and package beer. As a result, the average brewery uses seven gallons of water for each gallon of beer.

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Chicago’s Cruz Blanca Brewery Launches Distribution in Texas

By / / Beer Data and Statistics, CBA, Craft Beer News

Chicago’s Cruz Blanca Brewery Launches Distribution in Texas Mexican cervezas are on the rise with U.S. consumers. In 2021, Modelo Especial became the second-most popular beer brand in America after Bud Light. Fellow Constellation Brands brews Corona and Pacifico are running just behind Modelo as the third and fourth most-purchased import beers (Dutch mainstay Heineken has held on to the second slot). Other Mexican heavyweights like Dos Equis, Sol, Carta Blanca,  Tecate, and Estrella Jalisco

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Trouble With the Cans: BA’s Midyear Economic Report Shows Gap between On- and Off-Premise Sales

By / / Craft Beer News

Trouble With the Cans: BA’s Midyear Economic Report Shows Gap between On- and Off-Premise Sales The latest findings from Brewers Association Chief Economist Bart Watson suggest that draught and taproom sales are on the road to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic while packaged sales have tailed off. The overall retail census data overall for restaurants and drinking places shows an inflation-adjusted 15% increase in sales from last year. Reservation data from OpenTable also suggests that

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Gen Z Alcohol Trends Report Paints Complicated Picture for Craft Beer

By / / CBA, Craft Beer News, Features

Gen Z Alcohol Trends Report Paints Complicated Picture for Craft Beer The global COVID-19 pandemic has been among the most disruptive events in the history of craft beer. Thousands of breweries have had to make fundamental, business-altering decisions on the fly. As craft beer emerges from the COVID years, breweries will have to reassess the consumer landscape and adjust their businesses. A crucial piece of the puzzle is the arrival of Generation Z as legal

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Three Texas Breweries Make BA’s Annual Production List

By / / Austin Breweries

Three Texas Breweries Among Top 50 in Craft Beer Production A trio of familiar Lone Star breweries were among the top 50 craft breweries by production in the country last year according to the Brewers Association. The trade group published their annual Craft Brewing Industry Production Report for 2021 earlier this month. Gambrinus, which owns Shiner Bock maker Spoetzl, came in at #5 on the BA list. CANarchy (the parent company of Austin’s Oskar Blues

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Oskar Blues Acquired by Makers of Monster Energy Drink

By / / Austin Breweries, Craft Beer News

Oskar Blues Acquired by Makers of Monster Energy Drink Monster Beverage Corporation entered the beer business for the first time on Thursday. The energy drink maker announced the acquisition of CANarchy Collective, the parent company of Oskar Blues Brewery in an all cash deal. The deal is worth $330 million and will take effect at the end of the first quarter. Oskar Blues and the other members of the CANarchy collective will continue to function

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