Cole Hoffman

I like beer, data, and beer data. Have a comment or complaint about one of my articles? Please reach out to cole@craftbeeraustin.com. I will likely respond within 3 minutes.

Going to TCBF? Here are the beers to get.

The Best Beers (Maybe?) at Texas Craft Brewers Festival 2023 This is the article that you’ve always wanted.  You’ve likely already looked over the beer list at TCBF and thought, “So many beers!  I’ll just figure it out when I get there I suppose.”  That’s a bold strategy; what if you miss the best one?  Well, readers of Craft Beer Austin, we’re here to reward your continued support by literally telling you what the best …

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Texas at the Great American Beer Festival Recap 2023

Texas at the Great American Beer Festival Recap 2023 303 medals awarded to 263 breweries at 37th Great American Beer Festival® Competition Denver, Colo. • September 23, 2023—The Brewers Association (BA) unveiled the best beers of 2023 during an awards ceremony at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF®). GABF is the nation’s largest professional beer competition, with its medals globally acknowledged as an emblem of brewing excellence and among the most sought-after accolades within the brewing …

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Austin Ale Trail Passport Review (2023-2024): The Best Brewery Perks to Collect This Year

Austin Ale Trail Passport Review (2023-2024): The Best Brewery Perks to Collect This Year As a reader of Craft Beer Austin, you’re likely already familiar with the Austin Ale Trail passport (we wrote about it last week).  Sales began Saturday at the Blue Owl launch party; if you missed it, you can collect your passport this upcoming Saturday, Sep 23rd at Nomadic, or on Sunday, Sept 24th at Vacancy.  And if this weekend doesn’t work …

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Updated: Texas Craft Brewers Festival | Beer List Released

Photo credit: Texas Craft Brewers Festival Texas Craft Brewers Festival Returns To Austin on September 30, 2023 Tickets On Sale NOW! We are giving away two general admission tickets to the festival this Saturday! Head over to CraftBeerAustin on Instagram or Facebook to enter to win! If you enjoy our content, give our pages a follow if you are so inclined! Tickets go on sale June 15th at noon for the Texas Craft Brewers Festival, …

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Updated: Austin Breweries and Businesses are Raising Funds for Maui Relief Efforts

Austin Breweries and Businesses are Raising Funds for Maui Relief Efforts Originally published 8/18/23 Updated 8/25/23: Kōkua recipe is live, and highlighting new local events Updated 9/18/23: List of participating breweries! Following the devastating wildfires that have affected the lives of many on the Hawaiian island of Maui, Central Texas businesses are planning to offer support through special events and releases, with proceeds going towards disaster relief organizations.  In this article, we will present breweries …

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Style Breakdown 1: The Best Pilsners Ever Made in Central Texas

Style Breakdown 1: The Best Pilsners Ever Made in Central Texas Welcome to a new CBA series: Style Breakdown.  In each issue, we’re going to take an in-depth look into a single beer style and compare every one of these beers ever released in Central Texas.  This is a companion series to The Best Beers of the Year (So Far), in which we will use Untappd data to measure the highest-rated beers and find out …

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The Great American Beer Festival Returns in 2023

The Great American Beer Festival Returns in 2023 Tickets are on sale NOW! Published on 8/3/23, last updated 9/8/23 Photo Credit: Brewers Association The largest beer festival in America returns to Denver Sept. 21-23, 2023, to dazzle tastebuds and celebrate craft beer innovation! Tickets for the Great American Beer Festival® (GABF) are on sale now! GABF, hosted by the Brewers Association, the trade organization representing small and independent craft brewers, will return to the Colorado Convention Center …

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The Best Places to Get an Imperial Stout in August

The Best Places to Get an Imperial Stout in August There are two kinds of people: “It’s summer, so I’m gonna go for a nice lager or easy-drinking IPA!” “I don’t care about the weather, give me a 14% chocolate cinnamon coconut stout right now.” This article is for group 2.  Here are the best places to get a strong dessert stout (on draft) in the middle of August. The Brew and Brew In my …

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The Best Beers of the Year (So Far): Quarter 2, 2023

The Best Beers of the Year (So Far): Quarter 2, 2023 Welcome to the second edition of The Best Beers of the Year (So Far).  I’ll skip the super long intro this time, please refer to the first article for all details on methodology.  Instead, let’s get right into the results! Here are the top beers released in Central Texas from April to June, 2023! Lager: Pilsner: Pale Ale: IPA (New England / Hazy): IPA …

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Location Spotlight: Cedar Park + Leander

Location Spotlight: Cedar Park + Leander Originally published 6/29/23, last updated 8/1/23 With the long-awaited 5th Element Brewing opening this weekend, it’s a good time to review all the beer options in the area.  If you haven’t explored the suburbs Northwest of Austin yet, take warning – it’s too much for one day.  In this article, we’ll cover the brewery options, top beer bars, and bottleshop(s), and maybe even reach a bit further to other …

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Austin Weekly Beer Releases and Events June 9th

Austin Weekly Beer Releases and Events  Check out Austin craft beer releases and events that are happening around town this week. Austin Area Brewery Map New offerings from breweries that are releasing this week, or offerings that are now returning to the menu after a hiatus. We cannot promise they will still be in stock by the time the weekend comes around, so check the online ordering systems first! As always, check their hours as well. …

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Location Spotlight: Georgetown

Location Spotlight: Georgetown Have you done a beer day in Georgetown yet?  A quick drive up 35 from downtown Austin (estimated time between 40 minutes and 8 hours, depending on traffic) puts you in the county seat of Williamson County.  The historic towntown square houses several beer-centric businesses that are worth checking out, and a few miles outside of downtown you’ll find two(ish) breweries – one that’s been there for several years, and another that …

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