Location Spotlight: Liberty Hill
I have a secret for you – I’m not driving out towards Dripping Springs for the eclipse next month. I’m staying far away from 71 and 290. Instead, as you can tell by the title of this article, I’m planning to head northwest towards Liberty Hill, which is actually slightly closer to the center of totality than Dripping. And while it’s better to continue a bit further west to maximize your darkness time, there’s not a lot to drink if you keep going in that direction. So, let’s take a look at all the breweries in Liberty Hill – there’s more than you think!
(Note – No guarantees all these places are open on Monday, April 8th, though it’d be their miss if they weren’t. Check socials.)
Schitz Creek Distillery & Brewery
Winery, Distillery, and Brewery all in one, Schitz Creek + Thirsty Mule is our top choice to get a flight in the area. The brewery program has been open for about a year and a half now in a new space with seating directly across from the brewing tanks. Next door is the winery and distillery (and market, and souvenir shop), and of course, there is outdoor seating, penned mules, table games, a destroyed wooden cart, and an anatomically correct mule statue. This is a great place to go if you’re traveling with non-beer drinkers, so come support one of the newer breweries in the area.
San Gabriel River Brewing
For our second of three breweries named after running water, we’re turning to San Gabriel River Brewing, which has been in business since 2016. You may be familiar with them if you frequent beer festivals, as brothers John and Patrick Peck are huge fans and make an appearance every year at TCBF, Hops for Houses, Wild West Brew Fest, and other local events. Plus, they host the Liberty Hill Beer Festival in October at their brewery, which features rustic vibes at the covered picnic tables outdoors, or at the barstools in the taproom. They have food, live music, beer club memberships, and they’re currently building an expansion to the brewery, along with hiring more staff and distributing bottles. A lot of good things in the future for this team.
Bull Creek Brewing Company
Bull statues are great and all, but I know what you really want – alien statues. Well come on down to the world headquarters of Bull Creek Brewing, open since 2015 – the first brewery in Williamson County. The brewery was started by Julia and Greg Parma, along with Julia’s father Erick Matthys, and features an on-site food truck, fire pit, and the rural indoor and outdoor setting that the area brings. Check out our full brewery profile here.
Hell or High Water Brewing
Turns out that all four Liberty Hill breweries are named after water, a fact I didn’t realize until right now. Well anyway, this next brewery is completely different than the last three; Hell or High Water Brewing is a brewpub in downtown Liberty Hill, with a full pub menu and 16 taps (including a few guest taps). They have daily happy hours, weekly live music and other events, and a nice patio if you want to spend your 4 minutes of eclipse time chowing down on some wings. This is the spot to hit if you’re looking to stay a bit closer to the crowds of downtown.
Whitestone Brewing 2
The final brewery is the new Whitestone location, which as of writing is the only Whitestone location while the original in Cedar Park is relocating. The Liberty Hill location is quite nice, styled much the same as the original but newer, larger, and more modern. It also has more rotating taps than the original, so if you thought their selection was a bit too constant, the new space has offered them the ability to switch it up quite a bit. Of course, the usual events, music, and food trucks that you’d expect are present as well, and if you’re ending here after visiting a few other stops, you can refresh as they’re one of the first breweries in Central Texas to produce their own Hop Water.
Liberty Hill Beer Market
Isn’t it crazy that we’re already at the sixth item in this article about the small city of Liberty Hill? Here’s another choice, and while it’s not a brewery, it’s certainly got some beer – 30 taps, plus a few cans and wine. The unassuming spot is also an Italian + German style restaurant with pizza, pasta, and schnitzel. They have a playground too, so it’s a great place to let the kids run around.
Whiskey Barrel Pub
Whiskey Barrel Pub is a bit of an enigma to me because on the surface it seems like a big winner as it’s a pour-your-own beer bar! The issue here is that their selection leaves much to be desired; but if you find the idea of pouring yourself a nice big glass of Miller Lite a fun experience, then this could be the spot for you. To be fair, they have craft beer, but it’s the popular options you’d see all around Austin like Jellyfish, McConauhaze, and Live Oak Hef. So this could be a fun pick if you’re looking for something a bit different, though my choice for pour your own beer remains Oz. Tap House.
Finally, since you’ll be driving through Cedar Park and Leander on the way, I published an article last year on beer spots over there as well. Drive safe!
