Bottle & Tap: Get on the bus

Get on the bus

Boneshakers bicycle-friendly pub, a champion of Texas craft beer, wants to take its customers to the places where the good stuff is made. Each month, Boneshakers will fill a bus and hit two Texas breweries for tours and tastings leaving from its new location by the Hays Street Bridge at 306 Austin Street.

On Saturday, September 15, the group heads to Austin breweries Independence Brewing Co. and Live Oak Brewing Co. Before the chartered bus leaves at 9 a.m., Boneshakers will provide beer waffles for breakfast.

A tour of Independence, including tastes of rare and upcoming beers, is followed by lunch at a food truck haven before heading on to Live Oak. The final stop is at Whip In, an incredible beer store in South Austin that also has developed into a formidable beer bar and Indian cuisine eatery in recent years.

There also will be refreshment on the way up and on the evening ride back, because we all know beer isn't just for breakfast anymore. You can purchase tickets by calling (210) 319-8155. There are 50 seats on the bus at 50 bucks a pop.

Bottleganza

Freetail Brewing Co. has been working its bottling line hard with case upon case of favorite seasonals like Broken Treaty IPA and Witicus. But on September 15, the brewery will have a special bottle release party with some that previously were rare draft offerings. You'll find the RealTail collaboration between the Freetail brewpub and Real Ale microbrewery, a brew inspired by Mexican molé sauce that was rolled out at the recent RealTail event.

Also on that day, you'll be able to snag bottles of Porto Gallito, a barrel-aged sour version of a big red ale, Fortuna Roja, the delightfully sour Ananke and the cheeky Yo Soy Un Berliner — a hit with late-summer drinkers.

Whole Foods bar

San Antonio's second Whole Foods Market opens September 18 on Blanco Road just outside North Loop 1604 West, and while there are many nifty things about it, the one that caught the attention of this writer was the beer bar.

According to the Austin-based grocery innovator, the new store features Bar Blanco with beer and wine on tap for in-store enjoyment. I've seen the concept at the Landmark Whole Foods location in downtown Austin and being able to get a good Texas pint to go with shopping that foodie Disneyland made the ride all the better.

Travis E. Poling is beer writer for the Current and is co-author of Beer Across Texas: A Guide to Brews and Brewmasters of the Lone Star State. You can hear him March 8 at The Friendly Spot Ice House leading the monthly Beerducation series.