Texas doesn’t have the most restrictive brewery rules but maybe the most arbitrary. Specifically, the rules concerning beer sales on-premise for off-premise consumption (the entire South seems to really hate the idea of independent businesses selling their products directly to consumers). You see, wineries, distilleries and brewpubs can all do this in Texas, but microbreweries cannot, you know, because they are like way different than those other businesses? You may recall a couple brewers suing the state because of this silliness.
Well, instead of suing the state, Branchline Brewing Co. decided to change up its business model and was just approved by the TABC for a brewpub license. This change does not affect the company operationally, but allows consumers to purchase beer to go directly from the brewery.
Branchline is celebrating this victory for regulatory loopholes during a Grand Opening in its new tap room on Saturday, August 20. The celebration will have a few specialty cask-conditioned ales, a few new small batch releases and year-round and fall seasonal favorites.
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Additionally, Branchline is launching its first “brewpub exclusive” release that day. The beer, kept secret until the week before the launch, will be available to take home in 16.9-oz. specialty bottles, crowlers and growlers. It is a new beer for Branchline and is an addition to the River City Series of sour, specialty and barrel aged beers.
Lastly, Branchline is expanding tap room hours to support this change. Beginning with the August 20 Grand Opening & Bottle Release the tap room will be open from 2-9 p.m. daily from Tuesday through Sunday each week. These hours make Branchline one of the most accessible production breweries in San Antonio.
