E-Malt.com News article: USA, TX: Faust Brewing Company prepares to make its return in April

The sound of beer flowing from a popular Texas Hill Country brewery is music to New Braunfels' ears as Faust Brewing Company prepares to make its return in April after shutting down through most of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only is the brewery opening back up, it also plans to unveil its newly renovated brewery, biergarten, and tasting room by hosting a day devoted to knocking back a few cold ones, MySanAntonio.com reported on March 15.

The new changes to the brewery come a few months after severing ties with the historic Faust Hotel following a change in the hotel's ownership last year. While the hotel and restaurant is in the care of new owner Andy Duetra, the brewery remains under control of former hotel owner Vance Hinton, and has since moved permanent operations to its off-site location on South Castell Avenue.

Recent renovations to the brewery were necessary for the establishment to set itself apart from its namesake, where it began as part of the hotel's restaurant in 1998 as a microbrewery. As popularity for the brewery and its menu of German and English style beers grew, the owner knew it needed to expand, and in 2016 the brewery moved to a new location where it was transformed into a full brewery equipped with a tasting room, Faust Brewing Company General Manager Brandi White told MySA.

While continuing in the hotel's bar and restaurant, the brewery thrived in its off-site location until COVID-19 forced the establishment to close its doors. With the pandemic in the rearview mirror, the brewery is finally ready to show off all its hard work, which began in February, reinventing itself.

“The Faust Hotel bar has been a pretty common hangout for many locals for several years, and those locals have been kind of displaced since we sold the business,” White said. “I know that we have a lot of people that are really looking forward to us reopening so they have a place, you know, kind of a home to go to.”

When the establishment reopens to the public on April 1, brewery goers will be treated to an expanded biergarten, which features a 20-foot stage to host live music on the weekends. Guests can also book private events in the garden’s landscaped patio and covered pavilion area. In addition to the biergarten, the Faust Brewery tasting room also received renovations and expanded the drink menu to include drinks other than beer.

With a fully-stocked bar the brewery needed the food to match. That's why when the brewery reopens it will be introducing its new food trailer. The food trailer offers an assortment of menu items such as a German take on a traditional basket of fries, tacos, fish and chips, a variety of sandwiches, and smoked wings. It also carries a few options for kids such as grilled cheese and mini dogs.

There is still more on the brewery's agenda when they move into phase two of the renovation project, which includes opening a coffee shop that will occupy the empty building sitting on the property. While the brewery production takes up half its space, the brewery plans to use the other half to build a restaurant.

When the restaurant opens it will come with a stocked menu of some Faust Hotel Brewpub’s favorites, such as the restaurant’s famous wiener schnitzel, that loyal Faust pub goers have been missing, according to White.

While a select few got to experience the establishment’s new digs at a private party for the Hill Country Comicon, the brewery is looking forward to seeing the public’s reactions when it officially unveils at a special grand reopening party on April 1.

The festivities starting at 2 p.m. include the launch of a new blonde beer, which the brewery hopes to find a name for by holding a naming contest, live music with an appearance from New Braunfels’ resident polka-playing champ Alex Meixner, and good eats from the new food trailer.

“We’re just going to celebrate being back in business over there,” White said.


15 March, 2023