We didn’t start in a state-of-the-art brewhouse. We started in the basement of an antique shop on the Blanco square—Cranberry’s Antiques—and spent about eleven years “doing it wrong,” which turned out to be just enough time to learn how to do it right.
Blanco keeps us honest. It’s an older farming and ranching community about an hour from Austin and San Antonio—a little Hill Country oasis where we get to do what we do. When folks visit the brewery, it feels like dropping by a friend’s place: easy hellos, unhurried conversations, and plenty of room to slow down.
On any given day you’ll find us in the brewhouse, then in the tasting room—pint in hand, swapping stories. It’s simple: chill out, drink some beer, and catch up with your friends—or make a few new ones.
While many things have changed over the years, one thing has remained the same — our belief that minimal processing produces maximum flavor. Check out the moments that helped make us who we are today.
While many things have changed over the years, one thing has remained the same — our belief that minimal processing produces maximum flavor. Check out the moments that helped make us who we are today.
Real Ale owners Brad Farbstein and his wife Gabriel Gregerman.
Brad Farbstein home brewing circa 1991.
We hit the 450-barrel mark for the year.
We hire our current Brewmaster/Woodmaster General, Erik.
The brewery switched package formats to six-packs of 12-oz. bottles.
We produce 1,350 barrels, tripling production in just two years.
The first annual Real Ale Golf Tournament takes place. Beer was drunk. Mulligans were taken.
Erik leaves.
Erik returns.
Sisyphus, our first seasonal beer, is created.
We launch our fourth year-round beer, Firemans 4. Even though it was draught-only at first, it quickly becomes our most popular beer.
Erik leaves (again).
Director of Brewing Operations Tim Schwartz comes on board from The Bitter End brewpub in downtown Austin.
Our production tops 3,200 barrels this year.
We realize it must be more than just our friends buying our beer.
Erik returns for good (we think).
Construction begins on a new brewery just outside the city limits of Blanco.
We produce more than 5,500 barrels in the original basement brewery (on a 15-BBL system).
Finally outgrowing our original space, we relocate to our new facility and double production to 11,000 barrels on a 60-BBL brewhouse.
We bottle Firemans #4 for the first time.
We start our Mysterium Verum series and name all of our barrels after members of the iconic metal band Black Sabbath.
We partner with Bicycle Sports Shop to create the first Real Ale Ride — a bike ride through the scenic hills of Blanco, our home county. Unfortunately it was cancelled due to high winds.
The anniversary party goes off without a drop of rain (a first in seven years).
MV barrel named after the Prince of Darkness.
Hans’ Pils and Firemans #4 win silver medals at GABF in the German-Style Pilsener and Golden or Blonde Ale categories, respectively.
We introduce our Brewers’ Cut series, giving both our brewers and customers a wider variety of beers to enjoy.
We add cans to our packaging lineup
The new Tap Room opens to the public.
We unveil our new look.
22-oz. bombers return to the packaging line-up after a 17-year hiatus.
Erik leaves, again. For good. We think.
Real Heavy brings home bronze at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF)® in the Scotch Ale category.
Our 20th anniversary party kicks off a year of celebrations, tap takeovers, and special events.
We strike gold with Real Heavy at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF)® in the Scotch Ale category.
Beers from our Mysterium Verum barrel-aging and sour program are released in bottles for the first time.
We celebrate 21 years of brewing beer in the Texas Hill Country by throwing a kegger with 1800 of our closest friends and releasing a crushable, draught-only anniversary pre-prohibition lager.
We officially launch Real Spirits Distilling Co. with a Grain to Glass Gin and Texas Hill Country Whiskey. Cocktails start pouring in our taproom. Just over a month after their official release, each of our spirits took home a medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Pinsetter Amber Lager, Our Homage to Texas 9-pin Bowling, is released in 12oz bottles.\
We win two medals at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF)®. We strike Gold for the second year in a row with Real Heavy, and take Silver for our Firemans #4 Blonde Ale.
We launch Axis IPA in cans. Finally!
Our new 120bbl brewhouse is built, effectively doubling our brewing capacity.
We celebrate 22 years with our anniversary beer Zweiundzwanzig, a Berliner Weisse aptly named the german word for twenty-two.
Swifty, our American Pale Ale is released in 12oz cans! We begin work on landscaping and finishing out our beer garden.
Real Heavy wins gold AGAIN for the 3rd year in a row at The Great American Beer Festival.
Moonwalk Brut IPA is released on draught, along with the return of BLAKKR, our famed imperial Black Ale.
Firemans Light: The Light Beer for All Y’all is released along with the help of light beer drinkers across Texas.
We celebrate 23 years of brewing beer in the Texas Hill Country, and debut new Spring & Summer Seasonals: Wallball IPL and Skullberry Strawberry Milkshake IPA.
Tim celebrates 15 years with us at Real Ale.
Beer to go is legalized in Texas on September 1, 2019!
We snagged another medal for the Real Heavy Scotch Ale at the Great American Beer Festival.
This year we added a Silver to the collection.
