When we asked experienced international walker (and Texas Trail Roundup vice president) Pat Heller what the overseas walkers would want to know about she had a one word answer: beer. Our insurers won’t let us offer alcoholic beverages at the checkpoints, but there’s nothing to say you can’t stop for a SMALL sip — or two — along the way. There are five downtown brew pubs — beer is brewed on the premises — that are either on a walk route or really close by:
Alamo Beer Company (202 Lamar) is a $8 million, 18,000-square foot brewery, beer hall, and beer garden just celebrated its second anniversary in its space just a few blocks east of downtown under the historic Hays Street Bridge. Owner Eugene Simorhas been brewing Alamo beer since 1997, selling out of the back of his wife’s minivan before opening this full-scale brewery. Food is provided by food trucks and there’s usually a DJ. They sell four bottled beer in stores and have them on tap here: a golden ale, a pilsner, a German style pale ale and an amber lager. In February, their seasonal beer will be a dopplebock . It’s only open four days a week: Thursday from 3-9PM; Friday from 3PM until midnight; Saturday noon-midnight and Sunday noon-9PM. Brewery tours are available. You’ll pass close by on the Sunday walks; it’s just north of downtown, about six blocks east of the Riverwalk.
