I'm headed to Austin in a couple of weeks for a buddy's bachelor party. There will be 12 of us. They're not beer geeks but they like beer and love to drink (a lot, he's Irish).
Need some feedback from you local folks! *Paging
Lutter,
mwbbq,
shelf_turd_ferguson*
1. Are the brewery bus tours worth it, or should we just walk around ourselves?
2. Would a trip to Jester King and Salt Lick be a good idea on a Friday, or would it be too busy? They're not huge on driving 30-45 minutes since most of them don't drink sours, and I know there's a lot of options closer.
3. I'm familiar with 6th Street on Saturday - what's Rainey about?
Any other recommendations for bachelor-esque activities? Thanks
mwbbq for the awesome BBQ recommendations.
Cheers all!
-Josh
1. No experience with these beer buses here, or cost of them. I think if you plan in advance you could hit up some breweries without doing a bus and have a good time. Walking, Lyft, and public buses could get you around. And if you're just looking for a good selection of beer, no need to go the breweries, plenty of bars in the southern half of DT. That said, Lutter made some good recommendations. Hops & Grain (east), Blue Owl (east), Zilker (east?), Austin Beerworks (North), etc. If your party is into standard styles (things people tend not to trade for), you could make a full day of trying new beers.
2. Skip Salt Lick every time. I guess it's a cool spot and experience for visitors, but better food can be had much closer to central Austin. If you want the experience then by all means go, but IDK how busy it will be. It's out in hill country like JK, but they're still not exactly close. East Austin should be your go to for BBQ, sounds like
mwbbq has you covered.
JK has gotten busier on Fridays and Sundays, even without special releases. So it will be busy, but it's a nice location to get away from the city. It'd be a bummer to get out here and not go, but it sounds like a sizable group that wouldn't enjoy the beer a ton. If you do want to go, you MUST consider timing. It'll be 45-70 minutes if you head out between 3 and ~7 PM. Go at 8 or later, and it'll be 30-45. They are open from 4 to 10 PM.
3. Rainey is nicer than 6th, more laid back vibe, more yuppies. Better beer selections too (Craft Pride and Bangers). You can walk there from 6th. If you want to have a good, more chill time, Rainey will do ya. If y'all want to get drunk and maybe meet some girls and characters, do 6th st.
4. Other bachelor party ideas? Bring me some de garde and I'll show you a good time
There's a paintball field by JK, strip clubs around (never been to one), Live Oak's tap room by the airport is supposed to be solid. There are some distilleries around I think (including one by JK iirc), and live music every night. Do512 may be helpful there.