Real Ale Brewing Co & Real Spirits Distilling Co

This is a pretty cool place, with a good vibe. Beers were great and the liquer was tasty and strong. We had a couple of beers and a flight of the whiskey. Several was very knowledgeable of her product. If you're in the are i would definitely stop in here for a cold drink!

Have been waiting to get to Real Ale for a number of years. Their outside seating area with the small stage is GREAT on a lazy Texas Saturday. We had Axis and a Coffee Sour. Unique and tasty! We will definitely be back.

Great craft beer and spirits. Beautiful hill country setting. I'm a fan of the Hill Country Bock. Taps rotate constantly. Take the brewery tour. My go-to in Blanco. I bought a bottle of their whiskey. Yum.

I’ve been dreaming about going to this brewery since the first one beer I had many years ago. The beer was devil’s backbone long ago. The parking is large and spacious. We went on a Saturday afternoon. Please look for signs as you enter the area. I couldn’t find the entrance until I saw the signs. You will follow up two flights of stairs to enter the Tap Room. We saw an elevator sign but never found it. I would you recommend you get there early to find a seat inside. The outdoor seating was a better atmosphere than indoors. Just be careful ordering beer upstairs and bringing it downstairs. I heard they have a place to order beer in the outside seating area but wasn’t open at the time. Overall well worth it. Cheers!

Real Ale Brewing Company in Blanco, Texas, is a must-visit for anyone who appreciates a great selection of Texas-brewed beers and spirits. The brewery offers a wide variety of craft beers, all brewed on-site, along with a distillery that produces some excellent spirits. Parking is ample, so you won’t have to worry about finding a spot, even during busier times. The outdoor seating area is spacious and inviting, perfect for enjoying a cold drink in the Texas sunshine. Inside, you’ll find long bench seating, which is great for groups or just relaxing with a pint. The brewery is also pet-friendly, so feel free to bring your furry friends along. One unique feature of Real Ale is the taproom, located upstairs. It offers a cozy and comfortable setting, but if the weather is nice or the crowds are large, they open up an additional outdoor tap. This thoughtful touch ensures that everyone can enjoy their favorite brew without long waits. Whether you're a local or just passing through Blanco, Real Ale Brewing Company is a fantastic spot to unwind with some of the best craft beverages Texas has to offer. Highly recommended!

I am a disabled beer aficionado so I did appreciate the handicap parking and the elevator to the taproom. It would have been nice for there to be a table without benches but ultimately I found a spot at the end of one of the picnic tables to park my wheelchair. We both enjoyed our beers though I felt they were a tad flat. The cocktails we had with their spirits and the mocktail were outstanding.

Love this little bar. Super cute. Love that it's dog friendly!

Fantastic beer and liquor! I'm no connoisseur, but very much enjoyed both flights. Nothing I did not like here. Particularly enjoyed the Ned Flanders sour beer, the gin and Crash Pad. Very cool seating area indoors and out. Outstanding staff- friendly, knowledgeable, happy vibes here. Awesome pizza truck. Nice job!

Real Ale Brewing was a fun visit that had plenty to do and plenty of places to relax and hangout. Between the indoor and outdoor seating, there was ample space for groups to enjoy their time and not feel crowded by others. The distillery puts out a great lineup of beer and whisky which makes for something for everyone. This stop on the Texas Whisky Trail was certainly enjoyable!

We visited here on Sunday afternoon April 7, the day before the total solar eclipse. It's a huge outdoor space and it was nice enough to sit outside and enjoy the drinks we bought at the bar inside. The bartenders were very friendly and made great drinks! If we get to visit Blanco again we will definitely come back here for a relaxing time with friends.

It has been about four years since I've been out here. It's sad to see so many trees removed to make more parking, but I get it. I am glad they are doing so well! The tap room has a great amount of draft beers available, as well as some you can only get there. They also offer cocktails for those who are not into beer. There is a ton of seating outdoors, but the tap room itself isn't huge. I wish this place were closer so I could visit more often!

This was a great visit/tour and our guide was the CFO of the company and answered and and all questions we had. Real Ale is a Texas only Brand and never pasteurized and filtered naturally....the place is incredibly clean and organized....the tour lasted about an hour and we of course stated for a few beers as well.

Pretty cool place with a friendly staff . We tried a couple of their seltzers. Nice and refreshing on this hot day. Go check it out. Let's support local

Great beer, lovely biergarten, and a lively taproom are on the menu at Real Ale Brewing - well-behaved good DOG and KID FRIENDLY so bring the fam! We stopped in here for a nice break from running around and had a few beers in the tapering that we can't get in Dallas. We wound up taking a case home for ourselves and some friends. The taproom itself is airy and had a lot of tables, so there's room for maybe 70 people in the taproom and maybe 45 more in a room just off the taproom (which would be great for private events). Line up at the bar and order full or half pints - they don't do "official" flights, so we just made our own with 4 half-pint pours. They do have a small selection of merch, but Joe that we wanted: which was a few if their half-pint glasses. PLEASE if TPTB see this, stock those :) 5 chillin' with delicious cold local beer stars

Real Ale has been on my list of breweries to try while in the San Antonio area. Granted, that's a pretty loose definition of San Antonio area and I'm usually gone or working during their operating hours. I deliberately flew into San Antonio early so I could make it to Real Ale on Sunday before they closed. I even got my friend to make an early morning 3 hour drive to join me. I ended up making the hour drive to Real Ale and parked in their lot and cluelessly wandered the grounds until we found the taproom on the second floor. While I wanted to try their beers on tap I really wanted to try their spirits. They had draft cocktails so I started with their Peanut Old Fashioned. I also tried two of their beers their anniversary Golden Stout and the Black IPA which were also pretty good. There's not much food wise on Sundays-if there was it would have helped me stay a little longer since I definitely needed something solid to continue drinking.

Good time. Great beer and a nice variety. They also have spirits. Call me boring - Hans Pils is still my favorite.

The Syndicate swung by the Oktoberfest celebration this weekend at Real Ale. Besides the obvious imbibery (extended word license) of beer, we also downed a few of their pecan-infused Old Fashioneds. They were delicious. Both outdoor and indoor areas were quite nice, offering plenty of space and access to multiple points of purchase, with a networked open tab. That, my friends, is a big deal. Like Bluebonnet, it makes floating around easy. Unlike Josabi's, which was a train wreck. Anyway, instead of blowing through Blanco next time you're between SA and Austin, make a stop at Real Ale. SA Syndicate approved.

What's not to love? I've been coming here for about 5 years now. I'm currently away working 3 months at a time, and since I was in town, had to stop for a pint. I absolutely love what they've done with the beer garden. It's so spacious! See y'all in 14 weeks!

The brew is good but more expensive than at other breweries. My biggest problem though is the lack of customer appreciation. Service seemed arrogant. I rather go to other brewery locations that have friendly service. Although this brewery looks nice to visit, I do not recommend going.

Lots of outdoor space to spend the day enjoying all of the beers and to take in the hill country views. They have two tap rooms - one upstairs and one down stairs. They also have their own gin and whiskey if you're not in the mood for beer. There was also a food truck here if you have the munchies.

The experience was great. We got to see the bottling process, the kids played games, the space was plentiful, the staff were attentive, and we loved it.

Tucked back in Hill Country Texas, Real Ale is like an oasis with beer flowing in a wine dominant river. I've been a fan of their brew since stumbling upon in (sort of literally) while on a vacation to Austin. Unavailable in Louisiana, it was a refreshing change when I was really first getting to know all the various types of beer out there. Due to the generosity of a friend of ours, I get to have some every now and then when he travels here from Texas. The brewery itself was a nice, functional building. A spacey bar and plenty of tables and games to enjoy in the cool AC, or you could hop outside on the patio and take in some hills and the occasional breeze. Picnic table outside and plenty of parking is available. I tried one of their rotating IPAs on this visit, and it was a delicious and refreshingly smooth 6.something% tongue pleaser. It went down a little too smooth for the Texas heat, but who's complaining. On to one of my favorites, Axis, first time on draft. I was one happy girl. Service was great, and I enjoyed watching the bartender interact with a first-timer. There were a lot of "beer guy" patrons, the type I love watching drink beer as they name off the flavors and the ages with a simple taste. My hope is to make it back for the annual Real Ale Day in April when I can take in Texas *slightly* cooler, and enjoy being surrounded by beer guys, nerds, and geeks, tasting all the deliciousness. Real Ale is definitely a place you should visit and give your taste buds a break from the grapes for a hoppy bit.

Love the beer however i feel like every time we come in they don't want to serve us. Same guy with long beard looks annoyed we are there. Came the first time with family then second time with girlfriend. First time he told my brother not to move chairs and this time told someone else to help us. Did we do something wrong?

I just had their new Highlander Scotch Ale. This is a great beer if you love Barrel Aged. Slainte

I love this place and I don't come here enough seeing how close I live to the place. The staff is absoluy above and beyond awesome and fitted exactly for the place, the beer is hands down some of the best I come across with so much variety, I feel like I could make beer pairings with my food. The food trucks they offer are delicious.... And the thing that rounds it out is they are pet friendly! Bring your dog, or your cat, or maybe even your monkey... I dare you!

Out of all the breweries I have visited in South Texas, this one seems to have the largest brewing capacity (but is also the LOUDEST). One thing I didn't realize is that they also distill their own gin and whiskey via the Real Spirits Distilling Co. You can purchase the gin and whiskey here, or you can order a specially crafted house cocktail if you aren't into beer. This place is clean, up to date, and has friendly bar staff. BUT, it is loud AF, and PACKED. I stood at the bar for my first beer, and although I wanted to try a second beer, I just couldn't get over the loudness, and the bar scene. I'd pick a quiet spot at the bar and then other customers would swarm to my area to place their order or mill about and hang out within my personal bubble. I just don't dig that if there's plenty of other open spaces at the bar. So, I fled after finishing my first beer. There are a few outdoor covered seating areas if you want a more relaxed vibe, but it was HAWT!!! Most of Real Ale's beers can be found in a lot of grocery stores and liquor stores around South Texas, and they have a good variety of beers for each palette, so I suggest skipping the drive out to this brewery and just getting your fix at a local store or pub. Parking is in a gravel lot and can be confusing. There's a "no entrance" sign before you drive into the parking lot, but I think it's supposed to be facing the other side street coming into the lot. Looks like it might have been turned around. There's a collection of pictures of the character "Rerun" from an old sitcom named "What's Happening?" behind the far left side of the bar. Ask your server the story behind that.

Great bear, great staff, great atmosphere and the AC blows cold people. I suppose they could add some food to the mix to make an improvement but it seemed like they allowed you to bring your own.

A beautiful afternoon in Blanco, our camping group decided to go to Real Ale Brewing. Overall, we had a great time. But I must point out Kristyn, the very first person we saw when we showed up. She had such a poor condescending hair flipping attitude, she talked down to us. I don't get it. We found ourselves going to the other end of the bar just to order. Please don't talk down to your customers we are the ones with the money and the reason you have a job. By the way, it was a group consensus.

This place is great. The atmosphere is laid back and the staff is super friendly. I wish it wasn't so far from San Antonio- I'd go way more often. I loved the seltzer/ I can't drink beer because of a gluten intolerance so it's rad when breweries have other options, and even better when they make them themselves. 10/10- would recommend.

Beer buds do yourself a favor and take a ride out to Real Ale brewery. I understand they recently expanded and even though their tap/drinking room is on the intimate side there is plenty of deck/patio area to enjoy your brew or their craft gin and/or whiskey cocktails. Real Ale has plenty of acreage for when they have special events. I heard from a regular that their anniversary parties are a must attend event. Next visit I'll be taste testing their whiskey but this was a beer kind of day. I came in heavy with their Commissar Russian Imperial Stout offering. With an ABV of 9.8%, it's truly a sipping beer that is full-bodied with a nice dry finish. Plus one opted for a true summer ale, their Rio Blanco pale ale which was surprisingly flavorful. My last beer was their Axis IPA. I favor west coast IPAs but I may have found my backup. It has a perfect balance of hops and citrus flavors. Man, I wish we had a DD so we could have quaffed a few more draft options. The barkeeps are knowledgeable, friendly, and will pour you s hearty sample when requested. Be sure to check out their production area it is quite impressive.

We really enjoyed the tour and then the brews! The stout was amazing, and a flight of assorted brews was good enough to pick some faves! There was a food truck there the weekend we first went, so we hope they are there again tomorrow! The tour is a must! Our guide whetted his whistle with a brew while showing us around. Way to go! LOL

The signature whisky is amazing. A very relaxing way to spend a Saturday. Zac knows his whisky and made the visit awesome. We will be returning soon!

Jumping back in time to before our stay in San Antonio, our stop by Real Ale Brewing (with the addition of Real Spirits Distilling Co!) in Blanco, TX was a very, very wise move. The place closed at 6, and we got there just after 5. Our time was short, but our visit was good. The distillery folks had left for the day, so the beer heads couldn't answer all my whiskey questions, but they were still great to talk to. Not only the bartender, but also the guys at the bar who'd gotten off shift and stuck around to enjoy the fruits of their labor. The facility is tucked away off the main road, and rolling up to it is impressive. It's BIG! The bar area is up a flight of stairs, and it overlooks the bottling operation. I knew Fireman's #4 was popular, but WOW! They bottle a LOT of that stuff! Major operation for sure. Impressive sight, particularly for a craft brewery. Keep in mind, Real Ale has been around just over 20 years. They were one of the first big dogs in Texas craft brewing, and they started out much smaller than they are today. This isn't a venture capitalist project - this is a success story built on grit and good beer. I'll tell you what, though - as a whiskey and bourbon head, what really knocked my socks off was their new line of whiskey. I expect little of new folks on the craft whiskey scene. Many source product from Indiana or Kentucky, and it tends to taste the same - usually mediocre and sometimes downright bad. Real Spirits Distilling Co was a passion project by the place's owner, Brad, and it tastes like a passion for greatness. When you have all the stuff that goes into making whiskey already on hand to make beer, why not? That would be one approach. This takes it up a notch to, "Oh, and it's awesome on our first try." I was very, very impressed. I can't speak to the mash bill because they don't disclose it, but I seem to taste a lot of barley. Not surprising, considering they make beer here... :) They don't use any rye in their beers, so I'm guessing zero rye, and I'll bet wheat is the other main ingredient. Not sure about corn... if there's any, I'd guess it's not a lot? I can't taste it, whereas most bourbon has a notable corn component. (Note that their whiskey is NOT labeled as a bourbon, although they do use new charred American oak barrels.) I'd love to know their mash bill... I'll have to see what I can find out... You can only buy the whiskey on site, and - like at all distilleries - you can only buy 2 bottles per month. (Stupid rule. Stupid lawmakers.) So, knowing I live about 4 hours from Blanco and don't frequent the town, I naturally had to buy 2 bottles. To be clear, I'm talking about their "normal" whiskey. The single barrel sold out in a matter of hours when it was released in late April, I understand. My wife loved her hef, btw. We'll be back for sure next time we're in the area!

Nice people, great facility. The only down side is they don't offer a flight. It would be nice to taste their beers without having to buy full pours.

Extremely impressed and proud of Real Ale for their expansion and how far they have come. Visited on a Saturday, on our way back from Wimberely. I have not been to Real Ale for clost to 9 years, so this was pre - expansion. Crazy to see how far they've come, and now they even offer spirits! The tasting room is upstairs, but does have an elevator for handicap accessibility, which I did not actually see, I just saw the sign. The tasting room has a nice long bar, lots of picnic tables and clean restrooms. It's also nice and cool in here on a hot summer day. There is 2 tables right outside the tasting room, which is covered. You can also walk around outside on the second level and look into the brewery or go through double doors past the bar, and have a birds eye view of the brewery. There is also some old school arcade games, FREE, that you can play! We were able to catch a few chairs at the bar, and enjoyed a few beers. There is also seating outside, downstairs, which is covered and allows smoking. There was a food truck, which we did not eat at. There is also corn hole set up outside, and plenty of board games in the tasting room. It did get loud, after what felt like a tour bus came in, but they were in and out so quickly, it didn't deter us from wanting to stay. Real Ale is about a 45 minute drive N 281 from SA. I love their beers, except all the sours... what was going on with that? Sour IPA? Never heard of it.. but maybe it floats someone else's boat. They had at least 4 sours on tap. They do offer flights of 4 tasters, or you can purchase a pint. The beer is poured at the perfect temperature! They do not sell beer to go nor do they fill growlers. But they do sell bottles of their Real Spirits whiskey and gin, as well as make craft cocktails. The staff was very friendly and attentive. For a Saturday afternoon, we didn't ever have to wait long for help, even with as busy as it was. On Saturdays, at 1 pm and 3 pm they offer FREE brewery tours, and you can take a beer on this with you.

Really glad this place is close to the house. Some delicious beer coming out of this little local brewery. They have not only expanded to include some Gin but also have created some really good specialty beers. New beers rotate as do all breweries so make sure that you pick your favorites while you're here. A decent size picnic table area in the upstairs tasting room. Don't forget to say hi to Indy, the gray fluffy poodle-ish type dog that will greet you.

So excited we got to visit a brewery on our way out to Fredericksburg! When pulling up, you aren't really sure about parking, but you can basically make your own spot and roll from there. There was a sign out front, but we weren't sure where the door was, so after walking around, we went upstairs into the tasting room. When entering we were greeted by the bartender, who was helpful and educated us on a few of their beers. There was several other guest there, which is cool to see in the middle of a Friday. I ordered a flight of IPA's- all pretty good flavor, a few were lighter than the others, but I would recommend the flight so you can sample several of their beers. Hubby snagged their Axis IPA and also a sample of their whiskey, which he enjoyed. We skipped tours, due to time. But their tasting room was roomy and had long tables which are good for groups and cool views of the property. I would recommend stopping here for some beers!

Couple of thoughts. The tour waiting and drinking area is comfortable with games to play and overlooks the packaging line. That is a nice touch. The place is under construction so the tour seemed a little disorganized. The tour guide was good but didnt provide another details about the brewing process, how one beer is made different from the next or why some beers are aged in barrels. The biggest disappointment is that i have been waiting a year to get some of the Cease and Disefisus (however the hell you spell it). They had it up next to tap but I wasnt going to wait unknown days. But then they told me they cant sell it by the growler or anything else to go. You have to drink it there. GRRRR. The best beer they make and it looks like I wont be getting any more.

Cool place out in the middle of no where in Blanco Texas. Took about an hour to get there from Medical Center. Brought the dogs they have fun meeting fellow beer and dog lovers. All beers are above average and venue has a pretty cool almost Northwest US Vibe. Tried the Whiskey (they now make two) both only on sale at the brewstillery. Was average still a work in progress for them but cool they are branching out. They need to put a few more Barrels and tables upstairs on the Patio so more people can sit up stairs. There are tables below but under trees and not much of a view. Plus a long walk back upstairs for a refill.

Who doesn't like a nice cold beer on a hot Texas day? If you don't like beer, then try one of their cocktails. Everyone in your group will be happy. The best thing about this brewery is that it is so close to San Antonio that you can go for the day and try all their beers and their new spirits. The brewery has a tasting room and offers a tour. I would definitely go for the tour. They offer them at 1 and 3 PM. They also offer gin and whiskey tastings. The distillery is fairly new. The atmosphere of the place is very laid-back. You can enjoy your beer or cocktail inside of their tasting room or outside in their covered patio. You can see the operation of the plant from the tasting room. They have beers for every taste. We fell in love with Gose. From what I understand, this is a seasonal beer. Parking is abundant and staff is super nice. They are under construction for expansion, but don't let that deter you. Cheers!

Was at a local bar one night a few weeks ago and they were doing a promotion for the Real Ale Coffee Porter. After falling in love with it we took a drive out to the brewery to see what else they had. Nice selection of beer and super friendly staff who helped with our choices. We choice some beer flights and ended up getting a few six packs to the home. Lots of variety and plenty of indoor and outdoor space. Dog friendly!

We visited on our way back to San Antonio and loved everything about the beers! We had the gose, a sour, porter, moonwalk and axis IPA. So good! And all for under $30. The staff could be more pleasant... Free arcade games to bring out your inner kid! Great outdoor area - fits everyone!

Although the place appears to be cool from the road, The employees absolutely act as if they're doing you a favor for them being there. The people serving the beer are absolutely unfriendly and by the way the place is crazy about masks, even though everything is outside and the venue is outside they are extremely pushy about the whole mask situation even though it's not required anymore. So be prepared to wear a mask outside in the sun everywhere you go except for at your table, LOL, makes no sense whatsoever!

We LOVE Real Ale! But the brewery itself is horrible. We have been here a few times and the last two visits we had it's been horrible customer service. We went today and the lady with the strip shorts is so rude and very unfriendly. We were there to celebrate a birthday but her shity attitude just ruined it for us to come back. So disappointed and we will not be going back.

We went to Real Ale on Saturday afternoon when we were in town to go camping. We happened to get there just a few minutes before one of their tours was starting, and quickly hopped on after chugging down our flight. The tour is interesting, but was a bit drawn out in our opinion (we liked the one that we did at Shiner a couple years ago better). The guide was a woman (yay for women working in the beer industry!) and she was very sweet and accommodating. The tap room is kind of smallish, but it has a nice intimate feel to it. Major props for having board games available for your patrons! We've always loved Real Ale beers and enjoyed almost all of the different brews we had on our two flights. Our favorite, if we're remembering correctly, was the gose. Service from the bar was efficient but not memorably friendly. We didn't love that they had a massive television in there, but we guess it's a draw for Texas football lovers. There's a food truck outside that looked good, but we just opted for some pretzels to hold us over. Our toddler was pretty well-behaved the couple hours that we were there, which always makes the whole experience more pleasant. Overall, definitely a must (in addition to the Buggy Barn Museum across the street!!) if you're in Blanco.

Website said they closed at 6pm drove all the way up from San Antonio, I got here at 4:58. I Was told they were closing early for a private event, no signs posting they were closing early, nothing on the website. Very unprofessional and irresponsible for a business.

Just moved to the Hill Country and had to come check this place out! The beer was excellent! The beer garden is awesome and we had fun with our dog because there is so much space! Can't wait to spend more time here!

Two words: Free beer!! WOOT! On Fridays they have free brewery tours along with free beer. They don't have a limit on the beer so you can try all their beers and leave extremely happy... probably more happy than you should be! Ssshh... don't tell the Blanco PD. :-) The Friday tours that we've gone to haven't been extremely crowded - probably around 10-20 people, but the tours are growing!! It's nothing like the St. Arnold's tour in Houston though! That place can become a madhouse. Their Summer anniversary party is great! You pay for parking and you get "free" beer and food! Good folks creating good beer in a small po-dunk town. Ya gotta support it!!!

Worth the drive from Austin, it's not that far. Nice location for a massive brewery. Started small and now large. Tasting room is still intimate and all the beers are good. That should be nuff said but, The folks staffing the joint are friendly and knowledgable. They will guide you and give some substantial tastes. It is dog friendly, dogs on patio during weekends and allowed in the tasting room during the week. Can't wait to come back for fresh great beer! 20 year anniversary now, they are the real deal TX brewery, check them out!

Nice place. Lots of space. Great beer. Good service. Came with dad, who doesn't like breweries. He enjoyed it too so that was awesome

My wife's company had a private function at Real Ale where we had the Taproom to ourselves for 2 hours. The place is fun to visit and the beers are great. They also provided us a quick tour which was really nice since they were actually in the middle of production and canning. The area around Real Ale is also beautiful.

I just want to give a huge shout-out to Real Ale and all the folks that came out to LaGrange for the MS150. I was a sherpa for one of the riding teams and worked up a bit of thirst. Thankfully, Real Ale was handing out beer. EVEN BETTER - they had Wallball. I had never had it before and it was an instant favorite. I've picked up a 6 pack when I got back into town. UNFORTUNATELY - I found out it is seasonal. Boooooooo!!!! If you get the chance give Wallball a try. If you want to support a local company that supports the community - Give Real Ale a try!

Oktoberfest 2015 at Real Ale was a blast. They had great music from a really good band, the Polkasonics. The food, by Best Wurst, was very popular and really good, especially the smoked jalapeño, very tasty with their curry ketchup. The folks at real ale really know how to throw a party. They were so friendly and really made you feel welcomed to their place. The drafts were great, even though they only featured four varieties for the fest, these four were a good example of the range of what real ale produces. There was a great turnout and folks were having a good time. The water station serving cold water from the kegs was a cool touch. Hope they do it again next year. Prost!

Came here during their 20th Anniversary Party. It was a lot of fun. There was tons of popular food trucks from Austin and specialty beers along with their usual beers that they serve. My dog was able to join in on the festivities and she had a blast even though there was rain at the beginning of the event. I definitely look forward to coming here during regular hours and other events to see what it's like!

Real Ale is my husband and my favorite beer to buy in the store. We always have Axis or the mix pack in our fridge. We had been wanting to go to the brewery for quite some time, but knew it would be at least an hours drive out there. Plans fell through for Labor Day weekend, so we decided to make a day of it on that Sunday. On the way out there, we realized that it was the first day that Texas was implementing grab and go from breweries. It was packed to say the least. The actual location is kind of hidden off the road. There is a lot of gravel parking available. Since it was such a big day for breweries they made a big event out of it. There was a band outside and a local food truck. Again, with the festivities, there were a lot of things not available that day. We were unable to do a tour, those are only on weekdays. They were not doing flights. We were at the brewery about an hour and a half. We drove over an hour to get there and another hour home. Most of the time spent was waiting in line to get served. The prices were kind of steep and we were given less than a pint for more than pint pricing on many of the beers. To say we were disappointed was an understatement. I guess we might have had high hopes, but we have been to a ton of breweries and this was a huge let down. Just do yourself a favor and get the beers from the store.

It was pure luck that I visited Real Ale for their Oktoberfest celebration. As I followed directions to the parking area, I was amazed how many people were there! That's when I saw that it was Oktoberfest. Real Ale is an awesome place to visit. Lots of open space, and you're welcome to bring your own chairs and sit in the shade. Or you can visit the taproom and watch some football! Their beer is great, and service was outstanding. A must-visit if you are anywhere close!

My husband and I embarked on our own "north of San Antonio" brewery tour a couple of weekends ago, and Real Ale was our first stop. We were super impressed with the set up. Tons of space and plenty of bar staff to help patrons get served quickly. We didn't take the free tour, but we enjoyed a couple of flights at the bar for a bit. It was a Saturday around 1:00, and we arrived right after one of the beer tours out of Austin or SA, so it was pretty busy. We still were served right away, and had no problem finding a seat. We enjoyed all of the beers that we tried, and it was incredibly reasonably priced! I think we paid a whopping $11 for our two flights of four beers each. They even had specialty brews on tap, and they allowed one pour in each flight if you wanted...which is quite a deal. Out of the three breweries we stopped at, this was our favorite. If you're in the area, I'd definitely recommend checking them out! Oh yeah, and they allow puppers inside!

Definitely one of the best breweries I've ever visited! The food truck was average, but the beer and friendly atmosphere more than make up for it. The beer is quite impressive, especially their recently featured porter and brown ale. I also really like their Devil's Backbone. Real Ale has a sizable operation that also includes whiskey and other spirits -- which I was not aware of before visiting. I will definitely visit this one again, and next time will be a tour. Pet-friendly too!