Rainy day clouds declined to attend and instead, our old buddy Mr. Blue Sky tagged along to enjoy a few free beers at Independence Brewing Co.’s First Saturday last weekend. After packing up our portable lawn chairs, my husband Gary and I herded Ginger the Rover Reporter into the car and made our way to Independence to enjoy top notch beer, good friends and surprisingly warm-even-for-Texas weather.

Independence Brewing Co. was founded by Rob and Amy Cartwright in October of 2004. They brought along their dog Jasper and later added another pooch, Indy, for the ride. Jasper, the Lucky Dog, even has a namesake beer, Jasperilla Old Ale.

A love of great beer inspired Rob and Amy to create smooth, clean tasting beer that goes down easy. Since then, over 200 plus establishments in Austin and San Antonio offer their full flavored concoctions in bottles and on draft.

All you need is an ID proving you are old enough to legally drink to enjoy the truly “Austin Cool” environment. Kids are allowed if with a parent, and they join in the fun by playing games and dancing to the music. You get a plastic cup at the entrance for the free beer but to properly partake of the golden brew, just pay $6 for an Independence Brewing Co official beer drinkin’ glass. It’s well worth the investment and a nice memento for your bar at home. Get your wristband, which is good for three beers, and you’re all set. The crowd is congenial and happy to stand in line for the brews, partly due to the generally laid back ambiance and partly due the great live music, which always eases the pain of waiting for a refill. Naturally, the best reason to stand in line is for the payoff: awesomely delicious beer. We tried the Austin Amber, the Pale Ale and Freestyle Wheat, which was my personal favorite.

The biggest smiles, however, were found on the mugs of the friendly dogs that pranced amongst the crowd. The epitome of social networking, with tongues lagging and tails wagging, their jubilance embodied the festivity of the day. If happiness could have morphed into form, it would have had four legs and a cold wet nose. Yes, you can bring your well behaved canine along because Independence Brewing Co likes dogs so much, they are even hosting a benefit on April 10th called “Pints for Pups”. A $10 donation benefits local Animal Rescue organizations. This event gets a happy bark of approval from the dog loving likes of us at Austinontherocks. You’ll see more info about “Pints for Pups” at Austinontherocks.com in the near future.

We had a great time at this truly unique, Austin-style event. It’s one that you should be sure to attend – it’s the best way to Find Your New Favorite Beer! We recommend that you check Independence Brewing Co’s website for details and important information regarding First Saturday before you go.

Cheers!
Cathi, Gary, Bryan, Carrie, Tim and Ginger