I sit across from the bar in our tasting room.  One at a time peeling labels from their backing and sticking them on empty rice paper bags.  Each one destined for a new place and full of crunchy Brew Biscuits.  Spreading the good word around every corner.  The good word, I’m told, is a good thing.  Thoughts of automation with this Brew Biscuit packaging process are also crossing my mind.  Not that I don’t like to weigh out each bag of treats, stick the labels on the bags and heat seal each and every one.  It’s very comforting knowing that each bag was handled with care and each dog on the receiving end will be happy with the ingredients and processes that went into preparing them, but, it would be really cool to see them scooting through a packaging line at a rate faster than my current 4 dozen bags per hour.

And I sit, occasionally glancing up at the row of taps that have slowly but surely filled themselves in our tasting room, I am proud.  Proud like the first day I learned to ride a bike, scored my first goal in soccer and conquered my first high alpine mountain climb.  Proud, very proud.  I’ve sat in this room for many months gazing at the would-be tap wall that sits before me today.  I’ve dreamed of where we would be in a week, month, year, decade.  To be able to sit on one of our 30 custom made bar stools and hand package dog treats for a few hours is truly gratifying.  In a way that I can only describe as living the dream.  Dreams are dreams and as such they should be pursued.  I mean, “living the nightmare” doesn’t really roll off the tongue.  Living in someone else’s dream for an entire lifetime just never “tooted my horn” as they say.  Never really rose me from bed at 2 AM, anxious for a few more hours to pass so that I could head to the brewery and at least seem somewhat sane to my friends and family.

Today, I am living my dream.  I’m dirty, smell like a bakery, haven’t showered in a few days (and I use the word few very loosely) and couldn’t ask for more.  And, we’ve got 7 different beers on tap in our tasting room.  Now I don’t have any children of the human form.  My wife and I have two fantastic dogs that we spoil with the likes of the worst cases but no children.  But staring up at the tap wall and reading the styles that we’ve brewed makes me feel like I’ve got 7 children getting ready for their first day of school.  Anxious to send them off and nervous to see how they play with the other kids on the playground.  As a disclaimer; I’m not even sure if that’s what actual parents do but bear with me, I’m on a rant.   Will anyone order it? Will people make fun of it? Call it bad names? Tease it? Maybe even get in a fight with it?  Probably not the last one but you get where I’m going.

Luckily we operate in Austin, TX.  A town with an absolute devotion to small, local businesses and a desire, dare I say need, for something new! With that I can rest assured that at least one person will order these new beers that we’ve produced.  At least one.  And let’s just hope that they didn’t happen to walk into the bar chewing a gigantic piece of Big Red chewing gum.  You know, the stuff that makes your sinuses hurt with the first chews and absolutely wrecks your pallate into a state of oblivion, where the only answer is more Big Red.  Hopefully, with any luck, these new Greenhouse Styles will be well received.  Maybe even talked about on the interweb.  I guess only time will tell.

Here’s what we’ve got;

Pale Dog- American Pale Ale, 6.2%, 55 IBU

Alt-eration- German Altbier, 5.1%, 35 IBU

Greenhouse Porter- Brown Porter, 5.2%, 15 IBU

Greenhouse Night Rye-der- Rye Dark Ale, 6.6%, 75 IBU

Greenhouse Bourbon Barrel Night Rye-der, 6.6%, 75 IBU, aged in Bourbon Barrels

Greenhouse Amber, 5.5%, 70 IBU, smells like weed

Greenhouse Vienna Lager, 9.5%, 18 IBU, intense

So, across the bar I sit, gazing.

We have a full cold room right now.  Full of fresh Pale Dog and Alt-eration kegs, ready for delivery, ready for Austin.  We’ve also got a nice little stash tucked away in the corner.  Once we get a small blessing from the TABC we’ll begin sending these kegs out for delivery as well.  If you’re feeling adventurous, come on over to East 6th St. this Friday 2-6 or Saturday 12-4 and try them for yourself.  And grab a fresh bag of Brew Biscuits while your here!

Enjoy!