Okay... Some places are just so wonderful that you need more stars. Five is not enough for this place.
I was camping this week at Bastrop State Park. The mornings were cool enough for hiking and camp-like activities. The afternoons were scorchers. Both of my "full days" had temperatures around 97 degrees which Weather Bug said felt more like 109! I can't argue with that. The heat and humidity had me scrounging around for indoor activities.
I found the Bastrop Beer Company with an internet search for breweries/pubs near Bastrop. It was a great find. It is located on Main Street in what is one of the most beautiful little historic downtown areas I have ever seen. It is in a large building with high ceilings that was probably a store of some kind in the past. There is a long bar on one side with a lot of seats. There are several comfy chair/sofa/coffee table areas along the other. The entire place has a clean fresh but historic feel to it. I would guess that it is family friendly.
They are hooked into the Untapped app, which makes it a win for me, as I am a beer nerd who compulsively records every new beer he drinks. As a result, the menu is up on a giant screen that flashes between screens to show all the beers on tap. They also have a paper print out, if you ask for it. I prefer to look at the menu on the iPhone app. That way I can tell if I have had a beer before or not. Yeah... like I said...BEER NERD.
I enjoyed a great flight of new to me beers plus a couple of extra flight-sized that I was interested in on my first visit. It was such a pleasant experience, that I returned the next day with a buddy who met me for lunch in Bastrop after not seeing each other in over 20 years.
On the second visit, I had what I called the "funky flight". It was made up of sours, lambics, fruit lagers, and other mis-matched beers. There was absolutely no rhyme or reason to the selection. The order would have made most beer snobs cringe. But, I got to try six more beers that I would not normally want to order a full pint of. I like the fact that I can order individual 4 ounce beers without getting a full flight. I never allow myself to drink more than two pints of beer unless someone else is driving. So, having the option to have a few stand alone 4 ounce beers is good for me.
The serving staff was super friendly both days. They were all what I call "chill". I can't remember feeling so welcomed and comfortable at a "new to me" place. I think it might be dog friendly, as one of the servers had his dog with him behind the bar. I don't see that mentioned on the website, so don't take my word for it- call and ask.
They have free popcorn, although I didn't eat any. There were also some nice looking soft pretzels which I also didn't try. They have 28 taps of craft beer. If you aren't happy with them, they have a huge beer case on the wall with what looks like hundreds of other canned choices. Plus, they have sake, wine, and champagne for the mis-guided folks who don't drink beer.
I really can't say much more about the place. I know it would be my hangout spot, if I lived in Bastrop. I also know that I will visit it at least once a day whenever I am camping at Bastrop or Beuscher State Parks. read more