Georgetown Edition | February 2022

BUSINESS FEATURE Rentsch Brewery Taproom Vanguard of Georgetown beer scene nds its place W hen Rentsch Brewery was opened six years ago by Andrew Rentschler and his father, David, the beer landscape in Williamson County was sparse. Rentsch itself was Georgetown’s rst brewery. In that time, however, Georgetown has added a second brewery in Barking Armadillo, Salado has Barrow Brewing, there is Hedgehog Brewing in Cedar Park, Bluebonnet Beer Co. in Round Rock and the list goes on. “I think craft beer as an industry, in general, is denitely beginning to boom,” said Rentsch Brewery TaproomManager Matt Davis. “We’ve now got Barking Armadillo around the corner, and we’ve got a great relationship with them. We love that community and we love the kind of camaraderie between the two.” The Rentsch taproom at 2500 NE Inner Loop, Georgetown, is large, with the tap wall anchoring one end, adjacent to the brewing operation where Rentsch and its sister label, Strange Land Brewery, are produced and canned. Just outside of the taproom is a covered patio twice the size of the indoor space and beyond that a beer garden with more space and a stage where Assistant Manager Will Hickman periodically books live music. “We’ve gone through a couple of expansions,” said Davis, who is in his third year as manager. “But I’d like to expand it again; I’m just not sure exactly how or where.” In the meantime, he will have to settle for Rent- sch opening a second taproom. Austin-based ThunderCloud Subs, which currently occupies the entirety of 814 S. Main St., just south of the downtown Square, will be making room on one side of its dining room for a satellite Rentsch taproom, and, according to Davis, hope- fully for an opening this spring. “Once we have all the permits, we can start the build-out process,” Davis said. “We’re hoping that’s gonna be ready by [April 22-24] for the Red Poppy Festival. I’m really looking forward to it.” Back at the original space, Rentsch serves its beer as well as that of Strange Land Brewery, which left its original space on Bee Caves Road three years ago. On tap are a selection of Rentsch and Strange Land’s core beers, while specialty brews from both rotate o and on. Recent additions have included Strange Land’s Grapefruit IPA and Headless Gentle- man, a pumpkin ale, as well as Rentsch’s Bourbon Barrel Aged Prussian Imperial Stout and a peach version of its popular Hefeweizen. BY EDDIE HARBOUR

The taproom crew at Rentsch Brewery includes, from left: Julian Newman, manager Matt Davis and assistant manager Will Hickman. (Photos by Eddie Harbour/Community Impact Newspaper)

FOOD PAIRINGS Rentsch Taproom manager Matt Davis attributes much of its success to the large contingent of local food trucks that rotate through on most nights. Here is a look at the next four weeks of trucks coming to Rentsch. Truck hours, unless noted: Wed.-Fri. 4-9 p.m., Sat. 2-8 p.m., Sun. noon-6 p.m. NOTE: SOME TRUCKS MAY SELL OUT BEFORE CLOSING. FEBRUARY 16 After The Fire .................................. Southern 17 Garbo’s Lobster ............................... Seafood 18 Munch Munch Waes...................... American 19 Check Point Germany, noon-7 p.m. .. German 20 Takavron, noon- 7 p.m. .................... Tacos 23 Cocina Maya .................................... Mexican 24 Pat’s BBQ ........................................ Barbecue 25 After The Fire .................................. Southern 26 Simply Smoked BBQ, 3-9 p.m. ........ Barbecue 27 The Rice Is Right ............................. Pan-Asian MARCH 2 Flavors of Guam .............................. Guamanian 3 Takavron ......................................... Tacos 4 Check Point Germany ...................... German 5 Cocina Maya .................................... Mexican 6 The Rice Is Right ............................. Pan-Asian 9 Munch Munch Waes ..................... American 10 Garbo’s Lobster .............................. Seafood 11 Pat’s BBQ ........................................ Barbecue 12 Curb Food Truck .............................. Fast casual 13 Krab Kingz ...................................... Seafood

The beer garden at Rentsch Brewery includes a grouping of seven oak trees and a performance stage.

The Rentsch Taproom sells its own branded merchandise from the brewery and its sister brand, Strange Land Brewery.

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RentschBrewery Taproom 2500 NE Inner Loop, Georgetown https://rentschbrewery.com Hours: 4-10 p.m. Wed.-Fri.; noon-10 p.m. Sat.; Noon-8 p.m. Sun.; Closed Mon.-Tue.

NE INNER LOOP

GEORGETOWN EDITION • FEBRUARY 2022