After recently nabbing several awards for its beer, Infamous Brewing Co. is on its way to becoming a bit more famous.
In May the brewery, which opened in March 2013, notably scored 10 medals, four platinum, at the inaugural 2015 Brewski Awards and earned a silver medal in the international U.S. Open Beer Championship on July 4.
Recognition is not all the brewery has in its line up. Since taking over majority control of the brewery in early 2015, owner Josh Horowitz said he implemented several operational changes to improve production and bottling.
“Since then we’ve improved our production by 40 percent,” he said. “It was the best decision for the business and helped me make decisions to improve our capacity.”
That growth has prompted Horowitz to consider expansion options because the brewery will reach capacity by producing an expected 2,300 barrels for 2015. Horowitz said he wants to open a second location—ideally in Westlake—but that expansion will take time. In the interim he said he filed paperwork with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission June 9 to partner with another brewery to expand production.
“We have a plan in action on getting licensing to double our capacity [by brewing at] another Texas brewery,” Horowitz said. “It’s a domino effect to start our second location.”
Infamous has also become well-known for its Sweep the Leg peanut butter stout, Horowitz said. He said he his initial experiment with strawberry rhubarb did not pan out.
During a visit to the Great American Beer Festival, he said he was inspired by the rich peanut butter flavor in one brewery’s porter and later discovered how to use powdered peanut butter in his Sweep the Leg peanut butter stout.
“People went crazy over it,” Horowitz said. “... It’s one of those beers that’s a game-changer.”
Infamous beer
• Hijack Cream Ale: a lighter beer common in the northeast and ideal for an introduction into craft beer • Bugsy’s Fire Brush Amber: owner Josh Horowitz calls it very drinkable with a classic amber style • Infamous IPA: West Coast-style India Pale Ale with a balance of hops and malts • Double Tap Imperial IPA: has a tropical and citrus-like hops taste • Pumpkin Massacre Pumpkin Pie Porter: a seasonal brew • Derringer Session Ale Series No. 2: a smash beer, meaning single malt and single hops • Sweep the Leg Peanut Butter Stout: a robust stout • Infamy Old Ale: an old home-brew recipe using corn grits and blueberry honey. Horowitz said he smokes the oats for the beer at Schmidt Family Barbecue.
4602 Weletka Drive, Austin 512-487-8786 www.infamousbrewing.com Twitter: @infamousbrewing Tasting room hours: Thu. 5-9 p.m., Fri. 4-9 p.m., Sat. 1-7 p.m., Sun. 1-5 p.m.
