Celis Brewery owner Christine Celis reopened her father's original Celis Brewery in North Austin.[/caption]Twenty-five years after her father, Pierre, opened the original Celis Brewery in Austin in 1992, Christine Celis is reopening the brewery that ignited the city’s passion for craft beer.
“Austin has its first craft brewery back,” she said in a news release. “It has been a labor of love to reopen Celis Brewery, and it is incredibly exciting to be back brewing my father’s original recipes like the famous Celis Wit and Celis Grand Cru using the proprietary yeast from Belgium.”
The 22,000-square-foot brewery opens its taproom to the public Friday at 6 p.m. Christine is planning a July 11 grand opening celebration that will include live music and food. Get a sneak peek of the brewery here.
Celis Brewery will serve three beers, including the Celis White, a Belgian-style witbier. More styles will be released later this year, including the Celis Grande Cru. Devotees can already find Celis beers on tap at more than 100 bars and restaurants in Central Texas, according to the brewery.
The taproom includes a bar centered around a hand-beaten copper kettle from the early 1900s that was featured in the original brewery.
Pierre, who was from Hoegaarden, Belgium, sold the brewery after its opening to Miller Brewing Co. The brewery closed in 2001.
“We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and enthusiasm we have found in Austin as we have started reintroducing our Celis beers around town in a series of tastings this month,” Christine said. “We are thrilled to celebrate our return with a grand opening party on the 25th anniversary of the first grand opening. We are giving Austin a part of its history back.”
Celis Pale Bock and Celis White[/caption]Celis beers
Celis White: The brewery’s signature beer—first brewed by Pierre Celis in 1965—is made from the original recipe that includes three kinds of hops, coriander and orange peel. The beer has strong citrus and spicy fruity scents and tart fruit flavors, according to the brewery.
Celis Pale Bock: This is also a revived original Celis Belgium pale bock beer with caramel malts. The beer has dry berry with caramel-malt and citrus aromas and flavors of berry, malt, citrus, and herbs and spices, according to the brewery.
Celis Citrus Grandis IPA: The brewery’s first new recipe is an East Coast-style India pale ale with citrus and tropical fruit aromas and flavors of grapefruit, orange rind, melons, peach, passion fruit and pineapple.
