The Great American Beer Festival is an annual celebration of craft beer and independent brewers. It is typically held in Colorado, but like many nationwide events—from SXSW Conferences and Festivals to Austin City Limits Music Festival—the Great American Beer Festival elected this year to postpone all in-person programming.

Last year, three Austin breweries—Central District Brewing, Pinthouse Pizza and St. Elmo Brewing Co.—took home Great American Beer Festival gold medals for their entry beers. Overall, 16 Texas breweries were awarded prizes for their brews at last year’s festival.

In 2020, the decades-old beer festival elected to hold all of its events online Oct. 16-17 for a reduced entry fee.

For $20, attendees can purchase a Great American Beer Festival passport, a ticket that grants access to the festival’s calendar of panels, classes and the award ceremony. While the festival this year will be streamed from homes across the world, attendees can participate with their local breweries through the passport.

Holders of the festival’s passport can visit participating breweries to access discounts and specials.


In the Austin area, more than a dozen local breweries are participating in the Great American Beer Festival passport program. Listed here are local breweries where passport holders through Oct. 18 can grab specials on craft beer and virtually attend the 2020 Great American Beer Festival.

4th Tap Brewing Co-Op

10615 Metric Blvd., Austin

www.4thtap.coop


Customers enjoy a 10% discount on all merchandise at 4th Tap through the weekend.

Acopon Brewing Co.

211 W. Mercer St., Dripping Springs

www.acoponbrewing.com


Acopon Brewing is giving a 20% discount on pours of pints at its Dripping Springs taproom, with an additional deal on select merchandise.

Adelbert’s Brewery

2314 Rutland Drive, Ste. 100, Austin

www.adelbertsbeer.com


The North Austin brewery is offering a free can of its beer to customers that hold the Great American Beer Festival passport.

Barking Armadillo Brewing

507 River Bend, Georgetown

www.barkingarmadillo.com


Barking Armadillo, which first started pouring its beer for customers in March, has a buy-one-get-one special on pints at its taproom. The Georgetown brewery is also offering 10% off its merchandise.

Blue Owl Brewing

2400 E. Cesar Chavez St., Ste. 300, Austin

www.blueowlbrewing.com

Austin’s sour beer masters are offering passport holders a 20% discount on merchandise and a 30% discount on all growler fills at the brewery.

Family Business Beer Co.

19510 Hamilton Pool Road, Dripping Springs

www.acoponbrewing.com

Passport holders get a 10% discount off their entire beer tab at Family Business, which specializes in traditional English ales.

Hold Out Brewing

1208 W. Fourth St., Austin

www.holdoutbrewing.com

Hold Out Brewing, one of Austin’s newest breweries, is releasing the first beer in its “Hard in the Paint” series. Passport holders will have the opportunity to purchase limited edition artwork with the purchase of a four-pack of the special release beer.

Independence Brewing Co.

3913 Todd Lane, Ste. 607, Austin

www.independencebrewing.com

South Austin’s Independence Brewing Co. is giving passport holders discounts on merchandise and buy-one-get-one free crowlers.

Jester King Brewery

13187 Fitzhugh Road, Austin

www.jesterkingbrewery.com

Jester King is offering 15% off its online beer to-go orders. Passport holders will also have access to reserved seating at the Southwest Austin brewery.

Last Stand Brewing Co.

12345 Pauls Valley Road, Bldg. J, Austin

www.laststandbrewing.com

Passport holders get a discount on beer at Last Stand, located in Southwest Austin.

Pinthouse Pizza

4729 Burnet Road, Austin

4236 S. Lamar Blvd., Austin

2800 Hoppe Trail, Round Rock

www.pinthousepizza.com

At all three of its current locations in Austin and Round Rock, Pinthouse Pizza is giving passport holders a $2 discount on a flight of its Great American Beer Festival medal entries.

Real Ale Brewing Co.

231 San Saba Court, Blanco

www.realalebrewing.com

Passport holders visiting Real Ale get a 10% discount on the brewery’s entries to the Great American Beer Festival through October. The brewery is also giving out free sticker packs with all curbside beer to-go orders during the Oct. 16 weekend.

San Gabriel River Brewery

500 Chaparral Drive, Liberty Hill

www.sangabrielriverbrewery.com

San Gabriel River Brewing is giving passport holders a 50% on its set of 4-5-ounce tasters.

Texas Beer Co.

201 N. Main St., Taylor

www.texasbeerco.com

Taylor’s Texas Beer Co. is offering one free beer to all Great American Beer Festival passport holders, with additional discounts on merchandise and six packs.

Texas Cannon Brewing Co.

307 4th St., Blanco

www.texascannonbrewing.com

The new Texas Cannon Brewing Co. is giving a commemorative pint glass to the first 100 passport holders who visit the brewery. The brewery is further giving a 15% discount on beer and merchandise.

Vacancy Brewing

415 E. St. Elmo Road, Ste. 1-D2, Austin

www.vacancybrewing.com

Passport holders can get a sneak peek of the upcoming Vacancy Brewing with exclusive tours Oct. 17 and 18. The yet-to-open South Austin brewery is further giving participants a 20% discount on merchandise.

Vista Brewing

13551 FM 150, Driftwood

www.vistabrewingtx.com

Driftwood’s Vista Brewing is pouring a free 4-ounce sample of any of its beers to passport holders. The brewery is also giving a 50% discount off pints and beer flights,and is providing passport holders exclusive access to a limited-release beer.