It’s the kind of scene a team of two experienced bar proprietors and two seasoned brewmasters dreamt up—Old Gregg Brewing Company, which opened in late November.
“It’s a neighborhood bar disguised as a brewery,” co-founder Max Moreland said.
Meet the team
Founders of FBR Management Matt Luckie and Moreland joined forces with brewmasters Kirby Kirkconnell and Matt Couch to open the city’s latest brewery and bar—one of the area’s few businesses to combine the two types of establishments.
While Luckie and Moreland have experience opening and operating Austin Metro bars— including Sign Bar, Midnight Cowboy, Mean Eyed Cat, Lavaca Street Bar and others—the duo say the difference this go around was enlisting Kirkconnell and Couch to craft exclusive, house-made beers.
Kirkconnell, who co-founded Oasis Texas Brewing, and Couch, brewmaster for Lazarus Brewing Company, started Solon Consulting together, which offers guidance and advice for new and existing breweries.
Combined, the four industry experts opened a place they hope offers something for everyone.
“By offering more of a full gamut of drinks and food, we’ve thrown a wider net out there,” Moreland said.
What they offer
Beer drinkers will find a menu of familiar options—pale ales, dark lagers, german pilsners, IPAs, stouts and more. Kirkconnell said Old Gregg will keep anywhere from eight to 10 beers on tap at any time, with a no-frills menu of easy-to-drink brews capable of standing with intricate cocktail creations.
“The fact is, if you make good beer and you care about the beer, no amount of other things that you add on is going to take that away,” he said. “I’ve got to spend all the time I can to make it the best I can, but it still needs to come across effortlessly.”
Along with a full bar, Old Gregg will serve house-made seltzers, root beer and Dr. Pepper.
For those needing a bite to eat, customers will also find Chicago-style thin crust pizzas. John Bates, Michelin-starred chef of Interstellar BBQ, opened Deft Pies within the brewery, and outside of the brewery he brought his food truck, Yellow Bell Taco.
What’s in a name
When looking for a name for their latest venture, Luckie threw out the tag, Old Gregg, linking it to the nearby Old Gregg Lane in Pflugerville.
“We own Lavaca Street [Bar] [and] Gibson Street Bar,” Luckie said. “When in doubt, you name it after the street, right?”
What Luckie didn’t realize was that in addition to the nearby road, his suggested name harkens back to the 2004 British comedy TV show, “The Mighty Boosh,” and one of its most widely known characters—a merman by the name of Old Gregg. The character, whose clips circulated throughout web browsers in the earlier years of the internet, was quickly recognized by Luckie’s business partners.
Once the name was said, Luckie couldn't stop it, he said.
Building off the inside joke, the business has several menu items alluding to the TV show, including cocktails like Funky Merman or Full Moon Old Fashioned. Beer names referencing the skit include the Boat Times German Pils, Love Games Hazy-Ish IP and Man About Town. Patrons can also order a shot of Baileys, or Baileys in a Shoe.
“The people who know the show and come by are super excited and want to chat about it. ... It’s one of those shows that people are happy about, but it’s hard to explain to anybody—other normal people—about what it is,” Kirkconnell said.
- 1900 E. Howard Lane, Bldg. H, Pflugerville
- www.oldgreggbrewingco.com
