Serving over 500,000 glasses of beer in its two years of operation, St. Elmo Brewing Co. brews a new beer variety each week. The staff always has something fresh for customers to try.
Owned by seasoned homebrewers Bryan Winslow and Tim Bullock, St. Elmo opened in November 2016. The brewery space includes an indoor taproom and outdoor seating, offers Wi-Fi, and it is home to Southeast Asian-inspired food trailer Soursop.
Winslow said the brewery has four classic beers that are on the menu year-round, while the rest of the menu is flexible with new varieties added and swapped once a batch runs out. Rotating beers frequently was not always the plan, but it keeps things fun for the brewers and customers, he said.
“When you experience a beer that has a different flavor, you wonder what they put into it,” Bullock said. “Bryan and I both have very curious minds. We both like to figure out how things work.”
When thinking of new beers to create Winslow said the brewers consider what will be popular in the current season, like stouts each winter, and how a beer might complement the brewery’s current lineup.
“We want most beer drinkers to be able to find something they like: a stout, a malty [Indian Pale Ale], a fruit beer,” he said. “We have people who just drink the year-round [options]. Other drinkers want something new each time they come in.”
Bullock said customers come back because of the friendly staff and the exclusivity of the beers served.
The brewery began offering taps of its own kölsch, named Carl, at some of Winslow and Bullock’s favorite bars in downtown Austin about six months after the brewery’s opening. As an alumni of The University of Texas at Austin, Winslow said being able to drink his own beer downtown is “sentimental,” although most of the brews are still only offered at the brewery.
“You want something to feel exclusive because you want people to come by and visit, but you also want it to be easy for somebody to try,” Bullock said. “We’re very pleased with how well distribution has gone. It helps people learn who we are, even if they don’t drink it here.”
