Southern Star Brewing makes some of my favorite beers. I am super partial to this brewery for that reason. As far as tours go I couldn’t say it’s the most fancy or accommodating but that place is my favorite for other reasons. It is in Conroe, so for us city dwellers, it’s lovely to see nature and fewer cars. I feel transported while I wait for my food and look at trees behind the brewery. Southern Star has a rustic, cozy feel with all the stickers everywhere and the equipment is roped off with a simple flimsy rope representing the trust they put in you not to be an asshole or to control your kids and animals. Not every brewery has this trust in drunk people, but here in Conroe, I can feel the love.
The Basics:
1207 N. FM 3083 E.
Conroe, Texas 77303
http://www.southernstarbrewery.com
On their website:
Tours & Tastings at the Brewery
Tours are Saturdays from 1pm-3pm.
February 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd
March 2nd, 16th, 23rd, 30th
NOTE: There isn’t any climate control within the brewery, so it can get very cold in the winter(and hot in the summer) so dress accordingly.
As always, the Tours and Tastings are FREE with NO RESERVATIONS required, and is open to all ages with adult supervision. We do however have some merchandise for sale(T-shirts, glasses, etc.).
See you there!
Also our gourmet food truck friends of Wicked Whisk Food Truck (1st and 3rd Saturday of the month) and El Sabor Cantino Truck (2nd, 4th and 5th Saturday-if there is one-of the month) will be present to give some tasty food for sale.
Price: Free! It’s not a formal tour and you must show i.d. to get tokens for samples. You can see everything there as you walk through the brewery from the taps to the food.
Tokens: 3 wooden nickles given to you when you show your i.d. If you don’t buy a glass you get a plastic kid’s cup. Buy a glass for 7 bucks, the tours free, homie!
Shopping: Southern Star offers some sweet threads.The selection is in both girl and boy, like Karbach they have those sexy Dickies style brewers’ shirts that I highly recommend you buy for your lady to gawk at you in. It’s better than your band t-shirt for sure.
Parking: There is lots of parking around the brewery. It appears you can park anywhere in the parking lot. I have never had an issue with it personally and it’s all relatively close.
The Digs: Southern Star is indoor/ outdoor but let’s call it like it is, outdoors. During the hot months there is no air conditioning but they put giant fans. Seating is available on benches and like 5 tables inside that fill up fast.
Port-a-potties outside.
Bring Cash or Food or Both! There is a food truck in the delivery area. They have fresh sauerkraut Let me explain why this is important to those of you who don’t know. I hate sauerkraut intensely. It is disgusting to me and I love bratwurst so naturally people are trying to put that stuff on my food. This sauerkraut is not only tolerable, it’s delicious. It took me many times of looking at it to try it. Boy, I was missing some delicious stuff.
Kid friendly! Lots of them are there but bring them chairs so they don’t get cranky like! During the summer it gets very hot at this brewery. There is shade but it gets crowded so a giant umbrella to stick in the ground would be good also. I don’t think multiple pop up tents would fit that close to the brewery. I haven’t seen it, but hell, try it.
Bring your dog! I brought my dog and he isn’t always fond of smaller dogs but there is enough space around the building and grassy areas to sit with your people and your pets. If you are inside the building to escape the heat, it is closer quarters.
You are your own tour guide as far as I can tell but everything is highly visible and there are people of the brewery by the taps and the office that socialize and some work to ask questions if you have any.
Wheel chair accessible. There is only one floor, ramps and steps.
Southern Star has my favorite brews! Straight up. They are my flavor. Every seasonal I get excited to try it. I’m a huge fan of everything they have to offer and I love to force my non beer drinking friends to try their Blonde Bombshell.
This one is up in Conroe which makes it a perfect place to stop by on your way to Lake Conroe, the national park surrounding or in April the Texas Crawfish Festival is in that direction from Houston. I liked stopping by the brewery and going to the festival afterward. Free beer!
I love their beers.
I’ve drunk their seasonal beers vicariously through Mitchell. Every time I see something new on the shelves I’m buying it and telling him,he must try! I’m not a huge pale ale fan, so the pine belt is the only one of their brews that I do not get on the tours.
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