When traveling to a new city, I love to indulge in discovery at every turn. For me, this begins with exploring unique spots that lend themselves to a sense of home and community. And I think we can all agree–be it a foreign metropolis, or a nearby town–there’s something inherently special about the nostalgic feeling you get when you first walk into a restaurant, or a bar, and you suddenly feel like… you just came home.
I’d never been to Austin, Texas, but I’d heard many a rumor that it was a great town teeming with breweries, down-home charm, and a true sense of community. All three of these characteristics were epitomized in my visit to the world’s first democratically owned brewpub, the Black Star Co-op Pub & Brewery, located in the Crestview neighborhood of Austin.
When I heard that Black Star was a 13-year old, member-owned restaurant and brewery (the first of its kind), I thought … genius. And it really is. Black Star is owned by a community of more than 3,700 individuals and organizations and is democratically managed by their Workers’ Assembly. Here, members get fair wages and have the freedom to decide what to cook, what seasonal beers to brew,, and how they want to run their own show…right down to what color they want the walls to be painted! Nowadays, breweries are ubiquitous in Austin, but you certainly won’t find another place like Black Star in town. Upon walking in the door, both members and first-time guests alike become immersed in the feeling of ownership, community, and hospitality.
One member-owner, Jon Airheart, who joined back in 2006, articulates this feeling best when he says, “Every time I pass through the front door, I experience a palpable feeling of pride, ownership, and nostalgia. And there’s always a good chance I’m going to run into an old friend. In the end, this is your bar. Our bar. This co-op is what you make of it. In that, we are unique to every other bar or brewery in Austin. And if you have more than just a few ideas on how to make it better, you can always run for the board of directors and contribute to the inner workings. We are definitely not the only cooperatively owned brewpub anymore and that puts a smile on my face. But we will always be a part of brewing history for being the world’s first! Let’s shout that from the rooftops and continue making history.”
And that’s just the beginning of the magic that is Black Star. I haven’t even mentioned… the mouth-watering food. Black Star prides itself on local, sustainable ingredients all sourced from nearby farms in the Austin area. They’re also one of the only brewpubs that welcomes vegans and are known for their impossibly tasty, vegan impossible burger, which I sunk my teeth into. I am not vegan, but damn, that impossible burger nearly turned me. Black Star even hosts a monthly ATX vegan event for the vegan non-profit. The menu is always seasonal and always surprises. Some staples include a fish n chips done right (this coming from a born n bred English girl) featuring beer battered Texas Gulf black drum, seasoned chips, and remoulade. Other favorites of mine were the avocado club and the chicken & waffles with honey-thyme butter…mmm… #meltinyourmouth.
And the local scrumptiousness doesn’t end with the food menu. They brew their own craft beers on-site and I got a firsthand look, stir, and sip of the entire brewing process. The malted barley is local, and I even visited the Blackland malts where its grown. They brew about 8-12 beers at a time, all seasonal, all equally delicious and on-brand democratic aka there’s a beer for everyone’s palette.
And if you’re not convinced yet that Black Star is the #1 brewery destination spot you need to visit in Austin, allow me to elaborate. Black Star is hugely focused on giving back to the community (which is a palpable aspect of Austin’s overall ethos). While I was visiting, Black Star had teamed up with Austin’s Habitat for Humanity to host an event for “The House that Beer Built,” a house that Black Star members and locals built for an unprivileged family to live in. After drinking some beers, I woke up the next morning, hard hat and hammer in hand, and helped out some members as we built a house together. Now, that’s what I call community.
The charitable partnerships don’t end there. Black Star is constantly supporting their city — here’s a list of some of the non-profits they’ve partnered with recently:
Barks for Beers (benefitting Divine Canine)., Emancipet, Habitat for Humanity and The House that Beer Built, Out Youth, Hill Country Ride for AIDS, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, ATX Vegans, and Texas Land Conservancy. They’re also proud members of the Austin Cooperative Business Association, ACBA. Recently, Black Star was extremely proud to be able to offer safe drinking water to their city during an unprecedented water boil period. Due to Black Star’s capacity to boil large volumes of water, they extended an offer to anyone who had a reusable container to come fill it up if they needed fresh drinking water. What happened next was shocking to say the least. The original social media post ended up being shared more than 2,000 times and they had people (as well as a couple of coffee shops) from all over the surrounding area come in to grab what they needed until the boil was lifted.
Simply put, Black Star hits all the marks. They give back. Their food & beer is outstanding. The staff treat you like family. They have a pet-friendly patio with games where good times are guaranteed. So, be sure to stop by for lunch, happy hour and dinner anytime. Interested in becoming a member? Click here to learn more.
Thank you, Black Star, for all that you are and all that you do. I will certainly be back to visit soon.