Austin, Texas has long been a haven for interesting people and fascinating places. Its famous slogan of “Keep Austin Weird” highlights the city’s history of attracting free thinkers and mavericks of all stripes. For the craft beer scene, that fresh approach can be attributed to three of its finest breweries as well: Uncle Billy’s Brewery, Pedernales Brewing Co. and the rejuvenated Celis Brewery. These three breweries each have their own captivating history, and together, they create a new heritage for their brands with terrific beers and a focus on quality and history.

The story of Uncle Billy’s Brewery begins in 2006 with the founding of a beer and barbecue brewpub that focused on providing smoky dishes paired with delicious beers made on-site. Founded by Rick Engel, Uncle Billy’s grew in popularity until a decision was made to start canning and distributing its core brands: Green Room IPA, Barton Springs Pale Ale and Lazy Day Lager.

While Uncle Billy’s gained brand recognition throughout the greater Austin area over the next decade, the brewpub was unable to meet the demand for its beers – and profits weren’t as great as investors had hoped. Engel was considering shuttering the business when Texas craft beer luminary Bob Leggett came into the picture.

In the past few decades, few industries have epitomized the spirit of American entrepreneurialism like craft brewing. In times of recession, brewing kept booming, serving as an avenue for upward mobility in a stagnant economy. Stories of successful brewers who started in the garage or basement and ended up on the public stock exchange read like working-class fables. Such is the case for The Boston Beer Co. (BBC) founder and original Sam Adams brewer Jim Koch, a sixth-generation brewer who launched what would become one of the most iconic craft brewing operations of all time in 1984 from a kitchen stove pot.

Unlike the relatively craft-conscious world of today, Koch brought Samuel Adams Boston Lager into a market that viewed "craft" as a term for macaroni pictures held together with Elmer's Glue.

In some ways, building up The Boston Beer Co. resembled such a craft project. Koch had to piece together accounts one by one, bar to bar. How well his product would "stick" depended on consumer education – sharing the humble origins of Boston Lager, a 4.2 percent ABV Vienna-style lager based on great-great grandfather Louis Koch's family recipe.

As temperatures finally begin to creep upwards, it is once again time for another May/June issue of The Beer Connoisseur! Moving on from spring, this issue serves as a bridge between the defrosting of spring and the freeing, sultry summer months.

With that in mind, we’ve got plenty of fascinating stories to slake your thirst as you await the opening of your neighborhood pool.

Issue #36 of The Beer Connoisseur has all the brew that’s fit to drink, headlined by a conversation with craft beer founding father Jim Koch of Boston Beer Co. regarding the company’s Brewing the American Dream initiative, which helps burgeoning craft breweries and other small businesses get the boost they need to succeed in today’s extremely competitive market.

Beyond that, we profile the new brewing heritage in Austin, Texas, as three storied brands with interesting backgrounds – Celis, Uncle Billy’s and Pedernales – are creating a craft beer landscape in the heart of Texas that combines history, local loyalty and tasty brews.

We then head northward to New England with Seth Levy, who offers up the finest combinations of New England Burgers and Beer, showcasing the best examples of regional burgers paired with excellent craft brews from the region.