90+ Craft Facilities (Beer, Spirits, Wine, Cider, and Mead) Visited in 2019!

2019 has been an awesome design year for OPA as our growth has extended nationally to 3 new states (Florida, Colorado, and New York) and construction wrapped up on Rally Cap Brewing in Baton Rouge. 2020 is already looking good as the diversity in craft production facilities in architecture projects continues to broaden. We are working on multiple new distilleries, cider, and meaderies. The brewery projects have been both big and small both in size and location. As always, the growth in our craft experience has been fueled by the strong relationships we forge with our clients.

During the next few months, the blog will become more active as stories on such topics as the importance of branding, the value of memorable tasting room design, and what to look for in permitting requirements. Also, look for the ramping up to the 2nd annual Brewery Road Trip (http://thebreweryroadtrip.com/) where we will once again take on the tall order of heading out in an RV to tour what’s new in the craft world, and share those owners stories and experiences with you. Seeing more breweries through the lens of an Architect helps us understand how to translate that into all of our projects.

Meanwhile, as we look back on the year I thought it would be fun to share my list of craft facilities (brewery, winery, distillery, cider, meadery) I visited for the first time as well as a bunch I couldn’t help but find way back to. It’s been a fun and insightful year! Thank you all for the memories and sharing your knowledge with us!

Stephen Oliver | The Brewery Architect
Principal | OPA Design Studio

FIRST VISITS IN 2019

1.     New Republic Brewing (College Station, TX)

2.     Brazos Valley Brewing Company (Brenham, TX)

3.     Lone Pint Brewery (Mangnolia, TX)

4.     No Label Brewing Co (Katy, TX)

5.     11 Below Brewing Company (Houston, TX)

6.     Eureka Heights Brewing Company (Houston, TX)

7.     Buffalo Bayou Brewing (Houston, TX)

8.     Great Heights Brewing (Houston, TX)

9.     Brash Brewing (Houston, TX)

10.   Baileson Brewing (Houston, TX)

11.   Vallensons Brewing (Pearland, TX)

12.   BAKFISH Brewing (Pearland, TX)

13.   8th Wonder Brewing (Houston, TX)

14.   Sigma Brewing (Houston, TX)

15.   Saint Arnold Brewing (Houston, TX)

16.   Holler Brewing (Houston, TX)

17.   Spindletap Brewery (Houston, TX)

18.   B-52 Brewing (Conroe, TX)

19.   Copperhead Brewery (Conroe, TX)

20.   Southern Star Brewing (Conroe, TX)

21.   True Vine Brewing (Tyler, TX)

22.   Oak Highlands Brewery (Dallas, TX)

23.   Lakewood Brewing (Garland, TX)

24.   3 Nations Brewing (Carrollton, TX)

25.   Bitter Sisters Brewing (Addison, TX)

26.   Unlawful Assembly (Plano, TX)

27.   Hop and Sting Brewing (Grapevine, TX)

28.   Panther Island Brewing (Ft. Worth, TX)

29.   Cowtown Brewing (Ft. Worth, TX)

30.   Deep Ellum Funkatorium (Ft. Worth, TX)

31.   The Collective Brewing Project (Ft. Worth, TX)

32.   Rahr and Sons Brewing (Ft. Worth, TX)

33.   Martin House Brewing (Ft. Worth, TX)

34.   Hopfusion Ale Works (Ft. Worth, TX)

35.   Turning Point (Bedford, TX)

36.   Legal Draft Beer (Arlington, TX)

37.   Division Brewing (Arlington, TX)

38.   Peticolas Brewing (Dallas, TX)

39.   Celestial Beerworks (Dallas, TX)

40.   Steam Theory (Dallas, TX)

41.   Trinity Cider (Dallas, TX)

42.   Braindead Brewing (Dallas, TX)

43.   Four Corners Brewing (Dallas, TX)

44.   Pegasus City Brewery

45.   Outfit Brewing (Dallas, TX)

46.   Oak Cliff Brewing (Dallas, TX)

47.   Barrow Brewing (Salado, TX)

48.   Paradox Brewing (Divide, CO)

49.   Manitou Brewing (Manitou Springs, CO)

50.   Fossil Craft Beer (Colorado Springs, CO)

51.   Metric Brewing (Colorado Springs, CO)

52.   Local Relic (Colorado Springs, CO)

53.   Phantom Canyon Brewing (Colorado Springs, CO)

54.   BURLY Brewing (Castle Rock, CO)

55.   105 West Brewing (Castle Rock, CO)

56.   Epic Brewing Company (Denver, CO)

57.   Woods Boss (Denver, CO)

58.   Great Divide Brewing (Denver, CO)

59.   New Belgium at the Source (Denver, CO)

60.   Our Mutual Friend Brewing (Denver, CO)

61.   Ratio Beerworks (Denver, CO)

62.   Declaration Brewing (Denver, CO)

63.   Left Hand Brewing (Longmont, CO)

64.   Pumphouse Brewery (Longmont, CO)

65.   Westlake Brewing (Dallas, TX)

66.   Roughhouse Brewing (San Marcos, TX)

67.   Pretentious Beer (Knoxville, TN)

68.   Altstadt Brewery (Fredericksburg, TX)

69.   Nomadic Beerworks (Austin, TX)

70.   Pinthouse Pizza (Round Rock, TX)

71.   The Brewtorium (Austin, TX)

72.   Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company (Orlando, FL)

73.   Sideward Brewing (Orlando, FL)

74.   Hourglass Brewing (Orlando, FL)

75.   Crooked Can Brewing (Winter Park, FL)

76.   Clermont Brewing (Clermont, FL)

77.   Suncreek Brewery (Clermont, FL)

78.   Southern Heights Brewing (Austin, TX)

79.   The Brewer’s Table (Austin, TX)

80.   12 Fox Beer (Dripping Springs, TX)

81.   Urban Orchard Cider (Asheville, NC)

82.   Infinite Monkey Theorem (Austin, TX)

83.   Southern Roots Brewing (Waco, TX)

84.   Fairweather Cider (Austin, TX)

85.   Meridian Hive Meadery (Austin, TX)

86.   The Austin Winery (Austin, TX)

87.   Skull Mechanix Brewing (Austin, TX)

88.   Blackhorse Brewery (Knoxville, TN)

89.   Narrow Gauge Brewing (St. Louis, MO)

90.   Side Project Brewing (St. Louis, MO)

RETURN VISITS IN 2019

Colorado Mountain Brewery

Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery

New Belgium Brewing Company

Burial Beer Co

Green Man Brewery

Circle Brewing

4th Tap Brewing Cooperative

Oskar Blues Austin

Southerleigh Brewing

Blue Owl

Black Star Coop

Adelbert’s

Live Oak Brewing

ABGB

Friends and Allies

Texas Beer Company

Austin Beerworks

St. Elmo Brewing Company

Lazarus Brewing Co.

Oddwood Ales

Zilker Brewing Co

Hops and Grain Brewing

Pinthouse Pizza South Lamar

Pinthouse Pizza Burnet

NXNW Restaurant & Brewery

Vista Brewing

Whitestone Brewing

Oasis Texas Brewing Company

Family Business Brewing

Last Stand Brewing Company

Jester King Brewery

Celis Brewery

Texas Ale Project

Community Beer

Deep Ellum Brewing

OPA Inner Circle Interview - Yvonne Gilbert, Architectural Project Manager

In the first edition of our brand new OPA Inner Circle series, we’re taking a little time to introduce the world to some of the most talented professionals working in the architecture industry today, people we’re proud and honored to call our teammates at OPA Design Studio (home of The Brewery Architect).

In 3 sentences or fewer, what does your daily life at OPA look like (bonus points for haikus)?

Pencil, Paper, Mouse
Inspiring words on the wall
Collaboration

What is the best thing about being in the architecture profession?

I love that good architectural design requires not only artistic skills, but also technical knowledge and personal experience. It is very satisfying to bring those together and to help create something both practical and beautiful.

Why do you think OPA is a good fit for you? What’s unique about our team?

The OPA office immediately felt like home not only because of the size of the office and the types of projects, which were similar to my previous architectural work experiences,  but because I found a match in what I deem to be important factors in a happy workplace: inspiration, mutual respect, a desire to get better at what we do, and having fun doing it.

Aside from officially now being licensed in TWO STATES, what do you consider your greatest architectural accomplishment so far?

Being Project Manager at OPA Design Studio is an important accomplishment for me, being the result of all of my previous experiences and efforts. I am honored to be here as a part of such a great team!

What motivates you?

Wanting to be good at what I do, and wanting to be surrounded by beauty and inspiration on a daily basis.

If you could have lunch with any famous British Victorian-era writer, who would it be and why?

John Ruskin (8 February 1819 – 20 January 1900). An independent thinker who wrote what he believed to be the logical truth on several subjects, including architecture, despite the criticism it incurred. I would love to discuss his points of view and how he came to those conclusions, especially in an era where media and politics did not create as much bias in each person’s view of the world. It is much harder to be an independent thinker today because of all the external influences present in society.

If your daughter told you that she wanted to be an architect when she grows up, what advice would you give her?

I would be secretly delighted, but would advise her simply to know what she wants, determine the steps to getting there, and to do what it takes to make it happen. Architecture is not the easiest career choice, but an architectural education is a great foundation for several different creative career paths. The future is wide open after that for whatever she decides to do with it.

Please fill in the blanks

“Technology in the 21st Century makes architectural design easy to do the complicated things on the best days and complicated to do the easy things on the worst.”

Define good design in 5 words or fewer.

Proportion, Balance, Functionality, Authenticity, Poesy