“What if there’s more to beer than just…beer?”
– Christian Cryder, CEO (Lazarus Brewing Co.)
I didn’t really become a big beer fan until my junior year of college. To me, all beer was cringeworthy Miller or Bud Light…until my then-boyfriend introduced me to a local Chicago craft brewery called Two Brothers. We went on the tour and my eyes were opened to all the wonders that (good) beer can offer.
One of the things I love about living in Austin, Texas is the local beer scene. Here, it’s about more than just great beer, it’s about the community that surrounds it.
Photo courtesy Lazarus Brewing Co
“Beer was specifically designed to be shared.”
– Matt Couch, Brewmaster (Lazarus Brewing Co.)
With that said, I’m really excited to report on the newest brewery to enter the scene, to open in October:
Lazarus Brewing Company.
Lazarus Brewing Company has a huge focus on the community, being a neighborhood business, and they are all about their patrons. They are creating a space that people will love to be in, which may be why they’ve commissioned a custom 10×10 stained glass window to brighten up the brewery.
The family-owned brewery (The Cryder Family), in addition to having an undying love of good beer, they also adore great coffee. So if you don’t want to drink but need a place to set up shop and study, you’ll be able to plug-in to their wifi and have an amazing cup of coffee instead (and I’m not talking your standard cup of Starbucks ‘jo, I’m talking real coffee made from beautifully roasted beans).
Photo courtesy of Lazarus Brewing Co. Facebook
There will also (thank God), be a kitchen at their place. We got to sample the tacos they’re going to be serving and oh my hot sauce, they are to die for. Seriously. Best tacos I’ve ever had in my life…and I’ve had a LOT of tacos.
The Cryders want us to stay, hang out, and get to know us! So they’ve created a space they know we’ll love; under construction or not, I know I’m already in love.
On top of all this amazing-ness, the brewery was unfinished for the party. It was basically and an empty warehouse-type space, decorated only with blueprints for the renovations and whatever graffiti art was already there. A pretty gutsy move, in my opinion, because of the potential to backfire; however Lazarus Brewing Company could not have pulled it off better. We got a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what they’ve been working so hard on, as well as a taste (literally, have I mentioned how amazing the tacos were?) to what we could expect once they open.
Seriously impressive.
It was also a part of a greater plan. Upon entering, guests were informed that the party was being recorded by a team of videographers for the brewery’s Crowd Funder campaign.
That’s right, they’ve got a Crowd Funder because you know what? Dreams cost money. Plus, CEO/Founder Christian Cryder wants to give “regular” people the opportunity to be Patron Saints for Lazarus Brewing Company. (Get it? Lazarus? Patron Saints? Yeah, I love it.) Not only will certain donations earn you a super cool custom glass as well as free beer for life.
Want the whole scoop? Watch the video below (look for me!) and check out their website.
Oh, and don’t forget to keep an eye on their Facebook page, because you won’t want to miss their launch party.
Marie R. Carlson 