AUSTIN, Texas — Meanwhile Brewing Co. will open its doors to the public on October 16, 2020. Located in Southeast Austin at 3901 Promontory Point Drive, the expansive 3.7 acres brewery, taproom and grounds will be a hub for creating community through the bonds of specialty beer, good food, and entertainment. Meanwhile Brewing is the passion project of Will Jaquiss, formerly of renowned and award-winning Breakside Brewing of Portland, Oregon. He brings Nao Ohdera with him from Breakside, where they were known for their very easy drinking IPAs among other award-winning brews.
The opening beer list has something for all palates, from hoppy, to easy, to classic.
- Step Stone- Young Brett Rye Beer brings a taste that will remind you of a young Orval w/ rye;
- Trust Fall IPA, a New School West Coast IPA features Mosaic, Simcoe, Waimea hops
- Glitter and Doom Paleis a West Coast Pale Ale feat. Cascade, Amarillo, and Strata hops
- Light Matteris a Hazy Pale Ale with Citra, Amarillo, and Rakau hops
- Erstwhile Rival, an ESB, is a modern interpretation of a classic style
- Picnic Daysis a Kolsch that was brewed to be enjoyed all day
“Our opening taplist is a good glimpse of the fun beer we plan to offer,” says Brewmaster Will Jaquiss. “We look forward to serving a multitude of styles and experimental brews in the years to come.” For those wanting to venture outside of craft brews, Meanwhile has a menu of diverse options, from cocktails made with sherry, wine and sake to “boozy” seltzers.
Frozen Drinks
- Frosé – Rosé, grapefruit, basil & passionfruit
- Frozen Boozy Horchata Coffee with a Pedro Jimenez (PX) Float
Cocktails
- Rebujito – Manzanilla Sherry, Lemon Lime Soda, Hopped Ginger Syrup
- Kalimotxo – Red Wine, Kola Nut Syrup, Lime Leaf Tincture
- Watermelon Spritz – Watermelon cordial, Cocchi Americano, sparkling wine
- Cappelletti Spritz – Cappelletti, salted grapefruit cordial, sparkling wine
- Ginger Beet Sake – Golden Beet & Jalapeno Infused Sake, Ginger Beer, Bubbs Hibiscus Bitters
- Kombucha Sake – Saké, maple syrup, kombucha, lime, Bubbs dark root bitters
Boozy Seltzer Series
- Paloma – Grapefruit Bitters, Salted Grapefruit Cordial, Meanwhile Hard Seltzer
- Spicy Margarita – Orange Bitters, Jalapeno/Lime Cordial, Meanwhile Hard Seltzer
- Mojito – Mint/Lime Cordial, Acid Phosphate, Meanwhile Hard Seltzer
- Celery Mule – Ginger Cordial, Celery Bitters, Meanwhile Hard Seltzer
- Negroni – Grapefruit Bitters, Cap Corse Rouge, Sweet Vermouth, Meanwhile Hard Seltzer
Barrel Program
Meanwhile has already started to build their barrel program; the first release is set for the end of 2020. Wine barrels from Stoller Family Estate in Oregon as well as gin barrels from Treaty Oak here in Texas will be home to the first round of aging brews. Meanwhile Brewing endorses the belief that no two barrels are the same; All barrels will be tasted and hand selected for blending. Nao Ohdera, Director of Operations, emphasizes the eccentric nature of the brewery: “No barrel has a predetermined beer in mind. It will all be based on how the barrel develops over the months and years to come,” says Ohdera. Meanwhile looks forward to expanding their barrel program and offerings of both clean and wild and sour barrel-aged beers. Look for everything from classic bourbon barrel-aged beers to experimental and funky beers showcasing the unique flavors of pinot noir, gin, chardonnay, vermouth and rum barrels.
Brewing Facility
The Brewing Facilityhouses a 15bbl 3-vessel brewhouse from ICC NW that can produce up to 3000 bbls a year with the current tank space, with opportunities to expand in the future. The building has a walk-in cooler with six serving tanks that feed directly to the taproom, administrative offices, a dedicated lab and a temperature controlled Barrel Room, where the walls will be lined with barrels aging a variety of limited release beers.
Design
Creative Agency Guerilla Suit, Architects OPA design studioand designers McCray & Co. worked collaboratively together on the Meanwhile Brewing project as brand creatives, architects and designers respectively. OPA is known for its artistry as architects, specifically in the realm of brewery design, and McCray is Austin’s go-to for exciting and inviting spaces with personality. Meanwhile’s design is informed by Guerilla Suit’s creative direction which they describe as a “Playful vision brought to us by Owner Will Jaquiss for an innovative brewery concept. We leaned into the laid back nature of the name and brought Meanwhile to life employing hand-drawn doodles as a backdrop for a multi-layered visual identity system that would be flexible enough to inform everything from merchandise to the taproom space,” says designer Hannah Young.
The Taproom
“The interior is a mashup of Austin meets Oxford. Many of the design moves in the tasting roomand the private roomwere based on pubs in Europe. There’s a certain formality in using brass and dark green tones – the trick was to keep it approachable. That’s the Austin part, “ says designer McCray. “We chose the live edge pecan slabs to represent the bar top and the brewer’s table because they come from this place, and they were milled, sanded, finished and installed with the same care that goes into brewing Meanwhile’s beer. We worked with many local craftspeople, like Summerwood Building, Ankor Studios,Mother Built, Kim Smith / Rayne Waresand Mend, to name a few, to create a one-of-a-kind space that feels humanscale, considerate, and cozy,” says McCray.
Beer may be the main act, but it shares the spotlight with a full coffee barfor when you need a perk and three food trucks when you need a bite. Parlor Coffeewill be bringing the buzz with their robust and artistic approach to the caffeinated brews.
The Grounds
Meanwhile Brewing Co. is situated on 3.7 acres and with a stagethat the Mohawk helped design and sourced equipment for, a soccer field, and a playground, there will be no shortage of activities and programming. Keep an eye on Meanwhile’s website for updates on live music, DJ sets, storytelling and movie nights. Central to the whole space is the covered area that is home to three food trucks, Craft Woodfire Pizza, serving Traditional Neapolitan pizza; Garbo’s, specializing in lobster and New England cuisine with an Austin twist; and Pueblo Viejo, that serves up delicious Mexican fare from street food to gordita and more. They will be open for breakfast during Meanwhile’s morning hours.
“We wanted a place that people felt equally at home bringing their laptop and having a cup of coffee in the morning as they would meeting friends for a fresh air lunch, or for a beer in the afternoon with their pup and maybe hanging around to see some live music in the evening,” says founder Will Jaquiss. “The recent pandemic has slowed our plans a bit, but we hope to roll out all of the full features of this place as soon as it is safe to do so,” Jaquiss adds.
Due to COVID, the taproom will only be open for ordering at the bar and the brewing facility will be closed for tours until restrictions are lifted. Guests of Meanwhile can enjoy their expansive grounds with ample outdoor seating. All ages are welcome, but the playground and soccer field will be off-limits to keep people safe at this time.
Taps will be poured all days of the week—8 AM-10 PM Monday through Thursday, 8 AM-11 PM on Friday, Saturday 9-11 PM, and 9 AM-8 PM on Sunday.
To stay updated about Meanwhile Brewing visit www.meanwhilebeer.com or follow on Instagram @meanwhilebeer, or twitter @meanwhilebeer, or www.facebook.com/meanwhilebeer/.
The brewery is located at 3901 Promontory Point Drive, Austin Texas 78744 in southeast Austin.
About Meanwhile Brewing Co.:
Whether you’re clocking out, riling up, winding down, or passing through, here in Austin, Meanwhile Brewing Co. is the place to pause time, catch a breath, and get a drink. We hope to show our fellow Austinites that Meanwhile beer and respite are synonymous. In fact, the brewery name is meant to gently remind our fellow humans that, though the world can be stressful and scary, there is often something wondrous and beautiful right underneath your nose. In other words, there is beauty to be found in the everyday, and always something to look forward to when you lift your head up. The beer and brewery embody this sentiment.