Today, Birds Barbershop proudly begins serving St. Elmo Brewing Co.'s signature brew Carl at the barbershop’s nine Austin locations. The partnership kicks off with a fun “Free Cuts for Carl” promotion, offering anyone named Carl – with proper I.D. and 21+ years of age – a complimentary haircut, along with St. Elmo’s flagship beer of the same name, the entire month of January.
“We’ve always dreamed of a partner like St. Elmo that taps into that same homegrown, Austin vibe,” said Birds Barbershop co-founder Michael Portman. “Our companies were founded down the street from each other in South Austin, and we both value our local communities above all else.”
Founded in 2016 at 440 E. St. Elmo Rd., St. Elmo Brewing was established by a group of passionate beer lovers with a vision to create high-quality craft beers in Austin. The company recently added a second brewery and taproom location at 8110 Springdale Road. The brewery hosts events, live music, and food trucks, making it a hotspot for locals, just like Birds Barbershop.
“When I moved to Austin, I got my first haircut at Birds Barbershop and received a free beer with my haircut,” said Bryan Winslow, co-founder of St. Elmo Brewing Company. “It is beyond cool to now be the brew of choice at all Birds’ locations, and we already have plans for more fun collaborations to come.”
In addition to St. Elmo Carl, Birds Barbershop will feature St. Elmo Hazy IPA and, for those embracing Dry January, St. Elmo Hop Water. Each following month, the lineup will spotlight St. Elmo Carl alongside rotating seasonal favorites, including award-winning brews like St. Elmo Amber Lager and St. Elmo West IPA. These beverages will be available year-round at all Birds Barbershop locations for clients aged 21 and up.For more information or to book a haircut, color or style service, visit birdsbarbershop.com.
About Birds Barbershop
In 2006, childhood friends Michael Portman and Jayson Rapaport found themselves living in Austin, TX, with nowhere to get an affordable, high-quality haircut. Together, they created a salon for men and women, took out all the fuss, and added free beer to the experience. An addiction to old school arcade games developed. Birds Barbershop has been named six consecutive times to ELLE Magazine’s list of the 100 best salons in America and by the Austin Chronicle as Best Haircut every year since opening. Today, Birds Barbershop serves upwards of 20,000 people monthly and employs more than 150 people in nine locations across Austin.
About St. Elmo Brewing
Since opening in 2016, St. Elmo Brewing has become a staple in Austin’s vibrant craft beer scene. Known for crafting approachable beers that cater to all types of drinkers, St. Elmo offers a wide range of styles from hazy IPAs to traditional German lagers. These beers can be enjoyed onsite at the brewery’s two Austin locations or found on menus and retail shelves throughout the city. Recognized as one of Condé Nast Traveler’s Best Breweries in Austin, and with multiple gold medals from the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) and U.S. Beer Open, they recently expanded to a larger second location in East Austin. True to its roots, St. Elmo continues to be a hub for the community by regularly hosting programming and events like the popular Grassy Thursdays and weekly trivia nights. The brewery also fosters creative collaboration through partnerships with local artists and designers with their influence seen not only in the design of the brewery's space but also in the artwork featured on the cans, including those for the flagship Carl Kölsch, St. Elmo Amber, St. Elmo Hazy, St. Elmo West, and Hop Water. For more info on hours & locations, events, and more, follow @stelmobrewing.
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