LOCAL BUSINESSES
Craft beer makes its way to downtown San Marcos with the relocation of Thirsty Planet Brewery. Originally from Austin, the craft brewery is known for their Thirsty Goat Amber Ale. The company is relocating operations and their brewery to the location that was previously AquaBrew at the southeast corner of 110 East MLK Street, next to the restaurant Industry. The brewery will have a tasting room, indoor and outdoor seating and will allow food ordering from surrounding businesses including Industry, Gus’s Fried Chicken and Little Caesars Pizza.
At the recent Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, the brewery received approval for an alcohol permit. During the presentation, they announced their proposed hours of Thursdays 12 p.m. to 12 a.m., Fridays 12 p.m. to 1 a.m., Saturdays 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. and Sundays 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Thirsty Planet Founder and CEO Brian Smittle spoke at the meeting, noting that Thirsty Planet Brewery was founded in 2010 in Austin and has since distributed to fourteen counties in central Texas.
“Beyond beer, our vision is to create a welcoming, community-centered space. The tasting room and large outdoor patio will be a family friendly and pet friendly gathering space for San Marcos,” Smittle said. “Kids will enjoy play mounds and chalkboards, cyclists will find plenty of bike racks, and all of our guests will be able to enjoy food and nonalcoholic beverages delivered right to our brewery from our neighbors.”
He noted that each month the brewery selects a charity to receive a portion of their proceeds.
“In San Marcos we look forward to building strong and lasting relationships with local charities,” Smittle said. He mentioned a potential partnership with Texas State University through a brewmaster certification program. Thirsty Planet also has a spent grain program where they donate their spent grain to local farms who use the nutritious byproduct to feed livestock. According to the website, it will be open Spring of this year. Visit thirstygoat.com for updates.
