Local Craft Breweries in Galveston County, TX (5)

Calling itself a one-stop destination is probably an understatement for Beerfoot Brewery. This “one-of-a-kind venue” claims the title “THE place to enjoy beer”. It’s well-deserved. Located at the historic Seawall Boulevard of Galveston, the brewpub has over 30 draft craft beers on tap and over a hundred different bottles and cans. That should make someone’s idea of paradise. It has a great view of the Gulf, too! With a mission to “share with our guests our appreciation for craft beer and fine wines”, the brewpub strives hard to find the next great craft brewer and his beers. They’d like to be able to say – “we knew him when…” Sampling Beerfoot’s offerings will be easy despite the dizzying array of beers. They have a Beer Nut program that rewards you for simply tasting all the different beers!

Opened in February 2018, Devil and the Deep Brewery was the second craft brewery to open in Galveston. The brewery’s opening was the culmination of founder Eric Walker’s efforts and dreams. A native of Tucson, Arizona, Eric first joined the Navy and then the Army. In the course of his military career, he eventually transferred to Fort Hood, and in 2011, moved to Austin. After volunteering in various breweries, he decided to open his own brewery in 2016. Along the way, he almost shuttered his plans because of a foundation problem with the first building he leased. As luck would have it, someone else offered him another lease, and the rest, as they say, is history. With its deep blue sea motif, the brewery specializes in Belgian and rustic ales. There are retro arcade video games lined up on one wall, and the climate controlled spacious taproom has picnic table seating. There’s art on the walls, too!

The owners of Fetching Lab Brewery are Brett Bray and Theresa Hutchings, but everyone knows that Bella is both mascot and CEO. Brett was a real-life NASA scientist while Theresa worked as quality assurance lead at one of world’s largest airplane manufacturers. According to Brett and Theresa, we can’t show Bella a ball or she’ll ask you to play “fetch” the whole day long. You see, Bella’s a Yellow Lab, and pretty much runs the whole place. She even gets to choose the pooch that’s featured in Fetching Lab’s lineup of delicious beers. Fetching Lab first started creating their beers in Alvin, Texas and sold their first kegs in 2015. In late December 2018, however, they expanded operations and have their own taproom in Texas City. They currently create five year-round “full production brews” that are available in other taprooms and four seasonal offerings. These are available only at their taproom or in limited quantities.

Established in 2014, the Galveston Bay Beer Company is Galveston County’s largest brewery. At the time, it was also one of the first in the area. The interesting thing about the brewery besides its beers is its commitment to preserving Galveston County’s rich beer brewing history, which dates back to 1895. The company has artifacts related to the craft of beer brewing from the past 120 years. Their air-conditioned taproom at Dickinson is open daily. With at least 12 beers to choose from, some are exclusive to the taproom only. Opened in 2016, they “specialize in lighter style beers but dark beer fans can enjoy the Bull Shark, their Scottish ale". A blogger advises readers to ask their bartenders about “High Grade” and the beer's interesting backstory during the prohibition era.

Galveston Island Brewing’s Mark Dell’Osso established the brewery in June 2014. Mark is a former home brewer and tugboat captain who’s had stints with various breweries. Co-workers used to enjoy his homemade beers at after-work parties. A version of that popular home brew, Blue Bridge Hoppy Amber, won bronze at the 2017 Great American Beer Festival. His Tiki Wheat, the brewery’s bestselling flagship beer, and four other year-round staples, sustain the Galveston brewery’s “island vibes”. Besides brewing beer, Mark is also into boating, sailing, and surfing, which may explain his team’s pride in pacing their growth. He calls it “island time”, and prevents them from growing too fast. This explains why they’re more concerned with getting things right in Galveston and the surrounding areas rather than expanding to Houston.