Brewing up community in Salado
By Janna Zepp | Photos by Kati Maxwell
It’s not often you think of a community center serving up beer but that’s the vibe at Barrow Brewing Company in Salado. It is definitely where many Salado residents come to gather and fellowship.
“Microbreweries in small towns all over Texas have become centers for their communities to gather,” says KD Hill, co-founder/co-owner of Barrow Brewing Co. “They are often family-friendly places that pull together residents and local businesses such as food trucks. People come out to enjoy food, beer, friendships, and live music. And they bring their kids along. Microbreweries can really strengthen a small town. That’s what we wanted to do for Salado.”
KD owns Barrow with her husband, Graydon Hill, whom she says always wanted pursue a career he was passionate about by opening a brewery to serve the Central Texas community.
The name, Barrow, is the surname of Graydon’s Texas Gulf Coast ancestors who had the Old Barrow Ranch near Anahuac. Graydon is a seventh generation Texan.
“While doing a little genealogical research on my husband’s family, I learned that the Barrow Ranch brand was an upside-down wine glass. I think that was more than fate that we opened a brewery,” KD says, smiling.
The Hills moved to Salado in 2011. When it was time to start looking for a place to establish the brewery they searched from Georgetown to Killeen and Temple. Location, infrastructure and local laws were all important to consider. Salado had the location, but the other two factors were tricky. Fortunately, the brewery building was previously part of the Stagecoach Inn properties and had been tied onto the small, private sewer system. The Hills got confirmation and approval that the sewer system could handle a brewery’s discharge and moved forward. Then they had to petition for and hold a local option election in November 2014. That election passed with 784 votes.
Those votes have been commemorated in the name of one of Barrow’s products.
“Graydon brewed the Belgian style white ale, 784, for me,” KD says. “He spent all of 2015 renovating the brewery building. He did as much of the work as possible and contracted out the sloping of the floors and drainage. We made some special friendships along the way. He was able to keep the original wood walls in place and we love showing people some of the special history they offer,” KD says, pointing out the writing on the brewery’s walls from employees recording sales almost a century ago when the location was a feed store. “Local artisan Lonnie Edwards was key in helping with the build-out, creating some specialized equipment, and sourcing the beautiful longleaf pine bar top.”
Barrow Brewing opened on April 1, 2016, with four beers on tap. Now, they generally have 12 on tap at any given time. The brewery stays busy brewing its flagship brews and seasonal beers, and brew experimental and small batches as often as possible. But 2020 brought some unexpected challenges to staying in business.
“This pandemic has forced us to only offer beer to-go from the brewery. When we opened in 2016, Barrow became a place for community to happen and that has been taken away from us and from our customers/friends,” KD says, and the hurt is evident in her eyes as she speaks. “For the safety of the community, shutting down in this manner is the right thing to do, but we sorely miss our friendships and the life that we used to experience here on a daily basis. Personally, I have never been so sad or angry in my life. I really miss serving people.”
To meet the challenges presented by the pandemic and required shutdowns, the company changed packaging ratios and shifted employees around to new work strategies. Barrow Brewing Co. began baking sourdough and beer bread that now is sold every Saturday morning at the farmer’s market on the brewery grounds.
The brewery got approval from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission to open for on-premise consumption on Aug. 7. The taproom is closed, but the Biergarten is open with food trucks on site.
KD grew up in Florence and most of her family lives in Central Texas. Her parents moved to Salado a year after the brewery opened and are Barrow’s biggest advocates. Graydon’s daughter, Emily, has grown up watching them work to create a small business where employees thrive and where they can give back to the community.
When asked what it was like working in the microbrew business, KD says she was ready for it.
“I was in the Air Force then contracted with the Army, so I was ready for the male-dominated brewing world. I am honored to get to work with the creative, hard-working people here at Barrow as well as collaborate with our brewery friends,” she says. “Women are steadily gaining numbers and respect in this career field so it’s an exciting time to be here and get to encourage other women to explore craft beer.”
Hours
Wednesday: 4-10 p.m.
Thursday: 4-10 p.m.
Friday: 4-10:30 p.m.
Saturday: 12-10:30 p.m.
Sunday: 12-8 p.m.
COVID regulations: Currently open for on-premise consumption as of Sept. 26. There is no seating in the taproom but the Biergarten is open with food trucks on site. The Farmers Market is every Saturday morning.
Beer Tasting Notes
The difference between beers and ales comes down to type of yeast used and the temperature at which they are brewed. The following are produced all year at Barrow Brewing:
EVIL CATFISH IPA: Named for a Salado legend, this India Pale Ale has a clear, somewhat dark yellow color with excellent head and lacing (the residue left by the head on the glass). Fruity and refreshing smell and taste.
CREEK DON’T RISE LAGER: Named for a rainy day in March when Salado Creek rose dangerously close to the brewery. Deep gold in color with a foamy head. The flavor is crisp, light and refreshing. Those new to craft beers will enjoy this one.
784 BELGIAN STYLE WHITE: Named for the number of Salado residents who voted to allow the brewery in 2014, this witte (white) beer tastes and smells of orange rind, coriander and a traditional Belgian yeast note. Color is a hazy yellow with a great head and good lacing. Clean finish. Witte fans will enjoy it.
BIG BUBBLY BLONDE: Named for the springs near the brewery and made for hot Texas summers, this is one of the lower ABV (alcohol by volume) beers offered, coming in at 4.5%. It has a strong hop punch like the Evil Catfish IPA, but with more of a malty backbone.
TIPSY VICAR STOUT: This dark black English stout foams in a narrow, tan band with brown edges and very little lace. The aroma is reminiscent of chocolate, dark roast coffee and mildly earthy hop. Taste is dry, light, with a slight bitter roasted grain and somewhat fruity pear note. This is a favorite of dark beer and ale fans.
MYSTERY OF THE DEEP DIPA: DIPA stands for Double IPA, and this one is a heavy hitter with a 9.2% ABV and 86 IBU (International Bitterness Unit). It has a dark copper color with minimal white foam. The head fades fast leaving a lot of lace on the sides of the glass. The aroma is bready with hints of caramel and herbs. The taste is grainy, earthy, herbal and reminiscent of caramel.
Visit barrowbrewing.com for their seasonal and rotating tap room offerings.
