Background
The Blue Star Brewing Company is located in the Blue Star Art Complex in Southtown San Antoinio right at the beginning of the Mission Reach. As a result, this is a major bike and pedestrian friendly thoroughfare to the city’s cultural and historical features that runs along the San Antonio River.
Blue Star Brewing Company was founded by entrepreneur and restauranteur Joey Villarreal and his wife, Magdalena. Joey majored in biology at the University of Texas San Antonio where he first encountered home brewing. After college, he opened “Joey’s” on North St. Mary’s in 1988. After a trip to Cleveland, Ohio in 1992, the brewpub concept peaked Joey’s interest. As a result he spent the next 4 years developing his own operation.
In 2004, he opened the Blue Star Bike Shop located next door to the brewery to provide convenient fun transportation for exploring the historic San Antonio Mission Trail.
Adjacent to the brewery is Joe Blues club, which Villarreal opened in 2007 and Blue Star Provisions, a grocery store.
Experience
We visited the Blue Star Brewing Company on a Sunday evening. The facilty has several steps up to the entrance but also has a ramp leading to the front door for easy accessibility. It is a moderately sized tasting room/restaurant with several tables and a bar. The feel is barn like rustic. Big screens allowed for game viewing. We heard they occasionally have live music. There is also patio seating. The patio overlooks the trees that line the riverwalk giving the place a nice country feel. The brewing equipment is within view of the tasting room.
The tasting room had fourteen beer options the night we were there. With that variety we had to try eight of the fourteen beer selections. Our favorite was probably the Flying Pig Extra Pale Ale. The beer is touted to be organic. The ones we tasted were light, crisp and clean. The barley wine was the most intense in flavor of the beers we sampled.
We also enjoyed the delicious fried mushrooms wth gravy, Brisket sandwich with fries and the avocado salad. It was all quite tasty.
No nearby lodging noted. When in San Antonio, also check Southerleigh (see review).
