When I went to Austin half the people swore I needed to visit @blueowlbrewing and the other half were equally vehement to skip this spot. That’s more intriguing than even a universally praised place. What could this sour-focused brewery be doing that is so divisive?

When I see a movie on rotten tomatoes that is 15% critics 85% audience score I’m immediately in. This brewery is basically that. It’s me I’m critics.

I understand why people enjoy this place. Bubbly, crisp, attenuated beers that don’t lean needlessly heavily on aseptic puree. If you have to go this route, it’s a super accessible lob pitch anyone can get a piece of. It shouldn’t not exist but I also don’t need to seek this out either.

Sometime around 2017 in taprooms you started seeing a lot of these casual adjacent tap handles to make all palates feel welcome. Ah good the fruited gose, you like soda right? Here you go. No? Ok how about this kettle sour I saw you drink orange wine at brunch once. It’s beer that is crushingly mediocre and fine and designed to service moving volume and pulling grenadine and bellini palates into the fold. It’s got the intense retention and produce waft, ripping the fishnets on the slutty mandarin oranges in the grocery store.

The craziest part is that the octoberfest is really well made so it’s not like these guys can’t brew. These beers are focused and this is just what they chose to invest all their ability points into. It’s a super specific build that isn’t for me and it’s impossible to paint with a wide brush for who will actually drink this without tumbling headfirst into dismissive beer gatekeeping. Beer is for everyone and this is beer that a lot of people enjoy, it’s just not for me.

I don’t wanna yuck someone else’s yum, if you mean to be drinking offerings like this, it’s a well done version of this realm. Some people love the sound of a theramin, palates gonna palate.