In Suds & Sounds we turn the spotlight on breweries, focusing on the role of music in that brewery’s history, packaging, tastes, and in its city or town as a whole. The idea is to get beer and music lovers to connect with a side of the brewery that may often go overlooked, but one that we think is absolutely vital. To accomplish this, we are talking to the brewers themselves about their own love of music and the role it plays in how they approach their beer. And who knows, maybe we’ll even talk to a musicians from time to time to give a perspective from the other side.
Austin, Texas has always been a music town, but it hasn’t always been a craft beer town. Luckily, things have been changing in the last decade as the Live Music Capital of the World has seen an explosion of craft beer with breweries popping up in every corner of the city. Naturally, there is a symbiosis between beer drinkers and music lovers and many breweries have embraced Austin’s unique musical culture and multitude of bands by hosting their own shows, employing musicians, and in some cases collaborating with local bands.
Founded in 2015 and currently residing in North Austin – an industrial area that is home to numerous breweries these days – 4th Tap Brewing Co-Op has made music a part of their culture since day one by hosting live local bands in their tap room on a regular basis. They have also brought the same adventurous creative spirit that defines Austin’s music scene to their beer, which often includes unconventional and wonderfully “weird” takes on traditional styles. We recently chatted with 4th Tap President and Co-founder John Stecker about the brewery’s love for music and their new collaboration with Black Pumas, possibly the hottest band in Austin that have blowing the minds of audiences well beyond their hometown with their fresh take on classic soul.
How long have you been brewing and what do you consider your greatest triumph so far as a craft brewer?
The first batch of beer I ever brewed was a 5 gallon homebrew on an apartment stove. That was back in 2006, I think? I kegged it up, invited all my friends over, and we had a party. That kind of laid the foundation of 4th Tap’s philosophy way back then. My greatest triumph as a craft brewer, honestly, has been getting the opportunity to work alongside creative and far more talented brewers here at 4th Tap.
Talk about the beer culture a bit in your city. What do people look for in a good beer and what do you hope to provide, and also do you see the beer scene as being linked in any way to the music scene?
Beer culture in Austin is big and has been leading the way here in Texas. Not to say that the other cities don’t have culture. Amazing beer is being produced all over the state these days. Every city has a different scene along with different beer preferences as well. Here in Austin, we are more of a lager town, which goes hand-in-hand with our incredible music scene. Many of the breweries in town have space for live music – we have two different stages here at 4th Tap.
A lot of breweries seem to incorporate their own musical tastes into their packaging and presentation, whether it be a collaboration with a band, a tribute label, or a beer name that references something they like. Has you brewery ever done something like this, and if so can you tell us about it?
To some extent, sure. We definitely lean in a punk, metal, and desert-rock direction. Those styles of music certainly influence our art and design some, but our tastes are fairly eclectic. We are just now releasing our collaboration with Austin’s Black Pumas, who received a grammy nomination for Best New Artist. We are always down to support and work with any Austin-based musicians. Maybe it shouldn’t be surprising that I met 4th Tap’s original head brewer back when we were in a band together. We spent five years playing up and down the Red River music district here in Austin, long before 4th Tap was even an idea, so the scene and that strip of venues will always have a special meaning for us.
Can you specifically talk about your recent collaboration with Black Pumas? How did that come about? What kind of beer did you brew and how did the band’s music inform the beer you chose to brew?
We are so excited to be collaborating with them. And, unlike many “collaborations” which are usually just sharing logos, we genuinely collaborated on this beer. It started off kicking ideas around over email, then a handful of pilot batches that we were sending to them for feedback and notes. We ultimately settled on “Stay Gold” – a 5.5% hoppy pale ale featuring cryo-Mosaic and Amarillo. From a musical perspective, they are bringing some modern style to a classic, old-school genre. In the same vein, our hop usage and methods are modern techniques bringing a spin to a classic beer style.
Some breweries have gotten more into music through sponsoring tours, festivals, or even throwing their own versions of those. How do you think live music fits into the fabric of craft beer, and is this something your brewery has done?
Oh yeah. We jump at almost any chance to partner with musicians and events. Here at the brewery, we’ve hosted classical groups, opera, metal shows, chip-tune showcases, you name it. Every year, during a certain large music/film festival in March, we throw an 8-day party called 4X4T. We host free shows featuring primarily Austin musicians nearly every night.
When naming beers, do you consciously try and reference songs, bands or albums, or do you find you naturally gravitate towards it?
Most of our beers end up being movie references in some way or another. Most of us are also big dorks when it comes to film.
Do you have any musicians or noteworthy people that you can say are fans of any of your beers?
Well, the Black Pumas to be sure 🙂
Breweries often collaborate with other breweries for beers. They also have been known to collaborate with musicians. Is there a musician or band that you would love to collaborate with, and if so, what kind of beer do you envision you would brew?
IDLES. Mostly so I have an excuse to meet and hang out with that crew. I’ve been blasting their music at the brewery since they first popped up as a suggestion on Spotify.
4th Tap Brewing Co-op is located at 10615 Metric Blvd. in Austin, TX. Visit 4thtap.coop for more info.
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