Philosophy
TIME, PLACE, AND PEOPLE
Jester King is a brewery, restaurant, farm & event hall on a beautiful 165 acre ranch in the Texas Hill Country. We make food & drink uniquely tied to a time, place & people. We're a welcoming place for people of all ages to enjoy community, fun, and hospitality in a special setting.
Jester King began as a farmhouse brewery committed to mixed culture and spontaneous fermentation. Our beers incorporate well water, local grains, fruits and vegetables, foraged plants, and native yeast and bacteria so as to make beer uniquely tied to a time, place, and people. Our inspiration comes from the classic farmhouse breweries of Europe that embrace principles of subtlety, restraint, patience, full attenuation and interesting fermentation character.
In January 2020, we began creating and offering some of our favorite "clean" beer styles, while staying true to our principles. We utilize Texas-grown grains and Texas malts whenever we can.
Jester King Kitchen creates food uniquely tied to a time, place and people. Our pizza dough is leavened with indigenous yeast and bacteria from our land.
Beer Making
+ Brewing
We mash Texas-grown barley and wheat from TexMalt in Fort Worth with unfiltered Hill Country well water. We boil with fresh hops and hops that have aged in the attic of our barn for years.
+ Fermentation
WILD & SPONTANEOUS FERMENTATION
We're inspired by the European farmhouse tradition of dry, hoppy, low to medium strength saisons, as well as the Lambic tradition of spontaneously fermented beer. We use water from our well, grain from the Texas panhandle, aged hops from our barn, wild yeast from our land, and locally farmed or foraged fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices to make unique beer tied to a time, place, and people.
PURE CULTURE FERMENTATION
In addition to wild and spontaneous beer, we use pure yeast cultures to make lagers, IPAs, and English ales. We use ingredients from Texas maltsters and small, independent hop farms.
+ Barrel Aging & Blending
We age beer primarily in neutral barrels that previously contained wine. Yeast and bacteria living in the pores of the wood slowly shape the character of the beer as the months and years progress. We prefer neutral barrels so that the delicate, nuanced flavors and aromas from wild fermentation can shine through.
Blending is where the human element in beer making comes into play the most. We select barrels with disparate flavors and aromas that combine together to make a cohesive whole. We seek to create blends that are balanced and drinkable with interesting yeast character and mellow acidity.
+ Fruit Refermentation
At Jester King, we're fond of blurring the lines between wine and beer. We take real fruit (nothing artificial) from the Texas Hill Country and ferment it with our beer. The indigenous yeast and bacteria in our beer break down the sugars in the fruit to create a result that's greater than the sum of its parts.
+ Natural Refermentation
All our beer, whether stainless or oak, mixed culture or spontaneous, fruit refermented or not, is unfiltered, unpasteurized and 100% naturally conditioned through refermentation in bottles and kegs. During refermentation, the beer goes through a series of phases and textures as it slowly develops microbiologically. While our beer is typically ready to drink after two to six months, it will continue to slowly evolve over time as it is alive.
Land Preservation & Farming
Jester King currently preserves land in the Texas Hill Country. As Austin grows and green space becomes less common, we will continue to preserve our small piece of the Hill Country. In 2016, we began farming and currently grow a few fruits and vegetables. In 2018, we planted a three acre vineyard. We also raise goats and will add to the diversity of our livestock over time.