Pflugerville, Hutto breweries tap into local growth

Over the last year, something has been brewing in Pflugerville and Hutto.

Prost Alehouse and Power Brewing Project, two recently opened breweries, joined the uptick of new beer operations in the area. The owners hope to foster community alongside their businesses.

David Power, with 10 years of home brewing experience, turned his longtime hobby into Power Brewing Project in Hutto, where he ferments beer on-site in between greeting and serving customers.

Just a few miles away in Pflugerville, Troy and Iven Dudley, the couple behind Prost Alehouse, said the city has embraced them since they opened their doors last December.

“Everybody feels like they’re part of the family,” Iven Dudley said.

The big picture

Several independent brewing operations in Pflugerville and Hutto have opened recently, blooming an ecosystem of breweries where few had operated previously.

Prost Alehouse and Power Brewing Project both opened within the last year, and are soon to be joined by Old Gregg Brewing and Cottonwood Creek Brewery later this year.

Prior to the opening of Prost Alehouse, the only breweries in Pflugerville and Hutto were Big Country Organic Brewing Co., formerly known as Willard’s, and Rockabilly Brewing, which also expanded its facility and reopened this year.

“There wasn’t any brewery at the time nearby,” Power said. “I thought that might be a business opportunity.”

Local economic experts and brewery owners say the Pflugerville-Hutto area is appealing for many reasons, such as population growth, low costs of operations, proximity to major highways and business opportunities.

“It was actually a good fit for us in terms of owning the building [in downtown Pflugerville]—from a civil perspective, having all the parking and everything in place for feasibility,” Troy Dudley said.

Breweries to recently open or expand in the area include:

• June 10, 2023: Third Level Brewing opens in Round Rock
• June 14, 2023: Austin Beerworks Sprinkle Valley opens in North Austin
• Aug. 24, 2023: Bluebonnet Beer Co. expands Round Rock headquarters
• Dec. 19, 2023: Prost Alehouse opens in Pflugerville
• April 6, 2024: Rockabilly Brewing reopens in Hutto
• June 16, 2024: Power Brewing Project opens in Hutto
• TBA: Old Gregg Brewing and Cottonwood Creek Brewing expected to open by end of 2024

Texas Craft Breweries

The number of craft breweries operating in Texas increased from 96 in 2013 to 445 in 2023, an increase of more than 360%.

Long story short

Power said the area’s future growth is another reason he chose to open a brewery in Hutto.

This population growth is also attracting other businesses, said Terri Toledo, interim director of the Pflugerville Community Development Corp., as they are looking for local attractions with employees in mind.

One of the ways the PCDC fosters this environment is by supporting infrastructure improvements, such as the downtown electrical and ADA improvements that allowed Prost Alehouse to open.

Troy Dudley said Prost’s building has been around for over 100 years. With his wife and co-owner, Iven, they solicited an architect to combine the historical elements of the structure with a modern feel.

“It really was a main attraction for the town of Pflugerville for a while,” Troy Dudley said.

When it comes down to why breweries are opening more frequently in rural and suburban areas, Caroline Wallace, Texas Craft Brewers Guild executive director, said the lower cost of real estate in these areas is a potential factor.

The details

As a smaller operation, Power Brewing Project brews are not going to be available on store shelves. Rather, Power said the beers he makes are available by the keg in his taproom, at local events and in local restaurants.

“I’m trying to keep maybe three to five different places stocked with some of our kegs right now,” Power said. “We’ve got four beers out in the wild.”

Being a smaller brewery is not necessarily a disadvantage, both Power and Troy Dudley say.

Being a family-owned brewpub adds additional appeal to the business, Troy Dudley said. Prost’s brews are not available in stores, which he said makes Prost a “destination” attraction.

“Very few breweries are pub-based and not based around distribution,” he said. “You have to go there to drink the beer.”

Dudley also said this format brings a more traditional, small-town brewpub environment to Pflugerville.

The brewing process, according to David Power of Power Brewing Project, involves several steps, including:

• Determine whether to use filtered water. At Power Brewing Project, water used in the brewing process is filtered through reverse osmosis.
• Mill the grain to allow for better fermentation and extraction of sugars.
• Boil the grain for 60-90 minutes, adding hops and other flavorings as well as yeast.
• Transfer from a boiling kettle to a heat exchanger, cooling the brew.
• Allow the brew to ferment for three to 10 days, depending on the type of beer.
• Condition the beer at set temperatures, allowing particulates to fall to the bottom.
• Transfer conditioned beer to kegs for serving or sale.

Dig deeper

As more chain restaurants and sports bars move into the area, Power said the opening of his brewery has received specific appreciation for being local.

These local spaces foster a sense of community and provide entertainment that residents might otherwise have to go out of town for, Toledo said.