First, let’s address the elephant in the room: Yes, you can play pickleball on the premises of Frontyard Brewing. But really, unless you really love pickleball, that’s not even in the top three reasons to visit this lovely venue hidden among the hills between Spicewood and Bee Cave. You can play pickleball almost anywhere. But you’ll have to head down Bob Wire Road if you want to mix it with a fantastic array of brews, first-rate food and relaxed, kid-friendly atmosphere. There’s even wine, too — Frontyard shares the property with 5 Soul Wine Co., so seamlessly integrated that you might think they have the same owners (they do not).
For this article, we’ll stick to the beer side, because it will take that much space just to talk about Frontyard’s huge variety of beers. Most brewers go for crowd-pleasing but predictable options; a few opt for a more gonzo approach that appeals to the hardcore craft beer lovers. Frontyard isn’t afraid to do both. “At Frontyard, we do everything from the people that want a Bud Light or Coors Light to the crazy, crafty sour beer lovers,” says co-owner Chad Worner. “We want something for everybody.”
But like many brewery entrepreneurs, Worner realized he wasn’t the person to create those brews — his professional background was in student housing development and operations. “My wife bought me a homebrew kit and I was terrible,” he laughs.
The vision he and his wife Amber really had was just to create a community space, not just a brewery, so they and partner Bryan Russell set about developing a business plan and left the brewing to professionals. Frontyard is now on its second brewer, Jonathan Harris. “We met Jonathan in 2018 when he was working at a coffee shop that also served beer. We took him some of our beers and he gave us some honest feedback. Fast-forward a year and a half, he had started his own brewery in Cedar Park. It was hard to sustain and he had moved to Dripping Springs, so he reached out to me and I was looking for a brewer. Just having known he had owned his own place and he’d won multiple awards, we met, shook hands, and it’s been great for us ever since. He’s very talented and creative.”
When Worner says his beers can appeal to everybody, he has first-hand knowledge. “Amber is not crazy about beer, it’s just not something she likes, but he had several including a barleywine that he mixed into an old-fashioned that she just loved. If I can please somebody that’s not crazy about beer, as well as have some great basic beer, that’s what led me to Jonathan.”
We are crazy about beer and gleefully tasted a half-dozen of the 16 taps. We opened with the lighter styles of German Pilsner and Kolsch, both of which would be perfect on a hot summer day. Then we sampled two of the four IPAs on offer, starting with a mellow Hazy before moving to the Juicy Double Hazy that delivered a hoppy punch to the tastebuds. We love Belgian styles and tried all three: an approachable Blonde, then a Golden Ale featuring the spices one associates with Belgian styles, followed by the rich, ripe fruit notes of the Strong Dark. We closed out the visit with the Nitro Coffee Milk Stout, which was heavy on the java. Worner says by the time you read this in the spring, he’ll have seasonals like Boat Beer (which is just what it sounds like), as well as a sour and an Italian Pils collaboration with Marble Falls’ Bear King Brewing (see “Not Your Average Bear,” Spring 2023).
All of these were enjoyed with a spectacular prosciutto pizza from one of the two food trucks the Worners own. The goat cheese and mozzarella melted dreamily into the prosciutto, baby spinach and balsamic drizzle. Just the pizza alone would be reason enough for a return visit. The high quality of the pizza truck had us wondering about the sandwich truck, which offers burgers, buffalo chicken sandwiches, cheesesteaks and more.
There’s another dimension to Frontyard that you can’t immediately see — its charity work. Amber Worner works as a trauma-based counselor for families and children and wanted the business to help people in need. “We love people and we love Jesus and we wanted a place where people feel loved and welcome,” Chad says. “There’s a lot of heartache and hurt out there, and there are nonprofits trying to get women who have been trafficked off the streets. We created a Social Collective for ladies only — they meet on the first Tuesday of the month and the money they raise goes to a charity they vote on.” He says they also give to local school systems.
But here’s what you can see when you visit: “We want to provide a space where anyone from any walk of life can feel welcome and invited and unplug from the daily grind,” Chad says. “Even if you don’t drink and just want to order a Diet Coke and let your kids run around. My favorite thing is to see kids playing and not on a device. So much of our young community is staring at a phone, so I feel like we’ve won when I see them playing instead. We do live music and support local artists. It’s fun to see bands, kicking back with a cheeseburger and the sunset.”
The day we visited, a perfect sunny day just before a cold snap arrived, was a perfect example — a family was hosting a baby’s birthday party. “We host more one-year-old birthday parties than anything else,” Worner laughed. “Some days we’ll sell more bubble wands than anything else.”
Frontyard Brewing
4514 Bob Wire Road
Spicewood, TX 78669
512-614-4380
frontyardbrewing.com