Hidden away down a narrow backroad in the beautiful hills of Driftwood, there’s a business that has been plugging away for years, building its brand and creating a delightful experience. Yet somehow, it’s also brand-new, one of the youngest in the Hill Country.
That’s because Valerie Swartzentruber’s Wimberley Valley Winery, founded in 1983, has taken a path increasingly common in her industry — instead of choosing between wine or beer, she asked why not both?
So on July 4, 2022, Wimberley Valley began brewing beers under the name of Lone Man Mountain Brewing Company. The premise was simple and the same as her competitors — to keep the husbands happy.
“You know, we had so many wives come in, they want the wine, but the husbands are like, ‘Well, what do you have for me?’” Swartzentruber says. “We didn’t have beer, so we brought that on. And they walk in here and are pleasantly surprised. They’re always excited. It’s made a huge impact on the business.”
To Swartzentruber’s credit, she took the beer just as seriously as the wine and insisted it be quality stuff and not a sideshow.
The result of that commitment showed almost immediately — by 2023, Lone Man Mountain was raking in awards. The Texas Craft Brewers Cup gave them a gold medal for its Patersbier (a light blonde Belgian style), and even more prestigiously, the Great American Brewers Festival awarded LMM bronze for its Belgian Amber.
The next year, Lone Man went even higher at GABF, winning gold for its LMM Dubbel II, a Belgian-style abbey ale.
If Belgian styles aren’t your thing, don’t worry — Swartzentruber, brewer Robert Ruybal and beertender Chris Gonzalez are commercially savvy, casting a wide net that covers everything from the craft beer connoisseur to the regular light beer drinker. They don’t just want awards, they want your commerce.
“Yeah, we were really heavy into the Belgians at first, but honestly, we’re just trying to appeal to the masses,” Swartzentruber says. “It’s a balance.”
After talking to Gonzalez at the bar, you might find yourself becoming a “beer geek,” as he describes himself.
“We wanted someone that could really talk to our craft beer folks that come in,” Swartzentruber says. “Someone that could really explain the beers and get them to try new things. Chris is really good at that.”
The patersbier is a good example of their business savvy. They found visitors weren’t ordering it, despite the award on its resume. “So we renamed it Dirty Blonde,” Gonzalez says with a smile. “Since then, it’s been selling. People get confused — what’s a patersbier?”
“We actually just had our best month of beer ever,” says Swartzentruber. “I think the name change made a huge difference.”
The beer and wine would be reason enough to make the trip down Lone Man Mountain Road, but the setting of the winery and now brewery makes the journey irresistible.
Swartzentruber’s father, Dean Valentine, bought this piece of heaven decades ago. The gorgeous spread has wide open spaces under live oaks that demand you relax, enjoy a drink and eat some excellent pizza or a burger from their food trailer.
Additionally, the property is a working farm, with geese, poultry and even a small herd of Shetland ponies that enjoy being petted. Throw in a playscape to distract the kids and it couldn’t be more perfect.
“He has loved the Hill Country as soon as he moved here from Chicago,” she says. “He got to Texas and was like, ‘I’m absolutely never going back.’ He just fell in love with the Hill Country and wants people in cities like Austin and Houston to be able to experience the relaxation and the Hill Country vibes. You can just really slow down and enjoy life a little bit longer than how the city can make you hustle and bustle.”
The farm, she says, “is another part of my dad wanting people to experience a slower lifestyle. There’s so many people coming from the concrete jungle that don’t get to see farm animals.”
In fact, her father still lives in the rock house next to the tasting room, which was there when he bought it.
“That’s original to the property from the early 1900s,” she says. “We lived there when we first moved here. To be fully surrounded by the public every day was a little difficult. Then we moved to Wimberley and loved it. He lives here and will always, until he’s gone for sure, and it’s his pride and joy. He hardly leaves the property. There’s not much reason to.”
Currently, she’s working on finishing a new, impressive building behind the tasting room that will house the brewery and host events. (But sorry, not weddings, despite the area’s reputation as “The Wedding Capital of Texas.” “We don’t do weddings just because a lot of people want to do it on a Saturday and they want the whole property to themselves.”)
“My dad wants it to be his legacy going from me and my brother and my sister, the three of us siblings to our kids, his grandkids. It’s really important to him that he leaves behind something really great for them.”
And now, it’s a legacy that includes great beer to complement the wine.
Lone Man Mountain Brewing (Wimberley Valley Winery)
2825 Lone Man Mountain Road
Driftwood, TX 78619
512-847-2592 • wimberleyvalleywinery.com
Sunday-Friday 11am – 6pm • Saturday 11am – 8pm
Amber & Brown American Beer
1st, Rusty Axe Brewing Company – Tomahawk Amber; 2nd, Rahr & Sons Brewing LP – Rahr’s Texas Red; 3rd, Belly Up Brew Pub – Shovelhead Amber Ale
Amber Malty European Lager
1st, Pecan Street Brewing Co. – Bring Da Rauchus; 2nd, Frost Town Brewing – Vonder;
3rd, Prost Alehouse Texas – Amber Geist
American & Specialty IPA
1st, Frost Town Brewing – Superbloom; 2nd, Suds Monkey Brewing – Hopoloco; 3rd, Rahr & Sons Brewing LP – Rahr’s Dadgum IPA
American Porter and Stout
1st, Senate Avenue Brewing Company – Secretary of Stout; 2nd, Denton County Brewing Company – Mood Booster; 3rd, Acopon Brewing Company – Hans Trapp
Belgian
1st, Save the World Brewing Co. – Tripel; 2nd, Lone Man Mountain Brewing Co. – Belgian Quad; 3rd, Free Roam Brewing Company – Stand Up Tripel
British Ale
1st, Altstadt Brewery – Goggan’s Barleywine; 2nd, Double Horn Brewing Company – Midnight Rider Porter; 3rd, Altstadt Brewery – Santiago’s Porter
Czech Lager
1st, Lago Vista Brewing Company – Gold Bars, Babe; 2nd,
Cibolo Creek Brewing Co. – Enric’s Czech Pilz; 3rd, Cibolo Creek Brewing Co. – Czech Mate Dark Lager
Fruit Beer
1st, Vallensons’ Brewing Company – Haapple Wassail; 2nd, Talyard Brewing – Kohanaiki; 3rd, Ghost Note Brewing – Guavatar
German Kölsch
1st, Twisted X Brewing Company – Gulf Kölsch; 2nd, Prost Alehouse Texas – Germany Is Calling; 3rd, Denton County Brewing Company – Lonesome
German Pils
1st, Real Ale Brewing Company – Hans’ Pils; 2nd, Talyard Brewing – Edel; 3rd, Hound Song Brewing Co. – Potters Pils
German Wheat Beer
1st, Talyard Brewing – Wittelsbacher; 2nd, Ogle Brewery at Arch Ray Resort – Llano Clouds; 3rd, Back Unturned Brewing Co – Hefeweizen
Hazy IPA
1st, Free Roam Brewing Company – Quick Clouds; 2nd, Vallensons’ Brewing Company – ExtraVahAzzier “EVA” Mission 1; 3rd, Save the World Brewing Co. –
Chasing Broncos
International Lager
1st, Hound Song Brewing Co. – La Jefa; 2nd, Cactus Land Brewing Co. – Czech Yes; 3rd, Prost Alehouse Texas – Checo
Irish Beer
1st, Horny Toad Brewing Co, LLC – Irish Setter Red Ale; 2nd,
Excalibur Brewing – Blood of Brian Boru; 3rd, Cactus Land Brewing Co. – Billie Irish
Pale American Ale
1st, Vista Brewing – Barton Creek Gold; 2nd, Vista Brewing – Driftwood; 3rd, Lago Vista Brewing Company – Bronco Blonde Ale
Pale Malty German Lager
1st, Talyard Brewing – Hallertau; 2nd, Old 290 Brewery – Hawkshaw Helles; 3rd, Rusty Axe Brewing Company – Munich Fest
Sour & Wild Ale
1st, Ghost Note Brewing – Neighborhood:Kazbek; 2nd,
Back Unturned Brewing Co – Hawaii 210; 3rd, Cactus Land Brewing Co. – When The Sun Gose Down
Specialty & Spiced Beer
1st, Belly Up Brew Pub – Pecan Coffee Porter; 2nd, Excalibur Brewing – Arthur’s Tomb: Cookies & Cream; 3rd, Senate Avenue Brewing Company – Ready. Aim. Misfire.
Specialty IPA
1st, Pecan Street Brewing Co. – High Hopes; 2nd, No Label Brewing Co – Cali Boy West Coast IPA; 3rd, Martin House Brewing Company – Imperial Texan
Standard American Beer
1st, Hound Song Brewing Co. – Hootenanny; 2nd, Twisted X Brewing Company – Austin Lager; 3rd, Hound Song Brewing Co. – Texas Blue Step
Strong American Ale
1st, Bell Springs Brewing Company – Double IPA; 2nd, Acopon Brewing Company – Lilith; 3rd, Bell Springs Brewing Company – Barleywine
Wood Aged Beer
1st, Excalibur Brewing – Blue Ben V.4; 2nd, No Label Brewing Co – Perpetual Peace; 3rd, Old 290 Brewery –
Hell Raiser
5th Annual Fredericksburg Craft Beer Festival is set for June 12 (Awards Dinner) and June 13 (Festival at Marktplatz), 2026.
fbgcraftbeerfestival.com