Cheers!

An Intro and a Vision

Two seemingly unrelated movements entered their prime in the 2020’s: Craft beer, and remote employment. I created Reply Ale to celebrate and promote the natural union of these wonderful phenomena.

Craft beer has certainly been a “thing” for a while now. Although skeptics have doubted the sustainability of the latest brewery goldrush, pointing to observable signs that the bubble is bursting, companies like InBev have spent millions roasting craft beer fans in commercials and there are more breweries-per-capita than any other time in history. Remote and hybrid work – considered fringe modes of employment prior to the Covid-19 pandemic – are now standard at start-ups and Fortune 500 companies alike.

In any case, isn’t mixing beer and work a recipe for disaster?

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My own career has been somewhat unconventional. Since 2010, my roles have been field-based or remote, meaning my office is anywhere I can find decent Wi-Fi and enough room for my laptop. I wouldn’t trade the freedom and flexibility of this arrangement for anything…and that sentiment continues to gain popularity. 23% of U.S. workers surveyed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in June 2018 reported completing some or all of their work remotely. Forbes reported that 40% of US employees worked either fully remotely or in a hybrid role in 2023. The benefits are pretty well established at this point: happier, more productive, more engaged employees, and reduced costs for employers. (source: Remote.Co)

As the remote workforce has grown, the craft beer scene has likewise experienced some wild growth trends. The number of brewpubs, microbreweries, and regional craft breweries has exploded in recent years — from 2,420 in 2012 to 6,266 in 2017, according to the Brewers Association…a 259% industry expansion. That means that wherever you live and work, there are probably some badass fermented beverages nearby. Brewers are capitalizing on these positive trendlines by building taprooms to attract local beer enthusiasts. Case studies from Brewing Industry Guide show that from small microbrew purveryors like metal af TRVE in Denver, CO to craft behemoths like Sam Adams in Boston, MA, breweries want you to experience their goods on-site. To which I say, “AMEN…do you have Wi-Fi?”

You may see where this is heading.

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Reply Ale is here to tell you about the best breweries for working remotely. The reviews are primarily focused on Central Texas for now, but the goal is to take this thing coast to coast. We’ll break down each taproom we visit according to 4 metrics: Connectivity, Work-space, Atmosphere, and of course, Beer Quality. Read more about the extremely scientific rating system on our Taproom Ratings section.

The Reply Ale vision is straightforward:

To help you find new places to get shit done while enjoying great beer.