The recipients have been announced for the fifth year of a grant program awarding aspiring craft brewers with membership in the Texas Craft Brewers Guild. Grantees receive one year of membership — a $300 value — in the trade association that represents small and independent craft breweries in the Lone Star State. The grants are funded by Method Architecture, a Texas-based firm that’s also a long-time member of the Guild.
The 2025 grantees are (in alphabetical order):
- Crest Brewing — Dade
- Golden Lotus Brewing Company — San Marcos
- NightOwl BrewHouse — Gonzales
- Stone Abbey Brewing — College Station
- Sun Brewing Company — Canutillo
Brewery in Planning members can access the Guild’s library of recorded and live online educational resources, attend monthly member meetups and annual conferences, connect with more than 240 veteran brewery owners statewide, and build relationships with hundreds of vendors who will be critical to their success as brewers and business owners.
Bay Area Brewing Company opened in Rockport earlier in 2024. Owners and Navy veterans Will and Deidre Amaya were selected as grantees in the 2023 cycle.
“The Brewery in Planning Grant is not just a monetary award. Upon receiving the news that Bay Area Brewing Company was selected, we were humbled and appreciative. We [used] the recognition as an opportunity to build our brand and grow our community following as we sought crowd funding and being taken seriously in a lucrative coastal real estate market.”
The costs to enter the craft brewing industry remain high in the wake of ongoing challenges that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, people of color, women, LGBT+ individuals, and entrepreneurs outside of metropolitan areas are known to experience particularly high barriers to credit, capital, and other necessary support for entrepreneurship.
“Every great brewery starts with a bold idea and the right support,” said Katherine Rorie, Principal | Director of Market Operations at Method Architecture. “This grant isn’t just financial aid—it’s a gateway into a vibrant, collaborative community that values authenticity, creativity, and local impact. We’re honored to play a role in helping the next generation of Texas brewers thrive.”
Method’s architectural brewery projects include the Houston-based True Anomaly Brewing Company (winner of one of two Texas Craft Brewers Cup 2023 Brewery of the Year awards) and Holler Brewing Company, a 2023 World Beer Cup silver medal winner, also in Houston.
“Breweries in planning have to prioritize every dollar as they get their projects going,” said Meg Ellis, Deputy Director for the Guild. “So to benefit from Guild membership in the crucial early phases and still be able to allocate funds toward hard costs like equipment orders and facilities improvements can have a huge impact down the road.”
Many of the grantees will join their industry peers during the Texas Craft Brewers Guild’s annual summer conference and trade show, the Texas Brewery Roundup, which takes place June 27-29 in Houston.
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