It wasn’t always the case, but craft beer has become big business in Texas. In Dallas, we’ve just recently blown out the candles on the 1^st birthday cakes of some of the scene’s heaviest hitters – and now, the demand has grown so astronomically that there seems to be a craft beer festival for just about every type of consumer. And it’s not just the events that are becoming increasingly attuned and responsive to the interests of craft consumers – Texas brewers have been upping their game to keep up with national trends. This state is now home to sours that’ll make you pucker like the best of ’em and Rauchbiers that’ll school you on what you should be drinking with your BBQ. So, out of all the stellar beer festivals taking place in this massive state, what’s my suggestion for those looking to sample the best and most expansive selection of kickass local brews? The upcoming Texas Craft Brewers Festival.

You know a state has made it as a national power-player when it can not only sustain but also consistently grow a full-blown, local-only craft beer festival year after year. Reformed by members of the Texas Craft Brewers Guild (TCBG) and produced by local nonprofit Young Men’s Business League of Austin, the Austin-based Texas Craft Brewers Fest will once again shine a well-deserved spotlight on hardworking brewers from all over the state this coming Saturday, September 28 at Fiesta Gardens. And because of some recent legislative changes within Texas’s brewing industry, this year’s fest will be even better than its previous iterations. Not only will 13 new breweries be attending the fest this year (up from 10 newbies last year), but brewpubs will also be able to participate for the first time.

“Ground-breaking law changes passed earlier this year by the Texas legislature have given craft brewers and fans of independent Texas craft beer reason to celebrate,” says TCBF Co-Chair Charles Vallhonrat, executive director of the TCBG. “The 2013 Texas Craft Brewers Festival is the only event the Texas craft brewers are this actively involved in…it is the most festive yet most surprisingly intimate of craft beer occasions.”

Let’s be honest – a VIP ticket might not be worth its price at some festivals, but it’s worth defending the purchase of one for the Texas Craft Brewers Fest. Think an hour early-entry is worth it? A VIP ticket for this fest will get you an entire 2.5 hours sans crowds and lines, and offers exclusive chances to meet & greet the brewers. Outside of a calmer experience, VIP tickets also automatically come with swag, such as a festival T-shirt & pint glass, which you would otherwise be tempted to drunkenly buy later in the day anyway. If all that’s not worth the $70 price tag, General Admission tickets are a steal at $20.

Getting down to brass tacks, if you haven’t seen the beer list, let me assure you that a smorgasbord of more than 130 goodies await you that even those of us living in the state have trouble getting our hands on. Keep your eyes on the special list of brews being tapped on almost every half hour, such as:

• Karbach Brewing‘s Cherries of Fire, a bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Porter with cherries
• Rahr & Sons Barrel-Aged Oktoberfest, a bourbon barrel-aged Marzen
• Lakewood Brewing Company‘s Lion’s Share I: Anniversary Ale, a barrel-aged Belgian-style Double IPA with Brettanomyces
• Saint Arnold‘s Bishop’s Barrel 2, a Chardonnay barrel-aged Old Ale with Brett
• Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company‘s Figaro Figaro Figaro Fiiigaaaro, a Belgian-style Quadruple aged on figs
• And the newest hot commodity from Jester King Craft Brewery – Atrial Rubicite, a barrel-aged sour ale refermented with raspberries  

As a returning festgoer, the Texas Craft Brewers Fest gives us locals a chance to revel in the diversity of the scene in one spot; if you’re a newcomer, it provides a wonderful introduction to the complexity of the state’s local brews. While craft beer groupies have no doubt sampled a good number of the brews being poured at one point or another, some are making their seasonal debut and others are pretty much always in short supply. Either way, if you’re a fan of the blossoming and ever-expanding Texas craft beer scene, it won’t matter – because the enjoyment comes from sharing the beers you love with your fellow craft beer card-carrying friends, and that’s exactly what this festival offers in spades.