Nederland brewery wins state awards; details of second Buckstin Brewing opening shared

Published 12:38 am Thursday, February 16, 2023

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NEDERLAND — For the second straight year, Buckstin Brewing Company in Nederland returned from the Texas Craft Brewers Guild Texas Brewers Cup competition with award-winning beers.

The second-annual contest, held this past weekend in Austin, included 852 individual beers, 147 competing breweries, 27 medal categories and 81 medals — two of which went to Buckstin.

“It was awesome to take home one,” said Randy Edwards, who heads up sales for the brewery. “But to take home two out of all that, it was pretty great.”

From left: Alex Bass, Justin Buchanan-Lopez, James Brindza and Randy Edwards are announced winners at the Texas Craft Brewers Guild Texas Brewers Cup competition this past weekend. (Courtesy photo)

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Last year Buckstin took home a bronze medal in Birra D’Oro and a silver medal in Chugboat Island.

This year they submitted the contest cap of eight entries, with two taking bronze medals.

“We stick to our staples that we’re proud of,” he said. “And then, depending on the season and when they need those by, we pick some others that we may have on hand.”

One winner, Easy Breesy, is a year-round beer at the Boston Avenue brewery.

“The other was a dark lager we did at the end of last year that was very well received, and we plan to bring it back because, honestly, it’s a great name,” he said of Das Boots With The Fur.

Easy Breesy, one of the award-winning beers, is on tap year-round. (Monique Batson/The News)

Buckstin is now in its third year of business in Mid County. New brews are made predominately by co-owner Justin Buchanan-Lopez and wife Gabrielle Blanco.

“Justin handles pretty much everything on the beer side when it comes to recipes,” Edwards said. “He’s been home brewing long before this ever became a dream, and then it happened pretty quick.”

Edwards did some home brewing a decade or so ago but then moved into the marketing side of craft beer and is approaching his second year with Buckstin.

“Things are great,” he said. “We’re growing our distribution. We have about 50-plus partners in the market, from your local H-E-B, Market Basket and independent liquor stores. It has put us in a position to open up a second location in Beaumont. So that’s going to help us with our production side.”

All permits have been approved, Edwards said, and they hope to break ground on the new Phelan Boulevard location within the next month.

“We’re very, very lucky to have this as a gathering place for everybody,” he said. “It blows my mind to see the crowds walk in every day once the doors open. If you deliver good beer and good pizza, people would show up.”