Central District Brewing To Stage Hurricane Dorian Relief Benefit

AUSTIN, TX — In light of recent disasters in the Bahamas spawned by Hurricane Dorian, Central District Brewing will stage a relief benefit at the brewery this weekend.

Scheduled all day on Saturday, Sept. 21 and Sunday, Sept. 22, the event will showcase collaborative beers featuring innovative takes from Chef Fermin Núñez of Suerte, The Brewer’s Table Founder Jake Maddux, and Emmer & Rye's Pastry Chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph, who was born and raised in the Caribbean. A portion of the proceeds from the two days will go towards Mercy Chefs, a non-profit disaster relief organization, organizers said.

Located in the Austin central business district, the small batch brewery is located at 417 Red River St. The benefiting disaster relief organization, Mercy Chefs, is a non-profit that serves professionally prepared meals for victims, volunteers and first responders in national emergencies and natural disasters.

“We’ve been tossing around the idea of a collaboration restaurant series for some time now, but once we had a moment to speak with all of the chefs about this potential event, a benefit for Dorian Relief seemed natural,” Julie Ballato, Owner of Central District Brewing, wrote in an email. “Our friend Tavel [Bristol-Joseph of Emmer & Rye] was born and raised in the Caribbean. In the wake of this terrible disaster, we collectively agreed to donate to the cause and Tavel had a special charity in mind. With the help of these local restaurants we had the opportunity to donate the proceeds towards a non-profit organization that will help meet the needs of the community.”

Emmer & Rye's Pastry Chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph was born and reared in the Caribbean. Courtesy photo.

Central District Brewing Master Brewer Adam Duley worked alongside Emmer & Rye, Suerte, and The Brewer’s Table to develop unique beers that are characteristic of each restaurant.

Central District Brewing Master Brewer Adam Duley. Courtesy photo.

The beers will be featured on September 21 and 22 and include the following:

● Short Straw Stout (Central District Brewing): A delicious and robust stout with rich chocolate and pronounced coffee, subtle caramel, toffee, and spice.

● Carrot, Lemongrass & Ginger Stout (Emmer & Rye): Inspired by a drink Tavel’s grandmother used to make him as a child in the Caribbean, the stout is a refreshing and
slightly spicy drink, traditionally made with condensed milk. The beer, sans condensed milk, showcases subtle earth and sweetness from the carrots with subtle spice from the ginger and lemongrass.

● House-made Mole Stout (Suerte): Chocolate upfront and subtle lingering spice. Distinct nuttiness on the finish and tons of depth.

● Mesquite Bean Amazake Stout (The Brewer’s Table): Focuses on Texas mesquite beans and fermentation to create a unique take on a traditionally sweet, low-alcohol Japanese drink made from fermented rice. Savory, chicory complexity with enhanced coffee and earth notes.
The specialty beers will be available alongside Central District Brewing’s regular menu, which features rotating options from local breweries who rarely distribute their beers or have a very small footprint in the marketplace, including Brewtorium, Lazarus Brewing, Roughhouse Brewing, and more.

Chef Fermin Núñez of Suerte. Courtesy photo.

Central District Brewing is open from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Every Wednesday, all taproom beers are $5 from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. For more information, visit Central District Brewing’s website, www.centraldistrictbrewing.com, or follow the brewery on Facebook (/centraldistrictbrewing) and Instagram (@centraldistrictbrewing).

Jake Maddux is the owner of The Brewer's Table. Courtesy photo.

ABOUT CENTRAL DISTRICT BREWING

Central District Brewing opened on Red River Street, just a block from the Austin Convention Center, in March 2019. Helmed by husband-and-wife duo Adam and Angela Duley and Joe and Julie Ballato, the small-batch brewery focuses on seasonal and small-batch beers developed by Adam, the Master Brewer of Central District Brewing. The brewery began producing a roster of rotating house options in May 2019. In addition to beer, Central District Brewing offers food from Batch Craft Beer & Kolaches. The 1,500-square-foot space features a post-industrial modern setting with copper accents and live ferns.