St. Pat's blog is a new feature that we will update regularly.
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January 20, 2026.
Poster at Live Oak Brewery in Austin.
Quick summary of recent reports from 2 of the worlds most respected health science organizations.
June, 2025. The American Heart Association published a review regarding alcohol and cardiovascular disease.
It confirmed what has been known for many years. Drinking alcohol in moderation is better for heart health than not drinking at all.
December, 2024. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) published a report reviewing the effect of alcohol on health. They concluded the following.
- Moderate drinkers live longer than non-drinkers.
- Moderate drinkers have lower risk of diabetes and stroke than non-drinkers.
- Moderate drinkers have higher risk of breast cancer and colorectal concer than non-drinkers.
- The did NOT find additional risk of any other cancer for moderate drinkers vs non-drinkers.
The science on alcohol and health has not changed much at all over many years. What has changed, is packing health advisory boards with anti-science and anti-alcohol propagandists.
For those wishing to participate in Dry January, click here.
As my friend Michael Jackson, The Beer Hunter, used to say,
"Non-drinkers don't actually live longer---it just feels like it."
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January 7, 2026. Happy New Year!
I began collecting bars in the late 90's. In addition to the 4 below, I tried to purchase a coppertop bar that originally belonged to Willie Nelson, from a dance hall in Copeland, Texas. But someone came in after me and wrote a bigger check. I also had a beautiful California oak enclosed square bar but had to sell it to make space.
St. Pat's bar in our business. This bar was originally in the Lily Langtry Saloon at Pearl Brewery in San Antonio. It was removed in 1960. I purchased it in 1998. There are two 1930 Gaskell & Chambers beer engines on the far right.
Beautiful veneers and beveled glass doors. Drop down face reveals mirror top bar.
Simple folding pop-up bar.
Our home bar. I had the cipollino apuano marble columns and book on the back wall made in Pietrasanta, Italy.
Our 1000 bottle wine room. About 1/3 of it is beer.
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December 10, 2025
We are coming up on Dry Martini January and are working on some ideas to help sensible people gain weight and act irresponsibly.
But before we get into that, a little perpective on the state of our industry. More breweries, wineries, and distilleries are closing than opening. That has not happened in the 35 years I have been in business. But breweries, wineries and distilleries have closed every year that I have been in business. And one of the principle reasons is the same every year---relentless rise in fixed costs because the business could not, or chose not to, increase its equity in its own building.
I will draw on the fate of Austin's first 4 breweries, all began in the early 90's, and Austin Homebrew Supply since 2022.
Austin's first 4 breweries all closed within 10 years, and Austin Homebrew Supply has been the country's most profitable homebrew shop since it closed in 2022!
The fate of these businesses reflects on importance of controlling the largest single fixed cost that nearly every business has. Building expense.
As a rule of thumb, leasing will cost a business ~2-3 times more than owning the property. And this discrepancy often grows over time because when you lease, you are competing with every type of business that can use that space. In fact, the Austin Homebrew Supply building is leased to a company that sells "slime boxes" which I had never heard of until last week.
Photo at Austin's first microbrewery Celis Brewery. I'm on the left toasting Pierre Celis. Front row: Bill Forester in the middle (Waterloo, Texas first brewpub). Davis Tucker left (Coppertank, Texas' second brewpub). Back right corner is Mike Mchone, Balconos Red Granite Brewery, Austin's second brewery. Photo was taken by Austin Home and Garden magazine, late 1994.
In the early 90's, interest rates were high and Celis simply took on debt at a high interest rate. Celis sold a majority share to Miller in late 90's and Miller closed it in 2000. Waterloo and Coppertank leased large spaces in downtown Austin around 1992-3. Downtown began to boom and they got hit with huge lease increases years later and could not survive.
Austin Homebrew Supply was purchased in ~2015 by the owner of Adventures in Homebrewing in Michigan. Homebrewing was doing very well at that time. The new owner had a 25,000 sf building built and completed in early 2019. By that time, homebrewing was tanking across the country. So, in early 2022, the owner shuttered AHS. He leased out the building for 5 years, with a total of over $2M net income. The building went up for sale just a week ago. If he gets the asking price, he will make ~$3.5M in capital gains.
So that is how a homebrew shop that has been out of business for 4 years, will make $5.5M, and is undoubtedly the most profitable homebrew shop in the US during that time. Contrast this with another homebrew supplier, in business for 30 years, leasing the entire time, and now flailing to survive---selling imported products below replacement cost, due to tariffs. Only reason to do that is if you are discontinuing the products, or desparate for cash.
Many businesses in our industry will continue to flourish because they wisely built up equity in their business. I have always been risk averse. I borrowed money for our first home in 1992. Over the past 32 years, I paid cash for 5 more homes, 5 warehouses, 5 acres of prime real estate, and another business. All from the profits of St. Pats.
Couple of side notes.
The Celis Brewery closed in 2000. The brewery was put on the market for $1.8M. The adjacent empty lot was another $400K. I went to my bank and applied for a loan to purchase Celis. The bank said yes. Keep in mind I started my homebrew business 9 years earlier with a $517 tax return check. But I had 3 boys at home, a booming business, and my husband was not interested in leaving his career. I could not do both by myself, so I didn't take the risk.
We made a $3.5M cash offer on the Austin Homebrew Supply building in 2022. It was not listed for sale but we took a shot based on the lease rate. They did not even counter our offer. It is now listed at $6.9M.