Brewery Tap...
Opened
in 1987, long before downtown was cool, the Tap is located in a
building that used to be part of the Houston Ice & Brewing Co.
Once
a sprawling operation, it was eventually ruined by prohibition
&
home refrigeration.
Heavy wooden tables dominate the room and are built with beams from a 1905 warehouse.
In a sense, the Brewery Tap is a subversive business; it honors history in a city that usually doesn't.
Located in the Historic Magnolia Building...
The
Houston Ice & Brewing Company was founded in 1892 by Hugh
Hamilton
and became one of Houston's largest companies. By 1910 it encompassed
more than twenty acres north and south of Buffalo Bayou.
The Magnolia Building, located at the corner of Franklin and Milam Avenues, was redesigned in 1912 by H.C. Cooke and Co. The building, which houses the Brewery Tap was constructed in the footprint of a former structure known as the Franklin Building.(More Info)
The Great Flood of 2001...
Tropical Storm Allison was one
of the most devastating rain events in the history of the USA.
Historical data nor weather forecasts predicted this extraordinary storm which dumped almost 37 inches of water over Houston in June of 2001.
Allison left Harris County with: 22 dead; 95K damaged cars & trucks; 73K damaged residences; 30K people in shelters; $5+ billion in property damage and the Brewery Tap underwater. (Read more on Allison)
The Brewery Tap is yards from Allen’s Landing, the spot where in August 1836, the Allen brothers (John & Augustus) stepped ashore and claimed/founded Houston. The confluence of Buffalo and White Oak bayous became Houston’s first port and a thriving commercial hub. In 1914 the port was moved seaward to the Houston Ship Channel.
