When the Pasternack family raised the red barn to create a brewery on their family’s 50-acre ranch, they wanted to celebrate the Hill Country’s undulating landscape. Little did they know they would uncover a secret: a limestone cave that they are now excavating.
The secret that’s been discovered is their tasty brews, served with a view.
“Initially it was a creative culinary outlet for my husband’s technical mind and mechanical engineering degree,” says owner Alex Pasternack, who opened Roughhouse Brewery with her husband Davy in January 2019. “He found more motivation to brew, create recipes and build control panels than sit at a desk and work for someone else.”
With Davy as the brewmaster and Alex as the marketer, the couple created a destination mom and pop brewery that’s a hit for families who love to explore.
The entrepreneurial couple describe their clientele as laid back and curious, kind of like their own family. “We are silly and family oriented,” says Pasternack. That’s why they chose the name Roughhouse.
Daytrippers and locals alike come from miles away to walk the ranch’s rugged terrain, peer into the cave from a safe distance and take in the natural beauty of the region between San Marcos and Wimberley, TX.
“We are introducing people to the Hill Country and the local area,” says Pasternack. “We not only want to make them feel at home at Rough House, but also understand what a cool place we live in. It is really touching to be a part of the Hill County community.”
The ranch, which Davy’s parents bought in 2016, is a wildlife habitat. Stick enclosures throughout the private property serve as owl and bat houses. It’s also a great place to spot a roadrunner or a fox. Davy, Alex and their two young children live just down the road so they commute to work on rangers, bicycles and even on foot.
“We are tour guides who love beer,” Pasternack says.
Since 2021, when they were voted brewery of the year by CultureMap Austin, Roughhouse has won awards for the notes of their craft beers. In 2022, they won a Texas Craft Brewers Cup silver medal for Berried, a cave-aged blend with raspberries and a gold medal for their Farmhouse IPA. In 2026, they won the gold medal for Hill Country Light, their American Lager.
“Our Roughhouse Pilsner is usually one of our top sellers throughout the year. It checks so many boxes. Crisp and clean. Light, but still has flavor and moderate bitterness. It’s a recipe we have perfected - a German-style Pilsner with 4.8% alcohol,” says Pasternack.
As if beer wasn’t enough of a conversation starter, the space in the brewery is designed to foster community connection. Communal tables and a hip loft inside create a comfy setting and a great vibe for birthdays, anniversaries and casual get-togethers with family and friends. The taproom is open to the landscape, encouraging visitors to explore nature and take their celebrations to one of two outdoor pavilions attached by a bridge. Roughhouse rents out the loft, pavilions and also the entire brewery for special occasions.
“Every weekend we have events, whether it’s birthdays or celebrations of life,” Pasternack says. “People love to plan events here."
Since 2021, when they were voted brewery of the year by CultureMap Austin, Roughhouse has won awards for the notes of their craft beers. In 2022, they won a silver medal for Berried, Spontaneous Cave Ale + Wild Ale Blend with Raspberries and a gold medal for their Farmhouse IPA by the Texas Craft Brewers Cup. In 2026, they won the gold medal for Hill Country Light, their American Lager.
Hungry? Yummy pressed sandwiches served with chips and homemade salsa are on the menu Thursday - Saturday from 11am-9pm and Sunday 11am-7pm.
The staff favorite is the Tommy Boy – ham, pastrami, provolone, pickled onion, tomato, arugula and honey mustard on toasted sourdough, often washed down with a Hill Country Light.
This Father’s Day Roughhouse will be introducing a Michelada.
Ingredients:
- Tajin seasoning
- 1/2 cup Clamato juice
- 1 teaspoon of Tabasco
- 1 lime, wedge for garnish and 1 teaspoon for juice
- Dash of Worcestershire Sauce
- Primavera Mexican Lager
- Ice
For a full menu and seasonal events, including an expansion that will be revealed in the next six months, stay tuned to their website.
Meanwhile, the excavation of the sinkhole, created by the Balcones fault beneath, continues pail by pail as the Pasternacks empty out the debris in the cave between batches of brews. “Right now you can only crawl in six feet before a stalactite hits your head,” Pasternack says. “It’s a tiny opening.”
Their goal is to have a tasting room built by the end of 2026 so that visitors can climb down a ladder and enjoy a cave-aged beer on the brewery’s eighth anniversary in January. Now that will be a secret worth celebrating.
“We not only want to make them feel at home at Rough House, but also understand what a cool place we live in. It is really touching to be a part of the Hill Country.”