Brews You Can Use III

Those leftists in Austin might be onto something.

Some Austin residents are working to create the state's first co-op beer pub in the European sense of the word. The Black Star Pub is the brainchild of Steven Wyarak, who had lived in Belgium and liked the quality of beer and pub atmosphere there.

"We're starting up a community-owned bar here in town. I wanted to do something cooperative, something that would involve the community [and see] what options are out there, what can we do?" Wyarak said. . .

Through word of mouth and the Internet the idea of a bar owned by the regulars has gained a following. The group meets every Wednesday at Café Mundi and Saturday at a house on Cesar Chavez. Organizers are still trying to raise capital ”“ the idea that if 100 people pitch in $100 they'll start with $10,000 in capital.

"You get a vote in everything that goes on from the beer we serve to the air conditioning,” Wyarak said.

Wyarak envisions a beer bar where members pay happy hour prices all the time, and the choices will be discriminating, with a rotating selection of between eight ”“ 200 beers on tap.

It's a neat idea, but I'm not sure it's entirely novel. Lodges and other clubs have their own liquor licenses. Members pay dues, elect a board of directors to run the place, and depend largely on volunteer labor. And the drinks are cheap. When you see me refer to my "drinking club," that's what I'm referring to. I pay $100 a year for one of the nicest drinking settings in the county, Sirius satellite radio over the sound system, and the cheapest drink prices around.

A friend, by the way, sent the above story to me. He said he found it here. I couldn't find the story myself, but the link makes me want to visit Austin. A lot of neat stuff.