Local craft beer darling, Hi Sign Brewing, announced today the grand opening of its new 13,000-square-foot East Austin taproom and production facility located at 730 Shady Lane. To unveil the new space and commemorate the company’s fifth year in business, Hi Sign recently celebrated their grand opening celebration where they debuted three new beers (two summer seasonals and one permanent addition) alongside updated logo and can designs by creative agency FugginHuggin.
Founder and CEO Mark Phillippe credits local support for Hi Sign’s success in the aftermath of a recession that shuttered independent businesses worldwide. “We wouldn’t have survived the last five years without our Austin community,” Phillippe said. “They sustained us over the last two years –– this new place is for them.”
Hi Sign’s current lineup of brews include El Berto the Mexican Lager; Violet the Blueberry Blonde; Shamus the Fiddler Irish Red; Wooderson the West Coast IPA; Hi-C Hazy IPA; and several new releases to include the launch of Eastside Pilsner.
Hi Sign’s new home on Shady Lane has a rich beverage production and packaging history. It originally opened as an RC Cola bottling facility in the 1950s, and later became Shiner’s first beer distribution center in Austin. In the 90s, the building was occupied by Hill Country Brewing & Bottling. 20 years later, the space is returning to its beverage industry roots as it becomes Hi Sign Brewing’s new home. Phillippe selected OPA Design Studio, an award winning architecture firm specializing in breweries and distilleries, to reimagine the space while paying homage to its unique history.
The footprint of the new brewery is more than twice the size of Hi Sign’s previous facility, providing the space needed to ramp up production of the brand’s core beers and allow Hi Sign to reincorporate limited-release offerings.