I’m a BEERliever Burnet County, Texas
The energetic Quynh, Dave’s wife and partner, cheerily interrupted our tasting to welcome members of their beer club, True Beerlievers, as each walked in. She knew everyone by name and exactly where their beer glass was hanging on the wall — and there were at least a hundred glasses.
Dave and Quynh Rathkamp are quite the couple: smart, passionate, and brewing some of the best beer in Texas. After years of schooling, Dave studying biology and chemistry and Quynh studying biomedical engineering (at Harvard) followed by medical school, they met during their residencies in New Orleans, working as pediatric physicians. They eventually got married, continued working as doctors in Dallas, and took annual mission trips to help impoverished areas with medical care.
Years later Dave returned from a mission to his Dallas practice and patients with “first world problems,” feeling like he was no longer making a difference. Around this time, Dave’s church group happened to be discussing the topic of doing what you love. Dave realized he had lost his passion for medicine.
For nearly 15 years Dave had been brewing beer at home. He loved everything about it — the science, experimentation, creativity and anticipation — but had never considered brewing as a career, until that casual church group conversation when he burst out to a stunned audience, “I love brewing beer.”
Supportive of Dave’s passion, Quynh jumped right in and became a certified beer cicerone. But Quynh’s passion lay in helping people. While she was a doctor, she’d donate every penny she had and volunteer in her free time. So Quynh steered the business into donating their profits to charities that supply basic human needs.
With their passions combined, Save the World Brewing Co. was born in Marble Falls, Texas; the first 100% philanthropic craft brewery. But what kind of beer would they brew?
Water, of course, is beer’s main ingredient and important to the style produced. Testing the water, Dave and Quynh were thrilled to find that Marble Falls’ water is nearly identical to the water in certain regions of Belgium. The couple travelled to Belgian monasteries and breweries to learn and sample everything they could. As a result, Save the World imports the hops and grains from Belgium to ensure that soughtafter flavour; even the yeast comes from specific Belgian monasteries. And the results are magnificent. All Save the World’s beers are named in Latin (Dave and Quynh were doctors after all) and take on a Christian tone. The classic Belgian wheat ale, Agnus Dei (Lamb of God), goes down smoothly, well-balanced in its flavour of orange peel and coriander. A third spice sneaks in but they refuse to let you in on the secret unless you can detect it yourself. Lux Mundi (Light of the World) has an aroma of ripe fruits and floral hops. This easy-drinking pattersbier (father’s beer) was traditionally the monks’ everyday drinking ale. Dave’s personal favourite, Humilus Filius (The Humble Son), shows off its delicious, lightly-toasted malt and floral hoppy flavours.
I couldn’t help but love the couple and their passion, until they poured yet another delicious beer and I loved them even more. When I learned that they donate all profits to charities, I couldn’t help becoming a “beerliever” too.
Besides the beer scene, there are a few other highlights worth a quick visit to Texas’s Highland Lake Region in Burnet County.
Canyon of the Eagles is one of them. Though the lodging is sparselyfurnished, the staff’s friendly hospitality and The Overlook Restaurant’s hearty breakfast (think blueberry pancakes and pork belly, breakfast tacos with all the fixings, and bottomless coffee) make it worth it. The vast property has beautiful views, cacti-studded hiking trails, and free-roaming wildlife.
But unlike most resorts, Canyon of the Eagles also houses the Eagle Eye Observatory a short drive from the lodging. We climbed out of the car and the darkness engulfed us. Only dim red lights and a blanket of stars illuminated the path to the small, rolling-roof hut. The hut contained two high-tech telescopes and a grey-haired man with a bounce in his step.
Jim Sheets, resident astronomer, welcomed us, proudly pointed out the telescopes, and said with authority, “Prepare for dark vision protocol, I’m now turning off all white light.” Our eyes slowly adjusted and the stars became clearer. We took turns looking in awe at constellations and star clusters through the telescopes with the knowledgeable Jim guiding the way.
Burnet County is also home to Longhorn Cavern. Named after the cattle that would fall into the cave’s sinkholes decades before the openings were fenced off, this mile and a half long underground cave holds a plenty of history. The Comanche Indians used the cavern for tribal meetings centuries ago; there are tales of battles and daring rescues from these times. During
“I KNEW I WOULD NEVER BE RICH — my wife just gives it all away,” said Dave Rathkamp good-naturedly, while holding a proper Belgian beer glass filled with a golden brew. Humilus Filius, I found out later, is a Belgian-style pale ale and his favourite beer.
Prohibition, a wood floor and bar were installed, transforming the cavern into a restaurant and speakeasy. The innovative owners built a kitchen at the opening of a sinkhole, lowering food down on a dumbwaiter to a candlelit, linen-lined, flapperdress-filled restaurant.
The cavern was beautiful. Water over the centuries worked through the limestone, carving figures and pathways into the rock. In case the history or natural architecture aren’t interesting enough, there are also tales of ghosts and spirits in the caves.
If you are visiting Austin for its progressive food scene, Burnet County warrants the hour and a half drive north and off the beaten path.
But remember, “It’s Burn-it, dearn-it, you’d better learn-it!”.
…Canyon of the Eagles also houses the Eagle Eye Observatory…