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At any happy hour in Austin, you're likely to find a few friends sharing laughs over margaritas. Austin is quite the city for local beers, as well. A few local breweries call Austin their home and offer a range of flavors with some using local and organic ingredients. While you might not get much home decor advice from a brewery, they could definitely provide a great day trip and a taste of the city! Here are a few of our favorite Austin spots:

• (512) Brewing Company Kevin Brand first gained an appreciation and interest in brewing when he worked at the Hyde Park beer store, Pronto Food Mart in 1992. After a brief 10 year stint in California (where he continued to homebrew) he came home to Austin and started to brew full-time. (512) uses as many local, domestic and organic ingredients as possible and offers open houses and events throughout the year.
• Live Oak Brewing Company This brewery, started by two locals Chip McElroy and Brian Peters, uses an "old-world style of brewing rarely found in America today but practiced extensively throughout Germany and the Czech Republic". Offering distinct flavors, Live Oak Brewing Company is located on the East Side and offers tours by appointment.
• Draught House Pub and Brewery This is a favorite beer drinking place among locals because they offer not only a large selection of beers they brew on site, but also a dizzying mixture of beers from other local and national breweries. Offering daily specials, events and even food, it's definitely a spot to check out on your local Austin brewery tour.
• North by Northwest Restaurant and Brewery You can eat tasty food and drink beer brewed on site, all in an atmosphere modeled after the great lodges of national parks found in the Northwest of the country. The brewery also takes its name from that region due to the fact that many of the nation's breweries got their start there. Offering fun events and nightly activities, it's worth a stop.
• Independence Brewery This South Austin brewery was started in 2004 by Rob and Amy Cartwright and their dog, Jasper. Setting out to brew "flavorful, deliciously easy-drinking beers for the people of Austin" their crew has expanded to eight more (plus another dog). They offer a brewery tour and beer tasting on the first Saturday of every month.

Of course, these are only a few of the local breweries and brew pubs available around Austin, so if you're a local beer lover, we want to hear who we left off the list! And if you visited any of these breweries or pubs we've mentioned and have tips or suggestions, let us know!

(Image: Austin Chronicle photographer Matthew Wedgwood)