Save the World releasing first beer in midst of city’s alcohol option election

CONNIE SWINNEY • PICAYUNE STAFF

MARBLE FALLS — A budding craft brewery will unveil its first ale to the public while campaigning to expand Marble Falls’ boundaries allowing for the sale of alcohol on premises to include areas annexed in the past two decades.

Save the World Brewing Co., 1512 Resource Parkway in the Business and Technology Park, is a 10,000-square-foot microbrewery owned and operated by the husband-and-wife team of David and Quynh Rathkamp.

The owners, who broke ground in 2013, can make, bottle and sell their products but are prohibited from selling alcohol by the drink at their facility, which falls outside of the boundaries of the city’s “wet” area established in 1988.

Early voting is through May 6. Election Day is May 10.

“Our last hiccup is the election. We’re going to talk to people and tell them to come out and vote to allow us to sell our beer on the premises,” owner/head brewer David Rathkamp said. “It will increase new businesses and jobs — not only for us but other establishments.”

To promote the election and unveil their first on-site brew, the Rathkamps are hosting a public offering May 2 of their Belgian-style beer called Lux Mundi, a Latin name that translates to “light of the world.”

Rathkamp said the brew is known as a patersbier, or “father’s beer,” inspired by an ale brewed at Belgian monasteries for daily consumption by monks.

“It’s a segueway beer for people who are trying to dip their toe into the craft brewery movement and want to try something,” he said. “What people will enjoy about this is we’ve got something in there called ‘flavor’.”

The event also launches the wholesale arm of their business with products to be sold at retail outlets, including The Bottle Shop and Jamail’s grocery store in Horseshoe Bay as well as by-the-drink in local restaurants.

“We’re America’s first and only 100 percent philanthropic brewery. The more money we make, the more we get to give away,” Rathkamp said. “That’s a revenue stream for us for further helping out charities.”

He believes passage of the local alcohol option would lead to more expansion at their facility.

“Of course, when we get busier, we need to hire more people here at the brewery itself, but, then, if we’re able to have a tasting room that will be a whole new avenue, we’ll be hiring even more people,” he said. “We’d like to be able to do special things in Marble Falls.”

Save the World Brewing Co.’s first public beer release event is 5-7 p.m. May 2 at Double Horn Brewing Co., 208 Ave. H in Marble Falls.

If the alcohol option is passed, the boundaries to allow for alcohol-by-the-drink and on-premises sales will expand to miles of annexed property including south on RR 2147 East; on the west and east side of U.S. 281 south of Max Starcke Dam Road; U.S. 281 south to the Texas 71 intersection; and north on U.S. 281 along the east side of the roadway.

Go to www.savetheworldbrewing.com to learn more about the company.

connie@thepicayune.com