‘Lagers & Literature’ connects people through books, beer

From a bridal party to tattoos and poems, an annual book-themed event hosted at a South Austin brewery aims to bring people together through literature and art.

Meanwhile Brewing Co. hosted its fifth annual Lagers and Literature event on Sunday, inviting guests to shop at vendors such as BookPeople and the University of Texas Press. With several hundred attendees and over 24 different vendors, the free-to-attend event featured activities for all ages.

“People getting out and holding physical books is really important,” on-site events coordinator Adrienne Rivers said. “There’s so much work and artistry that goes into the construction of a book. … It’s important and valuable for people to experience that in real life.”

The event also featured a pop-up from Slowpoke Tattoo with book-themed designs and a Typewriter Rodeo Poet stand, where attendees asked Sean Petrie, poet and UT law professor, to write them a poem with their choice of theme.

“It’s almost therapy sometimes for (people) and for me,” Petrie said. “You also learn about people face to face, like what’s really going on with people. When you ask somebody, ‘What can I write you a poem about?’ that reveals a lot.”

During the event, Petrie wrote poems of heartbreak and girlhood, even crafting one about scanning grapes at a grocery store.

“More and more we’re behind our screens, or looking at our phones, or not meeting face to face,” Petrie said. “So having this kind of thing, where people (are) having a good time, people are meeting other people, they’re getting books, they’re getting poems … that is more important than ever.”

When attendee Rebecca Rodriguez came to the event, her family surprised her with a bridal party. Her and her fiancé plan to get married in November.

“We went to breakfast in the morning and my fiancé said, ‘Oh, there’s a book event going on, we should go check it out.’ (I said) ‘Yeah, sure, I love books,’” Rodriguez said. “Then we showed up, and then everyone that’s close to me is here, waiting and (to) surprise (me). So it was really cool and super special.”

Meanwhile Brewery Co. debuted Bookworm, a coffee cream ale, at the event. A portion of the profits from the new beer go to Inside Books Project, a non-profit that sends books to incarcerated people in Texas, and The Library Foundation, the fundraising partner of Austin Public Library. Rivers said they plan to hold the event next year around Labor Day again.

“I hope that people learn more about Austin’s literacy nonprofits and about independent booksellers, maybe find a new book,” Rivers said. “I also hope for our vendors that they get to meet a lot of new people and grow their communities.”

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