ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – For the Abilenians who like to relax with a nice, cold beer, Pappy Slokum Brewing Company may be the best place to do it. While not so hidden, the local brewery is known by many to have the best beers in town.

For eight years now, Abilene visitors and residents alike have enjoyed the fruits of Pappy Slokum’s labors. Those labors; there’s a lot! Pappy Slokum brewer, Shaun Voss said most people don’t realize what it takes to make just one glass, “It’s a lot of work.”

Voss said he joined the brewery a year ago, after a drastic career change. He was in the military and, during the COVID-19 pandemic, decided to pivot towards a different career path. Now, he spends his days brewing beers and crafting recipes. 

“Within the past few months, I’ve started flavoring some things,” Voss divulged.

Grateful for his employers, Voss said Pappy Slokum’s owner took him in like family – connecting with him because all of the other employees have previously been in the military, as well. 

“They’re family… They really reached out,” Voss explained. “It’s kind of nice to have that connection.”

Now, owners said they welcome anyone to join this family too – by coming to the taste room at the Pappy Slokum Brewery. 

“You’re going to feel like family when you come in here, and that’s one of the things I think a lot of people like about it,” Voss bragged.

You can even bring kids and dogs, Voss said, because owners want to treat the brewery’s patio like a family backyard.

“From what I hear, everyone that comes in here, they think it’s probably the best beer in Abilene by far so… That’s what I hear,” boasted Voss.

Pappy Slokum is located at 409 South Treadaway Boulevard, cattycorner from Mrs. Bairds’s Bread. Open Thursday through Saturday, the brewery commonly has food trucks set up shop in the back.