TYLER, Texas — With the total solar eclipse less a week away – anticipation is building and the tourists are coming to East Texas. Some local businesses have hopes that they can attract some extra business leading up to the big event.
"We have no idea what to expect. The hotel rooms are full, people are coming here, how many people? I don’t have a clue," said Tyler Mayor Don Warren.
The Perryman Group in Waco estimates the April 8 eclipse could have a $100 million financial impact on East Texas. Around $15 million of that is projected to come from restaurant sales, which is exactly what spots like ETX Brewing Company are banking on.
"We wanted to brew something, and we decided why not just brew two? So we’re doing one called Tot-ALE-ity, it’s a play on totality, and that is a pale ale. We made it with eclipse hops and galaxy hops. So it has the whole space thing with it. So we’re excited about that," said Annie Gilstrap, co-owner at ETX Brewing Company.
They’re also bringing back one of Gilstrap’s old favorites from 2017, Full Shade. And yes, these beers really are brewed with galaxy and eclipse hops.
"There’s so many different kinds of hops and galaxy is one of my personal favorites. It has such good flavors. You’re going to get a lot of citrusy notes out of it, tropical flavors, it brings. It's amazing the difference to using different hops can make to the beer. It just changes the flavor completely," Gilstrap said.
It’s not just ETX Brewing getting ready for the eclipse – True Vine has got a lunar lager and Bella’s Cookies is rolling out eclipse-themed sweet treats. It’s a rare opportunity for these businesses to showcase what they’ve got to folks from out of town.
"Having people from out of town coming in, I mean this could be their only time to come to Tyler. So we absolutely welcome them in (and) open our doors. We want them to come try what Tyler has, and what we have to offer. Because Tyler’s a really cool hidden gem that a lot of people don’t come to," Gilstrap said.
The eclipse-related beers are going to be around all weekend starting on Friday to celebrate this historic event coming through Tyler.