Petrol Station Celebrates Anniversary this Saturday
Evan Mathis
I have lived in the wonderful, humidity-filled sweat box of Houston for a little over two years. I love the city, and one of the first places that facilitated that love was Petrol Station. For those out of the Loop, Petrol Station is tucked away in Garden Oaks/Oak Forrest area (aka the GOOF) just north of the Heights on the corner of Wakefield and Golf Drive.
Petrol Station was in on the craft beer movement early on in Houston, and I got to talk with owner Ben Fullelove, owner of Petrol and Brash Brewing, about the upcoming anniversary party this Saturday, Nov. 5.
Evan: Beer laws in Texas limited you at first; did you feel like it was going to be a lost cause to bring Brash to Texas and hang on to Petrol?
Ben: Pretty much. Three-tier laws hadn’t changed that much since the 1930s, then a lot changed in a short amount of time. I jumped right on it. My dream was opening Brash in Houston before my 40th birthday. I started building it when I turned 38, so the law change was perfectly timed for my vision.
E: What beers are you looking forward to on Saturday?
B: Definitely excited about KBS, Red & White, Sucaba, BB15, Vietnamese Speedway, of course HSF (Hammer Smashed Face). Really, all of the beers we have for Saturday are fuckin’ awesome. It’s great to see so much amazing beer being offered to Texas.
E: You’ve seen the Texas, specifically Houston, landscape change drastically in the past few years. Anything that is getting you excited in the Texas scene right now?
B: To me, the future of craft beer is local beer. While it is exciting to see the best breweries in America bringing their beer to Texas, it’s more exciting to see a quality local beer scene happening.
E: How many people have been around since the first day of Petrol, besides you?
B: Zero employees but quite a few regular customers have been there since the beginning.
E: The Rancor has been voted as one of Houston’s best burgers multiple times. Was it always the plan to have top-notch eats along with beer?
B: Things kind of happened organically. We were in the right place at the right time with the growth of craft beer. Our food takes us to the next level. We’ve become more of a neighborhood pub and the food has played a big role in that.
E: What beers are you currently drinking?
B: I’m really digging IPAs from Wicked Weed in Asheville, NC; IPAs from Fort George in Astoria, OR; and Alpine Nelson, all of which I drink when I can get my hands on them. Locally, [Saint Arnold] Art Car is always great.
E: I always feel like when I go to Petrol, it’s this hidden gem even though it is wildly popular. Do you want it to expand to more locations?
B: No. I get asked a lot about opening a location in The Woodlands or Sugar Land, but it’s just not something I’m interested in. Petrol is its own thing, and I think it would be hard to duplicate and maintain a genuine feel.
E: Any particular beers you really wish you could bring to Texas?
B: Not really. I look forward to more great local breweries opening. No beer is going to be as fresh as local beer.
E: On a personal note, can you save me some Odell Jolly Russian since I am going to miss the party?
B: Haha, I’ll see what I can do.
I hope everyone who is able to, makes it down to Petrol on Saturday. Their parties are always a blast, and you never know what surprises they might pull out of the cellar. And, seriously, someone grab me a growler of Jolly Russian.
Check out the taplist here: https://www.facebook.com/PetrolStation/posts/10154428166150751
Editor’s note: In light of Karbach’s recent acquisition by global beer behemoth Anheuser-Busch InBev, BBH with Chocolate is being replaced with 11 Below Big Mistake Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout. Petrol’s remaining Karbach kegs will be tapped on Wednesday, November 9th, with all proceeds going to the Texas Craft Brewers Guild, which lobbies the legislature to protect Texas breweries from the practices of companies like ABI.
Petrol Station Anniversary
Saturday, November 5
9 AM – ?985 Wakefield Dr
Houston, Texas
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