2017 was a transformative year for craft beer in Houston.

• We saw the rise of the NEIPA (thanks in large part to Larry’s “Who will be Houston’s Tree House or Trillium?” essay) with 8th Wonder, 11 Below, B-52, Baa Baa, Copperhead, No Label, Spindletap, Texian, Whole Foods Market, and others trying their hand at the style.
• Saint Arnold celebrated their 23rd anniversary and 5 local breweries made their own versions of classic Saint Arnold beers.
• We saw Texian and 160ft Beerworks close up shop. Texian plans to return.
• Baileson, Bearded Fox, Great Heights, Texas Leaguer, Vallensons’, and Wicked Boxer opened their doors to the public.
• Both Buffalo Bayou and Saint Arnold are (still) offering Free Beer For Life.
• Chris complained about the lack of on-demand craft beer delivery, and HopDrop delivered in response.
• And in the wake of Hurricane Harvey our city came together, reached out to one another, and got to work helping each other recover. Just about every brewery stepped up in a variety of ways. 8th Wonder used their high clearance vehicles for water rescues. Eureka Heights, Saloon Door, and countless others became donation centers. Saint Arnold spearheaded #ReliefBeers, and breweries from around the country donated $1 per beer sold to the Houston Food Bank, raising $35,000. Spindletap became a local distribution center, even attracting the superstar of Harvey relief – JJ Watt – into the tap room to sort and load supplies on to trucks. Hurricane Harvey will be a rallying point for our community for years to come.

Our Favorite Beers

We like to wrap the year up by sharing our the best local and non-local beer we had in the last year. It’s not an original idea, but it’s fun. We’d love to hear your picks as well!

Chris White

Eureka Heights ‘Mini Boss’ – To think, there was a time I didn’t think much of Eureka Heights’ beers. Dumb names, I said. Boring styles, I said. I was wrong, and Mini Boss represents everything I was wrong about. This beer explodes with citrus, finishes with a balanced bitterness and is enjoyable all the way through. Eureka took the megatrend of 2017 – hopping late with Mosaic and other big flavorful hops (in this case Citra) and hit it out of the park. It’s become a beer I seek whenever a new batch is released.

Listermann Brewing Company ‘Tricky’ (Cincinnati, OH) – I love all of Listermann’s series of NE-style IPAs with old school rap names, but I think Tricky has become the single example by which I have come to judge all comers in this style. Blending the aromatic elements of Mosaic with the pineapple/tropical flavors of Galaxy, it brings hop flavor and aroma from first pop of the 16 oz can and has very little perceptible bitterness – just a soft, clean, juicy finish. Listermann has a special place in my heart because 2017 was also the year I established a beer trading partner in the Cincinnati area (THANKS SAM), and so have been fortunate enough to get my hands on these delicious goodies.

Honorable mention: Galveston Island Brewing DIPA #7, MIA Brewing MEGA MIX Pale Ale, Urban Artifact Gaslight, Societe The Swindler, Odell Rupture Pale Ale, Grand Teton Brewing Teton Range IPA

Tim Spies

Saint Arnold Brewing ‘Icon Red Märzen’ – I am always excited to try a modern take on a classic style. And while there are many misses in the world of beer, Saint Arnold Brewing has proven more than capable in the handling of such styles. So as I expressed in my review of Icon Red Märzen, I was more than pleased with the results. A great representation of the style, and one that I hope will return with their regular fall lineup every year.

The Answer Brewpub ‘I Like Turtles’ (Richmond, VA) – Maybe it’s just me, but rarely do collaborations work out as well as I hope or expect. Two great breweries combining must always produce great outcomes, right? But sadly, seldom do such high expectations equal results. I Like Turtles is an extraordinary gem that greatly exceeds such desires. This collaboration between The Answer Brewpub and Bottle Logic Brewing is a delightful stout with caramel and southern pecan coffee and toasted coconut. This beer sets a deliciously high standard I hope more collaborations can meet.

Alice Hicks

Eureka Heights ‘Mini Boss’ – In short: liquid gold. I should not be surprised how good Mini Boss is given the strength of Eureka Heights’s output so far, but I was struck by its deliciousness at first sip. A grapefruit nose gave way to crisp, clean citrus and tropical flavors dancing on my tongue. At 6.8% ABV I am glad I don’t have to worry much about crushing too many of this double dry-hopped wonder, but it’s still dangerously drinkable.

Great Notion ‘Double Stack’ (Portland, OR) – I confess I had never heard of Great Notion Brewing before a friend mentioned it, which is actually a bit of a surprise since I visit Portland, Oregon and the surrounding area every other year. But with 70 breweries in Portland proper alone, it’s not hard to miss one. Now I know where I am going next time as soon as my plane hits the tarmac! Double Stack is a decadent treat. An imperial breakfast stout brewed with Portland’s Clutch coffee and Vermont maple syrup, Great Notion nails the flavor: the brew makes me feel as if I have been transported back to childhood and stuffed myself with stacks of syrup-doused pancakes.

Nathan Miller

B-52 ‘A Tart Frenchie – Peach & Apricot’ – Admittedly, I didn’t get to try as many new Houston beers this year as I’d like, but most of the ones I did try in my few trips back home or from boxes sent to me were very good. I think that my favorite was probably B-52’s “A Tart Frenchie – Peach & Apricot,” which was lightly tart, very well-balanced, and extremely refreshing, without hiding any of the delightful fruit flavor. It reminded me a little of some of the beers I’ve had from California’s Good Beer Co, which are absurdly delightful for many of the same reasons. It’s clear from this beer and others that I’ve now had from the growing Conroe brewery that B-52 is a force to be reckoned with, having already earned my vote for Houston’s second best brewery, rising with a bullet.

Cantillon ‘Nath’ (Brussels, Belgium) – December 1st, 2012, I was sitting at the Avenue Pub awaiting my taste of that year’s “Zwanze,” a special beer created by the Brussels brewery once a year. That year, it was a lambic with rhubarb added, and I recall not getting a lot of rhubarb flavor but still immensely enjoying it. Fast forward to August 26 of this year, and I’m sitting at Cantillon, trying my first bottle of Nath, the newest rhubarb lambic. This time, there’s a lot more rhubarb, with a fantastic balance, an incredible aroma, and an amazing lambic “canvas.” I was fortunate enough to try Nath one more time this year, on tap a month later (again at Avenue Pub for Zwanze day), and found the rhubarb slightly more muted, serving as a bridge to that memory from five years ago. And of course, it doesn’t hurt that it has such a great name…

Jose Luis Cubria

Eureka Heights ‘Mini-Boss’ – My favorite Houston IPA, and the beer that made me forget about Yellow Rose’s quality-control issues. It’s deliciously fruity, and the tropical/citrus notes hit you the moment you start pouring. It’s scary how quickly a crowler of this can disappear. (Honorable mention: the various barrel treatments of Saint Arnold DR17.)

Boon Geuze ‘Mariage Parfait’ (Halle, Belgium) – On the short-list for my desert-island beer, and an insta-buy every time I see it. The fact that this is now a Houston shelf beer blows my mind. For my tastes, it’s a perfect gueuze, and a perfect beer.

Kenneth Krampota

The post Our Favorite Beers of 2017 first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Our Favorite Beers of 2017 appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Josh Frink – Editor-in-chief, Houston Beer Guide

Neve & Denise, B-52 Brewing Co, Wild Pale Ale, 5.5% ABV

I’m extremely comfortable saying this is the best Wild Pale Ale that I’ve ever had. It uses the same strain of wild yeast as the classic Belgian beer Orval, and it nails the flavor. The barnyard and leather flavors from the wild yeast blend surprisingly well with the citrus and tropical fruit aromas added by the Mosaic and Galaxy hop varieties. This beer is only available at the brewery’s taproom for now, but this beer is well worth the drive.

Casey Motes, Assistant to the Regional Manager, Eureka Heights Brew Co.

River Beer, Hops and Grain Brewing, Lager, 5.2% ABV

A beer like this embodies the full life cycle of a craft beer drinker. After going from pale ales to aggressive IPAs then boozy stouts, I usually find myself reaching for something sessionable. The fact that a world-class brewery decided to make an old school American lager might seem odd, but I think it’s a great example of a beer that brewers want to drink. The aroma starts with a soft floral, then quickly changes to Saturday morning corn flakes. Flavor is light grainy, simple and clean. Finish is crisp and dry. Makes you want to take another sip.

Plus we swear the production floor gets scrubbed way better after one of these.

River Beer | Photo: Casey Motes for Houston Beer Guide

Eric Sandler – Food Editor, Culture Map

Weisstheimer, 8th Wonder Brewery, Traditional German Hefeweizen, 5.4% ABV

With the summer’s heat in full effect, I want a beer that’s light, refreshing, and makes me feel a little cooler. Recently, I’ve found myself reaching for 8th Wonder’s Weisstheimer, and not just because the brewery sponsors my podcast. As Chris White noted in his HBG review, the new beer isn’t “8th Wonder’s version” of a hefeweizen; rather, it keeps things pretty classic with nicely balanced banana and clove flavors. A slight tang even makes it food-friendly.

Chris White – Writer, Houston Beer Guide

Lame Duck, 11 Below Brewing Co., American Pale Ale, 5.5% ABV

I’ve got a beer box pal in the Cincinnati area and he really likes APA, so I’ve been sending him what Houston has to offer. That process has led me back to some local beers I’ve had a couple of times, but haven’t exactly filled my fridge with for whatever reason. One of these that has earned its way back into my regular rotation is 11 Below’s excellent Lame Duck Pale Ale, which stands out as a really focused and crushable brew, perfect for these hot Houston summer days. It opens a little grassy, hits hard with some nice floral flavor and finishes clean with just a tinge of bitterness. At just over 5% ABV it’s not so strong that you can’t take a few down on a weeknight. I’m happy to share this with others as a standout Houston beer and to keep some for myself as well.

Jeremy Jordan – Owner, Half Yankee Workshop

Millions of Peaches, Brazos Valley Brewing Co, Peach Witbier, 5.2% ABV

It’s usually this time of year when it’s hot as hell all the time that I start to stray from my mainstays of Pale Ales and IPA’s. This month I fell in love with Millions of Peaches. A light and refreshing Witbier, it clearly tastes of peaches with a light sweetness, but a lot more subtle than you expect when you first get a peach-heavy whiff of it. It’s with a slight touch of sour, yet without the tart mouthfeel. “Moving to the country, gonna eat me a lot of peaches!”

Jeremy Jordan is a Craftsman that specializes in making tap handles and bottle openers, along with enjoying all the amazing craft beer Houston has to offer. Check out his creations at www.halfyankeeworkshop.com

Millions of Peaches | Photo: Jeremy Jordan for Houston Beer Guide

Kenneth Krampota – Writer, Houston Beer Guide

U-P-G-R-A-Y-E-D-D, B-52 Brewing Co., Double Dry Hopped American IPA, 7% ABV

I got a crowler of the standard, and a pour of the raspberry shake version, and both were outstanding. I felt the raspberry version came off so differently than the standard because the acidity of the raspberry killed off the citrus flavors of the standard. Both excellent, but very different animals. What they did have in common was that soft pillow mouth feel that you want in the NEIPA style. Worth seeking out.

Josh Stewart – Host of the Interbrews Podcast & Co-Host of Liquid Lunch

Millions of Peaches, Brazos Valley Brewing Co, Peach Witbier, 5.2% ABV

People may not think about Brazos Valley Brewing in Brenham when they think Houston area brewing, but they should. Josh Bass and the crew at BVB are making some killer beers. Millions of Peaches in like a biscuit with peach marmalade. An American wheat beer with a metric s*#t ton of peachy goodness. It screams front porch enjoyment. This peachy wheat goodness has been in my heart, mouth and belly and on my mind when it’s not in my hand.

Josh is the host of the craft beer centric podcast Interbrews and Co-Host of the live beer show Liquid Lunch. Checkout past shows and subscribe on your platform of choice at http://interbrews.com/ and http://liquidlunchshow.com/

Millions of Peaches | Photo: Josh Stewart for Houston Beer Guide

If you’re interested in contributing to next month’s roundup, whether you’re a beer maker, a beer writer, or just a beer drinker, send an email to info@houstonbeerguide.com to be added to next month’s roundup.

The post What are HOU drinking? – July 2017 first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post What are HOU drinking? – July 2017 appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Josh Frink – Editor-in-chief, Houston Beer Guide

Art Car, Saint Arnold Brewing Co., American IPA, 7.1% ABV

I couldn’t start this series and not pick the beer that’s always in my fridge. It leans into the piney West Coast IPA style with an apricot and orange undertone. It has a gorgeous deep gold color, but most of the time I just drink it straight from the can. It’s been a such solid and consistent option since it was released that it’s a no-brainer pick at the grocery store when I find it reasonably fresh.

Art Car | Josh Frink for Houston Beer Guide

Theodore Crawford – Co-Host, What’s Good Houston Podcast

Hooked Paw, City Acre Brewing Co., Coconut Stout, 4.5% ABV

My knee-jerk reaction was definitely Houston Haze from Spindletap, but that seems too easy. That’s an amazing brew, but it’s been showered with praise so much at this point that it feels uninspired to have that as my choice.

So with that being said, I have to go with ‘Hooked Paw’ from City Acre Brewing Co. as my favorite beer for the month of June!

‘Hooked Paw’ is billed as a coconut vanilla stout, and it certainly lives up to it! Pours a sublime dark brown with a luscious inch-thick head and a deliciously coconut-y nose. Tastes just as good as it looks and smells – I’m not sure if it’s the vanilla or the choice of grains used, but it makes for a very rich, earthy, and roasty brew. If they’ve still got it on tap, do yourself a favor and grab a pint!

Theo is a co-host of the “What’s Good, Houston?!” podcast. Episodes drop every Tuesday and feature an interview with a local guest, a little sports talk, local news, concerts/events, and plenty of laughs! Find it on iTunes, Soundcloud, or www.wghpodcast.com.

Jose Luis Cubria – Editor, Houston Beer Guide

Mini Boss, Eureka Height Brewing Co., Double Dry Hopped IPA, 6.8% ABV

I’ve been mildly obsessed with this beer for the last two months. It’s intensely fruity, and the tropical/citrus notes hit you the moment you start pouring. It’s scary how quickly a crowler of Mini-Boss can disappear.

Mini Boss | Photo: Eureka Heights Brewing

Nick Willard, Host, BrewstonTX on The H Podcast

Art Car, Saint Arnold Brewing Co., American IPA, 7.1% ABV

The mainstay in my house, what with it being June and all, is Saint Arnold’s Art Car IPA, though I know it’s hackneyed and trite. Wafting the glass gets you aromas of grapefruit and orange, with an under-lying biscuit. From the first sniff to the final swig, you’ll find a beautiful consistency between the aroma and flavor, which means you’ll find flavors of orange, citrus and biscuit, creating a light, crisp and refreshing summer brew.  Because of its accessibility (both in finding and drinking it) Art Car is my go-to brew for June.

Nick Willard (@thebrewstonian) is a Houston craft beer-lover and host of the segment #BrewstonTx on @thehpodcast – a podcast about the people and places that make Houston, Houston.

Chris White – Writer, Houston Beer Guide

Eureka Heights Mini Boss, Double Dry Hopped IPA, 6.8% ABV

It’s true. While I was optimistic when Casey Motes left Saint Arnold and started this Shady Acres brewery, I was generally unimpressed with the first few offerings that came flowing from their fermenters. Mini Boss represents everything that’s changed about my opinions of Eureka Heights and their beers. A bright west coast orange, this seasonal IPA is chock full of Five Alive citrus aromas. That smell turns into flavor alongside the sticky, blueberry, floral greatness that is the signature of the hop-of-now-and-forever, Mosaic. It finishes clean and crisp, with a nice earthy crack on the back of the palate that belies that up-front crash of citrus. I literally can’t get enough. It’s amazing, and it’s seasonal, so go get some right now – and bring me a crowler too, if you please.

Nick B., Contributor, Beer Chronicle

Lame Duck, 11 Below Brewing Co., Pale Ale, 5.5% ABV

Say hello to your new favorite pale ale. Lame Duck has a light, smooth mouthfeel that hits you with flavors of lemon, and pine resin. Bready flavors balance out the hop profile in the best way. At 5.5% ABV, a few won’t leave you looking like the duck on the label. Find the cans at liquor and grocery stores all over Houston. Cheers!

Nick is a contributor to Beer Chronicle. Read his full review here: beerchronicle.com/11-below-lame-duck/

Kenneth Krampota – Writer, Houston Beer Guide

Bishop’s Barrel 18, Saint Arnold Brewing Co., Rye Barrel Aged Oat Wine, 12.8% ABV

The Rye Barrel is strong on the nose, but doesn’t overwhelm the beer. It’s an oat wine, which to me tastes like a barley wine with a bit of oatmeal cookie coming in from the oats and Barrel. It’s not over the top with booze as this could have turned out to be, its only fault is that it is a bit thin. Pour one for dessert one night, you’ll be happy you did.

BB18 | Photo: Saint Arnold Brewing

If you’re interested in contributing to next month’s roundup, whether you’re a beer maker, a beer writer, or just a beer drinker, send an email to info@houstonbeerguide.com to get the criteria.

The post What are HOU drinking? – June 2017 first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post What are HOU drinking? – June 2017 appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Update 4/17/17: When this list was originally compiled, sister bills HB 3287/SB 2083 had not been submitted. These distributor-funded bills, which restrict the ability of very large and/or macro-owned breweries to sell directly to consumers, are being fast-tracked through the legislature. You can read Nathan’s opinion piece here, which is a response to Karbach founder Ken Goodman’s opinion piece in the Chronicle here.

Given the fireworks surrounding craft beer issues in the last few meetings of the Texas Legislature, this year’s biennial meeting of our elected representatives has been relatively quiet. Although a spate of bills were put into the hopper when the gavel dropped in January not much has progressed through the first step of committee hearings. At this point in the ~6 month session (it ends on May 29th) it seems unlikely that much proposed change has a chance to even make it to a vote, much less be signed into law.

The biggest news this year has come from the judicial branch – Mike McKim, owner of Cuvee Coffee in Austin, was victorious in his lawsuit against the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) . His winning argument overturned the TABC’s 2015 enforcement actions that declared that the filling of crowlers by beer retailers (bars) was illegal and potentially dangerous ‘repackaging’ and was an action reserved only for the manufacturing (brewing) tier. His win in court makes the use of crowlers at bars in Texas legal (again), and some here in Houston have already reinstalled their machines or have indicated they will do so.

On the legislative front, the same questions remain for Texas craft beer consumers: Why can you buy a six pack from Brash but not Saint Arnold? Why can you legally have wine shipped to your door but cannot have beer shipped? Why do you have to wait until noon on Sundays to buy beer at your local grocery store?

Here is a quick rundown of select legislation, followed with information about what you can do to help advance legislation you are interested in.

The Bills

Currently in the House Licensing & Administrative Procedures Committee:

• HB 109: Would allow for the owner of more than one package store to transfer alcoholic beverages (non-liquor) between premises.
• HB 327: Would allow for Sunday beer and wine sales before noon.
• HB 908: Would clarify the code to allow for sell of beer for off-premise consumption in growlers, crowlers, and others.
• HB 1872/SB 750: Repeals the section of the code that limits a person to five package stores.
• HB 2098: Allows for holders of a wholesaler’s permit to purchase beer from holders of brewpub licenses.
• HB 2291: Allows for holders of a brewer’s permit to sell and ship directly to consumers.

Currently in the Senate Business & Commerce Committee:

• SB 171: Requires the internet broadcasting of TABC meetings.

Filed (but not assigned to a committee; will likely be L&AP in the House and B&C in the Senate):

• HB 2186/SB 955: Lowers the tax rate on “ale and malt liquor” (beers over 4% ABW) to $0.193548 per gallon (from $0.198 per gallon).
• HB 2555/SB 1217: Allows for holders of a brewer’s permit to sell up to 576 fluid ounces of beer to consumers for off-site consumption. Sales are limited to one purchase per consumer per month.
• HB 2966: Allows for automated dispensing machines to sell up to 32 ounces of beer.
• HB 3101: Allows for the sale of alcoholic beverages on a passenger bus.
• HB 3315: Allows for the holder of a brewer’s permit to hold a tasting competition of home-produced alcoholic beverages.
• HB 3400: Allows for holders of a brewpub license to sell beer to distributors outside the state.
• SB 2169: Eliminates the distinction in the code between “ale” or “malt liquor” and “beer”.

The Process

Passing a piece of legislation in Texas is a difficult process. Most of the bills filed will not pass, not to mention even receive a committee hearing. What can you do to push a piece of legislation along?

How can you get involved? First off, know who your state representative and senator are by typing in your address here. Call their capitol office and politely express your position. Ask them to support the legislation by co-authoring or sponsoring it. If there is not a companion bill in the other chamber, ask them to introduce it. If they are on the House Licensing & Administrative Procedures Committee (Houston area representatives Ana Hernandez and Senfronia Thompson are), ask for them to push for the legislation to get a hearing. The same can be done for Senate bills that are in the Committee on Business & Commerce where Houston-area senators are Brandon Creighton, Larry Taylor, and John Whitmire. Here is where many people get cynical and say politicians that do not care what their constituents think, but that is not always the case. It also does not hurt to contact elected officials (such as chairs of committees) that are not in your district, but the voice of constituents always weighs heavier. It’s also perfectly fine to advocate for issues outside the legislative realm – for example, voicing support for the crowler issue. At a minimum this serves to make sure the legislator’s office is informed on this issue, and makes them aware that their constituency is informed and interested in the specifics. Consumers have very little formal voice in Austin, so any framing of issues from the end consumer’s point of view is a good thing, even if legislation doesn’t move as a direct result.

Texas legislative actions move very slowly, by design. It can be frustrating, but it’s important to participate in the process. Our elected representatives do listen when they are called.

The post These Are the Beer Bills That Could Impact Texas Breweries first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post These Are the Beer Bills That Could Impact Texas Breweries appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

(Click here to for a zoomable version)

Yo that IPA Region is stacked! Mostly Harmless got screwed, though. Pumpkinator vs. Rocket Fuel in the Sweet 16 is gonna be brutal. I’ve got EZ7 as my Cinderella. Think Yellow Rose can win it all again?

Welcome to the 2017 edition of the Houston Beer Guide Bracket. Last year’s bracket was a blast, with some nail-biters, a ballot-stuffing scandal, a handful of upsets, and Lone Pint Yellow Rose ultimately cruising to the title.

We’ve made some changes compared to last year, when we used weighted Untappd rankings to fill out the field from 1 to 64. This year, we still leaned on ratings, but we also opened up the selection process to the HBG staff, our own version of the NCAA’s selection committee. We awarded “automatic bids” to breweries that wouldn’t have qualified based solely on rankings. We eliminated one-time releases (no Divine Reserves, Bishop’s Barrels, etc.). And we limited the field to independent craft breweries — you know what that means.

Enough with the pregame analysis. Let’s get to the #HBGBracket. Voting for the first round ends Monday night, March 20th. The second round will begin Tuesday, March 21st. We’ll update results on Facebook and Twitter.

Update #1 – Round of 64 recap:
The first round has wrapped up and there were quite a few surprises. 12-seed SpindleTap Hop Gusher took down 5-seed Saint Arnold Endeavour, with a respectable win of 56%. In our far north vs. far south matchup, 14-seed B-52 Double IPA beat 3-seed Galveston Island Citra Mellow. Copperhead King of Terrors managed to eke out a win against Buffalo Bayou Vanilla Mocha Sunset, in a match decided by just 13 votes. In the battle of Clear Lake, Texas Beer Refinery’s Gulf Coast Gose held its ground against BAKFISH I Tell You Wit. Unfortunately, Texas Beer Refinery Catalyst wasn’t able to repeat last year’s Cinderella run. Yellow Rose continued last year’s tradition of dominating the competition, knocking out newcomer Running Walker Texas Reserve. Check out the rest of the results at the bottom of the page.

Update #2 – Round of 32 recap:
Well that was certainly interesting. The majority of this round went to chalk, with the 1-seeds doing especially well. Dig into the middle of the field a little bit, and you’ll see some very surprising results. 12-seed SpindleTap Hop Gusher continued its Cinderella run, leading 4-seed Brash Pussy Wagon the entire round. At the 24-hour mark, Brash Vulgar Display of Power vs Brash Cortado was exactly 50/50, but lower-seeded VDoP eventually won out. 11-seed Copperhead King of Terrors managed another narrow victory, this time over 3-seed No Label Nightmare on 1st Street. There were no upsets in the Easy Drinking region, dashing the chances of a Pilsner head-to-head between Back Pew and Saint Arnold. How will old-standard Buried Hatchet fare against new-hotness Raspberry AF in the next round? Last year’s champion, Lone Pint Yellow Rose, faces Cinderella; is there a stunning upset on the horizon? Will King of Terrors be able to sneak past Brash EZ-7 and into the Elite 8? It’s all up to you.

Update #3 – Sweet 16 recap:
Let’s start with the fun parts: Almost every one of the match up in the Sweet 16 ended within 100 votes. For nearly 1,500 votes, that’s pretty impressive. Brazos Valley 7 Spanish Angels overcame Saint Arnold 5 O’Clock Pils by 107 votes, 4-seed Lone Pint The Jabberwocky upset 1-seed Brash Abide with 92 votes, Saloon Door Tasty AF beat Brash Vulgar Display of Power by 39 votes, and Pumpkinator vs Rocket Fuel was decided by just 32 votes. Every beer included in the Sweet 16 deserved it’s place this far into the tournament. SpindleTap found a post in one of the beer groups by someone bragging to have voted for Hop Gusher several hundred times in a short period Monday afternoon. Unfortunately, there is no way for us to undo the damage that was done. After a discussion with the team at SpindleTap, they offered to forfeit the game to Yellow Rose. At the T-11 hour mark, SpindleTap had the lead, and they appeared to gain more ground in the morning. As stated earlier, we believe that every beer that made it to the sweet 16 deserved to be there. Hop Gusher beat Endeavour and Pussy Wagon without any intervention, and there is a very strong likelihood that it would have beat Yellow Rose as well. Yellow Rose faces some stiff competition in the next round with Saint Arnold Art Car, as do all of the beers in the Elite 8.

Update #4 – Elite 8 recap:
The giants have fallen. Saloon Door rounded up their supporters to knock out 1-seed Saint Arnold Pumpkinator. Brazos Valley had a late surge of support: 7 Spanish Angels rallied from being down 49/51 at the 24 hour mark to come out ahead 54/46 and take out 1-seed Southern Star Buried Hatchet. 1-seed Yellow Rose clobbered 2-seed Art Car in a round that was expected to be more of a challenge for last year’s champion. Brash’s 7-seed EZ-7 avenged 1-seed Abide’s earlier elimination and trounced Lone Pint The Jabberwocky. Lone Pint Yellow Rose is the only 1-seed that remains in the tournament – how will it fare against the Saloon Door posse, which has already overcome some quite impressive opponents? Will EZ-7 or 7 Spanish Angels be the lucky one to advance to the finals?

Update #5 – Final Four recap:
Yellow Rose, our last 1-seed and last year’s champion was bested by the chocolate & peanut butter stout from Clear Lake, Tasty AF. 7 Spanish Angels, the coffee brown ale from Brenham, rallied its supporters to eliminate Brash EZ-7. It’s all come down to this: Saloon Door Tasty AF versus Brazos Valley 7 Spanish Angels. Peanut butter & chocolate vs coffee. Both beers eliminated some very impressive challengers along the way. Which beer will be crowned the best beer in Houston by the readers of Houston Beer Guide?

Update #6 – Championship recap:
Wow, that was a surprisingly close match. Saloon Door’s Tasty AF is now the reigning ‘Best Beer in Houston’ as chosen by the readers of Houston Beer Guide. If you haven’t tried it or any of the other 63 beers included in this year’s bracket, I highly recommend that you seek them out.

The changes we made to the beer selection process this year were a direct result of the conversations we had with our readers last year. If you have suggestions for ways we can make it even better next year, shoot us an email, we’d love to hear your ideas: info@houstonbeerguide.com.

Championship Results:

Saloon Door v Brazos Valley (1,800 votes)
Tasty AF – 51.3%
7 Spanish Angels – 48.7%

The Final Four Results:

Elite 8 Results:

Sweet 16 Results:

Round of 32 Results:

Round of 64 Results:

The post Houston Beer Guide Bracket 2017 first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Houston Beer Guide Bracket 2017 appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Well, 2016 certainly was interesting, wasn’t it? Jose started the year off by telling you to stop aging beer, we hosted a Houston Beer themed March Madness bracket and a bot almost ruined it, Lone Pint (FINALLY) started dating bottles of Yellow Rose, Saint Arnold turned 22, Whole Foods sold beer for $2, and Karbach sold to AB-InBev (and breaking that news crashed our site). The greater Houston area gained something like a dozen breweries and several new beer bars. Of those, we were lucky enough to cover Back Pew, Saloon Door, BAKFISH, Running Walker, City Acre, Under the Radar, Eureka Heights, and Holler, as well as Conservatory  and Beers Looking At You.

To round out the year, we asked our writers to send in a few sentences about their favorite beer from within Houston and their favorite beer from outside of Houston. The only requirement was that each beer be new-to-them. This isn’t meant to be a “best of 2016” article, just us talking about the beers that we enjoyed.

We would love to hear your favorite beers of the year. Let us know on Twitter @HoustonBeer or on Facebook at Houston Beer Guide

Editors Note: Saint Arnold’s 5 o’Clock Pils made several lists, which shouldn’t be a surprise if you’ve tried it. It also won our blind tasting challenge of 9 Texas Pilsners. 

Nathan Miller:

Overall, 2016 was an incredible year for me, beer-wise. I hit my 10,000th unique check-in on Untappd, I traveled to several festivals, I drank over 3500 beers, at least 2700 of which were new to me. So choosing my favorites is hard, but a worthy task:

Photo: Saint Arnold Brewing Company

Saint Arnold 5 O’Clock Pils – This might be cheating since this beer technically came out under a different name in a previous year, but 5OCP showed up in 2016 under this name and therefore wins my award for Best 2016 Houston Beer. It’s a perfectly crystal-clear pilsner with a clean, crisp taste, a biscuity aroma, and a TON of flavor. I adore this beer and will happily drink can after can after can of the stuff.

Photo: Garagiste Meadery

Garagiste Honeybell Dreamsicle – My pick for the best non-Houston beer of 2016 isn’t actually a beer at all, but a mead (a melomel, to be specific). You know that scene in Pixar’s Ratatouille where the food critic’s memories are taken back to childhood with one bite of a dish? That’s how Honeybell Dreamsicle treated me. One sip and I was a child, in my elementary school cafeteria, eating a popsicle given to me by a teacher who wanted to thank me for bringing an important letter home to my parents. The memory is deep, hidden in my brain, but this incredible elixir brought it to the surface.

Josh Frink:

Photo: Josh Frink

City Acre Fermette De Saison – Kumquat & Grapefruit – Houston finally has a brewery making a dry, highly carbonated Saison, which is one of my favorite styles. Out of the three variations City Acre brewed using fruit and herbs from their property, the Kumquat & Grapefruit variation was my favorite. The citrus complemented the natural flavor of the Saison yeast and the pit of the fruit added just the right amount of bitterness. I’m very much looking forward to see what ingredients they harvest for next year’s batch.

Photo: Bières de Chimay

Chimay Dorée – This spring, my wife and I went on a trip to Belgium. We visited a dozen or so breweries and decided to make the trek all the way down to the Chimay restaurant/inn/museum (you can’t actually visit the abbey) to try the ubiquitous Belgian Abbey beers as fresh as possible. We were disappointed and yet amazed to find that their beers taste the same in Friendswood as they do in Chimay, but we were completely shocked to discover they brew a fourth beer that we had never seen in Houston. Dorée (French for golden) is a 4.8% patersbier that has the cleanest orange flavor I’ve ever had in a beer. It sees very limited distribution in the US. Occasionally Flying Saucer Downtown has bottles and it’s well worth the $10 to try it yourself.

Jose Luis Cubria:

Photo: Saint Arnold Brewing Company

Saint Arnold 5 O’Clock Pils – For the 2nd year in a row, Saint Arnold debuted a spectacular new year-round beer (in 2015 it was Art Car). 5Oc is delicious and crushable. It takes a classic style and nails it, but with enough of a twist to keep it interesting and new. A permanent staple in my fridge.

Photo: The Bruery

The Bruery Melange No. 14 – It’s been nearly four months and I’m still giddy that my favorite US brewery is on our shelves. I’d never had M14 before it landed in Houston, and I immediately fell in love. It’s a perfect encapsulation of one of The Bruery’s great strengths: deliciously complex and dangerously drinkable barrel-aged monsters.

Kenneth Krampota:

Photo: Saint Arnold Brewing Company

Saint Arnold Bishop’s Barrel #13 – This beer screamed to me to begin with. A bourbon barrel quad that was done to damn near perfection. Tons of bourbon, vanilla, that traditional quad fruit, and it all came together without being too boozy. One of my favorite Saint Arnold beers ever.

Photo: Russian River Brewing Company

Russian River Temptation – I spent a few days out in the California wine country this year celebrating my 40th trip around the sun. No trip out that way would be complete without a trip to Russian River Brewing, and the wife and I enjoyed the full beer sampler. The standout to me was Temptation. The Chardonnay barrel and Brett funk in this blonde ale just provided the perfect level of sour. I know Consecration and Pliny get more attention from Russian River, but this is the beer I’d drink the most of that they produce.

Alice Hicks:

Photo: Brash Brewing Company

Brash Pussalia – My favorite Houston beer is a Brash brew for the second year in a row. Pussalia drew me in with its gorgeous, resinous aroma and hooked me with its double-dry and undeniably dank hops, rounded out by tropical notes. Its crisp, clean, medium body and dry finish left me wanting more: Pussalia is a perfect double IPA in my book.

Photo: Orange Belt Brewing Company

Orange Belt Brewing Chardonnay Barrel-Aged Whalez AKA Whalez 2.0 (Chardonnay Barrel) –  I swear I didn’t choose this beer just so I could say “Whalez, bro!” but I have to say it: “Whalez, bro!” However, I will swear that this is one beer truly worth seeking out. A side project of Cycle Brewing’s Head Brewer Eric Trinosky, Orange Belt Brewing makes some beautiful sour ales. The light, lemony tartness of the chardonnay barrel-aged version of their Whalez blonde ale is perfectly balanced with its rich oak character and bright acidity. One of the most well-executed barrel-aged sours I’ve ever had; it is in a class with the best of Portland, Oregon’s venerable Cascade Brewing.

Tim Spies:

Photo: Saint Arnold Brewing Company

Saint Arnold 5 O’Clock Pils – Austin may be the “Pilsner Capital” of Texas. But the best domestic pils available is from Houston.

Photo: The Rare Barrel

The Rare Barrel Afterlight – I’m generally not a fan of dark sours or red wine barrel-aged beers. But rarely are they executed near perfection. Afterlight is such a beer.

Chris White:

Photo: Saint Arnold Brewing Company

Saint Arnold 5 O’Clock Pils – My high expectations were exceeded by this local take on the Americanized version of the classic continental style. As I learned in the HBG blind pilsner tasting, these hoppy pilsners fool me – they don’t taste exceptionally hoppy, just ‘crisp’ and slightly aromatic. 5OC hits this mark hard – a nice bitterness, great earthy hop aroma and clean crisp finish with a little malt sweetness. The fact that this beer is on basically every supermarket shelf all the time is a great bonus for someone like me that gets most beer on the weekly shopping trip.

Photo: Community Beer Company

Community Yessir! Pale Ale – I love APA, but I also find that most new pales don’t really stand out in comparison to the incredible classics *cough* Sierra Nevada *cough* that are always available. This Dallas-area brewery takes a heavy hand to the three new(ish) hop varietals in their fall seasonal brew but most importantly maintains a balance (and ABV) that’s squarely in line with the style, making it incredibly drinkable with a unique juicy hop flavor. That flavor profile stands out from the long shadow of the classic APA with the pale green label. Distinct, delicious and darn good! Yessir!

The post Our Favorite Beers of 2016 first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Our Favorite Beers of 2016 appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

We asked our writers to send in a few sentences about their favorite beers of the year. We asked them for a favorite local beer and a favorite out-of-town beer. Some of these have been around for years and some aren’t available in Houston. This isn’t meant to be a “best of 2015” article; it’s just us talking about the beers we like. Hopefully if you get to try these you’ll like them as much as we have.

What were your favorite beers of the year? Let us know on Twitter @HoustonBeer or on Facebook at Houston Beer Guide

Cody Lee

Photo: Brash Brewing Co.

Brash EZ-7 – The long anticipated homecoming of Brash Brewing brought with it a slew of new beers, and EZ-7 was my favorite of the bunch. A pale ale with a bite, this beer satisfies both the hop-head in me and my desire to drink for hours on end. I hope to see this in cans in the coming year.

de Garde Petit Desay – If you have an idealized version of a farmhouse ale in your head and you’re spinning your wheels looking for it, look no further. Subtly tart, perfectly effervescent, and wonderfully dry; at 5% ABV, this is my ideal beer to ring in the New Year.

Josh Frink

Photo: Karbach Brewing Co.

Karbach Mother in Lager – I know this wasn’t a new release for 2015, but somehow this was the first year I tried it. If it weren’t a seasonal beer, this dark lager would have a place in my fridge year-round. It is full of roast and biscuit flavors that give way to a light body and crisp German hops. That balance would make it a great year-round offering. Hopefully someone from Karbach is reading this.

Crooked Stave Wild Sage – My wife and I took the dream trip to Denver this year for the Great American Beer Festival. During that week, we tried more beers than we could count (don’t worry, the tasting glasses are only 2 ounces). Wild Sage was my favorite beer of the trip. The mix of brett beer and sage create a wonderful display of floral, earthy, and herbal flavors in a way that makes me feel like I’m discovering something lost in time.

Nathan Miller

My favorite Houston beer remains Fort Bend Texas Lightning. They may have closed back in February but the age on this flavorful IPA just adds to its wonderfulness. Balanced flavors of cardboard, stale grain, and oxidation contribute to a marvelous beverage. AHAHAHA just kidding. See attached picture.

Photo: Other Half Brewing Co.

This year I’ve been fortunate enough to try a lot of beers and picking a favorite from outside Houston is hard even if I limit it to 2015, but I think I’ll go with Mosaic from Brooklyn’s Other Half. It’s no secret mosaic is my favorite hop, and this showcases it *almost* as well as Yellow Rose.

Jose Luis Cubria

Photo: Saint Arnold Brewing Co.

Saint Arnold Bishop’s Barrel 12 – The first truly great barrel-aged beer from Houston. Funky, dry, vinous, tart and fruity. Way more interesting, complex and delicious than its forebears BB2 & BB2B. If this is an eye into the future of BA beers from Saint Arnold, then hold onto your butts.

Real Ale Tenebrae Aeterna – A standout among all the other great beers in RA’s Mysterium Verum series. “BA sour porter” doesn’t do it any sort of justice, although this is the beer that finally convinced me that sour porters/stouts can be greater than the sum of their parts.

Alice Hicks

Greg Manuel

St. Arnold Art Car IPA –  This may be my favorite “traditional” beer they’ve ever released in the permanent lineup. Really. It’s incredibly approachable, even for the “I don’t like IPA” people you may know (and we all have one or two of those hanging around; don’t ask me why we keep them around). It’s citrusy and tropical, finishes clean thanks to the low malt bill, and is not terribly bitter. This one drinks like a session IPA to me. While this dog roamed, as a result of this fantastic IPA, he has found his way home, and Arnold and I are happy to announce that we will be renewing our vows. You can have your Yellow Rose, I’m having an Art Car or three.*
*But I’ll still be having a Yellow Rose as well. And an Uber.

Photo: Parish Brewing Co.

Parish Brewing Co. Ghost in the Machine DIPA –  Welcome to the party, Louisiana! Even if you don’t travel frequently, odds are that you’ll still cruise on over to our neighbor’s place to the east every now and again to satisfy your urge to commit some of the deadly sins, making this non-local-but-still-sort-of-almost-local from Lafayette pretty attainable. Find this crushable DIPA and find it now — people will call me a blasphemer, but I’ll say it and stand by it (and even Twitter fight you): this beer is every bit as good as a certain famous and not-as-attainable not-too-malty hop explosion DIPA from Vermont that you may have heard of (hint: rhymes with Bready Flopper). While it used to be a pretty limited release, things have changed, and word on the streetswamp is that it will be released monthly in 2016. I need more of this beer in my life.

Ryan Mader

Tim Foley

What were your favorite beers of the year? Let us know on Twitter @HoustonBeer or on Facebook at Houston Beer Guide

The post Favorite Beers 2015 first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Favorite Beers 2015 appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.