Cans of Buckle Bunny Cream Ale and Mini Boss Double Dry Hopped IPA are now available in stores including HEB, Kroger, Specs, Whole Foods, Total Wine, Central Market, and smaller independent beer stores. According to Casey, cans will be in over 100 stores within a month, so look for them basically everywhere you buy cans of beer in the greater Houston area.

Photo: Shawn McDermott for Houston Beer Guide

Why cans and not bottles? According to Casey, “they are better at keeping oxygen and UV light out of the beer, which means better beer. Aside from that, we feel they are way more portable and easier to recycle. Also, shotgunning a bottle isn’t very safe.”

Photo: Shawn McDermott for Houston Beer Guide

Since they opened two years ago, Eureka Heights has brewed some of the best beer in the city, but their presence has been limited to bars, growler shops, and their own taproom. This expansion, Casey says, will allow them to, “reach a whole new crowd that might not be going out to bars and restaurants on a regular basis. There are so many people that are passionate about craft beer and want to support local and independent breweries. We want to make sure they have options when they go to the store.” Despite the near exponential growth in the number of breweries in the city, it’s increasingly rare to see new breweries on grocery store shelves. This may seem like a dull, boring story but it is a huge step for Eureka Heights and the city’s beer scene as a whole.

If you haven’t tried their beer before, pick up a six pack or two. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

What’s Next for Eureka Heights?

Eureka Heights adding a new fermenter | Photo: Shawn McDermott for Houston Beer Guide

The expansion into cans has contributed to an increase in production volume for Eureka Heights. They’ve added a new fermenter and a new brite tank to help them keep up.

What beer will Eureka Heights release in cans next? They need help deciding. My hope is their newest beer, Shower Tears, a blackberry gose. If you have a favorite beer or style that you’d like to see next, let them know on one of their social media pages.

Facebook: facebook.com/EurekaHeightsBrewCo

Twitter: twitter.com/eurekaheights

Instagram: instagram.com/eurekaheights

The post Eureka Heights Takes Huge Step Forward With New Canning Line, Grocery Store Placement first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Eureka Heights Takes Huge Step Forward With New Canning Line, Grocery Store Placement appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Texian opened four and a half years ago to a much different market. When they opened, there were fewer than 10 breweries in the greater Houston area. (I believe they were number 8.) Today, there are 44 breweries in operation, with at least a dozen more in progress.

Texian’s taproom may be closing, but Texian is not closing. Going forward, Fulbrook Ale Works will brew Texian’s beers under a contract brewing arrangement. Texian will retain control of the recipes, but they won’t have brewing equipment of their own. Over the next year you should see even more of Texian’s beer on shelves around the state. Closing a taproom may seem like a strange move, since breweries make more profit selling beers in their own taproom, but that is limited to how many people come in the door. Selling beer in bottles and cans may make the brewery less money per ounce, but the market is much larger. Ultimately, Texian is choosing to focus on distribution instead of on taproom sales.

Fulbrook Ale Works will be a veteran owned and operated brewery. According to owner-operator Jeremiah Ivey, Fulbrook is hoping to have the TABC and TTB license process finished around October. In the meantime, they will be connecting the building to city water and sewer, putting in some much needed bathrooms, and renovating the taproom space. This purchase gives Fulbrook Ale Works a major head start in the process toward opening a brewery. Building renovations and acquiring tanks often take a year or longer. Beyond this, we don’t know much about Fulbrook Ale Works at this time. We’ll be sure to keep you updated as they get closer to opening.

Fulbrook Ale Works | Photo: Fulbrook Ale Works

So what’s next for Texian?

With the sale of the equipment and the transfer of their lease, the taproom is no more. Texian’s focus going forward will be getting bottles and cans back on shelves. They’ve had distribution issues in recent years, as fans may have noticed, but Josh says they’ve made a big push to correct that. The latest release of Donkey Lady, their sour ale aged on apples and spices, “sold faster than any previous release in the last 18 months.” Keep an eye out for new Texian beers in the coming months and some keg only favorites coming to bottles.

Josh Haley’s full statement:

“To put five years of your blood sweat and soul into something, it takes a lot out of you to do this. However, ultimately it is what was right for our company to be able to grow the way we want it to. When it came down to it, it was time to renew the lease on our building and we worked through multiple scenarios to analyze whether we continued on our current path or if there were other options that would lead to better gross and free up our time to focus on the distribution which creates more brand awareness. This move will allow us to introduce more brands that we have been working on over the last year two, as well as seeing previous favorite keg only beers in packaging. We intend on opening a new taproom, in the future. Yeah, it sucks. However, it will be great in the long run. The support, from our community, has been great and we already have opportunities being presented.”

Follow Fulbrook Ale Works on social media:

Twitter: twitter.com/FulbrookAle
Facebook: facebook.com/Fulbrookaleworks
Instagram: instagram.com/fulbrookale

Follow Texian Brewing Co. on social media:

Twitter: twitter.com/TexianBrewing
Facebook: facebook.com/TexianBrewing
Instagram: instagram.com/texianbrewing

The post Texian Brewing Closes Taproom, Sells Equipment first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Texian Brewing Closes Taproom, Sells Equipment appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

If you’d like to have your event included, send an email to info@houstonbeerguide.com with the subject line “August Event Calendar.” Please include the date & time, a brief description of the event, the location, and a Facebook event link if available.

Thursday, August 3rd – National IPA Day

IPA Day Shirt – Available at Flying Saucer

IPA Day at Flying Saucer Downtown | 11am-1am | $3 IPA specials, one off casks and surprise release. Dozens of IPAs from Texas best and beyond including Brash Brewing, Alpine Beer Company, Eureka Heights Brew Co, Real Ale Brewing Company, Green Flash Brewing Co. and more.
More details on Facebook

IPA Day at Conservatory featuring Saint Arnold Art Car | 5pm-close | Try 5 variations Art Car, one of Houston’s best IPAs at Conservatory. Line up: Art Car, Grapefruit Art Car Dry Hopped w/ Amarillo Hops, Blueberry Art Car Dry Hopped w/ Mosaic Hops, Meyer Lemon Art Car Dry Hopped w/ Lemon Drop Hops, Double Dry Hopped w/ Citra & Galaxy Hops Art Car Cask.
More details on Facebook

IPA Day at Flying Saucer Sugarland | 5pm-12am | $3 (single) IPAs and $1 off Double/Imperial IPAs all day.
More details on Facebook

IPA Day Appy Hour at Holler Brewing | 4pm-close | Pair 3 of Holler’s IPAs with 3 types of chicken wings from T-Bone’s Sports Pub. The chicken wings are free while they last.
More details on Facebook

Saturday, August 5th

White Linen Day at Premium Draught | 12pm-4pm| Get ready for the art fair on 19th Street with Premium Draught and Holler Brewing. Premium Draught will have 5 Holler beers on tap. Each growler purchase includes a free Holler Brewing t-shirt to wear to White Linen Night. John & Kathryn Holler will be there to talk beer and pour beer.

White Linen Night and 2 Year Anniversary Party at Town In City Brewing | 6pm-11pm | To celebrate their second anniversary, Town in City is releasing their White Linen IPA – A hoppy wheat IPA brewed with Texas Grapefruit. They’ll have several small batch beers on tap as well as food an music.
More details on Facebook

Sunday, August 6th

Root Beer Float Day at Saint Arnold | 12pm-5pm | Saint Arnold will be serving root beer floats made with their root beer and Fat Cat Creamery’s Mexican Vanilla ice cream, as well as some special variations. There is no admission fee and it is a family friendly event.
More details on Facebook

Thursday, August 10th

Beer Dinner Cooking Demo at City Acre Brewing | 7pm-10pm | City Acre is opening their Victorian manor for a special beer dinner. Chef Rick will teach you how to prepare each course, which will be paired with City Acre beers. Be among the first to try their Passonfruit version of their mainstay pale ale, TXPA.
This is a ticketed event.
More details on Facebook | Ticket link

Friday, August 11th

B-52 Brewing Biere de Coupage Bottle Release | 3pm-? | B-52 Brewing is releasing their newest sour/wild beer: Biere de Coupage. It is “a blend of young saison and one-year old, oak-fermented sour saison dry-tead with a blend of five different tea varieties.” They have 1000 bottles available for $8 each, available while they last.
More details on Facebook

Saturday, August 12

Baa Baa Brewhouse Meenie Can Release | 10am-? | Baa Baa Brewhouse is releasing the second Hazy IPA in their “Ennie, Meenie, Miny, Moe” series.

Sunday, August 13th

Juice Fest at SpindleTap Brewery | SpindleTap will be releasing 3 Hazy IPAs: Their original Houston Haze, Juiceton (brewed with help from our resident NEIPA expert Larry Koestler), and Hops Drop. Each 4 pack will be $16, and purchases will be limited to 2 packs of each style.

SpindleTap Juice Fest – August 13th

Saturday, August 19th

Eureka Heights 1 Year Anniversary Party & Bottle Release | 11am-1pm| The VIP event starts at 11:30am and includes tastings of several varitations on their new Bourbon Barrel Imperial Milk Stout, Nuke the Whales. With the VIP ticket you’ll get special glassware and a 22oz bottle of Nuke the Whales to go. The regular admission party starts at 1pm and is free entry. You’ll get a chance to try several variation of Nuke the Whales throughout the day, plus a piñata, an ice cream truck, and birthday cake. Bottles will be available for sale to go.
This is a (partially) ticketed event.
More details on Facebook | Ticket Link

Sunday, August 20th

Happy Firkin Birthday to Flying Saucer Downtown | 11am-1am | Flying Saucer is celebrating their 17th anniversary with over a dozen special one off beers in firkins (also called casks) from local breweries.
More details on Facebook

Sunday, August 27th

Brews & Barrels at Saint Arnold | 11am-2pm | Saint Arnold is playing host to the Galveston Bay Foundation. Learn how to make a rain barrel and go home with a barrel and connector kit of your own. Admission is $40 and includes the barrel, the connector kit, and 2 beer tokens.
This is a ticketed event.
More details on Facebook | Ticket Link

September Preview

Sept 1-3: Brewmaster’s Craft Beer Festival at Moody Gardens
Sept 23: 7th Anniversary Party at The Almighty Moon Tower Inn

The post Houston Beer Events – August 2017 first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Houston Beer Events – August 2017 appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

If you’d like to have your event included, send an email to info@houstonbeerguide.com with the subject line “July Event Calendar.” Please include the date & time, a brief description of the event, the location, and a Facebook event link if available.

Saturday, July 1st

City Acre’s 1st Anniversary Party | 11am-5pm| City Acre is turning one! To celebrate, they’ll have special beers on tap all day (some new, some past favorites), a German food buffet, and bottles to go of their Skull Creek Kolsch aged on City Acre grown blueberries, dewberries, and blackberries.
This is a ticketed event.
More details on Facebook | Ticket link

Fetching Lab is, well, open | 1pm-5pm | Fetching Lab is only open one or two weekends a month, and even then only depending on the weather. The brewery is on the same property as their house, which is sure to make any homebrewer envious. The brewery is dog friendly, kid friendly, and horse friendly, but bring your own chair.
More details on Facebook

Local Brews Local Grooves at House of Blues | 3pm-10pm | The beer list for this annual event is too long to list. If you like Houston beer, your favorite brewery will probably be pouring beer here. There are multiple ticket tiers, some of which include a Saint Arnold beer dinner before the event.
This is a ticketed event.
More details on Facebook | Ticket Link

Town in City’s First Of JuLuau Party | 6pm-11pm | Town in City is celebrating the beginning of July. They’ll have Blood Brothers BBQ serving Hawaiian food, Hot Rod Pops serving frozen popsicles, and Reggae band Dem will be providing the grooves. They’ll also have some special tropical themed beers available.
More details on Facebook

Bike Ride and Hot Dog Eating Contest at TBR | 12pm-6pm | Join Texas Beer Refinery for their Independence Day celebration. Join 1 mile the “bike parade” from the taproom to the brewery at 12:15, and head back for the hotdog eating competition. There will also be live music starting at 2 and they’ll have “Cloud Nein” a German IPA brewed in collaboration with Wurst Haus.
This is a ticketed event.
More details on Facebook | Ticket Link

Running Walker’s Official Grand Opening | 12pm-11pm | Running Walker is officially opening their outdoor beer garden this weekend. They’ll have food trucks and live music all day to celebrate.
More details on Facebook

Tuesday, July 4th

Fourth of July Celebration at No Label | 12pm-7pm | It’s a day of contests at No Label: hotdog eating, watermelon seed spitting, and dog costumes. They’ll have beer available by the pint, plus food trucks and music throughout the day.

Friday, July 7th

Bishop’s Gone Wild Bottle Release at B-52 | 3pm-? | B-52 will be releasing their Saint Arnold tribute beer, a sour amber ale with raspberries and blackberries, at the brewery at 3pm. Limits will be based on turnout.

Bishop’s Gone Wild Bottle | Photo: B-52 Brewing

Saturday, July 8th

Saint Arnold Pub Crawl Downtown | 2pm-6pm | It’s time for the annual downtown pub crawl. Stop at any one of the locations below between 2pm and 3pm to get a punch card. Your route and stops will vary depending on where you start. Meet everyone at Market Square Park at 6 to redeem your fully stamped card for your Pub Crawl pint glass. You don’t have to drink at every stop to earn the stamp. After the pub crawl, Ishi and The Waxaholics will be performing at Market Square Park.

Stops: El Big Bad, Springbok, Molly’s Pub, Flying Saucer, OKRA Charity Saloon, Christian’s Tailgate, Conservatory, Batanga, Boots ‘n Shoots, Bovine & Barley, Nightingale Room, Shay McElroy’s, Little Dipper, Market Square Park
More details on Facebook

Monday, July 10th

Houston Haze Release at SpindleTap | 3pm-Saturday, July 15th | The newest batch of Houston Haze will be released on Monday at 3pm. As long as supplies last, it will also be available Tuesday-Thursday from 9am-6pm, Friday from 9am-9pm, and Saturday from 12pm-pm.

Friday, July 15th

Cubano and Craft at SpindleTap | 12pm-6pm | Experience a day of Cuban culture, Cuban cuisine, and craft beer. They’ll also have a cigar rolling station.
More details on Facebook

Belgian Beer Week kicks off at Flying Saucer Downtown | July 15 – July 21st

Saturday – Saison Saturday – Discounted Saison Bottles + BYO Saison Flight: Funkwerks Brett Saison, Funkwerks Tropic King, BLVD Tank 7, BLVD Saison Brett, Saison Dupont, Southern Star Summer Saison and more.
Sunday – Belgian Bottle Bottle Release: Large Format and rare Belgians from the cellar.
Monday – $3 Belgian Drafts + Maredsous Chalice Release
Tuesday – Victory Trivia – $5 Victory Golden Monkey all day long + Victory Hoppy Quad at 6pm.
Wednesday – Belgian Flight – De Ranke Tripel, Da La Senne Zinnebir and more.
Thursday – Belgium comes to America – The Bruery Sans Pagaie at 6pm.
Friday – Belgian National Day – Build Your Own Belgian Flights + Cantillon Tapping at 7pm
More details on Facebook

Sunday, July 16th

Feast of Saint Arnold | 5pm-8:30pm | Feast of Saint Arnold is Saint Arnold’s annual fundraiser for Texas Children’s Hospital’s Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center. It’s a 4 course meal (plus hors d’oeuvres and dessert) served family style like a medieval feast. Plus beer, of course.
More details on their website: www.saintarnold.com/feast-of-saint-arnold/

Sunday, July 23rd

Screwed Up Sunday at 8th Wonder | 11am-6pm | 8th Wonder’s annual event paying tribute to DJ Screw is back. The event will include music (of course), an interactive live artshow with Donkeeboy, and a DJ Screw pint glass with 3 beer tokens.
More details on Facebook

Friday, July 28th

Sangria bottle release at B-52 Brewing | 3pm-? | B-52 is releasing their red & white wine barrel aged saison that has been re-fermented with wild yeast, pink guava, blood orange, blackberries & raspberries.

Saturday, July 29th

Xmas in July at Buffalo Bayou | 6pm-9pm | This year’s annual event features a commemorative glass, all you can (responsibly) drink beers, and an ugly sweater contest.
This is a ticketed event.
More details on Facebook | Ticket Link

Board Game Bonanza at Flying Saucer Downtown | 12pm-6pm | Tea & Victory is bringing their library of over 200 board games to the Flying Saucer in downtown Houston.
More details on Facebook

Flying Saucer Board Game Bonanza – July 29th

August Preview

Aug 3 – IPA Day at the Flying Saucer Downtown
Aug 6 – Root Beer Float Day Celebration at Saint Arnold
Aug 10 – Beer dinner & cooking demo at City Acre
Aug 19 – “Nuke the Whales” bourbon barrel imperial milk stout release at Eureka Heights
Aug 20 – Flying Saucer Downtown’s 17th Anniversary Party

Don’t see an event near you? Use our Brewery Map to find somewhere new to visit.

The post Houston Beer Events – July 2017 first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Houston Beer Events – July 2017 appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

If you’d like your event included, send an email to info@houstonbeerguide.com with the subject line “June Event Calendar.” Please include the date & time, a brief description of the event, the location, and a Facebook event link if available.

Thursday, June 15th

Saint Arnold Tribute Beers at Hughie’s | 6pm-10pm | All 5 tribute beers will be on tap along with several Bishop’s Barrel Beers. (More info about the Saint Arnold Tribute beers here.)
More Details on Facebook

Ingenious Brewing Tasting at Craft Beer Cellar | 5pm | Ingenious will be doing a free tasting of their Vanilla Coffee Cream Ale and Pineapple FroYo IPA.
(More info about Ingenious Brewing here.)

Houston Ladies of Craft Beer Monthly Meet-up at Heights Bier Garten | 6pm-9pm | Are you a lady that likes craft beer? This is a great chance to meet like-minded ladies.
More details on Facebook

Friday, June 16th

Sittin Sidehaze Release at No Label Brewing Co. | 3pm | No Label is releasing their new NEIPA, Sittin Sidehaze (a reference to Paul Wall’s Sittin’ Sidewayz for those not in the know).
As a reminder, No Label cannot offer beer to-go.

Saturday, June 17th

B-52 Brewing’s 3rd Anniversary Party | 12pm-7pm | 31 beers available including over a dozen fruited sours, several “smoothie” beers, and bottles of a blend of 3 barreled saisons available to-go.
This is a ticketed event.
More details on Facebook | Ticket Link

B52 Brewing | 3 Year Anniversary Blend Wild Ale

Galveston Island Brewing’s 3rd Anniversary Party | 12pm-9pm | The brewery will be releasing special batches throughout the day. This looks to be a pretty kid-friendly event with facepainting and balloon art (in addition to their on-site playground).
More details on Facebook

Holler Loudly Double IPA release at Liberty Station | 5pm-10pm | Holler Brewing will be releasing their new 9.7% Double IPA, hopped with Galaxy and Nelson Sauvin. They’ll also have 3 variations on tap.
More details on Facebook

Ingenious Brewing Tasting at Hop Scholar Ale House | 2pm | Ingenious will be doing a free tasting of their ust Juicy Mango IPA and Blueberry Crumble Stout.
(More info about Ingenious Brewing here.)

Monday, June 19th

Saint Arnold Tribute Beers at Down The Street | 5pm-10pm | Down the Street will have the tribute beers from Brash, B-52, Eureka Heights, and Southern Star as part of their “Steak & Flights Night” event. Beers, steak, potatoes, and salad for $16.
More details on Facebook

Thursday, June 22nd

4th Tap Brewing Houston Launch Party at Conservatory | 7pm | 4th Tap out of Austin is celebrating their launch in Houston with a party at Conservatory.
More details on Facebook

Sunday, June 25th

Whiskey, Beer, and Tacos with Saint Arnold BB18 at Eight Row Flint | 12pm-3pm | Eight Row Flint is hosting a tasting of 3 WhistlePig Rye Whiskey variations along with Saint Arnold’s BB18, which was aged in WhistlePig Rye Whiskey barrels. Plus, tacos!
This is a ticketed event.
More details on Facebook

Cherry Medusa release at Copperhead | 4pm-8pm | Copperhead has added cherry puree to their popular Belgian style Quad, Medusa. A $40 ticket gets you a Copperhead goblet, a pour of the beer, and two 4-packs to take home.
This is a ticketed event.
Ticket link

Thursday, June 29th

Liquid Lunch live broadcast at Tapped Drafthouse | 11am-2pm | Texas’ best live midday craft beer show will be broadcasting from Tapped. Head there and grab a beer, or tune in to their broadcast at your desk and imagine you’re anywhere but at work.
More details on Facebook

Premium Draught | Saint Arnold Tribute Night

Saint Arnold Growler Tribute at Premium Draught | 11AM thru July 2nd | Try all 5 of the Saint Arnold tribute beers and take growlers home. Premium Draught will have all 5 on tap, plus the Saint Arnold and Sierra Nevada Beer Camp beer until they run out.
(More details about the Saint Arnold tribute beers.) (More details about the Saint Arnold and Sierra Nevada Beer Camp collaboration beer.)
More details on Facebook

Bonus: Saturday, July 1st

City Acre’s 1st Anniversary Party | 11am-5pm| City Acre is turning one! To celebrate, they’ll have special beers on tap all day (some new, some past favorites), a German food buffet, and bottles to go of their Skull Creek Kolsch aged on City Acre grown blueberries, dewberries, and blackberries.
This is a ticketed event.
More details on Facebook | Ticket link

Fetching Lab is, well, open | 1pm-5pm | Fetching Lab is only open one or two weekends a month, and even then only depending on the weather. They’re dog friendly, kid friendly, and horse friendly.
More details on Facebook

Local Brews Local Grooves at House of Blues | 3pm-10pm | The beer list for this annual event is too long to list. If you like Houston beer, your favorite brewery will probably be pouring beer here. There are multiple ticket tiers, some of which include a Saint Arnold beer dinner before the event.
This is a ticketed event.
More details on Facebook | Ticket Link

Town in City’s First Of JuLuau Party | 6pm-11pm | Town in City is celebrating the beginning of July. They’ll have Blood Brothers BBQ serving Hawaiian food, Hot Rod Pops serving frozen popsicles, and Reggae band Dem will be providing the grooves. They’ll also have some special tropical themed beers available.

Bike Ride and Hot Dog Eating Contest | 12pm-6pm | Join Texas Beer Refinery for their Independence Day celebration. Join 1 mile the “bike parade” from the taproom to the brewery at 12:15, and head back for the hotdog eating competition. There will also be live music starting at 2 and they’ll have “Cloud Nein” a German IPA brewed in collaboration with Wurst Haus.
This is a ticketed event.
More details on Facebook | Ticket Link

Running Walker’s Official Grand Opening | 12pm-11pm | Running Walker is officially opening their outdoor beer garden this weekend. They’ll have food trucks and live music all day to celebrate.
More details on Facebook

Don’t see an event near you? Use our Brewery Map to find somewhere new.

The post Houston Beer Events – June 2017 first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Houston Beer Events – June 2017 appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

BB18 is an “Oat Wine” aged in WhistlePig Rye Whiskey barrels for nine months. The base beer is similar to an English style barleywine, with oats making up 20 percent of the grain bill. In general, English style barleywines tend to be less hop forward than American style barleywines, leaning instead on the complexities found in the malt; flavors such as biscuity, nutty, caramel, and toffee are typical. The addition of the oats gives this beer a silky texture.

Since Saint Arnold was kind enough to share a pre-release bottle with me, I decided to extend the kindness and share this with two craft beer and rye whiskey loving friends of mine. The bottle only said “rye whiskey” barrels, but they immediately picked out the toasted marshmallow flavor characteristic of WhistlePig.

The malt complexities of the English barleywine base presented as golden raisins – not too dark, but sweet and dense. The cinnamon from the barrel was slight, but it added to the “oatmeal cookie” theme.

I didn’t grow up eating oatmeal cookies. I was always excited to see them, until I realized they weren’t chocolate chip. To me, BB18 is more like a Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pie – cinnamon, vanilla, and marshmallow. Either way, this is definitely a dessert beer.

BB18 is making its way to bars, restaurants, and stores today. I would expect many bars to save it for events later this week and next week to celebrate Saint Arnold’s 23rd anniversary. On social media you can search #BB18, watch Saint Arnold’s twitter page, and of course watch the social media accounts of your favorite spots to see where it will be available.

Details:

Date Brewed: June 13, 2016
Date Barreled: June 30, 2016
Date Bottled: May 15, 2017
Type of Barrel: WhistlePig rye whiskey barrel
Original Gravity: 1.113
Final Gravity: 1.018
Alcohol: 10.5% ABV (pre-barrel) 12.8% ABV (post-barrel)
Bitterness: 25 IBU

The following events are planned for the release of Bishop’s Barrel No. 18:

BB18 Release at Guru Burgers, Sugar Land, Thursday, June 8 at 6:00PM
BB18 Release at Lakewood Growler, Dallas, Wednesday, June 14 at 5:00PM
BB18 Release at Pizza Lounge Express, Houston, Sunday, June 18 at 6:30PM
Whiskey + Beer + Tacos at Eight Row Flint, Houston, Sunday, June 25 – 12:00 – 3:00 PM (Get tickets here)

The post Saint Arnold Releases Bishop’s Barrel #18 (BB18) first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Saint Arnold Releases Bishop’s Barrel #18 (BB18) appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

To celebrate Saint Arnold’s status as the Godfather of Houston Beer, Brash has organized what I think is the most interesting beer event in recent history. Five of the Houston area’s best breweries have each taken a Saint Arnold beer, modified it in their own way, and brewed it on their systems. What results is a city-wide show of appreciation for the brewery that paved the way for all the others.

Brash Brewing – Knutsens Farm

Tribute to: Weedwacker

Weedwacker was born from the “Movable Yeast” series at Saint Arnold, when they (intentionally) fermented Fancy Lawnmower wort with a Hefeweizen yeast strain. Brash head brewer Vince Mandeville had a hand in the development of Weedwacker when he was brewing at Saint Arnold, so it’s no big surprise that Brash chose to pay tribute to Weedwacker. Brash opted for an an Oregon Hefeweizen strain in place of Weedwacker’s German strain. They fermented the beer at a low temperature to get the cloudiness without much of the typical banana and clove flavors. To really put the Brash twist on an otherwise typical Hefeweizen, they double dry hopped it with New Zealand Rakau hops. Owner Ben Fullelove adds, “At 5%, it’s crazy drinkable and amazingly clean. Definitely the smallest beer we’ve ever made but still fits beautifully with our overall approach to beer making.”

B-52 Brewing – Bishop’s Gone Wild

Tribute to: Amber Ale

Amber Ale was the first beer Saint Arnold ever sold (at the Gingerman, if you want to brush up on your Houston beer trivia).

Bishop’s Gone Wild has the same malt and hop bill as Amber, but that’s where the similarities end. B-52 fermented the beer with a Saison and Brettanomyces yeast blend and then added Raspberries & Blackberries to the beer for a secondary fermentation.

When asked why they chose Amber, Founder Chad Daniel said, “[We] wanted to pick something that most people wouldn’t expect, so given the types of beer we’re making these days, a sour amber seemed like the perfect choice. We also thought it paid tribute to how willing St. Arnold has been to adapt and embrace changing palates. It would be really easy to get set in your ways, especially as the oldest brewery in Houston, but they continue to innovate and we respect the hell out of that.”  

Eureka Heights – Chop Shop IPA

Tribute to: Art Car

Art Car was the last beer that Eureka Heights Founder/Brewer Casey Motes developed while at Saint Arnold. I’ll let Casey explain the beer: “We took an awesome beer and made it more awesomer. The malt, hot side hops and Vermont (Conan) yeast are all the same. The awesomer part comes in when we triple dry hop it and add a bunch of Citra to the dry hops. The end result has a more citrusy, tropical, and slightly illegal aroma. We chose to add the Citra hops to Chop Shop because we absolutely love Citra and thought it complements the Simcoe and Mosaic that are already in Art Car.”

As a further tribute to Art Car and the logo designed by Gonzo247, Eureka Heights worked with local artist Ack! for the Chop Shop logo.

Lone Pint – Brock the Night Away

Tribute to: Santo

When run through the “Lone Pint beer translator,” as owner/brewer Trevor Brown puts it, the Black Kolsch Santo becomes a Black IPA. For Brock the Night Away, Lone Pint increased the Santo malt bill, added “oodles” more hops (replacing the German noble hops with the American hops that Lone Pint is known for), and fermented it with their house yeast strain in place of Santo’s Kolsch yeast.

The result is an 8.6% ABV, 108 IBU Imperial Black IPA that is lightly roasty with a big hop presence in the bitterness, flavor, and aroma. 

Southern Star Brewing – Extravagant Yard Cutter

Tribute to: Fancy Lawnmower

Since Southern Star’s brewing style is heavily influenced by German and English beer styles, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that they chose Saint Arnold’s Kolsch, Fancy Lawnmower, as their beer to cover. As Founder Dave Fougeron explains, “Our version has a much heavier mineral profile from our water source that plays remarkably well with a Kolsch. We also doubled the finishing hops giving this beer a much more pronounced hop flavor and aroma than the original.” Dave was head brewer at Saint Arnold from 2001 to 2007, so it’s safe to assume he’s already brewed his fair share of Fancy Lawnmower.

Traveling Tap Takeovers

How similar is Extravagant Yard Cutter to Fancy Lawnmower, and which do you prefer? Just how different can B-52 make Amber Ale or Lone Pint make Santo? I’m sure you’re itching to try all the new beers alongside the beers that inspired them.

A few local bars have set up a sort of traveling tap takeover, which will feature all five Saint Arnold beers and all five of the tribute beers. Representatives of all 6 breweries will be out at these events, and, if we had to guess, there will likely be some special and limited release Saint Arnold beers available as well.

The big launch is Monday, June 5th at the Flying Saucer downtown (parking is free downtown after 6pm), and the events spread around the city over the rest of the week.

June 5th – Houston Flying Saucer (Downtown) – 6pm to 11pm Event Details
June 6th – Axelrad – 5pm to 8pm – Event Details
June 7th – The Hay Merchant
June 8th – Hop Scholar Ale House – 6pm to Midnight- Event Details
June 9th – Nobi Public House
June 11th – Cottonwood Houston
June 12th – Conservatory – 7pm to Midnight – Event Details
June 15th – Hughie’s – 6pm to 10pm – Event Details (Only tribute beers)
June 19th – Down the Street – 5pm to 10pm – Event Details (4 of the tribute beers are part of their “Steak & Flight Night” deal)

The post 5 Breweries Put Their Twist on Saint Arnold Classics first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post 5 Breweries Put Their Twist on Saint Arnold Classics appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

This Sunday, May 7th, Holler, Platypus, and Eureka Heights are teaming up for a 3-stop brewery tour – on bikes. The majority of the route will be along the Heights Hike & Bike trail or on dedicated bike lanes, so it should be an easy ride. It’s even easier when you think about everyone who just completed the MS 150.

It will work a lot like the Saint Arnold pub crawls: pick up a card at your first stop, get it stamped at all 3 stops, and earn a free t-shirt. The shirts have to be picked up at Eureka Heights, so there are two strategies: 1) park at Eureka Heights, bike to Platypus & Holler, then bike back to your car, or 2) park at Holler, bike to Platypus, then to Eureka Heights, and return back to your car at Holler. Either way it’s less than a 10-mile round trip (Google Maps says that will take about an hour). If you want a group experience, Tap & Pedal Bike Touring will lead a group from Holler at 1pm.

If you don’t have a bike (or if you’re like me and your tires are always flat) there is a B-cycle station a 5-minute ride away from Holler at Stude park or a 7-minute ride away from Holler at Spotts park. Bonus: if you choose Spotts park and you return the bike around sundown then you can also watch the Waugh bridge bats take off.

(Hopefully we don’t actually need to tell you this, but please bike and drink responsibly. If you don’t feel safe biking, let a member of the brewery staff know and they will store your bike overnight.)

Heights Bike Trail Brewery Tour

Sunday, May 7th
12-6PM

More details and RSVP at the Facebook event here.

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The post Heights Bike Trail Brewery Tour – Sunday May 7th appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

A General Admission ticket gets you in the door at 3pm and access to 8 – 3 oz. beer samplings (with the ability to purchase more beer tickets at the event.) The VIP ticket gets you in the door an hour earlier and gives you access to the VIP area with specialty and seasonal beers, as well as free appetizers. They even gave us a promo code which extends the early bird ticket prices for a few more weeks.

General Admission: $35 (use code GUIDE for $5 off)
VIP Tickets: $60 (used code GUIDE for $5 off)
Beer Me Pack: which is 4 General Admission tickets for $100 (just $25 per ticket)

Ticket Link

Ticket Giveaway:

BrewFest has given us 2 General Admission tickets to give away to our readers. Between now and April 29th, follow us on Instagram (@houstonbeer) and include both our username and #BrewFestHOU in the caption of your photos. We’ll pick our favorite photo and announce the winner on our Instagram on Monday, May 1st.

There’s no limit to the number of entries, just make sure they meet the criteria!

The recap video they made from last year’s event should give you a great idea of what to expect: beer, games, food, and fun.

Beer & Brewery List:

We’ll keep the list updated as breweries announce what they will be bringing.

• 512 Brewing Company
• 11 Below Brewing
• Adelbert’s Brewery
• Alamo Beer Company
• Alaskan BrewingCompany
• Arrogant Brewing
• Austin Eastciders
  • Blood Orange
  • Original
  • Pineapple
• B-52 BrewingCompany
• Blue Moon
• Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits
  • Sculpin
  • Grapefruit Sculpin
  • Bonito Blonde
  • Sour Wench
  • Victory at Sea Variant
• Brash Brewing Company
• Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company
• Cedar Creek Brewery
• Community Beer Company
• Deep Ellum Brewing Company
• Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales
• Founders Brewing Company
• Goliad Brewing Company
• Green Flash
• Guinness
  • Guinness Draught
  • Guinness Blonde Americal Lager
  • Guinness Irish Wheat
• Holler Brewing Company
  • Holler IPA
• Hops & Grain
  • A Pale Mosaic
  • The One They Call Zoe
  • Greenhouse IPA
  • Dispensary IPA
• Independence Brewing Company
  • Stash IPA
  • Illustrated Man
  • Power & Light
  • Liberty Lunch
  • RedBud Berliner Weisse
• Lagunitas Brewing Company
• Left Hand Brewing Company
• Leinenkeugel’s
• Locust Cider
  • Dark Cherry Hard Cider
  • Sweet Aged Apple Hard Cider
  • Hootenanny Vanilla Hard Cider
• Odell Brewing Company
• Revolver Brewing
• Sierra Nevada
  • Pale Ale
  • Sidecar Pale Ale
  • Tropical Torpedo IPA
• St. Killian Importing
• Stone Brewing Company
• Sweetwater Brewing Company
  • 420
  • Blue
  • Grass Monkey
• Under the Radar Brewery
• Unibroue
• Victory Brewing Company
• Whole Foods Market Brewing Company

The post A Preview of Houston Press BrewFest [Plus a Ticket Giveaway!] first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post A Preview of Houston Press BrewFest [Plus a Ticket Giveaway!] appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Conroe’s B-52 Brewing Company is releasing their hazy IPA, Wheez the Juice, in cans on Friday, March 3rd. Wheez the Juice is an IPA brewed in a similar fashion to the Northeast-style IPA that Larry has been talking about for the last several weeks. B-52 is hesitant to use the term “NEIPA” to describe this beer, likely because that term carries with it very high expectations. I asked if they considered the beer a NEIPA and they said, “from an ingredient/process perspective it is very, very, very similar so you can take that for what you will.” They’ve released several test batches of Wheez the Juice in the past, but “this is the first time the beer was built “from the ground up” including yeast choice, water profile, late kettle additions, etc.” according to founder Chad Daniel.

This is Houston’s first hazy IPA can release, which to us at Houston Beer Guide is a pretty big deal. In the northeast United States, the NEIPA style is almost exclusively sold in cans at the breweries, rather than in kegs to bars. The cans allow the beer to keep the requisite haziness, whereas the beer could become progressively more clear coming out of a keg as the yeast settles. Hazy IPAs are made to be consumed very fresh, and B-52 will be selling them straight off the canning line. There will be approximately 50 cases (300 4-packs) available.

Since the phrase “Wheez the Juice” is from the movie Encino Man, B-52 is leaning into the Encino Man theme for the release. They’ll have Goat’s Mobile Catering there to serve Chimichangas and Burritos (the meat group of the character Stoney’s 4 main food groups). They’re hoping to offer the other 3 food groups as well: Milk Duds for the dairy group, Sweet Tarts for the fruit group, and Corn Nuts for the vegetable group. And they’ll even be showing Encino Man on the projection screen once it is dark enough to see. And yes, there will be some wheezing of the juice as well…

The beer will be available on draft when they open at 5pm, and cans will be for sale right off the canning line. The early estimate is that they will be for $16 per 4 pack, but that price has not been finalized. They’re still working out the specifics on the can release, so check back here, or watch their Facebook page to see the limits per person and how the line will work. My assumption is it will end up similar to the old Freetail releases, where everyone is guaranteed to get some but the limits will be based on how many people show up. I expect all the cans to sellout on Friday.

Latest update from B-52:

– The taproom will open at 4 pm.
– Wheez The Juice will be available on draft at 4 pm (special variation tappings will be available as well)
– Numbered wristbands for cans will be handed out first come, first serve.
– A wristband designates your place in line, it does not guarantee beer.
– Can sales will begin at 5 pm.
– 50 cases will be available (1200 cans).
– Singles are $5 and 4-packs $16.
– Limit will be based on turnout (at least one 4-pack per person)
– Encino Man starts at 8 pm.

B-52 Brewing Company

Facebook: B52Brewing

Twitter: @B52Brewing
Instagram: @B52Brewing

12470 Milroy Ln, Conroe, TX 77304

The post Houston’s First Hazy IPA Can Release is March 3rd at B-52 first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Houston’s First Hazy IPA Can Release is March 3rd at B-52 appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.