The Saint Arnold booth at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado.

The Great American Beer Festival is the largest beer festival in the United States. 2,404 breweries entered beers into the competition portion, and 8,864 beers were judged. Outside of the competition, the entire Colorado Convention Center is filled with hundreds of breweries pouring thousands of beers. As a first time attendee, it was a bit overwhelming with the quantity involved. The balance between the hype breweries like Bottle Logic and Weldwerks that required waiting in line, versus many of the small breweries that may be a highlight waiting to happen made decisions difficult. The buzz about certain beers made their way around the convention center like a middle school hallway. It was exciting and exhausting all at the same time. 

The Buffalo Bayou booth at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado.

Since this is Houston Beer Guide, let’s talk about Houston. Houston was represented well on the serving floor. Buffalo Bayou, Saint Arnold, BAKFISH, and Texas Leaguer all had booths. 8th Wonder had a booth in the heavily advertised Jameson Caskmates Barrel-Aged Beer Garden, where Rocket Fuel took on the Jameson barrel. For the Houston booths, it was a highlight. I’m not the biggest fan of Jameson in general, but I felt Rocket Fuel was one of the few beers in the area that could handle it and meld well. Many of the other Jameson collaborations by some very big named breweries were overwhelmed by the barrel. The Jameson based Rocket Fuel will be appearing around Houston in the not too distant future, so be on the lookout.

After last year’s success, this was a rather quiet year for Houston at the festival. (Last year Houston area breweries brought home 6 medals and Saint Arnold won Mid-Size Brewing Company of the Year.) Austin won more than half of the 18 Texas-based awards, including multiple wins for the Austin Beer Garden Brewery, but the Houston area took home only two awards. Saint Arnold was the honorary of both medals, taking home a bronze in the Ordinary or Special Bitter category for their Amber Ale followed closely in the awards by a silver for Oktoberfest in the Scottish Style Ale category. This brings the Saint Arnold total medal count to 26 all time, a record for a brewery in the south. This would normally be the point in the article where I would have tasting notes for both of the winning beers, but if you’re reading this article there’s a 99% chance you’ve had these beers. If you haven’t, a trip to your local grocer or liquor store is in order, they’re in the cooler and both solid offerings. 

8th Wonder had a booth in the heavily advertised Jameson Caskmates Barrel-Aged Beer Garden.

What should we take home from such a small amount of awards for the Houston area? Not much in my personal opinion. Breweries can only enter in 4 beers. The beers that won awards for Houston last year may not have been entered this year at all. We’re still making our way up on the best American markets, but that climb is happening regardless of medals. As long as more breweries continue to push the envelope, and most importantly make good beers, Houston’s name will continue to grow. More medals and awards are on the way for Houston as long as drinkers demand great products. Keep drinking and demanding great beer Houston. 

Texas Leaguer at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado.

The post Great American Beer Festival – Houston Recap first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Great American Beer Festival – Houston Recap appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Saint Arnold Pumpkinator aged in Bourbon Barrels

Although pumpkin beers have been around for centuries, their popularity has definitely increased in proportion with other pumpkin spiced goods. Go down the grocery store beer aisle, and there will be countless pumpkin spiced options. Some of these beers are good, some seem just to be following the fad, and some stand out above the crowd.

Saint Arnold Pumpkinator recently won Gold in the pumpkin beer category at The Great American Beer Festival, and it’s easy to see why. I fell in love with this beer in its original release as Divine Reserve 9 way back in 2009. The dessert-like qualities of the beer brought to mind Thanksgiving and pumpkin pie. Now it’s a beer I enjoy every Thanksgiving as I’m laying around watching football in a food coma. In 2015, Saint Arnold decided to age this wonderful beer in Woodford Reserve bourbon barrels and released it as Bishop Barrel #9. I, of course, tracked this down at a local bar and thoroughly enjoyed it. When the opportunity arose to get a bottle of this year’s bourbon barrel aged Pumpkinator in advance of its public release, I jumped on it. I was excited to see this beer finally being released at a retail level, instead of the bar/restaurant-only level of the older Bishop Barrels. I also thought this would be a fantastic opportunity to crack open my last Bishop Barrel #9 (BB9) from my cellar for a side by side review. I’ve always sworn by the practice of aging the original Pumpkinator between 1-2 years before enjoying; it’s one of the few beers out there that I think improves with a little age. So naturally, I was curious to see what had developed with the aging process on the bourbon barrel aged version of Pumpkinator as well.

Saint Arnold Bishop Barrel 9 and 2017 Pumpkinator Aged in Bourbon Barrels

When you drink Pumpkinator, you want to let it warm up some to bring out the spices and body. Saint Arnold recommends that you let t warm to at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit. I pulled both bottles out of my fridge about 30 minutes before opening them. I poured about 1/3 of each bottle into separate snifters. I opened the BB9 first, and the smell absolutely brought me everything I was looking for. It smelled just like pumpkin pie baking in the oven. There’s always that moment of wondering when you open an older bottle – Did it last? Did it oxidize? Is it infected? The answer to all of these questions was “No” for this bottle. The younger bottle produced an identical aroma, and even sitting on the patio on a muggy night, the smell in the air was wonderful. I tasted the older BB9 first, and it was everything I was hoping for. Thick mouthfeel, flavors of pumpkin, clove, and nutmeg, and such great qualities coming from the bourbon barrel – vanilla, oak, a hair char, and some lingering booze. It was a special treat.

The newer release of bourbon barrel aged Pumpkinator was significantly different than the older BB9. Although also aged in Woodford Reserve bourbon barrels, the newer bottle came across much more boozy than BB9. If I were blind tasting these two beers, I would have immediately thought the older one was aged with an older bourbon barrel than the newer one. Instead of the flavors melding together like the older version, the newer beer is less complex. The flavors that were harder to detect in the new bottle were those coming from the barrel itself. The vanilla, oak, and char were mostly absent or at least less pronounced. The newer version also has a thinner mouthfeel, and it was harder to detect the pumpkin itself. Although I intuitively know that the newer bottle should have a stronger spice flavor, I thought the booze was masking it too much in comparison to the flavors of the older bottle. I still enjoyed the newer version quite a bit, but they were significantly different beers.

I shared the rest of both bottles with a few beer loving friends in order to gather their opinions as well. Everyone that tasted the two liked the older BB9 more. When I explained they were the same beer, just 2.5 years release difference, everyone said they’re going to buy some on Monday to forget about for a couple of years. It’s a complete argument against the Drink Now movement, but if you can get your hands on a couple of the new barrel aged Pumkinator I’d strongly encourage you to pop one now and save one for later. I think you’ll be happy you did.

The post Saint Arnold Releases Bourbon Barrel Aged Pumpkinator first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Saint Arnold Releases Bourbon Barrel Aged Pumpkinator appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Photo: Texas Leaguer Brewing

According to 2015 statistics from the Brewers Association, 75% of adults in the United States live within 10 miles of a brewery. I would guess that number is even higher in 2017. I, however, am in the minority. In fact, just about anyone living in Missouri City and large parts of Sugar Land are probably in that same minority; Running Walker is currently the only open brewery in Fort Bend County. (You can read our coverage on the closing-not-closing of Texian Brewing and the upcoming Fullbrook Ale Works here.) When I heard about Texas Leaguer Brewing and their future Missouri City plans, I was intrigued. I reached out to Nathan Rees, owner of Texas Leaguer Brewing, and found that he was not only a craft beer fanatic, he was also a neighbor. We quickly made plans to meet for a beer and to discuss the future of the brewery.

The new Texas Leaguer Brewing taproom and brewery is located in Missouri City in a 12,000 square foot warehouse on Pike Rd, just off of Gessner and east of the Stafford Center. It’s actually a pretty quick trip from the Galleria area down 59 for those living in town. Their 20 BBL brewing system will give them the capacity to sell beer in cans someday, but right now they’re focused on their tap room and local taps. The brewery will open to a warehouse setup with picnic tables, but they have hopes to open their 3,000 square foot indoor taproom in the spring of 2018, in line with baseball opening day. Nathan says he wants the brewery to be a place for people to come and watch the game or listen to live music. This is a brewery named with a baseball theme after all, and sports will be a big part of the marketing plans. Normal hours will be on Friday and Saturday to begin with, but you should expect it to also be open for most of the major sporting events. As for the live music, Nathan has been performing himself for years around town. He will be performing from time to time at the brewery, and his friends in the music industry are wanting to come play as soon as he’s up and running as well.

Texas Leaguer’s First Four Beers: Knuckle Bock, 6-4-3 Belgian, 2 Hopper IPA, and Airmail Blonde | Photo: Texas Leaguer Brewing

Texas Leaguer head brewer “Doc” Rebeck will have four year-round beers ready for their grand opening: 6-4-3 Belgian, 2 Hopper IPA, Knuckle Bock, and Airmail Blonde, all of which are named to go along with the baseball theme. I got to sample 6-4-3 Belgian and 2 Hopper IPA back in April. 6-4-3 is a Belgian pale ale that is heavy on the Belgian spices. It was this beer that stuck out to me that day, as it is very unique for the Houston area. Hazy golden with a nice foam head in appearance, the almost wit-like initial taste met with a clean finish, and it went down very quickly. The 2 Hopper IPA was still in development when I went to visit in April, but I got a sample from the brite tank during their soft opening on September 22nd. It is made with half El Dorado and half Cascade hops, and it’s then dry hopped with the same 50-50 combo. It has plenty of hop aroma, a soft melon taste, and very small bitter back end. I’m looking forward to getting a full pour to delve into it even further. Knuckle Bock and Airmail were available in full pours at their soft opening. Airmail is a golden blonde ale that got a lot of buzz from people I talked with throughout the night. Hitting you up front with flavors that remind me more of a pale ale than a blonde, it ends with more of a traditional blonde flavor. It is similar to some session IPAs that I’ve tried, but it still retains qualities of a blonde. The final beer of their initial beer offerings is Knuckle Bock, a traditional German style bock. I find it to be one of the best standard bocks I’ve had. To me, a good bock balances the malt flavors and aroma with sweetness, but not over the top sweetness. This one struck that balance for me, and I can see it pairing well with a good plate of BBQ.

Grand Opening is this weekend on September 29th and 30th. Located at 13503 Pike Rd, the brewery will be open from 4-8 on Friday and 11-5 on Saturday. Food trucks will be on site. Follow them on Twitter, Facebook, or on Instagram for more details.

Welcome to Missouri City Texas Leaguer Brewing, we’re very excited to have you!

The post It’s Opening Weekend for Texas Leaguer Brewing Company first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post It’s Opening Weekend for Texas Leaguer Brewing Company appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

The Line for Spon on Friday at Jester King.

I’ve read the articles against standing in line for beer. Thrillist recently wrote one, and there’s an entire thread devoted to debating the subject on Beer Advocate, but here I sit, in my second line in a week for beer. The question you may ask is why? Do I not believe there are great beers sitting on the shelf at the local supermarket or Specs? Well, I know there are, probably ones that are better than whatever my line waiting ends up with. So what drove me to wake up at 5 AM this morning to drive the 30 minutes to wait in line at Hay Merchant? What drove me to caravan 3 hours to Austin for the Jester King Spon release last weekend? Why am I doing this when, right now, sitting on a shelf somewhere, is an equally amazing beer that I could have slept several more hours and picked up at my leisure? Why?! My wife really wants to know…

Reason 1: I’m an obsessive personality. I imagine many of the people in these lines are. People like me get an idea in their head and it’s tough to beat it out with things like logic or reason. Those things are for other people to worry about. I want a bottle of Atrial!!

Reason 2: They can actually be quite a bit of fun. This isn’t waiting in line at Disney World with your daughter constantly reminding you how bored she is. No, this is community. Something about that guy next to you drove him to do this as well.

Reason 3: Odds are someone is sharing something. In the Jester King line, I stood with several other HBG writers and as we took turns getting beers, other people we knew came around and shared something. The best beer I had that whole day wasn’t Spon, it was someone’s home brew that was being passed around. It was outstanding. I would have never have had that opportunity to meet that person, but maybe I run into him again somewhere else down the road. There were bottle shares going on all over the place in the line as we waited, and the atmosphere was fun and jovial. Even the early morning Hay Merchant line had a few beers popped; I stuck to the free donuts at that one.

Reason 4: The anticipation. Remember as a kid when you were pretty sure you knew what you were getting for Christmas, but you were still excited about it? At the end of that line, there is beer, and maybe you pop that bottle that night, or maybe it’s months from now, but you have it and you can be excited about it until you do. You can take it to that share you got invited to and feel you have something unique and interesting, but most importantly you have a story to share.

Reason 5: You make friends or you spend time with friends that go with you. I stood next to the same few people for 4 hours on a Friday morning at Hay Merchant. We talked beer almost the entire time, but you sprinkle in some getting to know them. At the end of the day you probably have a new social media friend or a few. Maybe you stick around and have a beer with them. I can guarantee you learn something about beer by the end of the time. I still chat from time to time with the guy I stood next to in last year’s line. Even if they aren’t near you, you recognize people from other beer related events. That guy with the Brash hat, yeah, he wears that hat everywhere, bad ass!

The line for Black Friday at The Hay Merchant.

If you’ve never stood in line for beer, let me pass on a couple of tips. First, take a chair, that ground or concrete won’t be that comfortable. Do make sure that chair is easily foldable though, and definitely have a way to carry it over your shoulder when the line starts moving. Second, bring something to eat if nothing is being sold. It can be a long wait. Many times even though something goes on sale at a certain time, it can be quite some time after that before you get your beer and pay for it. Keep that in mind. Third, be friendly, and don’t dare think of cutting. This isn’t elementary school, we’re all adults, be courteous of those behind you. If someone needs to go to the bathroom or get beers, that’s cool. You know who is standing around you. Just don’t be that guy that rolls in a few minutes before the release time and hops in line with his friend at the front. Fourth, be nice to the people dealing with the crowd or selling the beer at the end of the line. They’re working pretty darn hard on days like this. Fifth, think about bringing a bag, especially if you’re going to be buying more bottles than you can carry. Odds are they’ll have a carrier or box for you, but I’ve seen beer dropped or fall through a battered box too many times. It’s brutal to watch, you don’t want to be the person that waited for a few hours to drop his beers as he tries to unlock his car, or as happened to my friend, stain his carpet when the beers fell through the bottom of his box when he got home.

With that, I know this isn’t for everyone. Do you want to chat about beer for a long period of time? If you’re social like me, then probably yes. If you’re not, then take a friend. If this sounds like torture, then maybe it’s not for you. Are you in it only for the beer? Then maybe this isn’t for you either. Like I said, there is  probably equally as good stuff on the shelf. However, if you’re looking for an experience, and something to have a story for as you pull that prized bottle out of the fridge, I challenge you to give it a shot. Worst case, you hate it, you hate the beer, and you wish you had those hours of your life back, but hey, you’ll still have a buzz.

The post Is it Worth it to Stand in Line for Beer? first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Is it Worth it to Stand in Line for Beer? appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

I went with a trusty tulip glass and poured the entire bottle in quickly. The beer had a very thin head and the color reminded me of a tawny port or very aged whiskey. What I immediately noticed was the aroma. The rye whiskey dominated the smell, especially the booze, and I was surprised, as I took the bottle to the recycling bin, how soon I smelled it again. I was several yards away from the beer and it lingered in the air as if Yankee Candle made a whiskey-scented candle. Upon first taste I got a cherry-plum type of flavor (I told you, I’m horrible at picking out the fruit), a slight floral taste, tons of chocolaty malt, and a lingering vanilla booze. As it and I warmed up a bit (it is 13.1% ABV, the highest ABV ever bottled by Saint Arnold), other notes started to become more pronounced. That fruit note changed a bit and lingered a bit longer, plus I would occasionally get the rye spice from the barrel mixed in. The next layer was the chocolate, but it came in without the heavy malt I tasted when cold. Finally, I got a layer of vanilla and coconut, and throughout all of it you get booze. Somehow that booze never overpowered and stayed fairly balanced. I’m guessing the base English Barleywine was a massive malt bomb, but that was intentional to balance the rye whiskey and kept it from becoming a boozy mess. The silkiness of this beer may be its best trait. I’ve had dessert wines that didn’t coat my mouth that much. It was the perfect mouthfeel for this type of beer.

Overall I liked it quite a bit, and I’m glad I bought 3 bottles. I think this beer will age very well, as the booziness cools and the flavors round out a bit more. I hope you’ve gotten a chance to try it, as it’s well worth seeking out. Let me know what you think of it in the comments below.

The post Review: Saint Arnold Bishop’s Barrel 15 first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Review: Saint Arnold Bishop’s Barrel 15 appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Green Flash Cellar 3 Glass Night

The Famous Cheech and Chong 420 Glass

There has been some talk and a bit of grumbling among the Houston Beer Knurd community with the Flying Saucer’s decision to end their glass night at their downtown location. Manager Joshua Justice reached out to Houston Beer Guide to offer some information about the decision.

Kenneth Krampota: Why did you decide to cancel the glass night?

Joshua Justice: Demand for glass night has waned here recently and as more and more bars begin to offer glass nights, we felt the need to take the lead and offer something new, different and unique. Kind of like glass night used to be.

KK: It appears that the Sugar Land location is continuing their glass night, is this a location specific decision?

JJ: It is. Some other Flying Saucers have moved on from Glass Night as well but this was a decision unique to us.

KK: What has been the reaction? Has anything made you rethink your decision?

JJ: A bit mixed but once we’ve explained the reasoning and shared what we have up our sleeve for Wednesdays going forward, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. No turning back.

KK: You’ve had a few events to countdown the ending of this, and the last one is on the 31st, a great glass swap. Is there anything you’d like to tell us about that event?

JJ: We want all the hardcore glass collectors out that night. We will have almost our entire collection of old brew glasses out and on display (and on sale).  Feel free to bring glasses to trade, sell or giveaway. It will be a great chance to try to pick up that elusive Cheech and Chong 420 glass.

KK: What are you planning to replace the glass night with weekly?

JJ: Flight Night. We are going to debut Flight Night September 7th with Hitachino White Flights. We will be pouring Hitachino White, Kiuchi no Sizuku ( a spirit made with distilled White) and a cocktail made using both. Upcoming flight nights include Sierra Nevada/Mahrs flights, Oktoberfest flights and more.

KK: Finally, I know a lot of people collect beer glasses, what should we tell them to do with all of the extra cabinet space they’ll have?

JJ: Don’t go collecting gnomes or Wedgewood plates just yet. Flying Saucer glasses like 420, John Lennon and Texas Independence day aren’t going anywhere. Plus we will always have special glasses on sale when we find cool glassware (Das Boot anyone?) Glass night might be dying, but we will still be the best place in town for cool glassware.

The post Flying Saucer Downtown Ending Glass Night first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Flying Saucer Downtown Ending Glass Night appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Running Walker

Just down FM 359 from Texian Brewing in Richmond, Running Walker is laying the chips to become a major player in the Houston area craft beer scene. A few of their beers are starting to show up in accounts around town, and they have much bigger plans in the upcoming months. Fellow Houston Beer Guide writer Greg Manuel and I were invited out to the brewery to check out the progress. The brewery shares land with the Braman Wines tasting room, which had a nice crowd for a rainy Saturday afternoon. The winery and the brewery are both owned by Joe Braman, a noted figure in Texas ranching, real estate, oil, and wine. The name Running Walker is from a breed of hunting dogs Joe hunts with, one of his passions. The brewery itself is located in a large warehouse building next door to the tasting room. In front of the brewery they are working on building a large outdoor patio with both their wine and beer served, along with a stage for live music. Inside of the brewery building they are planning on a tap room, also selling their wine and beer, along with what is going to be a beautiful event space. The winery itself is located in a building behind the brewery, and down the road there are plans for a possible distillery as well. Also being discussed, is the idea of a tasting/tap room near downtown Houston serving their products. Our first steps inside of the brewery itself were quite a surprise. I’ve been in a number of breweries in my life, from large scale operations to small shops, but I hadn’t seen anything quite like this. No expense was spared, the floors were epoxied, everything was brand new, and the feeling was more of walking into a chemical clean room than the usual brewery. The German brewer, with 20 years of industry experience, preaches cleanliness and it really showed. Also notable was the amount of space they had to grow. They could easily quadruple in size in this facility and still have space. Currently they are setup on a 17 BBL system with a IDD High Efficiency Brewing System (HEBS). This system allows them to brew 4-5 different batches of beer in a single day. As general manager Tom Rey told us, their limits on brewing right now aren’t on the system but on the number of fermenters they have. They also have an 150BBL surge tank for filtering their well water supply.

Future outdoor taproom and live music stage

HEBS

Picture from the brewery looking towards the tap room, with entrance to the private event space on the left.

Tap Handle Design

Tap Handle Design

Future Private Event Space

The post Dog Will Hunt – Running Walker Brewery first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Dog Will Hunt – Running Walker Brewery appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

This pretty much describes my path into the craft beer world, and it probably describes many of your paths, too. Oh, some of you may have taken your coin to the high dive and dropped it and dived as deep as you could, but I think for many it’s been more of an approach like mine: gradual, cautious, and rewarding.

I’m talking about the bottom of the ocean, not this bottle, which is delicious.

The difference between that game in the pool and the craft beer world is that there doesn’t seem to be a bottom to this craft beer pool. In fact, it’s more like the ocean and the bottom is somewhere out there in the abyss (and I’m not talking about the bottom of a bottle of Deschutes The Abyss). The other day, my friend commented that I was fully in the deep end. It made me think about it for a bit. How deep have I gotten?  I trade with a friend in another state, but I’m not on any of the online trader groups. When I travel, I try to get to a brewery or two, but I haven’t done a trip just focused around beer (yet). I don’t homebrew.

On the other hand, I am on a first name basis with more than one beer manager in town. I have my plate on the wall at the Sugar Land Flying Saucer. I can’t imagine traveling some place and not bringing back a bottle or two. I don’t miss rare releases in the Houston area, and of course you’re reading my article on the Houston Beer Guide, so clearly, I’m pretty deep into it.

This all leads me to ask myself, how deep do I want to throw that coin? It’s a question I challenge you to think about for yourself, too. Maybe you haven’t even gotten out of the kiddie pool yet, drinking your Bud Lights, and you are happy about that. Perhaps you’re in the shallow end, picking up a six pack of something craft when you pop into the store. Maybe you’re a little deeper, and you pick up a bomber of something that looks interesting to you from time to time. Maybe you’re like me, or perhaps you’re similar to Sean Connery in The Hunt for Red October: fully bearded and driving his submarine into the abyss.

The one thing I do know is that the water feels fantastic. The craft beer world is changing like the waves, and I can see this being a choppy ride for some. I’d love to hear from others on what their place is in this beautiful ocean. As for me, I think I’m going to dive a hair deeper, and I hope to take you on that ride through my articles.

The post The Abyss first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post The Abyss appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Why would a brewery use a firkin over a regular keg? Well, the firkin lends itself better to allowing natural conditioning and makes the beer have a smoother finish because of the lack of CO2 needed. It is also an outlet for a brewery to try something special like adding fruit, chocolate, coffee, spices or any other adjunct that the brewery wants to experiment with. Breweries now a days seem to like to use these to add an adjunct to a beer that they commonly brew, and that is what makes this festival so exciting. These beers will be unique. Yes, some of the breweries will have firkins of something they regularly sell, but just putting that in the firkin will change it a bit. In addition, this year there will we a draft wall with 10 limited releases from the participating breweries.

Speaking of participating breweries, it’s a who’s who of the Texas craft beer scene. The festival is actually run by the Texas Craft Brewers Guild, so in many ways it’s the breweries putting this on. The following breweries are planning on participating: Real Ale Brewing Company, Saint Arnold Brewing Company, Freetail Brewing Co., Deep Ellum Brewing Company, Brigadoon Brewery & Brew School, (512) Brewing Company, Cycler’s Brewing, Karbach Brewing Co., No Label Brewing Co., 8th Wonder Brewery, Lone Pint Brewery, New Republic Brewing Company, Southern Star Brewing Company, Brazos Valley Brewing Company and Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company.

Check back as the festival nears as we will update this article with the full beer list, and check back after the festival as I will be writing up a review. I’d love to hear about what you’re drinking and enjoying most that day. So, write a comment after the festival, or better yet, come say hello if you see me; I’ll be out there enjoying it.

Firkin List:

If you get the urge for more carbonation, this year Firkin Fest is offering some traditional draft options as well.

For more detailed descriptions, check out http://houstonfirkinfest.com/

Location: Hennessey Park, 1900 Lyons Ave, Houston, TX  77020

Time: 2 — 6 PM with VIP entrance starting at 12:30 PM

Parking: Free at Saint Arnold as well as on street

Tickets: VIP, General Admission and Designated Driver tickets are available at: Https://www.eventbrite.com/E/Houston-Firkin-Fest-Tickets-21216080869

 

Website: houstonfirkinfest.com

Twitter: @htxfirkinfest

Facebook: www.facebook.com/houstonfirkinfest

Facebook Event RSVP: Https://www.facebook.com/events/1686760454925906/

The post Houston Firkin Fest – Preview first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Houston Firkin Fest – Preview appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

The new Southern Star taproom (photo courtesy of Southern Star)

New beers, new taproom, and a bigger brewhouse: 2016 is going to be a big year for Southern Star Brewing.

Already this year, the Conroe brewery has moved and expanded, adding more brewing capacity at its new location a few miles from its original home. A new indoor taproom opens this week (Friday, Feb. 26.), too. And to top it off, they’ve got at least four new beers scheduled for release this year, according to details provided to Houston Beer Guide by Southern Star. That includes a new year-round IPA, two new seasonals, and another entry in the one-off series that delivered the tasty Honesty of Reason IPA last fall.

Southern Star began brewing on their new brewhouse on February 17, going from a 15 BBL system to a 60 BBL system. As for the new taproom, expect their regular lineup of beers and some taproom-only specials. The space will also be available for private events. Future plans for the new brewery include the addition of a fenced-in dog park, disc golf course, and outdoor beer garden.

New Taproom Hours
Fridays: 5PM – 9PM
Saturdays: Noon – 6PM

Address: 3525 N Frazier St, Conroe, TX 77303

Now, to the beer. Southern Star’s expansion means they can produce a lot more beer, and from the advanced look at their lineup, they are planning to. In addition to their current year-round lineup (Bombshell Blonde, Buried Hatchet Stout, Pine Belt Pale Ale, and Valkyrie), they are releasing a new, year-round IPA called Conspiracy Theory. Southern Star provided HBG with the following tasting notes:

“Conspiracy Theory is the culmination of the knowledge we have gained from the Hopped and Screwed series. It is a 6.5% ABV India Pale Ale with Amarillo and Simcoe hops dominating both flavor and aroma. A light, but noticeable caramel malt backbone boosts the drinkability of this true West-coast style IPA.”

The new can design for Conspiracy Theory IPA (courtesy of Southern Star)

The Spring Pils Tree (photo courtesy of Southern Star)

Southern Star is also planning an entirely revamped seasonal lineup. The first offering will be Spring Pils, which Southern Star describes as:

“…a German-style pilsner with a noble hop profile and a noticeable malt profile derived from 100% German pilsner malt subjected to a single decoction mash profile.”

That will be followed by one of my favorites, Walloon, that will be rebranded and called Summer Saison. Both the Spring Pils and Summer Saison cans will feature a tree in different states of growth.

In the fall, Southern Star will release its first Oktoberfest beer. The as-of-now unnamed beer will be a traditional Oktoberfest using German Munich and Vienna Malts. For the winter, we will see the return of Old Potentate, rebranded with a new name and can design. Old Potentate is a British-style Old Ale that was last brewed in 2014 but last canned in 2012.

In 2015, Southern Star released their first beer in their One-Off Art Series, which features a can designed by a local artist and a speciality one-off beer. The first in that series was the beautifully canned Honesty of Reason, with artwork by Michael Draper. The next entry will be one I’m particularly excited for: Garden State. With gorgeous artwork from local artist Nicole Gavin, Garden State will be a Bavarian-style hefeweizen dry-hopped with Mandarina hops. This should give the beer some slight orange notes in what is being described as a traditional banana and clove hefeweizen.

Look for release dates for all of these beers on our release page located here as soon as we have them.  The future is looking very bright for Southern Star!

The Summer Saison Tree (photo courtesy of Southern Star)

Garden State (photo courtesy of Southern Star)

The post 2016: The Rise of Southern Star first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post 2016: The Rise of Southern Star appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.