I chose to whip out my fancy snifter glass for this one; however, with the low hop aroma you don’t miss much out of the can. It’s a very rich beer, as any imperial stout should be, but the flavors meld together well. Chocolate is by far the largest player, with a smooth boozy finish. I found myself craving more as I drank it, which is always a good sign.

When I poured it into my glass, the first thing I noticed was the color. It pours black — almost jet black — and I didn’t get much foamy head out of it either. There’s not much fruit or bitterness, and the licorice-like taste that hits you at the end is a very pleasant surprise. It also makes you very aware of the high alcohol level (9.3% ABV), and the booze content will warm your belly. Lastly, this is a thicker beer, even for a stout, so prepare to chew on it.

Speaking of chewing, it’s always nice to add a food pairing into the mix that will enhance your beer experience. I say you go with a big old slice of pie, preferably pecan. The strong malt profile of the beer stands up well to the sugary goodness of the pie. Also, since pecan pie can be so sticky having a beer with higher alcohol keeps your palate more clear. Never mind the New Year Resolutions with this one.

Overall, I think Three Legged Lab is an excellent beer and a great representation of the imperial stout style. All beer snobbish commentary aside, it’s awesome and I’m proud to say it is made here in Houston. Go find a 4-pack while you can — you don’t have much longer this year to find it! Cheers

The post Karbach Three Legged Lab Imperial Stout first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Karbach Three Legged Lab Imperial Stout appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Let me explain…

I too want to improve my fitness and decrease my waistline this year but I don’t want to sacrifice my beer drinking in order to do so. Beer is deceptively high in calories — it’s often difficult for me to find an IPA with less than 200 calories per 12 ounce bottle. We always think twice about consuming nachos or pancakes but rarely do we put our beer mug down because of the caloric intake. There must be a way for all of us to continue enjoying our heavyweight beers without becoming heavyweights ourselves, right? I’ve attempted to dissect the local craft beer scene in order to find a resolution for you beer-loving fitness enthusiasts (or hopeful enthusiasts) by looking at calories and alcohol by volume, ABV.

The reason for looking at calories is obvious; the reason I also look at ABV is because nutrition facts are not required on beer labels and there’s a lot of resistance to making the information known. Alcohol content is probably the best indicator of calories since every gram of alcohol contributes about 7 calories towards your beer. It can get a lot more complicated than this due to the amount of sugars and the fermentation process, but this is a simple approximation. I utilized two sources for the information: www.myfitnesspal.com & The Next Glass (iOS app). Simply finding caloric information for craft beer is extremely difficult and my findings are only as good as the data available.

I’ve highlighted my 5 favorite healthy brewery options + a “cheat meal”. If you’re still thirsty for more there is a longer list towards the bottom. All calorie amounts are per a 12-ounce serving.

Saint Arnold

Saint Arnold’s Marketing Director, Lennie Ambrose, actually provided their exact nutrition facts. The SA beer with the least amount of calories is the new Boiler Room Berliner Weisse with 120 per 12oz, which I must say is awesomely refreshing. Other good options are Fancy Lawnmower, Weedwacker and Santo, which all clock in at 149 calories each. You shouldn’t have a problem finding any of these on store shelves.

Karbach

I found Love Street Kolsch to have 123 calories and Weisse Versa Wheat, 156 (according to Next Glass). Both are very solid beers, especially in the Texas heat. Also, Staycation with only 4.8% ABV or Zee German Pils with 4.9% ABV will keep you light and tight. The Zee German Pils was released last week.

8^th Wonder

8^th Wonder has quite the assortment of beers available but finding nutrition facts on them is tough. A safe bet would be to keep it light with some Dome Faux’m, which is a cream ale at only 5.2% ABV.

Buffalo Bayou

I wasn’t expecting to find a healthy option from a brewery that creates beers such as Bananas Foster, Mud Turtle, Gingerbread Stout and Red Velvet Stout, but they provide a selection of beers across the spectrum. For instance, their 1836 Copper Ale claims only 171 calories (Next Glass), while the Summer’s Wit hoists 180 (Next Glass). I highly recommend the toasty 1836 to be paired with a lean burger for the ideal post-workout reload. Beer hydrates, right?

No Label

They tout quite a number of beers under the 200 calorie mark. No Label has the lowest average calorie count of all the breweries I looked at. Your fittest bets would be the 1^st Street Blonde Ale with 150 calories and 5% ABV, or El Hefe Hefeweizen with 165 calories at 5.5% ABV (all stats from Next Glass).

Brash (CHEAT MEAL)

Let’s be honest, you don’t drink a beer from Brash because you’re looking to cut back on calories and they don’t make beer for that reason either. Consider a Brash Cortado, Abide, or Smoglifter Stout as your cheat meal. You earned it. If you want to be picky then search out their EZ-7 pale ale with only 5% ABV.

The following is a list of more local beers under 6% ABV or 200 calories per 12 ounces to fit your fitness goals:

B-52

The Payload Pilsner: 5.1% ABV
Schwarzbier: 4.3% ABV & 129 Calories
Wingman Wheat IPA: 5.7% ABV

Southern Star

Bombshell Blonde Ale: 5.3% ABV & 157 calories (Next Glass)

Lone Pint

Zeno’s Pale Ale: 5.9% ABV
Yellow Rose IPA: 6.8% ABV & 215 calories.

Whole Foods Market Brewing

Vienna Lager: 4.9% ABV

Town in City

Mosquito’s Revenge Pale Ale: 5.5% ABV

Spindletap

The Boomtown Blonde Ale: 5.5% ABV
Toolpusher Pale Ale: 5.5% ABV

Galveston Island

Tiki Wheat: 5.6% ABV

Texian

Vaquero Mexican Dark Lager: 5.2% ABV
Travis Pale Lager: 5.2% ABV

11 Below

7-Iron Session Ale: 4.5% ABV

And there you have it. Houston craft brewers are gaining a reputation for producing truly awesome BIG beers but as you can see there are plenty of lighter beers you can enjoy while trying to cut back on calories.

While my list is extensive, it’s not comprehensive, so if you would like to include any breweries that I missed or find faults in my arguments please leave a comment below.

The feedback is always much appreciated. Cheers y’all and I hope you’re able to enjoy plenty of beer while sticking to your resolutions in 2016. Let us know how it goes.

The post New Year’s Resolution: Drink (Somewhat) Healthier Beer! first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post New Year’s Resolution: Drink (Somewhat) Healthier Beer! appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

But I think I’ve found the “Most Houston” beer ever for fellow Bayou City dwellers to enjoy.

A beer that represents The City of Syrup should be crisp and refreshing to help us get through the intense heat. After spending hours in weather conditions that scare most people, the last thing I want to do is try to chug an Imperial Stout or Triple IPA. I crave something light, golden, thirst-quenching, carbonated, clean, and not too hoppy or boozy! Sounds pretty awesome, right?

How about we add one more Houston element to the mix. Let’s name it after one of our City’s most notable historic figures! The Allen brothers founded the city of Houston in 1836 and named it in honor of Sam Houston, the first and third President of The Republic of Texas. Who better to represent our hometown?

Introducing Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company’s Sam’s Daily Cream Ale. They teamed up with local bar owner Brad Moore (ownership in Lei Low, The Honeymoon, OKRA Charity Bar, etc.) to create this beauty. It’s everything you want to beat the heat and comes in a sweet can showcasing Sam Houston’s handsome mugshot. And at only 5.8% ABV, it won’t knock you on your rear if you consume more than a couple. This should be a new staple within your craft beer repertoire.

I like to think that if that giant Sam Houston statue in Huntsville, TX decided to break lose and crush a beer this would be the one he drinks! I’d pay good money to see that…

So go to your local beer shop and seek out Sam’s Daily cream ale. Cheers to the beers.

The post The Most Houston Beer Ever? first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post The Most Houston Beer Ever? appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Town In City Brewing Company is doing a great job of fueling the wave for our cultural improvement. The Houston Heights area has become a popular destination for young and adventurous Houstonians, it’s also one of the few historical districts in Houston.

Just like the neighborhood, this brewery exudes the aura of a small picturesque town within a huge city – hence the name.

Town In City Brewing is located at 1125 West Cavalcade Road, which is dangerous because it’s walking distance from my house. The founders, Justin Engle and Steve Macalello, chose to host the grand opening on “White Linen Night” on August 1^st, always a highly anticipated event where thousands of people wear ridiculous clothes and flock to the neighborhood for shenanigans. Town In City even named one of their IPAs after the event. I wasn’t able to visit during the grand opening but I walked over a few days later to scope out what was destined to be my new home-away-from-home.

As you stroll up the relaxed atmosphere is almost immediate with the long patio tables, outdoor lighting, and custom artwork on the walls. The new tap room is what you would expect: lots of hardwood, steel, and friendly faces behind the bar. (Please note that they are only open to the public Wednesday-Sunday.) Town In City Brewery categorizes its beers into 2 sections: City Series and Community Series. Beers in the City Series are currently representations of classic English brews, but there will be more adaptations to come. The Community Series is for brews inspired by friends/family/random people and each beer has a unique story behind it.

I look forward to the Community Series and will make one of my life goals to have a beer named after me!

When I arrived, they had the White Linen IPA, Chipped Tooth IPA, Mosquito’s Revenge Pale Ale, and City Porter on tap (there are even more tap options and an on-site food truck now). Since it was a steaming hot day here in Texas, I opted for the pale ale and posted up on the large patio. Mosquito’s Revenge is hopped with three varieties of American hops and drinks very easy. It’s a friendly beer that I would suggest for any craft beer newbie, and at only 5.5% ABV it won’t put you on your butt.

The moral of this story is if you’re living in Houston and starting to get the urge to move away or try another city — go stop by and visit Town In City Brewery in The Heights. Order up a tasty beer, put your sunglasses on, and I promise you’ll want to stay forever. And if you see me there I might even buy you a beer.

Cheers to the beers y’all!

Please visit the brewery’s social media pages below:

Facebook

Twitter  

Instagram 

The post Town In City Brewing – Helping Give Houston A Small Town Feel first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Town In City Brewing – Helping Give Houston A Small Town Feel appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.