Brewing pumpkin beer comes with very little structure or rules that must be followed. You can find pumpkin beers with a base of a standard ale, a heavy stout, a coffee porter, a sour ale, a Märzen lager, and so many other styles that can be utilized with pumpkin.

Most pumpkin beers taste great, but my second reason for being so interested in this style is that pumpkin/yam beers were a popular style in early American societies. Many scholars believe that, around 1620, colonial brewers used pumpkins and squash—among many other adjuncts containing natural sugars—to help with fermentation. In Joshua M. Bernstein’s The Complete Beer Course, he explains:

“To stretch out the costly grain, crafty brewers grabbed anything and everything that contained fermentable sugars and flavor, such as Jerusalem artichokes, persimmons, spruce tips, molasses, corn, and pumpkins.”

When enjoying pumpkin beer, we can go out on a limb and say that we’re drinking ales and lagers similar to what colonials consumed over 400 years ago. Thankfully, our society has the resources to craft more palatable pumpkin beers than those brewed by our ancestors. Read on to learn about some of Houston’s own renditions of this broad style!

“Pumpkin Spice Oktoberfest” – Saloon Door Brewing

While I’m not sure how German brewers feel about it, I’m a big fan of using pumpkin to add a little fun to a classic Märzen-style lager.

This version of Saloon Door’s classic Oktoberfest lager has organic pumpkin puree and spices added. The brewers achieved a perfect balance in what I believe was the intent of this brew. The adjuncts are present and welcome but not too robust, allowing the base beverage to shine. I enjoyed the light scent of cinnamon and subtle taste of pumpkin upfront, with the malty, lightly hoppy finish you’d expect from a quality Oktoberfest/Märzen lager.

“Nightmare on 1st Street” – No Label Brewing Company

If you enjoy vintage slasher films like I do, you might appreciate this beer just for its name. Of course, it comes with cool artwork and marketing to match.

As fun as this beer is, drink it slowly—it clocks in at 9.27% ABV, making it the second-strongest beer on this list.

What makes this pumpkin beer unique is No Label’s use of an imperial amber ale as the base. The beer is bready and malty, with light notes of caramel or toffee. On top of that, cinnamon and ginger take center stage as the dominant flavors. No Label suggests pairing this beer with roast turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie, and I think they nailed it.

“Nightmare on 1st Street” is a perfect addition to this list of late fall treats, guaranteed to warm you up on a cool Houston night.

“Pumpkin Coffee Porter” – H Town Brewing Co.

H Town Brewing Co. may have been first this season to release a pumpkin beer in the greater Houston area.

“Pumpkin Coffee Porter” is a coffee porter first and a pumpkin beer second. It has a rich coffee flavor with a light scent of pumpkin to complement it. The beer’s consistency is on the lighter side for a porter, a welcome trait when enjoyed outdoors on a warm September afternoon.

“Yeller Weller Pumpkin Spice” – Elder Son Brewery

Elder Son Brewery has a seasonal milk stout called “Yeller Weller,” a semi-sweet, well-balanced dark beer with vanilla bean added. This October, they released both the seasonal ale and a pumpkin variant called “Yeller Weller Pumpkin Spice.”

This 5.7% ABV milk stout has light coffee and chocolate notes from its base beer, complemented by fall spices and pumpkin flavor. This beer is a sweet treat and my current favorite dessert beer in town.

“Pumpkinator (2024)” – Saint Arnold Brewing Company

No list of Houston-area pumpkin beers would be complete without our region’s most popular pumpkin beer: “Pumpkinator.”

This heavily layered, complex stout is perfect for sipping slowly. Each sip brings new flavors to the palate. The 2024 version offers robust notes of pumpkin, brown sugar, and molasses up front, balanced by the black coffee flavors typical of this style.

“Pumpkinator” earns high regard not just for its flavor but also for being brewed with real pumpkin—a brewing practice that seems to be fading.

Finally, one of my favorite things about “Pumpkinator” is the bottle. Packaged in a 22oz bomber, “Pumpkinator” can be enjoyed by one’s self, but it is quite a commitment. The other purpose of this size bottle is to enjoy it with someone you care about. 22oz of this beer with a friend or family member is the perfect vehicle to enjoy one’s company, share memories and
make new ones.

“Old Gourd” – Vallensons’ Brewing Company

Although the beers in this article aren’t ranked, Vallensons’ “Old Gourd” is my personal favorite of the season.

This ale contains real pumpkin, a rare but admirable choice among brewers. It’s packed with flavor, making other traditional pumpkin ales seem bland. The beer features squash flavors complemented by cinnamon and other spices. At just 5% ABV, it’s a flavorful yet sessionable option.

Honorable Mentions

Here are a few more pumpkin beers from the Houston area that I’ve heard great things about but haven’t tried yet. If you enjoy any beers mentioned—or others I’ve missed—let me know your thoughts!

• “Pumpkin Annihilation” – Spicy Pumpkin Barleywine – Excalibur Brewing
• “Gourd in the Stone” – Pumpkin Imperial Stout – Excalibur Brewing
• “Smashing Pumpkin” – Pumpkin Ale – Galveston Island Brewing
• “Haunted Toffee Harvest” – Pumpkin Toffee Cream Ale – Saloon Door Brewing
• “Scared of the Dark” – Pumpkin Pie Spiced Stout – Holler Brewing

Enjoy the rest of pumpkin beer season, Houston!

Cheers!

The post Pumpkin Beer Season is Still Upon Us, Houston first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Pumpkin Beer Season is Still Upon Us, Houston appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

If you’ve ever been to Lovelady, Texas, you’ve probably heard of Stesti Brewing Company. And if you’ve had a beer in Houston, you might know “Stesti Steve”—not his real name, but that’s what he goes by on IG. He’s been repping Stesti for the last 7 few years. Jackie and I recently got the chance to visit Stesti Brewing Company latest expansion, the Stesti Food Hall and Beer Garden – right in the heart of Midtown, and let me tell you—it’s a must-see.

Remember the old Conservatory on Prairie? Yeah, kinda like that but better. Well, this new taproom sits in a similar food hall setting with 7 different and unique restaurant concepts, all under the management of the brewery. Brewing still happens at the primary brewery in Loveland and transported to the beer garden.

And it’s not just beer on tap here—the beer garden also offers margaritas and wine. Feeling fancy? There’s even a cocktail bar inside for those extra spicy moods.

While there’s plenty of seating throughout the complex, the best spot is right at the bar with our host, Steve.

We chatted with him about how much the craft beer scene has changed over the years, especially from his early days working with a well-known distributor. He walked us through several beers on tap, and here’s the scoop:

• Czech Mex: A more tart-than-wheat flavor, super approachable.
• Sex with a Ghost: An interesting brew made with hops handpicked by the brewer’s wife in Colorado. This mix of hop varieties made for a refreshing session ale.
• Summer Pilsner with Pomegranate: Fruity and delightful.
• Tractor Juice: A light, country-style spin on the classic Pilsner Urquell, clocking in at just 3.7%—perfectly refreshing.
• Dark Lager: My personal favorite, with a light body and smoky, roasted cocoa aroma.

After sampling a few beers, we hit up some of the food hall booths to check out the offerings and decided on lemon pepper wings with fried okra on the side—absolutely delicious. Vendors booths include: The Coffee Garden, Xeo Yum, Phat Bastard Pies, The Greedy Chicken, Xica, Foreign Grill. There is also a pizza bar being planned too!

How about some Sunday Funday? Their Oktoberfest event is also coming up on Sunday Oct 27, this will be a perfect time to celebrate with live DJ, craft and cocktail samples and our favorite German brass band, The Homebrewed Brass Ensemble. Stay till 4pm to watch the Malia Hula hut dancers.

If you’re looking for a new place to enjoy Houston’s perfect patio weather, make sure to stop by Stesti Beer Garden in Midtown. You won’t be disappointed! Tell Steve we sent you!

Stesti Food Hall and Beer Garden is located at 606 Dennis St. in Houston Texas.

SUNDAY – THURSDAY 11:00AM – 10:00PM // FRIDAY & SATURDAY 11:00AM – 12:00AM

THE COFFEE GARDEN IS OPEN DAILY – PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS ARE OPEN FOR BREAKFAST 7AM-11AM

The post Patio Season is Here: Exploring Stesti Beer Garden in Midtown first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

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Anyone who has spent any time in our incredible city during the summer months knows that it is hot outside now and getting hotter! Although, that does not mean we have any reason to slow down when it comes to enjoying Houston’s local beer scene.

It has already been a great year for beer thus far. I know many of you readers have had your fair share of big, heavy beers in the last few months (I know I have).

Spindletap’s yearly springtime offering of their much sought after, “Juiceton” Double IPA at 8% ABV, has come and gone.  

Anyone who has made it over to Brash Brewing in the last several months may have enjoyed their popular “Vulgar Display of Power” Russian imperial stout at a whopping 14% ABV. 

Perhaps closer to the beginning of this year you had True Anomaly’s “Jupiter Drops” double IPA with lactose at 8.9%.

Of course, after this summer is over, we get to look forward to exciting fall time releases, like Saint Arnold Brewing Company’s “Pumpkinator 2024” imperial stout, and a multitude of other cool-weather, heavy-hitting Houston favorites.

If it is your prerogative to enjoy more big beers this summer as the sun stays up longer and our days get hotter, then you are a much bolder Houstonian than me. 

However, if you are interested in cooling down this summer with some of Houston’s lighter alcohol content beers without sacrificing awesome flavor, then I encourage you to continue reading this article.

The following beers are not ranked in any ascending or descending order. I think each and every one of these beers is a perfect summer-time refreshment, depending on what style ale or lager you happen to be craving.

1. “Pink” – Vallensons’ Brewing Company (Berliner – 4% ABV)

“Pink” is a Berliner Weisse style ale, that has some overlapping qualities to a sour, without quite as much tartness. It is light in consistency and is overflowing with cherry flavor. Given the style, you should expect this beer to be a bit sweet, but I personally would not consider it a dessert- specific beer. There are many beers available in this category that have a comparably beautiful color in the glass, but “Pink” is deceivingly better than the rest. It is slightly sweet, slightly tart, very refreshing, flavorful and completely crushable. It is no surprise that “Pink” has won several awards in the last few years. 

“Pink” is currently on tap at Vallensons’ Brewing Company at the time of this article’s publication.

2. “Pilsner Rešov” – Equal Parts Brewing (Czech Pilsner – 4.6% ABV)

Anyone who has done a little bit of reading about Czech pour styles or has spent any time enjoying beers in Europe, is probably quite refreshed when seeing a lager style beer poured with a head like the one in the picture here of “Pilsner Rešov” by Equal Parts Brewing.

Equal Parts Brewing has done an excellent job giving their visitors an authentic experience on how a cold-fermentation beer should be served, as well as how a high quality one should taste. 

In this article I won’t dive deep into different pour styles made famous by the brewers of Czech Republic, nor the Lukr side pour faucet that this beer was beautifully dispensed from. 

In my opinion “Pilsner Rešov” is about as close as we can get to the perfectly crafted pilsner that tastes exactly as it’s initial creators intended without leaving Houston. 

This pilsner has floral hop character, with nearly no bitterness. It finishes clean with a very faint note of pepper.

This award winning pilsner is currently on tap at Equal Parts Brewing at the time of this article’s publication. 

3. “Castle Pale Ale” – Walking Stick Brewing Co. (American Pale Ale – 5.1%)

For those of you looking for a slightly hoppier refreshment while remaining in the low ABV category, I recommend trying “Castle Pale Ale”. 

This is a British style pale ale with great hop aroma and relatively low bitter properties. This beautifully crafted beverage is slightly malty, but not quite as malt- forward as it’s amber color may lead you to believe. It is a refreshing ale with a ton of flavor for 5.1% abv. 

“Castle Pale Ale” is currently on tap at Walking Stick Brewing Co. at the time of this article’s publication. 

4. “Citrus Shandy” – Saint Arnold Brewing Company (Shandy – 4.5%)

If you are familiar with shandy as a beer style, then you likely know that a proper shandy consists of equal parts beer to lemon soda. Saint Arnold Brewing Company’s “Citrus Shandy”, is perfectly balanced between these two main ingredients that make up the perfect shandy.

The lemon and grapefruit soda in this beverage is citrus-y, (just as the can describes), and refreshing. Of course, just like any proper shandy, this is a sweet beer – but it still tastes like beer!   

I think balanced is a great word to describe this beer. This is a beautifully crafted lager, with the added refreshing compliment of Saint Arnold’s lemon and grapefruit soda. It is neither too bland nor too sweet. 

“Citrus Shandy” is available on tap and in cans to go at Saint Arnold Brewing Company. It is also available in cans to go at many Houston area grocery and liquor stores.

5. “Fire in the Hole” – Holler Brewing Company (Mexican Lager – 4.7%)

The last beer I will share qualifies as an incredible Houston beer at a low ABV to enjoy this summer – although this one may not actually cool you down!  

Spicy beers are not for everyone, but if you enjoy spicy food, then a little heat in your beer can really turn your pint into a party!

“Fire in the Hole” starts with a perfectly brewed Mexican style lager. Hot peppers used in the brewing process, provide this beer with some big flavorful adjunct notes that give off quite a kick. The spicy heat in this beer is presented evenly throughout the drinking experience. It may leave you never wanting to go back to a dressed Modelo. 

This beer is served ice cold at Holler Brewing Company and is available in multiple different serving sizes. If you are unsure as to whether you will like this hot and spicy beer, I encourage you to at least give it a try as part of a flight.

“Fire in the Hole” is currently on tap at Holler Brewing Company at the time of this article’s publication. It can also be purchased to go at their brewery if you provide your own clean growler. 

Houston’s craft beer scene is thriving, offering a vibrant mix of past achievements and future potential. The five beers mentioned are personal favorites of each style and not ranked in any particular order. I encourage you to try any of these beers and share your thoughts with me. Ultimately, the best beer is the one enjoyed in a place that makes you happy or with people you care about. Cheers to enjoying great beer this summer!

The post Beers under 5.2% to Cool You Down This Summer In Houston first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Beers under 5.2% to Cool You Down This Summer In Houston appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Downtown Dusty boasts a color true to the amber style, pouring a gorgeous amber or golden-red hue with a creamy white head. The aroma is subtly malty and bready, enticing you to take a deep breath and savor the moment. With the first sip, the maltiness smoothly envelops your palate, urging you to take larger sips than usual. Following the initial malty notes, you’ll notice a delightful interplay of bready and caramel flavors, complementing each other beautifully. On the finish, a faint floral note emerges, accompanied by a mild hop presence that refreshes your palate just enough.

Now, after geeking out over Downtown Dusty’s flavors, let me tell you why I believe it’s the perfect beer for spring and summer—especially in Houston, where they’re practically one and the same. At 5%, Downtown Dusty is crushable, allowing you to enjoy multiple without feeling weighed down, making it ideal for tackling those tasks you’ve been procrastinating, like yard work. Its crispness leaves your mouth dry enough to crave another sip.

And the convenience doesn’t stop there—Downtown Dusty is available in cans to-go and can be found at local grocery stores, making it accessible wherever you are. Plus, the can’s artwork by Kevin Dyer captures downtown Katy and its historic silos and rail line, adding a touch of local history to your beer experience. Be sure to swing by the taproom or check your local grocery store shelves for Downtown Dusty, and if you need assistance locating it, feel free to shoot me a message on IG.

Cheers!

The post Headed out West to meet Downtown Dusty first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Headed out West to meet Downtown Dusty appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

If you’ve read any of my articles or ever had a conversation with me about beer you’ll know that I’m all about that stout life. When I heard Excalibur Brewing in Old Town Spring announced the 2nd annual Stout Fest 2024, you know I had to get the inside scoop. Stout Fest 2024 will be held at Excalibur Brewing on Saturday January 27th, where 11 breweries including Excalibur will be showcasing their finest stouts. This ticketed event will let you taste beer from several breweries in one location. With your general admission entry, you will receive a 4 oz taster glass and 8 taster tickets starting at noon for only $45. VIP ticket admission allows you to enter a hour early to enjoy unlimited samplings of the stouts and an additional taster tickets and access to refreshments – all for $80. You can buy additional tickets at the bar if you want a bit extra to enjoy. If you do not purchase a ticket, you will not be able to enter the brewery or order beer until 6PM as it will be closed exclusively for Stout Fest ticket holders only. Treat this like a private stout party with all our closest darkest friends. I am looking forward to this year’s Arthur’s Tomb variant. Peanut butter variant was a big hit before, and Red Velvet is currently on tap – I wonder what it will be this year?

The breweries in attendance for this year’s Stout Fest are Equal Parts, DECA, Location Six, Brew: 30, Misfit Outpost, Frankenboltzzz, Brash, Devil and the Deep, Megaton, and Turkey Forrest Brewing. The way Stout Fest works is each brewery will offer two different stouts for you to sample, so that’s over 20 samples of stouts available to you! With this stacked line up of breweries, there is no wrong decision on which you pick!

I was able to enjoy the collaboration beer designed between Excalibur and Frankenboltzzz while I visited. This golden stout aged with tres leches cake had a well balanced sweetness with soft coffee tones – very tasty! Each brewery will also have merchandise on site so you can show your support for them by purchasing shirts, stickers and hats. 

Purchase your tickets for Stout Fest at: https://excaliburbrewing.com/stout-fest-2024-ticket-sales/ 

With only two weeks until the event, you better hurry because the tickets are flying fast. There is plenty of seating available however if you would like to bring your lawn chairs to create your own camp, you’re more than welcome to. Parking is not a challenge either – there is a lot that is available on the corner of Border and Prairie, but since there are plenty of stouts to go around, we recommend ride sharing. Designated driver tickets are also available for $20 for individuals who want to attend but will not be drinking. Please have fun but be responsible.

No beer festival is complete without live music.

To keep you entertained Excalibur Brewing will host Mississippi Smile, Tab Cocchia, and Background Noise HTX.

Galexy Concessions just opened up next door to Excalibur so you can walk over and get a bite to eat or enjoy additional food vendors on site. Rustic Barrel will be on site selling BBQ, and Maine Lobster will be serving up their famous lobster dishes.

I am looking forward to celebrating local made stouts at this event. Bring a friend or make a date out of it. Other Houston Beer contributors will be available during the event to chat about all the way you can help support local craft beer too. See you there!

The post Stout Fest 2024 at Excalibur Brewing in Old Town Spring first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Stout Fest 2024 at Excalibur Brewing in Old Town Spring appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

To my surprise, this Belgian White style ale beer was very enjoyable to drink. Really felt like a complete beer on my palete. The traditional Belgian-style white beer is made with malted barley and unmalted wheat and sometimes oats or spelt too. It is spiced with a touch of hops to keep the bitterness low but carries notes of light coriander and citrus orange peel. Paired with a Belgian yeast character it’s mildy fruity and has subtle spice flavor notes. The appearance of white beer is usually pale yellow in color with a slight haziness and a rich, foamy head. The aroma is citrusy, spicy, and fruity and the body is light. Perhaps a bit too light?

The taste is balanced with light malt and wheat flavors, and has a bright pop of citrus on the nose. I am not gonna suggest you throw an orange slice in it for the Blue Moon effect but you could! The alcohol content of traditional white beer is usually between 4.5% and 5.0% ABV but sitting at 0.5%, this beer is perfect for those that enjoy drinking the more traditional beer styles and want to give their liver a break. After all, it’s good to start fresh with the new year, free from alcohol and easy to enjoy.

If you run across this beer in town, give it a taste. It might not be your favorite beer to drink every day but it’s well executed beer example of a traditional style. The no alcohol part? Your body says thank you. You deserve a break – free yourself and take it easy.

The post Free & Easy N/A Belgian White from Karbach Brewing first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Free & Easy N/A Belgian White from Karbach Brewing appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

“What was your most memorable beer this year?”

Scotch Panda from Elder Son Brewing

I will admit personal bias immediately, but my favorite Houston area beer release for 2023 has to be “Scotch Panda”, a late February release from Elder Son Brewing.  Scotch Panda was a 5.1% ABV Scottish Export Ale that oozed a sweet and smooth, yet perfectly malty, flavor with a little hint of chocolate going down. Being able to come in with Robert Frye of Elder Son and brew this beer was an amazing experience (I wish I could capture the smell of the boil tank that day and turn that into endless amounts of candles), but to have a moderate ABV beer with so much flavor come out of it was even better.  I am going to cross my fingers and hope, just maybe, Scotch Panda makes a return one day. 

– Jackie @JackieVonPanda

Chill Brah from Project Halo Brewing

If I’m picking the beer that had the biggest impression on me then I’d have to look no further than Project Halo’s Chill Brah 4.9% ABV, a seasonal black ale with rice. I remember the day I went out to Fulshear to get some more of this beer because it went down so smoothly. For a beer being so black, you’d expect it to be heavier yet it’s deceptively light. Chill Brah was roasty and bold but provided a crushable experience. I remember someone asking what beer I was having in the taproom and I told them “Chill Brah”. After reassuring them that it was in fact the name of the beer, and not me being confrontational, the bar sold nearly 20 pints in a matter of 30 minutes. I was excited to tell everyone about how great of a beer this was and will continue to beat the drum loudly till it makes its return.

Ronnie R. @Mxc_ronnie

Fresh Love Double IPA from Spindletap Brewery

Bob Marley was once quoted saying “You may not be her first, her last, or her only. She loved before, she may love again. But if she loves you now, what else matters?” … And I will definitely love this beer again.

Choosing only one beer for the year was tough but Fresh Love DIPA 8.5% ABV is my final pick for beer of the year in 2023. Spawning from the recipe of One Love, a Simcoe and Nugget focused double IPA, Spindletap Brewery took a spin off the dank tropical vibes and remixed this year’s batch with fresh Simcoe hops. Brewed with Yakima Chief’s frozen fresh hops, this beer was the perfect balance of tropical and grassy notes. Distinct dank quality along with a cornucopia of fruit aromas like sweet pineapple, zesty grapefruit, and candied orange dominate with a very delicious resinous backbone. The perfect IPA for old school IPA drinkers like me and those that want to experience their love of IPAs for the very first time.

Sylvia @HoustonBeerMother

What was your favorite beer of 2023?

Send us an email at cheers@houstonbeerguide.com and let us know!

Have a safe and joyous Happy New Year!

See you in 2024.

The post A Beer To Remember in 2023 first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post A Beer To Remember in 2023 appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

How do you say goodbye to a brewery you’ve been visiting since the beginning, made countless memories from, built great friendships and was the place you started your craft beer adventures at? I would like to start by first saying, this sucks. Really sucks!

January 6th will be Ingenious’s official last day open. As someone who supported them through every twist and turn the industry saw, it hit me hard to hear this news. I spent so much time & money at this brewery and stood up for them in many ways. Like many other die hard Ingenious fans, I often went out of my way to share beers I was drinking on social media to spread the love and never left the taproom without buying beer to go. I loved walking in and everyone immediately starts shouting and cheering, truly excited that I was there. This was the one place I could count on feeling right at home. Ingenious even participated in this past year’s Houston Beer Block Party and was quite popular on the block, kicking 3 kegs that day! Much love to them for keeping stouts on year round too. It’s safe to say that Ingenious has etched a special place in my heart that I will never forget.

Normally I’m known for being the serious and strictly beer focused writer with my articles but I want to use this time to acknowledge all the employees I’ve gotten to know over the years and the memories they’ve help create. This team was the pillar of Ingenious Brewing Co. From bullying Graham during trivia with team names themed around him, to laughing with Casey aka DJ C-Note every time I visited. I enjoyed having in depth conversations with him about the Oilwell vending machine in the lobby. Talking metal and music with Krista, she always knew what beers I was walking in for, and Jason being there a short time but being someone who got my humor. There was never a dull moment with him and I loved sampling michelada prototypes he was working on. Derek and I would geek out on beer and he would motivate me to add adjuncts to my home brew to get the desired “Ingenious” effect. Alex and I have had a few moments of me sharing beers from all over and I will certainly miss these conversations. Lee and the funny beers named after him during his birthday celebration, and the night he needed help kicking a keg of a barrel aged stout along with the headache that followed the next morning.  James and I would talk sports and sample beers from the brite tank. James took great pride in all of his beers and loved helping with social media even going emo for a night that will forever live in infamy. Such good times to remember.

So I ask you, please raise a glass to the hardworking team that has ever been a part of Ingenious power house. I wish each and every one of them the best of luck on their future path forward.

It’s not too late to support. Join me in these final days and let’s help them clear out some inventory by buying merchandise, glassware, beer, and stickers to forever have a piece of Humble history. Before you leave, get your hands on the Brewers Reserve. This year’s was aged in still Austin barrels for two years giving that barrel aged finished we all know and love. It’s smooth chocolate note along with a beautiful roast to balance out the bourbon barrel is very delicious. This beer represents James’ focus on his amazing stouts as they only use the barrel and his base recipe. Feeling sour? We know you are. Go get the last batch of Elf’s Blood, a Christmas tradition that comes out every December. Ingenious wasn’t just known for their crazy adjunct focused beers, but was really keeping things fresh with lager and crispy as of late. Go get Layover in Vienna or Das Crisp to quench that thirst. Want a hazy IPA? On Comet and C1000 will definitely not let you down. Channel your inner beer nerd and drink the black IPA aptly named Come and drink it.

I am really going to miss this place. Very sad to see it go.

In case you haven’t noticed, Houston Beer needs your love. With breweries dropping out left and right, the beer fans in this area need to rally together to save these local businesses before it’s too late. Please support your local breweries if you can. Your support and contribution is appreciated more that you know.

Ingenious Brewing Company is located at 1986 S Houston Ave, Humble, TX 77396.

The post Ingenious Brewing Company announces closure first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

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The post Beer Reviews: Saint Arnold Brewing – French Press Coffee Porter 🆚 Tarnation Strong Ale first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Beer Reviews: Saint Arnold Brewing – French Press Coffee Porter 🆚 Tarnation Strong Ale appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

After coming across Wolfe in a recent Houston beer related online discussion thread, he extended an invitation to stop by the brewery and try some of Holler’s recent releases.  The first beer I tired was the recently Black Friday release, Dark Artifact.  This barrel aged Imperial Stout pours a dark black, and at 9% ABV.  It is very smooth for a barrel aged beer, with distinct notes of bourbon and a light, roasty flavor.  According to Wolfe, this year’s release of Dark Artifact was aged for seven months in William Price Rye Whiskey barrels.  Wolfe did mention to me that next year’s drop has already been brewed and barreled, and will get just over a full year of barrel aging in before being ready for release next year.   

The second beer I tried during my visit was one of Holler’s Seventh Anniversary releases, an Imperial West Coast IPA named Lucky 7’s.  The name goes along with the brewery’s casino anniversary theme, with the other themed beers released for the Anniversary including Poker Face Pucker (a mixed berry fruited sour), Jackpot Juice (a hazy IPA) and In the Money (a west coast pilsner).  Lucky 7’s was brewed with a collection of ten different hops that resulted in a smooth and dangerous 9.5% ABV brew.  Lucky 7’s went down a little bit too easy, but by the time I got to the bottom of the pint it had made its presence felt.  

In talking with Wolfe more, the conversation led to his journey to Holler.  Having gotten his start in home brewing many years ago, his interest in the industry eventually led to him joining on as an unpaid volunteer at No Label back in 2011.  After a year plus as a volunteer, Wolfe decided to leave his long-time aerospace engineering career behind and go full time into brewing.  He spent a little over six years at No Label as a volunteer, brewer, and eventually Head Brewer.  Wolfe additionally spent time at Southern Star Brewing in Conroe before moving on to become a Co-Founder and Head Brewer at Local Group Brewing.  After almost four years at Local Group, Wolfe made his jump to Holler and says he is enjoying his newest role tremendously. 

When asked what Holler has coming up for 2024, Wolfe replied “More events and more beer.”  It is obvious Wolfe doesn’t want to give too much away with the new year weeks away. He did mention that Holler will continue to innovate heading into the new year, including more barrel aged beers and creative uses of hops in future releases (and not just IPA’s), but will also continue to stay true to the history of the brewery and its historically popular beers.  When asked if Holler will be expanding further to take over more footprint in their current location, as has been suggested by internet rumors, Wolfe added “Nothing concrete for now, but we’re always keeping an eye out for opportunities and planning how to grow smartly.”

Holler Brewing is open normally seven days a week, and is always cycling though new releases, along with its house classics.  There is amble outdoor patio space available along with indoor seating.  There is also always to go options in the cold case by the bar in case you want to take a little bit of Holler home with you.

Holler Brewing is located at 2206 Edwards St. Suite A, 77007. Follow their socials at @hollerbeer (on Instagram)or visit them on the web at https://hollerbeer.com.

The post Huggy Bear Continues Brewing Up Excellence at Holler Brewing first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

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