Wicked was just unleashed upon us in Houston as the elusive haunted beer mascot from No Label Brewing, Murkey Myers has now broken out of his cage and is on the loose, causing havoc and chaos that we all know and love. Fresh off of winning a Global Crushie for best beer mascot – he has somehow gained more power and is out on the prowl looking for trouble.

October is now the month of Murkey, as Murkey has spread to Vallensons’, Elder Son, Galveston Bay, Project Halo, Megaton, and Senate Avenue – each doing their beer in the style of Murkey Myers. I’m excited to see how Murkey’s tour of chaos turns out and to see everyone’s unique twist on the style. With Murkey’s reach spreading, we must find a way to contain him and lock him back up in the Katy silos. But first, let’s have a little fun with him.

This year, No Label is inviting everyone to embark on a haunted hop quest. Visit all 7 breweries and stamp your Murkey Myers passport for a chance to conjure a special Limited-Edition Month of Murkey tin tacker designed by Anthony Gorrity. Beware: you’ll need to check with each brewery for cryptic clues and info.

Check out the details on the passport here from No Label’s Facebook post: Read More.

Murkey (short for Murkey Myers DIPA) lives true to its name, pours a murky pale gold color and has a very upfront aroma of grapefruit. Pay close attention and you will find a mild citrus and a pine note that lingers on the back end balancing out the nose. Upon the first sip, I immediately notice the grapefruit characteristic from the New Zealand Pacific Sunrise hops. There is also a mild fruit flavor that cuts through the hoppy bitterness that makes this beer very smooth to drink. When I say fruit, think of orange citrus or almost mango-like sweetness that balances out the hop bite and makes it an easy drinker despite the ABV sitting at 7.8%. Even though Murkey seems like a tough guy, his mouthfeel is very soft and smooth. For such a hoppy beer I expected there to be a bit of an overwhelming bite, nonetheless No Label managed to find a beautiful balance with the hop bite and fruit character. The fact that the body isn’t too heavy, and it doesn’t weigh you down or make you bloated making it easy to come back for more, which I struggle to find in a hazy double IPA.

I will be splitting up the visits between days to compare and contrast what differences each brewery will bring to the table with their versions.

Canned Murkey will be releasing on October 13th and can be found at the No Label taproom in Katy, HEB, Total Wine, and in select craft beer bars around town. However, if you visit the brewery beware that Murkey doesn’t catch you off guard and alone, rumor is he already took over GABF and Chicago. Stay safe out there and if you see me at any of these locations, come have a beer with me, and let’s discuss which version was your favorite.

Murkey Beer Release Dates to Know:

**ELDER SON BREWING** – 10/1: ELDER MURKEY

**SENATE AVENUE BREWING** – 10/6: MAYOR MURKEY

**MEGATON BREWERY** – 10/7: RADIOACTIVE MURKEY

**VALLENSON’S BREWING** – 10/12: IMMORTAL MURKEY

**NO LABEL BREWING** – 10/13: MURKEY MYERS

**PROJECT HALO BREWING** – 10/21: MURKEY MEOWERS

**GALVESTON BAY BREWING** – 10/31: WEEKEND AT MURKEY’S

The post Murkey Myers Hazy DIPA Haunts Houston – Passport Challenge from No Label Brewing first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Murkey Myers Hazy DIPA Haunts Houston – Passport Challenge from No Label Brewing appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Stop by the brewery taproom in Galveston this Saturday June 11th from 12 to 8pm located at 8423 Stewart Rd Galveston, TX 77554 to help celebrate their 8th anniversary! In addition to delicious food trucks (The Shepherd Mix Food Bar & Around the Corner German Food truck) and live music, they have a full filled scheduled of special release beers for you to enjoy.

Specialty Vintage Tappings:
12 pm:
2019 Stranded on an Island
2020 Roastmaster Reserve

4 pm:
2018 Samson in a Barrel
2020 Beatnik Blend**NEW**
8th Anniversary Belgian IPA
Last Night was Hazy (Hazy IPA)

….and the re-release of Roastmaster Blonde! I am pretty excited about the release of The Roastmaster Reserve myself – which is a blend of barrel aged Samson Imperial Stout & Recooperator, a doppelbock infused with Roastmaster coffee blend beans from Galveston Coffee Roasters. Beatnik, a loyal crowd favorite, is delivering a beautiful blend of different barrel aged stouts aged together to give an unique twist to traditional barrel and stout flavors.

This is a family friendly event, so bring the kiddos along. Galveston Island has a huge playground on site, with tables close by and is minutes from the beach if you want to get the full Galveston experience.

To top off the summer fun, Galveston Island is doing a special Willy Wonka style giveaway associated with this beer. Does that mean I will own the brewery if I win? Nice try, but no. If you find a gold lid in your purchased six pack, bring the can with you to the brewery taproom in Galveston and you will be entered to win a private party in the new production facility and a $500 gift card to spend at Galveston Island Brewing. That’s a lot of beer and goodies! The winner will be drawn on Facebook August 12th at 6:00 pm so be sure to follow Galveston Island Brewing on all their social media channels and be sure to turn on notifications for your chance to win an amazing prize package. For more information on the giveaway simply scan the QR code on the can or visit https://www.galvestonislandbrewing.com/hefenagetaway directly to get all the details and even get a chance to enter for free if you follow the instructions on the site. No purchase necessary to win!

Coconut Hefen-A pours beautifully with golden caramel almost copper tone and the tropical aroma hits your nose as you pour. The banana presence on flavor comes from the clove notes from this classic style and the coconut scent is very vibrant throughout. Quite frankly, Hefen-A smells like a lush tropical paradise in a glass. The banana and sweetness of the initial sip are fully loud and proud while the coconut makes a delightful compliment on this crisp beer. Galveston Island Brewing achieves a delicate harmony of all the tropical notes of a Hefeweizen with a pop of coconut to complete the tropical feel. Because this beer is so crushable, I was able to enjoy multiples way too easily and it makes for a perfect beach, fishing, poolside, or boating beer. You can find Hefen-A at all the places you will find amazing craft beer like H‑E‑B, Kroger, Specs, Total wine, and local beer cellar stores.

Until then, best of luck finding a golden lid and winning a private party with one of the coolest craft breweries on the Island.

Happy Anniversary Galveston Island Brewing! Cheers to good island times!

The post Experience the island life with Galveston Island Brewing with Coconut Hefen -A first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Experience the island life with Galveston Island Brewing with Coconut Hefen -A appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

They’ve given us a bunch of stuff to give away to you on Twitter. Send us a photo of what in this great city inspires you (or of your favorite 8th Wonder swag) Who knows, maybe you’ll inspire them to brew a new beer.

Giveaway Bundles:

Grand Prize:

A red 8th Wonder T-Shirt and 2 tour passes (each redeemable for 1 pint glass and 3 fills at the brewery).

One 1st Runner-up:

Two tour passes (each redeemable for 1 pint glass and 3 fills at the brewery).

Two 2nd Runners-up:

Two pint glasses (each).

How to Enter:

• Follow us on Twitter at @HoustonBeer 

• Tweet a photo of what in this great city inspires you (or your favorite 8th Wonder swag), with a caption explaining why. 

• Tag @8thWonderBrew in your tweet.

• Use #HoustonBeer in your tweet. 

The Grand Prize winner will be the best photo and caption entry, selected by the Houston Beer Guide staff. The 3 Runner-up prizes will be selected at random.

Fine Print:

No purchase necessary. Entries must be submitted from a non-private account on Twitter. (If we can’t see it, it doesn’t count.)
Entries and entrants must meet all 4 requirements above to be eligible.
Winners will be notified by Direct Message on Twitter.
This contest (and this blog) is only for those ages 21 and up.
Delivery of the giveaway bundles will be in person, so you must live in or near Houston to be eligible to win.

Open for entries from now until February 28th, 2016.

The post 8th Wonder February Giveaway! first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post 8th Wonder February Giveaway! appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.