Tucked in the small neighborhood of Houston’s second ward, just a block from White Oak Music Hall, H-Town Brewing Co graciously appears on the scene as Houston’s newest brewpub and bar. When previously housed brewery Black Page Brewing shut their doors this year, the Ortiz family including father Enrique Ortiz and his daughters Jocelyn and Jacqueline decided to make this beautiful location their own. With a name like H-Town Brewing, you know we had to stop by and check out the scene they are creating. Time to go northbound.

Upon arrival to the lavish new taproom, it was clear that H-town was taking their opening of the new taproom very serious. Clean and spacious, the beautiful floral mural and open bar style seating created a comforting atmosphere upon arrival.  The two-section bar plus outdoor elevated patio gave a nice view of the beer garden below.  Two 16+ tap walls covered the area between the indoor/outdoor guest seating space and the bar staff was friendly, attentive and eager to chat. 

I was introduced to the lovely, Jocelyn Ortiz, one of H-Towns’ daughter owners behind the bar while I ordered up a flight of all the house made beers. Hispanic owned and operated, she explained that her father was originally looking for a restaurant to purchase but decided for this brewhouse instead when they found this gem location spot up for sale.

So, what’s the deal with the beers?  Glad you asked.  During our visit there were only 4 beers on tap. Since then, they have released a fruited sour beer too!

H-Town Brewing Co line up as of December 2nd.

• Whiteoak Wheat (4.5% abv) – Very light, crisp citrus notes and easy drinking.  Lowest abv beer on the board. Haven’t had a wheat in some time but it was enjoyable.
• Juicebox Hazy (5.7% abv) – Hoppy and tropical. I like my IPAs a bit thicker with body but someone nearby who doesn’t typically drink IPAs, thought the citrus notes grabbed his palate and would definitely order again.
• El Toro Mexican Lager (5.7% abv) – My first pick choice, this beer checks all the boxes on a crushable Mexican style lager.  Very delicious. On my next visit, I am making it a miche.
• Space Kowboy Kolsch (5.7% abv) – Clean refreshing character made this beer very enjoyable, subtle hop bite and clean lager-like finish.  Floral hops and biscuit malt created a very balanced beer. 

Also included on the wall was a guest tap of Phaser Fight from Bad Astronaut. They know the importance of supporting local, I like it.

Okay, you got our attention. Who’s brewing all this great beer anyways?

Originally from Arizona, John Ritter is leading the brewhouse with his experience from Backstory Brewery in Sulfur Springs TX. Alongside is assistant brewer, Chris Strong from New Hampshire bringing his knowledge from Houston brewery Running Walker from Richmond, TX & FarmBoy Brew Shop. Chris states they are trying to fill the tap wall with approachable light beers for now but will be shifting to focus to few other traditional styles of beers including a West Coast IPA, Brown ale, red ale, a Doppelbock which are in the fermentation vessels now. Dark beer lovers will get treated to a handsome Porter and Imperial Stout soon too. Hazy IPA lovers would be happy to hear there is another IPA coming down the pipe that is planned to be a bit heavier than on tap Juice box. I can get down with that. “From there, we are just looking to see what the people want to drink!” states Chris Strong.

“We know that not everyone likes craft beer, so we decided to equip ourselves with a full liquor bar for spirit lovers. Cocktails, micheladas, mimosas and beer, something for everyone. Our team really wants to brew what guests want to drink so we hope people come by to try what we have going on.” Jocelyn explained. 

While I would normally discourage visiting a new brewery to allow them time to work things out, we aren’t going to give that advice this time. Come up here and try their beer as soon as you can. Plus, they are just down the street from our friends at Big Owl Craft Brew House on the northside.

In fact, December is full of awesome deals and happenings that you won’t want to miss.  Keep an eye out for the ’12 Days of Christmas’ announcement launching near the 14^th of this month.  As for food, they do not have a kitchen yet but have a food truck onsite. They are working towards a resident food truck that is expected to launch before mid-February.  I am excited what this place will become for inner city Houston beer lovers and the local music lovers drinking nearby.

Kid friendly?  Yes – but the bar encourages you to come early. After 7pm the bar becomes a bit more adult oriented. Litty titty! I could see myself pregaming before attending a show at White Oak Music Hall or just making any excuse I can for a simple afternoon hang out with a friend. Just like today.

H-Town Brewing is located at 210 Glen Park Houston Texas 77009. Find them on Instagram at @HtownBrewingCo or Facebook for the 411 on the taproom monthly schedule.

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Formally named and operated as Astral Brewery, North Shepherd Brewing is led by experienced Houston brewer and local family man, Sam Wright. Loaded down with brewing experience and know-how from Saint Arnold, Holler, and Gristworks, Sam explains that his mission for North Shepherd brewery is simple: Make refreshing uncomplicated beers for all those to enjoy. No gimmicks, no bs, just good beer in a comfortable community spot. A local watering hole where you can always depend on enjoying traditional beer styles brewed in the best way possible.

Scheduled for 1pm Sunday morning, we arrived on time to be greeted and checked in by Alan Ward, brewmaster of Brigadoon Brewery. This small intimate seating space was perfect for interacting with other 11 guests in attendance. At the start of the session, Alan outlined a few basic tips on the proper way to taste beer through aroma and flavor sensory. Each guest also received a large salty pretzel to help clear the palate between beers. And boy, this pretzel sure was making me thirsty!

As Alan poured the rounds – the conversation of the new North Shepherd brand and taproom space began. Sam introduced each beer by style, along with a brief overview of flavor and its story. He also explained a bit more detail on why the pivot from Astral brand was so important. Not only are the beer styles different from the ones seen at Astral but it was also a pivot back towards more traditional brewing styles for more approachable beers. For Sam, it was important that this change was also met with a fresh new brand name. New beers, taproom decor change, and overall new vibe. The beer is sold primarily from the taproom, but they are working on local distribution in select bars in the neighborhood. Don’t expect to find them in HEB or other big retailer anytime soon and the brewery has no plans to distro outside of Houston.

“Beer is meant to be enjoyed fresh & local when possible.” says Sam.

I couldn’t agree more.

Here are the highlights of my beer tasting experience……

Mexican Lager 4.5% ABV – Runner up for my favorite beer of the tasting, this traditional light drinking lager was nicely balanced with a light honey grain malt background and crushable crispy finish. Right out of the gate, the group was very impressed and eagerly awaited the next beer.

Kolsch 4.9% ABV – STRAIGHT DELICIOUS. Light and very clean. Soft bready malt shines here and the sweetness is balanced by a restrained yet firm hop bitterness, offering a hint of spicy and herbal character. This Kölsch achieves perfection in its drinkability and is a beer that effortlessly bridges the gap between complexity and approachability. My personal favorite of the tasting – I’m imagine this should sell well in the taproom.

Festbier 5.5% ABV – This beer features a gentle toasty character that adds depth and complexity, creating a malt-forward profile that pays homage to the festbier tradition. The sweetness is tempered by a mild earthy hop bitterness, creating a well-rounded flavor profile that invites another sip. The perfect beer to huzzah to!

Yale St. IPA 6.5% ABV – Sam made it pretty clear that hazy IPAs were not his thing but boy was I happy to see this one! This hazy IPA featured subtle notes of earthy Nelson Sauvin hops balanced with a clean hoppy finish. Very enjoyable. Side note: It felt like a crime to watch the non-IPA drinker at the session leave this one alone. Well balanced. Don’t like to chew your IPAs? You don’t have to with this one – give this one a try.

West 43rd Street IPA 7.4% ABV – More medium bitter West Coast style IPA. Citrus undertones with a touch of bitterness. Not a palate wrecker and leans more malt forward to me. Good starter IPA for someone who is new to hops. Probably my favorite of the IPA set.

Durham Dr. Hazy IPA 7% ABV – This beer featured a more tropical flair than the others. Featuring Comet, Strata and Citra hops, it was brighter with citrus notes and had a creamier mouthfeel than the rest. Another stellar example of a hazy ipa without all the heavy weight.

We finished up the beer tasting with a full pint of the beer – so of course I picked the Kolsch which was being poured by the creator himself. Consider taking some time this holiday season to visit the new North Shepherd. The quality of the beers shared during the beer tasting was exceptional which is hard to say about most breweries especially new ones. Not one single off flavor detected or weird indescribable notes – every beer was hella crisp and clean. If you are serious about traditional beer styles brewed the right way with a down to earth community vibe, you are in good hands with North Shepherd Brewing.

Interested in attending this event? The last Taste of Texas Beer Tasting hosted by Brigadoon Brewery is scheduled with Southern Star Brewery’s Dave Fougeron. Get your tickets today – order on Brigadoon Brewery website.

Till next year, let’s give a hip hip huzzah to all local beer craft beer drinkers this Thanksgiving season. While you are sitting at the table this year, be sure to remember brewers like Sam and Alan, who believe traditionally brewed beer will never go out of style. We are thankful for the skill that goes into making these quality beverages that we all very much enjoy.

HIP HIP HUZZZZZAHHHH!

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On first taste, you will notice Oni stands strong with its bold tropical stonefruit flavors – setting the stage by transporting you to a lush beach island. Pineapple is immediately noticed while passion fruit is subtly sitting just beyond the initial balance of bitter and fruit. Oni keeps the front end bitterness in check with it’s light malt flavor on the backend creating a balanced harmony with double dry hop fruity notes. This beer make you want to jump right back into the tropical bliss with it’s pleasantly soft mouthfeel. Visually, Oni exhibits a consistent hazy hay color to it, really continuing the tropical feel by mimicking a summer sunset.

Who do you believe wins this battle? Are you Team Oni or Team Tanuki? I know the craft beer community is always open to debate on different brews and styles (especially IPAs). I am excited to share my geekiness out on this anime themed can design.

Don’t miss out on Back Pew’s 6th Anniversary Party slated for first weekend in April. Find me at this event and let’s chat about who you thought won this battle.

The post Beer Review: Oni – Juicy Imperial IPA from Back Pew Brewing first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Beer Review: Oni – Juicy Imperial IPA from Back Pew Brewing appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

In the taproom, jazz and zydeco play as the beers pours, while the colorful beads fly everywhere. This is the third year this beer has been brewed for the celebration and they achieved a great flavor balance between the last two years releases and quite frankly, this batch take the best of both worlds. 

The nose immediately brings pastry and cream cheese highlighted by a hint of cinnamon spice. Ingenious manages to get the scent of king cake dead on, that comes more to life as the beer settles in the glass, allowing all the flavors become much more prevalent. This beer is sure to win over any sweets lover. I’m not sure which is better – the aroma on the nose or the tasty flavor which is what Ingenious is known for in their pastry stouts. Cake sugarness and a slight booziness immediately greet your taste buds allowing way to a sweet, lightly roasted vanilla backend. Imperial King Cake has a beautiful creamy and silky mouthfeel that just laces the glass perfectly allowing for great beer photos. After 10 minutes, Imperial King Cake really allows the base beer to play an even bigger part in the sweetness of the beer and bring out the pastry and cream cheese.

 As a bonus celebration to the season, Ingenious has their 4th anniversary coming up March 26th where they will have collaborative bottle releases, guest taps from some fan favorite breweries, and multiple limited small batch beers that will be rotating through the night.

I’ll make sure to provide more details as we get closer, but for now you can find Imperial King Cake coming to H-E-B, on tap throughout the city, a few craft beer stores, and of course on tap at the brewery potentially with variants of this brew to enjoy as well.  Let the good times roll!

The post Have your cake and drink it too! Ingenious Imperial King Cake Milk Stout first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Have your cake and drink it too! Ingenious Imperial King Cake Milk Stout appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Sitting at 5.4% ABV, All Light brings a crisp, refreshing, and light hoppiness to the table that makes it ‘oh so crushable’. Fulbrook really manages to achieve a great balance in this beer – you get the experience of light hops on the back end and a crisp creaminess up front. This light beer is a full of body allowing you to have the best of both “beer” worlds. You can easily enjoy multiple of these after cutting your yard or after a work out without feeling guilty or concerned about a set back. 

The brewery is located in Richmond and just celebrated their fourth anniversary, but you can find this beer along with a few more of their offerings in your local H-E-B, Kroger, Specs, or Total Wine. If you can’t find them at your local store – ask for it. Fulbrook Ale Works is currently expanding distribution across the city. After you enjoy your pint make sure to thank them (and me!) for saving your resolution. It’d be a lot cooler if you did.

The post Feeling All Light, All Light, All Lite first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Feeling All Light, All Light, All Lite appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

The beer came out a mahogany brown with a slightly tan head with an aroma that was milk chocolate with a hint of roastiness that balanced out the sweetness. On the first sip, I was blown away by how light the beer was. The weather was just warm enough for me to be sitting outside, but this beer is light enough it could have been 90 degrees and I would still have enjoyed drinking it outside. After I got past the lightness, I was struck by a slight citrus note that quickly gave way to the chocolate and roast I had picked up on the aroma. This finally led to a slight toasty spice, reminiscent of rye toast, that rounded out the whole beer. 

While I was visiting, I had to have what is one of my favorite lagers in the Houston area, Loggerbier. To make it even better, they had it on slow pour. I am typically hesitant to order a slow pour as sometimes bars and breweries don’t actually pour it slowly, just use a side pull tap but pour like a normal beer. Equal Parts does it right. The beer took about 8 minutes to pour as they layered the frothy, meringue like head with patience. When they handed it to me, the foam jiggled like a dollop of hand whipped whip cream. The beer itself was a clear hay color with a sweet white bread aroma with a hint of lemon. On my first sip, I got loads of water cracker maltiness with a hint of that lemon, finished with just a hint of minerality. The mouthfeel was super light. Every time I have a good slow pour, I am amazed at how much it changes the beer. I tend to get a little more of the hop aroma than is in the beer normally, while the bitterness is toned down. The lower carbonation in the beer doesn’t make the beer heavier though, if anything it is almost light on my palate. 

With how mercurial Houston winters are, it is tough to have a beer I would recommend as a perfect beer for the season. Neo-noir is just that beer, light enough for a warm day in shorts, roasty enough for a cold night around the firepit. My only complaint is that it is taproom only, so you are going to have to head over to their brewery and grab it while you can!

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Upon my first sip, the peanut butter dances on your tongue with a smooth feel that brings chocolate to the party on the back end. If you manage to not finish the beer before 10 minutes, the peanut butter becomes even more prevalent. Pit Pat reminds me of eating the Christmas trees that Reese’s puts out around this time of the year with a little more peanut butter than chocolate. Let’s face it – it’s no secret I have a sweet tooth, and this beer will graciously replace a peanut butter cup any day – saving you the guilt of enjoying too many. The best part of Pit Pat is getting to open the second one and starting the flavor experience all over again. 

I warn you to act fast on this beer as it is only available November through February so if anyone is looking to pick up a Christmas or Valentines gift for that special beer lover in their life, this should be the one that comes to mind.

You can find Pit Pat directly at the brewery when you go on island or at H-E-B, Specs, Total Wine, and on tap throughout the city. Cheers!

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The post Take it from me, Pit Pat is a great porter – Beer Review from Galveston Island Brewing appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

The design of the can brings to life Perrin Aybara from The Wheel Of Time book series. When you bring the beer to your nose, you will immediately notice notes of dark chocolate and roast motivating you to dive in immediately. 

When I take my first sip I can’t help but notice the creamy malty mouth feel, while maintaining the ability to go down incredibly smooth especially for 8.7% ABV. Aybara has a rich and flavorful chocolate flavor with hints of the oats in the backend. If you allow Aybara to breathe for a few minutes, the roasty flavor becomes more prominent and mixes well with the chocolate and oats to bring you an incredible smooth and easy drinking stout. This is a beer that will do well in these winter months that are creeping in but is not too heavy in your stomach, allowing you to enjoy multiple pours and stay warm.

I know this is a beer I’ll be taking camping with me to enjoy while sitting around a fire with friends. 

You can find Aybara throughout the city in H‑E‑B, Specs, Total Wine, and on tap in your favorite spots to grab a pint or five. You could always stop by the brewery to enjoy their fire pit that burns hot on most cold weekends to enjoy Aybara with friends. I hope you get a chance to try this stellar offering from Back Pew Brewing , find me at the brewery so we can exchange beer stories and unwind at the end of a long day.  Cheers!

The post Fit for firepits: Back Pew Brewing’s Aybara Imperial Stout first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Fit for firepits: Back Pew Brewing’s Aybara Imperial Stout appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

The beer itself poured a beautiful golden tan that was completely opaque. It had a fluffy white head that quickly dissipated. As I breathed in the aroma, notes of pineapple and peach were front and center with a hint of passion fruit to cut through the sweet fruit. On my first sip I was assaulted with a tropical fruit salad. It was tough to pick out any particular fruit until the beer warmed up a little more, when the pineapple really came through along with a slight stone fruit note. There was a hint of a bitter burn on the back end that I think will be gone in a couple days.

While the hop profile was delicious, the real star of this show with this beer was the mouthfeel. It was soft and pillowy without being heavy, creating the perfect carrier for the flavors from the complex hop build. Overall, the beer was delicious, and I am looking forward to working through the four-pack I bought on my way out. 

As a word of warning, Wakefield is under construction right now, so be prepared to navigate the narrower street or find parking a few blocks away and walk. That being said, this beer is worth any headache cause by the construction, so go give it a taste before #14 comes out!

Cheers, and Happy Drinking!

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Although having just barely wrapped up their soft opening, the buzz surrounding this first-in-Houston self-serve bar must have worked because there was barely an empty seat when we arrived around 7:30 on Saturday evening. As you enter, you’re guided by a partition to the counter where, unless you need to re-up on some wings, may be your last direct interaction with the staff for your entire visit. That’s not to say the staff is at all unnecessary. The young lady at the counter greeted guests and when asked how all of this works, she patiently explained to the old man in front of her that if you want to order food, you can do that with her at the counter. For everything else, she will give you a card, linked to your own credit card, that you will use to serve yourself from the massive tap wall to your left. When it is time to call it a night, you simply drop that card into one of the metal lock boxes at the door where I presume they will be erased and reused. (Spoiler alert – the old man in front of her was me.) 

In addition to the counter staff, I noticed throughout our stay that at any given point, there were no fewer than 3-4 employees working the dining room to pick up, wipe down and generally maintain the cleanliness of the facility. They were not there to wait tables or interfere with your experience, but I’m sure if you had a question they would be happy to help you.

Once we’d made it through the entry gauntlet, we browsed the massive tap wall and quickly noticed a wide range of drink options. In addition to beers and ciders, there was an array of wines, straight liquors, a few common cocktails, and non-alcoholic options like sodas. We made our selections and wound our way to one of the few open tables. The seating area is essentially a sports bar & grill atmosphere. The room was on the noisy side with loud bar music and an open environment void of anything to baffle the sound. There were a dozen TVs on the perimeter walls tuned to various sporting events and in one case a Star Wars marathon. If you’d prefer a section that may make conversation a little easier, there is also a covered patio with lots of fans. This also appears to be a generally family-friendly establishment. There were a number of families with children there when we were, predominantly on the patio but we did see one or two in the dining room as well. It’s quite possible that the patio is dog friendly as well, but we didn’t see any good boys during our trip and I didn’t ask. 

Now for the main event: the food and beverages. On this trip we didn’t actually eat, but my second hand review of the food is that it appeared to be a mix of fairly typical pub fare like pizzas and wings, along with more traditional entrees. Everything we saw being delivered to neighboring tables looked and smelled great, and I regretted my decision not to arrive hungry. 

Since this is a beer-centric blog and the focus of my trek was “research,” I’m glossing over the whole array of drink options and keying in on the beer taps. This is honestly the part I was most impressed with. A big challenge for bars and restaurants that carry a large selection of beers is to please as many people as possible. I liken it to political banter (relax and just go with me here; I promise this won’t get uncomfortable.) It often seems like retailers have a difficult time knowing what their customers want, because the loudest groups are the extremes. On one end you have the “globo-beer is evil and should be destroyed” party (it’s like I’m looking in a mirror) and on the other there is the “craft beer snobs are a bunch of neck-bearded dorks who live with their moms” caucus. I have no research to back this up, but my guess is that the reality is that most people are somewhere in the middle of this bell curve. On a regular old Tuesday night at Chili’s they’re perfectly happy to have a Bud Light with dinner, but are also interested in trying out the new craft brewery that just opened near their office for happy hour. You see the parallel? I told you it wouldn’t get weird. Anyway, as I said, this is the most impressive part. The taps have a broad range of beer choices from one of my go-to macros in Lone Star and Texas craft staple Shiner Bock, to gateway crafts like Live Oak Hefe and Saint Arnold H-Town Pils, to more hardcore enthusiast options including IPAs, sours, and barrel aged stouts. There are even a few well-selected classic imports like Gulden Draak and Petrus. 

And the fact that everything is self-serve is a great enticement for non craft beer drinkers to try different beer styles that they might have thought about but were too intimidated by to dive in head first. The ability to pour just an ounce or two of something new takes away some of the hesitation, knowing that you’re not committed to a whole snifter of a high ABV quad. 

Other than the elevated noise levels, the only criticism I have is that the pricing model seems a little confusing and inconsistent even to me, a grizzled craft beer veteran. I imagine it could be at least a little daunting to rookies as well. Because of the way everything is poured to the amount you want, the taps indicate pricing on a per ounce basis which seems reasonable. The issue with this is that it is not how beer has traditionally been priced throughout history, so these numbers can seem nebulous. Me as a regular old guy who went to public schools can’t equate that to the price of “a beer.” The screen in front of you helps by keeping a running tab so you can see what you’ve spent so far, but keep in mind it’s giving you the total on your card, not for each drink served. 

As to the inconsistency of the pricing, I will give an example. The first beer I had was a Nuke the Whales, a 13% limited release imperial stout by Eureka Heights. This beer is listed at $1.30/oz. A beer like this is typically served as a 10 ounce pour which comes out to $13 for a drink. In my experience, that is a little on the high side, even for a limited release or barrel program beer. And there were a handful of beers on the menu that were priced above that level. Contrast that with my second beer, a pint of Diamonds In My Mouths which is an 8% NEIPA from SpindleTap. This one rings up at $0.40/oz or $6.40 for a 16 oz pour. That’s a very reasonable price, and frankly probably a little lower than I would expect for an entire pint of a higher ABV hazy like that. The takeaway here is that unless you’re going to The Hangover levels of consumption, none of these are going to break the bank, but if you really pay attention there are some bargains to be had here as well. 

So overall impressions on my first experience at Shoot the Moon…you can expect an open, clean, and vibrant space, helpful but minimally intrusive staff, a food menu that’s not overwhelming but broad enough to please most tastes, and a drink selection that would be the envy of just about any non-specialty bar. I can see this becoming a regular stop in my rotation, and if the early crowds are any indication you will likely see more of these or similar concepts popping up throughout the area in the near future. Cheers!

The post Introducing Shoot the Moon first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Introducing Shoot the Moon appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.