B-52 Brewing - Houston Beer Guide

Our Favorite Beers of 2017

Houston Beer Guide — Wed, 10 Jan 2018 16:21:55 +0000

Year in Review

2017 was a transformative year for craft beer in Houston.

We saw the rise of the NEIPA (thanks in large part to Larry’s “Who will be Houston’s Tree House or Trillium?” essay) with 8th Wonder, 11 Below, B-52, Baa Baa, Copperhead, No Label, Spindletap, Texian, Whole Foods Market, and others trying their hand at the style.
Saint Arnold celebrated their 23rd anniversary and 5 local breweries made their own versions of classic Saint Arnold beers.
We saw Texian and 160ft Beerworks close up shop. Texian plans to return.
Baileson, Bearded Fox, Great Heights, Texas Leaguer, Vallensons’, and Wicked Boxer opened their doors to the public.
Both Buffalo Bayou and Saint Arnold are (still) offering Free Beer For Life.
Chris complained about the lack of on-demand craft beer delivery, and HopDrop delivered in response.
And in the wake of Hurricane Harvey our city came together, reached out to one another, and got to work helping each other recover. Just about every brewery stepped up in a variety of ways. 8th Wonder used their high clearance vehicles for water rescues. Eureka Heights, Saloon Door, and countless others became donation centers. Saint Arnold spearheaded #ReliefBeers, and breweries from around the country donated $1 per beer sold to the Houston Food Bank, raising $35,000. Spindletap became a local distribution center, even attracting the superstar of Harvey relief – JJ Watt – into the tap room to sort and load supplies on to trucks. Hurricane Harvey will be a rallying point for our community for years to come.

Our Favorite Beers

We like to wrap the year up by sharing our the best local and non-local beer we had in the last year. It’s not an original idea, but it’s fun. We’d love to hear your picks as well!

Chris White

Eureka Heights ‘Mini Boss’ – To think, there was a time I didn’t think much of Eureka Heights’ beers. Dumb names, I said. Boring styles, I said. I was wrong, and Mini Boss represents everything I was wrong about. This beer explodes with citrus, finishes with a balanced bitterness and is enjoyable all the way through. Eureka took the megatrend of 2017 – hopping late with Mosaic and other big flavorful hops (in this case Citra) and hit it out of the park. It’s become a beer I seek whenever a new batch is released.

Listermann Brewing Company ‘Tricky’ (Cincinnati, OH) – I love all of Listermann’s series of NE-style IPAs with old school rap names, but I think Tricky has become the single example by which I have come to judge all comers in this style. Blending the aromatic elements of Mosaic with the pineapple/tropical flavors of Galaxy, it brings hop flavor and aroma from first pop of the 16 oz can and has very little perceptible bitterness – just a soft, clean, juicy finish. Listermann has a special place in my heart because 2017 was also the year I established a beer trading partner in the Cincinnati area (THANKS SAM), and so have been fortunate enough to get my hands on these delicious goodies.

Honorable mention: Galveston Island Brewing DIPA #7, MIA Brewing MEGA MIX Pale Ale, Urban Artifact Gaslight, Societe The Swindler, Odell Rupture Pale Ale, Grand Teton Brewing Teton Range IPA

Tim Spies

Saint Arnold Brewing ‘Icon Red Märzen’ – I am always excited to try a modern take on a classic style. And while there are many misses in the world of beer, Saint Arnold Brewing has proven more than capable in the handling of such styles. So as I expressed in my review of Icon Red Märzen, I was more than pleased with the results. A great representation of the style, and one that I hope will return with their regular fall lineup every year.

The Answer Brewpub ‘I Like Turtles’ (Richmond, VA) – Maybe it’s just me, but rarely do collaborations work out as well as I hope or expect. Two great breweries combining must always produce great outcomes, right? But sadly, seldom do such high expectations equal results. I Like Turtles is an extraordinary gem that greatly exceeds such desires. This collaboration between The Answer Brewpub and Bottle Logic Brewing is a delightful stout with caramel and southern pecan coffee and toasted coconut. This beer sets a deliciously high standard I hope more collaborations can meet.

Alice Hicks

Eureka Heights ‘Mini Boss’ – In short: liquid gold. I should not be surprised how good Mini Boss is given the strength of Eureka Heights’s output so far, but I was struck by its deliciousness at first sip. A grapefruit nose gave way to crisp, clean citrus and tropical flavors dancing on my tongue. At 6.8% ABV I am glad I don’t have to worry much about crushing too many of this double dry-hopped wonder, but it’s still dangerously drinkable.

Great Notion ‘Double Stack’ (Portland, OR) – I confess I had never heard of Great Notion Brewing before a friend mentioned it, which is actually a bit of a surprise since I visit Portland, Oregon and the surrounding area every other year. But with 70 breweries in Portland proper alone, it’s not hard to miss one. Now I know where I am going next time as soon as my plane hits the tarmac! Double Stack is a decadent treat. An imperial breakfast stout brewed with Portland’s Clutch coffee and Vermont maple syrup, Great Notion nails the flavor: the brew makes me feel as if I have been transported back to childhood and stuffed myself with stacks of syrup-doused pancakes.

Nathan Miller

B-52 ‘A Tart Frenchie – Peach & Apricot’ – Admittedly, I didn’t get to try as many new Houston beers this year as I’d like, but most of the ones I did try in my few trips back home or from boxes sent to me were very good. I think that my favorite was probably B-52’s “A Tart Frenchie – Peach & Apricot,” which was lightly tart, very well-balanced, and extremely refreshing, without hiding any of the delightful fruit flavor. It reminded me a little of some of the beers I’ve had from California’s Good Beer Co, which are absurdly delightful for many of the same reasons. It’s clear from this beer and others that I’ve now had from the growing Conroe brewery that B-52 is a force to be reckoned with, having already earned my vote for Houston’s second best brewery, rising with a bullet.

Cantillon ‘Nath’ (Brussels, Belgium) – December 1st, 2012, I was sitting at the Avenue Pub awaiting my taste of that year’s “Zwanze,” a special beer created by the Brussels brewery once a year. That year, it was a lambic with rhubarb added, and I recall not getting a lot of rhubarb flavor but still immensely enjoying it. Fast forward to August 26 of this year, and I’m sitting at Cantillon, trying my first bottle of Nath, the newest rhubarb lambic. This time, there’s a lot more rhubarb, with a fantastic balance, an incredible aroma, and an amazing lambic “canvas.” I was fortunate enough to try Nath one more time this year, on tap a month later (again at Avenue Pub for Zwanze day), and found the rhubarb slightly more muted, serving as a bridge to that memory from five years ago. And of course, it doesn’t hurt that it has such a great name…

Jose Luis Cubria

Eureka Heights ‘Mini-Boss’ – My favorite Houston IPA, and the beer that made me forget about Yellow Rose’s quality-control issues. It’s deliciously fruity, and the tropical/citrus notes hit you the moment you start pouring. It’s scary how quickly a crowler of this can disappear. (Honorable mention: the various barrel treatments of Saint Arnold DR17.)

Boon Geuze ‘Mariage Parfait’ (Halle, Belgium) – On the short-list for my desert-island beer, and an insta-buy every time I see it. The fact that this is now a Houston shelf beer blows my mind. For my tastes, it’s a perfect gueuze, and a perfect beer.

Kenneth Krampota

Whole Foods Market Brewing NEIPAs – Ok, I realize this isn’t one beer, it’s a bunch of them, but Whole Foods is crushing the NEIPA game in Houston. If you had to nail me down to a specific one, it’d probably be Earn It, but Hop Explorer, NEAF IPA, and the weekly limited Wednesday fruit/shake releases have almost all been on point and delicious. The only problem with them is having to go near the Galleria to pick them up, but it’s well worth it for a fresh crowler.

Funky Buddha ‘Last Buffalo in the Park’ – This beer has been around a couple of years now (previously named Snowed In), but I finally got my first taste this year and it absolutely blew me away. I’m a fan boy of most things Funky Buddha for that matter. Where many breweries fail with trying to make a beer taste like something specific, they execute. From the pie crust you get in Lemon Merinque Pie to the marshmallow you get in Sticky Treats, nothing comes across as fake or off their target. Last Buffalo in the Park stands out the most, a liquid version of a mounds bar with the right amount of bourbon barrel coming through. If you like your mounds bar without the bourbon, find a Last Snow, the non-BBA version of the beer that’s almost as delicious. It’s worth the hunt.

Josh Frink

11 Below ‘Big Mistake’ Barrel Variants – My notes for these beers are in some box packed hastily while gathering what could be salvaged post-Harvey, so I’ll keep it brief. This year’s Big Mistake was aged in a blend of Bourbon and Rye Whiskey barrels from Yellow Rose distillery. I was shocked at how much of a difference there was between the flavors from the two different barrels, and how great Rye Whiskey and Russian Imperial Stout are when combined.

Frederiskdal Kirsebaervin Cherry Wine (Harpelunde, Denmark) – My wife and I traveled to the Shelton Brother’s Festival in Atlanta this year. Choosing a favorite non-local beer is next to impossible. This wine is made with a special variety of Danish cherries, and is most similar to a nice port – sweet, but surprisingly balanced. It’s distributed locally by Flood and pops up around town on occasion. And it’s almost as good as the Cheer Wine soda I re-discovered on our Atlanta trip.

Larry Koestler

Anything NEIPA – So a year ago I was griping to anyone who would listen about my frustration about the fact that no one in Houston was brewing New England-Style IPAs, forcing me to have to regularly import boxes of Trillium, Tree House and Other Half to satisfy my needs. You may have even read an essay about it. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect what would happen in the aftermath of writing that piece — including being asked to collaborate with SpindleTap on what would end up being one of my favorite beers of the year, and among the best New England-Style Double India Pale Ales brewed in Houston to date, the aptly-monikered Juiceton — and the fact that I’m typing up a favorite local beer of the year entry that includes mentions of multiple beers brewed in Houston is a huge testament to how far the local scene has come in a very short amount of time with regards to producing NEIPAs on par with some of the best in the country. Props are due to B-52, Copperhead, Whole Foods and No Label for all releasing bangin’ beers that represented the style well this year. But for my palate, the local NEIPA leaders are SpindleTap and Baa Baa Brewhouse. Beginning this summer Baa Baa kicked off a damn impressive run of new, delicious canned NEIPA after NEIPA in what at times felt like a near-weekly basis. The one that I enjoyed the most was In a Galaxy Far, Far Away, one of the purest expressions of Galaxy hops I consumed all year. As for SpindleTap, they were along the first to kick off the canned NEIPA revolution, and cemented their status early on with the outstanding Houston Haze, a beer that somehow continues to get even better. The aforementioned Juiceton is my top local DIPA of the year, and I’d say the same even if I wasn’t involved with it. But if I had to pick just one for favorite local beer of the year, I’d go with SpindleTap & Parish’s flawless collab, Operation Juice Drop, which delivered everything I want in the style and then some. Preposterous hop flavor on a silky smooth ultra-creamy canvas along with the multiple-waves-of-flavor complexity of the very best beers in the style made for one of the most memorable drinking experiences I had all year. I knew OJD was a special beer when I followed a can of it with Trillium’s Double Dry-Hopped Congress Street — a top 3 all-time beer for me — and found DDH Congress’ flavors to be muted(!) in the aftermath of the full-on hop warfare of OJD. For the completists out there, here’s a link to the complete list of my top beers of 2017.

The post Our Favorite Beers of 2017 first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Our Favorite Beers of 2017 appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

What are HOU drinking? – July 2017

Houston Beer Guide — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 01:08:03 +0000

When the Allen brothers named this city after the foremost Texas hero, they fated that Houston would be a city with a “personality” as big as his. So it should come as no surprise the big Texas spirit and big Texas taste is present in Houston’s beer scene. To celebrate beverages that would make The First President (Sam Houston, of course) himself proud, we are thrilled to ask each month, “what are HOU drinking?”

Josh Frink – Editor-in-chief, Houston Beer Guide

Neve & Denise, B-52 Brewing Co, Wild Pale Ale, 5.5% ABV

I’m extremely comfortable saying this is the best Wild Pale Ale that I’ve ever had. It uses the same strain of wild yeast as the classic Belgian beer Orval, and it nails the flavor. The barnyard and leather flavors from the wild yeast blend surprisingly well with the citrus and tropical fruit aromas added by the Mosaic and Galaxy hop varieties. This beer is only available at the brewery’s taproom for now, but this beer is well worth the drive.

Casey Motes, Assistant to the Regional Manager, Eureka Heights Brew Co.

River Beer, Hops and Grain Brewing, Lager, 5.2% ABV

A beer like this embodies the full life cycle of a craft beer drinker. After going from pale ales to aggressive IPAs then boozy stouts, I usually find myself reaching for something sessionable. The fact that a world-class brewery decided to make an old school American lager might seem odd, but I think it’s a great example of a beer that brewers want to drink. The aroma starts with a soft floral, then quickly changes to Saturday morning corn flakes. Flavor is light grainy, simple and clean. Finish is crisp and dry. Makes you want to take another sip.

Plus we swear the production floor gets scrubbed way better after one of these.

River Beer | Photo: Casey Motes for Houston Beer Guide

Eric Sandler – Food Editor, Culture Map

Weisstheimer, 8th Wonder Brewery, Traditional German Hefeweizen, 5.4% ABV

With the summer’s heat in full effect, I want a beer that’s light, refreshing, and makes me feel a little cooler. Recently, I’ve found myself reaching for 8th Wonder’s Weisstheimer, and not just because the brewery sponsors my podcast. As Chris White noted in his HBG review, the new beer isn’t “8th Wonder’s version” of a hefeweizen; rather, it keeps things pretty classic with nicely balanced banana and clove flavors. A slight tang even makes it food-friendly.

Chris White – Writer, Houston Beer Guide

Lame Duck, 11 Below Brewing Co., American Pale Ale, 5.5% ABV

I’ve got a beer box pal in the Cincinnati area and he really likes APA, so I’ve been sending him what Houston has to offer. That process has led me back to some local beers I’ve had a couple of times, but haven’t exactly filled my fridge with for whatever reason. One of these that has earned its way back into my regular rotation is 11 Below’s excellent Lame Duck Pale Ale, which stands out as a really focused and crushable brew, perfect for these hot Houston summer days. It opens a little grassy, hits hard with some nice floral flavor and finishes clean with just a tinge of bitterness. At just over 5% ABV it’s not so strong that you can’t take a few down on a weeknight. I’m happy to share this with others as a standout Houston beer and to keep some for myself as well.

Jeremy Jordan – Owner, Half Yankee Workshop

Millions of Peaches, Brazos Valley Brewing Co, Peach Witbier, 5.2% ABV

It’s usually this time of year when it’s hot as hell all the time that I start to stray from my mainstays of Pale Ales and IPA’s. This month I fell in love with Millions of Peaches. A light and refreshing Witbier, it clearly tastes of peaches with a light sweetness, but a lot more subtle than you expect when you first get a peach-heavy whiff of it. It’s with a slight touch of sour, yet without the tart mouthfeel. “Moving to the country, gonna eat me a lot of peaches!”

Jeremy Jordan is a Craftsman that specializes in making tap handles and bottle openers, along with enjoying all the amazing craft beer Houston has to offer. Check out his creations at www.halfyankeeworkshop.com

Millions of Peaches | Photo: Jeremy Jordan for Houston Beer Guide

Kenneth Krampota – Writer, Houston Beer Guide

U-P-G-R-A-Y-E-D-D, B-52 Brewing Co., Double Dry Hopped American IPA, 7% ABV

I got a crowler of the standard, and a pour of the raspberry shake version, and both were outstanding. I felt the raspberry version came off so differently than the standard because the acidity of the raspberry killed off the citrus flavors of the standard. Both excellent, but very different animals. What they did have in common was that soft pillow mouth feel that you want in the NEIPA style. Worth seeking out.

Josh Stewart – Host of the Interbrews Podcast & Co-Host of Liquid Lunch

Millions of Peaches, Brazos Valley Brewing Co, Peach Witbier, 5.2% ABV

People may not think about Brazos Valley Brewing in Brenham when they think Houston area brewing, but they should. Josh Bass and the crew at BVB are making some killer beers. Millions of Peaches in like a biscuit with peach marmalade. An American wheat beer with a metric s*#t ton of peachy goodness. It screams front porch enjoyment. This peachy wheat goodness has been in my heart, mouth and belly and on my mind when it’s not in my hand.

Josh is the host of the craft beer centric podcast Interbrews and Co-Host of the live beer show Liquid Lunch. Checkout past shows and subscribe on your platform of choice at http://interbrews.com/ and http://liquidlunchshow.com/

Millions of Peaches | Photo: Josh Stewart for Houston Beer Guide

If you’re interested in contributing to next month’s roundup, whether you’re a beer maker, a beer writer, or just a beer drinker, send an email to info@houstonbeerguide.com to be added to next month’s roundup.

The post What are HOU drinking? – July 2017 first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post What are HOU drinking? – July 2017 appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Houston Beer Events – June 2017

Josh F. — Thu, 15 Jun 2017 12:12:35 +0000

Each month we chronicle the beer drinking events around town. There’s not much more to say about it, it’s a calendar.

If you’d like your event included, send an email to info@houstonbeerguide.com with the subject line “June Event Calendar.” Please include the date & time, a brief description of the event, the location, and a Facebook event link if available.

Thursday, June 15th

Saint Arnold Tribute Beers at Hughie’s | 6pm-10pm | All 5 tribute beers will be on tap along with several Bishop’s Barrel Beers. (More info about the Saint Arnold Tribute beers here.)
More Details on Facebook

Ingenious Brewing Tasting at Craft Beer Cellar | 5pm | Ingenious will be doing a free tasting of their Vanilla Coffee Cream Ale and Pineapple FroYo IPA.
(More info about Ingenious Brewing here.)

Houston Ladies of Craft Beer Monthly Meet-up at Heights Bier Garten | 6pm-9pm | Are you a lady that likes craft beer? This is a great chance to meet like-minded ladies.
More details on Facebook

Friday, June 16th

Sittin Sidehaze Release at No Label Brewing Co. | 3pm | No Label is releasing their new NEIPA, Sittin Sidehaze (a reference to Paul Wall’s Sittin’ Sidewayz for those not in the know).
As a reminder, No Label cannot offer beer to-go.

Saturday, June 17th

B-52 Brewing’s 3rd Anniversary Party | 12pm-7pm | 31 beers available including over a dozen fruited sours, several “smoothie” beers, and bottles of a blend of 3 barreled saisons available to-go.
This is a ticketed event.
More details on Facebook | Ticket Link

B52 Brewing | 3 Year Anniversary Blend Wild Ale

Galveston Island Brewing’s 3rd Anniversary Party | 12pm-9pm | The brewery will be releasing special batches throughout the day. This looks to be a pretty kid-friendly event with facepainting and balloon art (in addition to their on-site playground).
More details on Facebook

Holler Loudly Double IPA release at Liberty Station | 5pm-10pm | Holler Brewing will be releasing their new 9.7% Double IPA, hopped with Galaxy and Nelson Sauvin. They’ll also have 3 variations on tap.
More details on Facebook

Ingenious Brewing Tasting at Hop Scholar Ale House | 2pm | Ingenious will be doing a free tasting of their ust Juicy Mango IPA and Blueberry Crumble Stout.
(More info about Ingenious Brewing here.)

Monday, June 19th

Saint Arnold Tribute Beers at Down The Street | 5pm-10pm | Down the Street will have the tribute beers from Brash, B-52, Eureka Heights, and Southern Star as part of their “Steak & Flights Night” event. Beers, steak, potatoes, and salad for $16.
More details on Facebook

Thursday, June 22nd

4th Tap Brewing Houston Launch Party at Conservatory | 7pm | 4th Tap out of Austin is celebrating their launch in Houston with a party at Conservatory.
More details on Facebook

Sunday, June 25th

Whiskey, Beer, and Tacos with Saint Arnold BB18 at Eight Row Flint | 12pm-3pm | Eight Row Flint is hosting a tasting of 3 WhistlePig Rye Whiskey variations along with Saint Arnold’s BB18, which was aged in WhistlePig Rye Whiskey barrels. Plus, tacos!
This is a ticketed event.
More details on Facebook

Cherry Medusa release at Copperhead | 4pm-8pm | Copperhead has added cherry puree to their popular Belgian style Quad, Medusa. A $40 ticket gets you a Copperhead goblet, a pour of the beer, and two 4-packs to take home.
This is a ticketed event.
Ticket link

Thursday, June 29th

Liquid Lunch live broadcast at Tapped Drafthouse | 11am-2pm | Texas’ best live midday craft beer show will be broadcasting from Tapped. Head there and grab a beer, or tune in to their broadcast at your desk and imagine you’re anywhere but at work.
More details on Facebook

Premium Draught | Saint Arnold Tribute Night

Saint Arnold Growler Tribute at Premium Draught | 11AM thru July 2nd | Try all 5 of the Saint Arnold tribute beers and take growlers home. Premium Draught will have all 5 on tap, plus the Saint Arnold and Sierra Nevada Beer Camp beer until they run out.
(More details about the Saint Arnold tribute beers.) (More details about the Saint Arnold and Sierra Nevada Beer Camp collaboration beer.)
More details on Facebook

Bonus: Saturday, July 1st

City Acre’s 1st Anniversary Party | 11am-5pm| City Acre is turning one! To celebrate, they’ll have special beers on tap all day (some new, some past favorites), a German food buffet, and bottles to go of their Skull Creek Kolsch aged on City Acre grown blueberries, dewberries, and blackberries.
This is a ticketed event.
More details on Facebook | Ticket link

Fetching Lab is, well, open | 1pm-5pm | Fetching Lab is only open one or two weekends a month, and even then only depending on the weather. They’re dog friendly, kid friendly, and horse friendly.
More details on Facebook

Local Brews Local Grooves at House of Blues | 3pm-10pm | The beer list for this annual event is too long to list. If you like Houston beer, your favorite brewery will probably be pouring beer here. There are multiple ticket tiers, some of which include a Saint Arnold beer dinner before the event.
This is a ticketed event.
More details on Facebook | Ticket Link

Town in City’s First Of JuLuau Party | 6pm-11pm | Town in City is celebrating the beginning of July. They’ll have Blood Brothers BBQ serving Hawaiian food, Hot Rod Pops serving frozen popsicles, and Reggae band Dem will be providing the grooves. They’ll also have some special tropical themed beers available.

Bike Ride and Hot Dog Eating Contest | 12pm-6pm | Join Texas Beer Refinery for their Independence Day celebration. Join 1 mile the “bike parade” from the taproom to the brewery at 12:15, and head back for the hotdog eating competition. There will also be live music starting at 2 and they’ll have “Cloud Nein” a German IPA brewed in collaboration with Wurst Haus.
This is a ticketed event.
More details on Facebook | Ticket Link

Running Walker’s Official Grand Opening | 12pm-11pm | Running Walker is officially opening their outdoor beer garden this weekend. They’ll have food trucks and live music all day to celebrate.
More details on Facebook

Don’t see an event near you? Use our Brewery Map to find somewhere new.

The post Houston Beer Events – June 2017 first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Houston Beer Events – June 2017 appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

5 Breweries Put Their Twist on Saint Arnold Classics

Josh F. — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 12:00:37 +0000

Saint Arnold Brewing Company is the oldest craft brewery in Texas, but that title doesn’t do justice to the impact they’ve had on the landscape of beer in Houston. I think calling them “The Godfather of Houston Beer” is a more appropriate title. Over the last 23 years, brewers and staff from Saint Arnold have gone on to found or join some of the best breweries in the city all while Saint Arnold has continually increased their quality and creativity.

To celebrate Saint Arnold’s status as the Godfather of Houston Beer, Brash has organized what I think is the most interesting beer event in recent history. Five of the Houston area’s best breweries have each taken a Saint Arnold beer, modified it in their own way, and brewed it on their systems. What results is a city-wide show of appreciation for the brewery that paved the way for all the others.

Brash Brewing – Knutsens Farm

Tribute to: Weedwacker

Weedwacker was born from the “Movable Yeast” series at Saint Arnold, when they (intentionally) fermented Fancy Lawnmower wort with a Hefeweizen yeast strain. Brash head brewer Vince Mandeville had a hand in the development of Weedwacker when he was brewing at Saint Arnold, so it’s no big surprise that Brash chose to pay tribute to Weedwacker. Brash opted for an an Oregon Hefeweizen strain in place of Weedwacker’s German strain. They fermented the beer at a low temperature to get the cloudiness without much of the typical banana and clove flavors. To really put the Brash twist on an otherwise typical Hefeweizen, they double dry hopped it with New Zealand Rakau hops. Owner Ben Fullelove adds, “At 5%, it’s crazy drinkable and amazingly clean. Definitely the smallest beer we’ve ever made but still fits beautifully with our overall approach to beer making.”

B-52 Brewing – Bishop’s Gone Wild

Tribute to: Amber Ale

Amber Ale was the first beer Saint Arnold ever sold (at the Gingerman, if you want to brush up on your Houston beer trivia).

Bishop’s Gone Wild has the same malt and hop bill as Amber, but that’s where the similarities end. B-52 fermented the beer with a Saison and Brettanomyces yeast blend and then added Raspberries & Blackberries to the beer for a secondary fermentation.

When asked why they chose Amber, Founder Chad Daniel said, “[We] wanted to pick something that most people wouldn’t expect, so given the types of beer we’re making these days, a sour amber seemed like the perfect choice. We also thought it paid tribute to how willing St. Arnold has been to adapt and embrace changing palates. It would be really easy to get set in your ways, especially as the oldest brewery in Houston, but they continue to innovate and we respect the hell out of that.”

Eureka Heights – Chop Shop IPA

Tribute to: Art Car

Art Car was the last beer that Eureka Heights Founder/Brewer Casey Motes developed while at Saint Arnold. I’ll let Casey explain the beer: “We took an awesome beer and made it more awesomer. The malt, hot side hops and Vermont (Conan) yeast are all the same. The awesomer part comes in when we triple dry hop it and add a bunch of Citra to the dry hops. The end result has a more citrusy, tropical, and slightly illegal aroma. We chose to add the Citra hops to Chop Shop because we absolutely love Citra and thought it complements the Simcoe and Mosaic that are already in Art Car.”

As a further tribute to Art Car and the logo designed by Gonzo247, Eureka Heights worked with local artist Ack! for the Chop Shop logo.

Lone Pint – Brock the Night Away

Tribute to: Santo

When run through the “Lone Pint beer translator,” as owner/brewer Trevor Brown puts it, the Black Kolsch Santo becomes a Black IPA. For Brock the Night Away, Lone Pint increased the Santo malt bill, added “oodles” more hops (replacing the German noble hops with the American hops that Lone Pint is known for), and fermented it with their house yeast strain in place of Santo’s Kolsch yeast.

The result is an 8.6% ABV, 108 IBU Imperial Black IPA that is lightly roasty with a big hop presence in the bitterness, flavor, and aroma.

Southern Star Brewing – Extravagant Yard Cutter

Tribute to: Fancy Lawnmower

Since Southern Star’s brewing style is heavily influenced by German and English beer styles, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that they chose Saint Arnold’s Kolsch, Fancy Lawnmower, as their beer to cover. As Founder Dave Fougeron explains, “Our version has a much heavier mineral profile from our water source that plays remarkably well with a Kolsch. We also doubled the finishing hops giving this beer a much more pronounced hop flavor and aroma than the original.” Dave was head brewer at Saint Arnold from 2001 to 2007, so it’s safe to assume he’s already brewed his fair share of Fancy Lawnmower.

Traveling Tap Takeovers

How similar is Extravagant Yard Cutter to Fancy Lawnmower, and which do you prefer? Just how different can B-52 make Amber Ale or Lone Pint make Santo? I’m sure you’re itching to try all the new beers alongside the beers that inspired them.

A few local bars have set up a sort of traveling tap takeover, which will feature all five Saint Arnold beers and all five of the tribute beers. Representatives of all 6 breweries will be out at these events, and, if we had to guess, there will likely be some special and limited release Saint Arnold beers available as well.

The big launch is Monday, June 5th at the Flying Saucer downtown (parking is free downtown after 6pm), and the events spread around the city over the rest of the week.

June 5th – Houston Flying Saucer (Downtown) – 6pm to 11pm Event Details
June 6th – Axelrad – 5pm to 8pm – Event Details
June 7th – The Hay Merchant
June 8th – Hop Scholar Ale House – 6pm to Midnight- Event Details
June 9th – Nobi Public House
June 11th – Cottonwood Houston
June 12th – Conservatory – 7pm to Midnight – Event Details
June 15th – Hughie’s – 6pm to 10pm – Event Details (Only tribute beers)
June 19th – Down the Street – 5pm to 10pm – Event Details (4 of the tribute beers are part of their “Steak & Flight Night” deal)

The post 5 Breweries Put Their Twist on Saint Arnold Classics first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post 5 Breweries Put Their Twist on Saint Arnold Classics appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Houston’s First Hazy IPA Can Release is March 3rd at B-52

Josh F. — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 13:30:19 +0000

Conroe’s B-52 Brewing Company is releasing their hazy IPA, Wheez the Juice, in cans on Friday, March 3rd. Wheez the Juice is an IPA brewed in a similar fashion to the Northeast-style IPA that Larry has been talking about for the last several weeks. B-52 is hesitant to use the term “NEIPA” to describe this beer, likely because that term carries with it very high expectations. I asked if they considered the beer a NEIPA and they said, “from an ingredient/process perspective it is very, very, very similar so you can take that for what you will.” They’ve released several test batches of Wheez the Juice in the past, but “this is the first time the beer was built “from the ground up” including yeast choice, water profile, late kettle additions, etc.” according to founder Chad Daniel.

This is Houston’s first hazy IPA can release, which to us at Houston Beer Guide is a pretty big deal. In the northeast United States, the NEIPA style is almost exclusively sold in cans at the breweries, rather than in kegs to bars. The cans allow the beer to keep the requisite haziness, whereas the beer could become progressively more clear coming out of a keg as the yeast settles. Hazy IPAs are made to be consumed very fresh, and B-52 will be selling them straight off the canning line. There will be approximately 50 cases (300 4-packs) available.

Since the phrase “Wheez the Juice” is from the movie Encino Man, B-52 is leaning into the Encino Man theme for the release. They’ll have Goat’s Mobile Catering there to serve Chimichangas and Burritos (the meat group of the character Stoney’s 4 main food groups). They’re hoping to offer the other 3 food groups as well: Milk Duds for the dairy group, Sweet Tarts for the fruit group, and Corn Nuts for the vegetable group. And they’ll even be showing Encino Man on the projection screen once it is dark enough to see. And yes, there will be some wheezing of the juice as well…

The beer will be available on draft when they open at 5pm, and cans will be for sale right off the canning line. The early estimate is that they will be for $16 per 4 pack, but that price has not been finalized. They’re still working out the specifics on the can release, so check back here, or watch their Facebook page to see the limits per person and how the line will work. My assumption is it will end up similar to the old Freetail releases, where everyone is guaranteed to get some but the limits will be based on how many people show up. I expect all the cans to sellout on Friday.

Latest update from B-52:

– The taproom will open at 4 pm.
– Wheez The Juice will be available on draft at 4 pm (special variation tappings will be available as well)
– Numbered wristbands for cans will be handed out first come, first serve.
– A wristband designates your place in line, it does not guarantee beer.
– Can sales will begin at 5 pm.
– 50 cases will be available (1200 cans).
– Singles are $5 and 4-packs $16.
– Limit will be based on turnout (at least one 4-pack per person)
– Encino Man starts at 8 pm.

B-52 Brewing Company

Facebook: B52Brewing

Twitter: @B52Brewing
Instagram: @B52Brewing

12470 Milroy Ln, Conroe, TX 77304

The post Houston’s First Hazy IPA Can Release is March 3rd at B-52 first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Houston’s First Hazy IPA Can Release is March 3rd at B-52 appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Review: Baa Baa Brewhouse’s Cow Jumped Over the Moon – Houston Area’s First NEIPA

Larry Koestler — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 13:30:52 +0000

photo: @larry_koestler

My recent essay on the greater Houston area’s relative lack of beers brewed in the hottest style in the country, the Northeast-Style or New England-Style India Pale Ale (NEIPA), ended up striking more of a chord than I’d hoped, with a handful of local (and forthcoming) breweries coming out of the woodwork revealing near- and longer-term plans to try and slake the thirst of the insatiable double dry-hopped-lusting masses.

One such brewery in particular, Brookshire newcomer Baa Baa Brewhouse, even went so far as to publicly accept the challenge via video, and released a NE-Style Pale Ale called Cow Jumped Over the Moon this past Sunday. While Conroe’s B-52 Brewing released Wheez the Juice back in December, and Eureka Heights produced Business Time last month, neither brewery had explicitly called out or categorized either beer as Northeast-Style in any of their marketing (as far as I can tell, anyway), making Baa Baa Brewhouse the first local brewery to brew a beer in the style and also refer to it as such (“NEIPA” was even the style descriptor on the brewery chalkboard). And with Baa Baa Brewhouse playfully answering the bell, conveniently being located on my side of town, and being perhaps the most kid-friendly brewery around with a fully dedicated play area for children, I knew I had to take the beer for a spin.

Hopped primarily with Galaxy (with Columbus and Magnum for bittering), the first thing you’ll notice is that the beer mostly looks the part. Color-wise it’s a deeper orange — almost bordering on brown — than many of the best-known examples of the style, and proudly turbid, closer to the Hoof Hearted Egg Drop Soup family of NEIPAs. Aromatically it was a bit dull — always a surprise when a double dry-hopped beer is lacking in aroma — but the beer was probably served too cold, because I also found the overall flavor profile slightly muted during the first few sips. The beer really revealed itself as it warmed, with the soft, juicy mouthfeel NEIPA style hallmarks taking center stage. Galaxy imparted a subtle fruitiness, but didn’t assault the palate with a tropical fruit basket explosion; I’m not sure I would’ve been able to blindly pick out the fact that it was a Galaxy single-hop. The 5.7% ABV also likely played a bit of a role in subduing the taste for me — don’t get me wrong, I adore a flavor-bursting American Pale Ale, but having been on a steady diet of double dry-hopped seven-to-eight-percenters from up north, my perception of just how flavorful a given beer might be is admittedly a bit skewed. There was also a very subtle estery note I was picking up that I wasn’t wild about, but didn’t detract from the overall experience. While NEIPAs are known for being lightly carbed (relative to other styles), this beer was also a bit undercarbed, as astutely noted by the fellow hophead I met who said he drove 40 miles from the city just to try the beer (proving my hypothesis that they will in fact come if you build it).

While the above may sound overly critical, on the whole I enjoyed Cow Jumped Over the Moon, and applaud Baa Baa Brewhouse on a solid first effort. The fact remains that virtually no one locally has even tried to produce something in this style yet, and this was by far the closest anyone has come in the Houston area that I’m aware of. If you’re going in expecting Tree House/Trillium-level insanity, don’t — very few breweries come out of the chute lighting the world on fire. The brewery themselves candidly shared that while they were proud of this effort, they’re excited to take what they’ve learned and continue to make even better beer. I’ll drink to that.

The post Review: Baa Baa Brewhouse’s Cow Jumped Over the Moon – Houston Area’s First NEIPA first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Review: Baa Baa Brewhouse’s Cow Jumped Over the Moon – Houston Area’s First NEIPA appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.