This Saturday October 7th, Back Pew Brewing will be hosting their annual OktoBEERfest at their brewery – also known as the Sanctuary. Located in Porter TX on several acres of land, Back Pew has a spacious outdoor space with plenty of shade to stay cool in while enjoying some great beers. Don’t worry about parking either – the ample onsite parking space and event parking attendant will get you in and out with ease. To top it off, Back Pew is always pet and family friendly and will be pulling out all the stops to make an enjoyable experience for all that attend. 

Like any true Oktoberfest event, there are plenty of activities to accompany good ole beer drinking. This year’s fun includes a stein holding contest, stein racing, keg toss, and more games that I don’t want to spoil that are sure to give you a laugh. The popular Homebrewed Brass Ensemble will be on the main outdoor stage with all the polka and beer drinking songs you can handle. If you’ve never had the fortune of experiencing them do yourself a favor and get a good spot-on site to hear them play. You can also bring your lawn chairs and create your own area for a bit more space to yourself. One of my favorite parts of OktoBEERfest is pairing the vast combo of lagers with delicious bites from local food truck, The Sauerkraut. Their amazing lineup of German food including beer brats and my personal favorite, the Schruben, can’t be beat. Don’t skip out on the pretzels that pair excellently with light drinker Kingsbrau on tap. The Webster Melting Company will be providing a variety of sandwiches during the event while Rosalia Urbano will be serving up delicious offerings including tacos and quesadillas. Still not enough? Gastrocraft is also joining in the fun with a full German inspired menu PLUS a limited amount of Corned Beef Reubens.

Our favorite feature, of course – BEER! While a few of my personal favorites are making a return, I know that I’ll be starting with Mast to Marzen 6.2% abv. This beer is a more traditional style for Oktoberfest, that holds nutty/darker flavors, while still meaning for all day drinking. Huzzah to that!

While you are there, be sure to try the newest beer Damned Dunkle – which will also be available in six packs to go. This limited run of packaged cans will go quick so snag your beer to go upon arrival.

Check out the full list of beer available for this event below.

Year-round Offerings:
Blue Testament
Hyper Light
Satyrs Swill
Lucy Wheat
Tanuki IPA
Apple Ale

Seasonal Brews:
King of the Helles
Kingsbrau
Me Beer
Black Habit

Oktoberfest Specific Beers:
Erica (German Pils)
ExALTation (Altbier)
Double Stanges (Kolsch)
Mast to Marzen (Marzen)
Back Pew Vator (Doppelbock)
Berliner Weisse
Damned Dunkel (Dunkel)
Zwickelbier (A lager brewed in collaboration with Nobi Public House in Webster)
Vienna Lager
Son of Satyr (Low ABV variant of Satyr’s Swill)

The event kicks off at noon – we hope to see you there! This might be your last chance to celebrate Oktoberfest season so don’t forget to dress for the occasion – lederhosen and dirndls are welcome! It’s time for beer drinking, excellent food with friends and merriment for the whole family.

The post OktoBEERfest This Weekend at Back Pew Brewing first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post OktoBEERfest This Weekend at Back Pew Brewing appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

It’s the prost wonderful time of the year, it’s Oktoberfest season again! In our previous article we covered a few of the happenings around town during this season – give it a read! Every year, I make it a point to visit Back Pew Brewing’s Oktobeerfest for the festivities and great beer and this year will be no different. The weather is cooling down which is the perfect time for Houston outdoor drinking activities. Hope you don’t have plans because the party kicks off this Saturday October 1st starting at noon sharp! Open the taps!

Every Oktoberfest participant needs a proper drinking vessel to celebrate this famous beer drinking holiday and Back Pew just recently released this year’s stein design. This simple yet classic look featuring a blue Oktoberfest print is just the kind of stein I am missing from my collection. I can’t wait to get my hands on it. There’s nothing better than drinking a cold beer from a stein all year around.

Need another reason to get excited about this years event? Look no further than what’s on tap. The beer list is quite impressive. The line up includes Back Pew classics such as:

• Blue Testament (Pilsner) – Head brewer Bobby Harl’s favorite daily drinker
• Hyper Light (Light Lager) – A crushable light lager beer that’s not light on taste & support local veterans
• Lucy (Hefeweizen) – A taproom favorite
• Me Beer (German doppelbock) – Ask Bobby about this beer for an interesting story.
• King Of The Helles (Helles lager) – You know, the beer with the Back Pew staff on the label as King of the Hill characters.
• Black Habit (Schwarzbier) – Just because it’s dark doesn’t mean it’s heavy.
• Satyrs Swill (Traditional German Bock) – It’s officially fall with this beer!

If you are looking to taste something new, check out these new (ish) beers available on tap this Saturday:

• Kingsbrau (Festbier) – The perfect Oktoberfest celebration beer – PROST!
• ExALTation (Altbier) – German for ‘old beer’. If you have ever tried Alaskan Amber, you might have a good reference point for characteristics on this beer.
• Kolsch (Yup, a kolsch) – Simple and refreshing
• Vienna Lager – often referred as “the original” Mexican Lager
• Vator (Traditional Dopplebock) – The dopplebock style is a bit trickier to get just right, but when you do, you’ll have a delicious, higher-ABV dark lager to enjoy.
• Foxpoint (New German pilsner release) – Crisp and clean !
• NEW Berliner Weisse – A beer that traditionally has a mild sourness and tartness with a light and fruity character
• Mast To Marzen (Traditional Marzen) – A fuller body that is sweeter and often less hoppy flavor.

There is also a special release Zwickel Beer (Bavarian styled lager) – brewed in collaboration with our friend Channing with Nobi Public House so you know it’s gonna be good! We spoke with Channing and here had this to say about the collab concept.

” I reached out to Bobby and asked him if he’d be interested in doing a Dortmunder or a Zwickelbier. He said Zwickel sounded great so we went in that direction. I like the approach of using non-traditional hops in traditional styles to kind of change things up and so does Bobby. After throwing alot of stuff at the wall, we came out with Hallertau Blanc and Nelson as the hop choices for this brew. They both give off white wine and tropical fruit flavors & aromas and we thought that that would be interesting in a pilsner style application. This is a test batch for the actual release to see what people think of it and how we feel about it – we hope you enjoy it!”

This line up is stacked – best in the city when it comes to lagers. Hands down.

Any of these beers will pair beautifully with the authentic German food offered up by The Sauerkraut for the day of the event. Keep your eye out for the best Bratwursts options of The Sauer Kraut. G&G Street Grill will also be offering up tacos and quesadillas that scream to be paired with the newly releasing Vienna Lager. When it comes to food + world class lagers, this Oktobeerfest menu will be sure to delight all taste buds.

It wouldn’t be Oktoberfest without the fun & games and loud beer shenanigans – join in on the fun! Don’t you look dapper in your leather lederhosen! But can you drink AND play?

• Keg Toss: around 2 or 2:30pm
• Stein Holding: around 3pm or 3:30pm
• Stein Race: around 5pm
• Wife Carry: around 5:30pm

All times are tentative so arrive early just in case. Back Pew has official rules for proper stance on stein holding so be prepared to compete like a real German national. No leaning, slouching or bad form here! Prizes are included for all winners because you deserve it, champ!

Family friendly as always with plenty of outdoor space to frolick with your beer. Hope to see you there!

PLANNING ON ATTENDING? Houston Beer Guide is giving away a few FREE Support Local Beer t-shirts during this event. Find the Houston Beer Mother, Sylvia in her black/white/gold dirndl and give her a high five for a free shirt! Mention this article to redeem. While supplies last! Prost!!!!!!

The post Drink like you’re German at Back Pew’s Oktobeerfest first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Drink like you’re German at Back Pew’s Oktobeerfest appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Here are my top IPAs picks of 2022 brewed right here in Houston and perfect to celebrate with on National IPA Day!

Heavy Hands Double IPA – Spindletap Brewery

Welcome back for the second year in a row! If you read my Valentines letter to this beer, you know my mad obsession with Heavy Hands DIPA from Spindletap Brewing. This beer pours milky bright yellow with vibrant hops qualities present on all corners. This IPA has a strong citrus kick making it the true definition of Texas juice bomb! It’s medium body and soft mouthfeel continues to delight my hop head senses with each sip. This beer packs a heavy punch at a hefty 8% and if you aren’t careful – this beer will knock yo ass out! Cans are generally available in the taproom year around and local distro markets like HEB. I recommend loading up on the case special at the brewery, because the 6 month shelf life is nice. Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself. You won’t want this hoppy adventure to end. Cheers to the heavy weight champ of Houston hazy beers!

Doc Hoppiday Hazy IPA – Saloon Door Brewing

This beer is my hoppy huckleberry. Coming in at 6.8%, this hazy New England style IPA from Saloon Door Brewing in Webster is an ultra smooth drinkable IPA with all the juicy characteristics hop heads crave. With all Citra hops and its bold tropical juice notes, this beer finishes dry with a slight hop bite on the end. You can always find Doc at the grocery stores (HEB and Total Wine for sure!). This week, I noticed a proper decision was made in the beer aisle.

Yellow Rose Smash IPA – Lone Pint Brewery

It wouldn’t be proper to leave out this Texas classic, Yellow Rose IPA from Magnolia’s Lone Pint Brewery. To be honest, I stepped away from this beer for a while due to some inconsistent quality concerns over the last two years but once I heard it was back in full swing and in environmentally safe 6 packs, I jumped back on the juicy train.

Named after a true Texas heroine, this SMaSH, Single Malt and Single Hop, IPA uses a butt ton of malt and hop released in 2012 called Mosaic (HBC 369). Whole cone mosaic hops are used for bittering, flavoring, and aroma in the kettle and is massively dry hopped for this beer’s mega citrus aroma. Believe it or not, this is still a fan favorite in the beer crowds with a dedicated following that I expect to see around for years to come.

Tanuki IPA – Back Pew Brewing

It’s easy to get lost in amazement by all the eye catching labels in craft beer but don’t skip over this core IPA from Back Pew Brewing in Porter Texas. Tanuki is brewed with a split grist of Pilsner/Maris Otter malt with cold-whirlpool Azacca/Sultana/Comet hops giving this beer 35 IBU of punchy citrus and tropical fruit flavors. It’s then fermented with a Kveik yeast for added pineapple pop before dry hopping near the saturation point of 2.2 lbs/bbl of the 3 hops above. It’s filtered crystal clear and is a super easy drinking citrus slightly piney packed IPA. Tanuki cuts you down to size on a mellow 6.4% ABV. You will be surprised how well the juice qualities and grassy notes balance out on this beauty.

Mini Boss IPA – Eureka Heights Brewing Co.

Launched in 2017, Mini Boss from Eureka Heights Brewing Co. has established itself as what I would call a classic Houston IPA. This double dry-hopped IPA is jammed full of citrus and tropical notes with Citra and Mosaic hops joining forces in this fruity IPA. This beer makes a great pair to gaming nights with buddies, a night out in Downtown with the friends or relaxing at your favorite camp site. You can normally find this beer widely available at most bars in download alongside equally great Eureka Heights offerings. Beer so good, you might even want to score a 19.2oz can to enjoy all by yourself. Do it, we won’t judge you.

Love this article? Give it a share on social media!

While you are at it, tell us what you are enjoying on this fine IPA day in Houston Texas! Hoppy IPA day, yall!

The post 5 Houston area IPAs you should be drinking on National IPA Day first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post 5 Houston area IPAs you should be drinking on National IPA Day appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

When I ask my wife why she loves this beer so much more above all the other great lagers made at this brewery, she states simply “it’s so well balanced. It’s light, easy to drink yet malty enough to have a multi dimension flavor above other beers. It’s a great introduction to craft beer for someone who is new to beer or drinks common domestic options.” She was not always a fan of craft beer and this was one of the beers that made her realize that not all beer is created equally. You know it’s truly special when a beer hits on all cylinders. One of my favorite memories is the watching her eyes light up after the first sip from my pint and immediately shouted “Wow – I thought I hated beer. This is good!”

A beer so good Hank Hill would give up Alamo for it in the alley.

So clean Dale would make a conspiracy theory about them using it to control you!

Next time you’re in the brewery ask head brewer Bobby Harl about his pocket grain and squirrel tactics.

The post Yup! Dang ole good beer from Back Pew Brewing first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Yup! Dang ole good beer from Back Pew Brewing appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Join us in celebration and congratulations to Back Pew Brewing on their 6th anniversary of classic crafted independent beer this Saturday, April 2nd. I’m excited for this new beer release, a traditional and BIG 13.5% imperial stout. As a serious fan of stouts (especially boozy Back Pew stouts), I look forward to being able to get taste this beer so that I can write about it in a upcoming beer review. Just by the looks of the forecast, we have been granted a picture-perfect weather weekend so take advantage of it. There are some recent renovations done to the outdoor area to allow for more seating under the new covered concrete patio. Don’t worry, there is still plenty of outdoor grass space under the trees to bring the whole family out to relax. Yes, even your own little beast – Back Pew Brewing is good dog friendly!

Also celebrating this weekend for the event is fan favorite local pizza food truck, Refill Station. My plans include starting off first with a ‘roadkill’ pizza paired with the Beer of the Beast imperial stout followed by the s’mores pizza to round off dessert with a side of, you guessed it, more Beer of the Beast. Don’t let anyone tell you that stout season is over! 100 Proof hits the main stage at 2 pm with their hard rock & classic rock cover jams.

So, join me in celebrating this Saturday from noon to 7 pm and come meet several members of the Houston Beer Guide contributor team during the event. Snag a pint of ‘Beer of the Beast’ imperial stout while you are there and don’t leave without several 4-packs to go. This beer will be released in 16oz nitrogenated cans – in 4-packs for just $15. Limited glassware is available in this year’s new English pint glass style – $10 so arrive early, while supplies last! All of this will be taproom exclusive so you’ll have to come out to take part!

Let’s boogie with the beast! Cheers to Back Pew Brewing! See you there!

Visit www.backpewbrewing.com to pre-order your beer for pick up. Last year’s anniversary aged bottles of Rand are also available and tasting mighty nice!

PS. Texas Beer Collective is hosting a beer sticker swap from noon to 4 pm. Bring your extra craft beer stickers to trade, meet some new craft beer friends and enjoy a perfect weekend with some of the finest beer Houston has to offer. Join the Collective Facebook group for Texas beer lovers today!

The post 6 Year Anniversary at Back Pew Brewing featuring ‘Beer of the Beast’ first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post 6 Year Anniversary at Back Pew Brewing featuring ‘Beer of the Beast’ appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Mutton Bustin is a kolsch style beer that makes you feel like you’re on a nice stroll in a strawberry field on a sunny Texas day. Simply put, its easy to drink. Mutton Bustin made its appearance last year as a standard german kolsch but this year, it arrives with an extra bonus! On first taste, you immediately experience a light breadiness and fruit tart in this refreshing beer. The fruity presence of strawberry is clean and compliments the fruity yeast profile.  Its pink hue makes it shine bright and is very admirable in beer photos. The hops are recognized but are so well balanced, making Mutton Bustin go down super smooth. After each sip, this beer stays consistently crushable and is a real treat to drink. This is going to be an amazing spring time beer for us Houstonians to enjoy. Can I get a yee haw?

Bronc Stomper double IPA is the next beer up and it comes out the gate kicking. This west coast double IPA brings a strong hop presence with its floral resinous dank aroma that is strong enough to linger up even inches away from the nose. The hops really shine with a touch of citrus, blanket of pine, all balanced with a tender malt sweetness. Just after a swift kick in the mouth of these vibrant hops, a nice dry finish completes this beer, leaving behind the lingering flavors of the hops bouquet.

Big fan of West coast style IPAs? This beer definitely will make any IPA lovers must-have list.  Bronc Stomper Double IPA comes in at 100 IBUs and 9.5% ABV that like most Back Pew beers drinks much smoother than the higher ABV might suggest. Keep calm and hold on!

Join me in keeping the spirit of rodeo season alive with these two new releases from Back Pew. These beers can be found around town in your local grocery stores that stock craft beer and directly from the brewery taproom.  These beers will also be on tap during Back Pew’s anniversary on April 2nd so swing by and have a pour with me. I’ll have more information coming soon with all the glorious details of the 6th anniversary and all the fun that will be had that day! 

I’m looking forward to seeing you there! Cheers!

The post This ain’t Back Pew Brewing’s first rodeo and it shows first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post This ain’t Back Pew Brewing’s first rodeo and it shows appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

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.

New video review online!

Featuring Back Pew’s latest beer release, Gabagool Italian Pilsner

The post Video Review: Gabagool Italian Pilsner – Back Pew Brewing first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Video Review: Gabagool Italian Pilsner – Back Pew Brewing appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

With the amount of new beer and extraordinary flavors and styles out on the market now, I has dawned on me that many beer fans have forgotten about how beer actually tastes. Yes, that’s right. Just regular beer. The beers that our fathers drank. The beers that their fathers drank. As craft beer fanatics, we often forget how complex and difficult it is to brew a traditional style beer such as a light lager with no flaws and all thrills. And for that reason, I am so grateful for Hyper Light.

Back Pew Brewing in Porter Texas is no stranger to keep it traditional and they didn’t cut any corners with the release of Hyper Light, an american light lager. I always considered beers like blondes and pilsners to be great entry level craft beers but always tend to forget about the American light lager category. Hyper Light carries that subtle malt sweetness that most domestic beer drinkers are familiar with. Crisp grassy notes with hints of breadiness – so delicious. This beer is highly carbonated giving it that amazing crisp refreshing finish. Coming in at 4.2%, 2.6 grams of carbs and 95 calories, this truly is a beer you can drink all day with no regrets.

The next time you have visitors over, put aside your hype beers and swap out that case of M. Ultra for a 12 pack of Hyper Light instead. Not only are you supporting a local Houston area brewery but you are helping introduce a non craft beer drinker to flavor that matters. If that doesn’t get you motivated, a portion of every purchase of Hyper Light goes to supporting our veterans through the Texas VFW Foundation.

Drink up Houston! Cheers!

The post Hyper Light – Simple and Satisfying first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Hyper Light – Simple and Satisfying appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

Check out his latest video reviews of Blue Testament American Pilsner, Lucy, Tanuki & Chola.

Don’t forget to subscribe, like and share!

The post Video Reviews: Beer Tour with Back Pew Brewing first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Video Reviews: Beer Tour with Back Pew Brewing appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.