Neighborhood Bar - Houston Beer Guide https://houstonbeerguide.com Online beer news and reviews for the city of Houston Fri, 21 Aug 2015 16:12:51 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.6.14 History is Being Brewed in Downtown Alvin https://houstonbeerguide.com/history-is-being-brewed-in-downtown-alvin/ https://houstonbeerguide.com/history-is-being-brewed-in-downtown-alvin/#respond Fri, 21 Aug 2015 14:00:58 +0000 https://houstonbeerguide.com/?p=393 There’s been a lot of talk in the Houston beer community about how the “solution to our problems” will be neighborhood-focused breweries. Houston’s urban sprawl makes it unlikely that we will duplicate the brewery-every-mile format of more developed beer cities, but that also makes it the perfect environment to have a brewery (or two or three)

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There’s been a lot of talk in the Houston beer community about how the “solution to our problems” will be neighborhood-focused breweries. Houston’s urban sprawl makes it unlikely that we will duplicate the brewery-every-mile format of more developed beer cities, but that also makes it the perfect environment to have a brewery (or two or three) catering specifically to their neighborhood. While some newer breweries have been getting all the attention, Gordon Street Tavern has been quietly building this exact kind of ultra-local brewpub in Alvin.

Located in a beautifully restored 100 year old building, originally home to a hardware company, Gordon Street Tavern has been quietly brewing their own beer since mid-April. When owner Henry Dillmann bought Gordon Street 2 years ago, chef Jay Peek convinced him to keep the craft beer selections. Well, the craft beer bug bit Henry hard, and he is now fulfilling many beer drinker’s dreams: owning a brewery and sharing the craft beer gospel. He’s doing good work too, craft currently makes up 60% of their beer sales and that percentage is constantly increasing. To top it off, their Hefeweizen is their top selling craft beer, an honor well deserved.

Owner Henry Dillmann has done a great job tying the history of the city of Alvin into the identity of Gordon Street. As you walk in, you can’t help but see the arial photo of old Alvin filling up an entire wall. The tap handles used for the Gordon Street beers are railroad spikes, a tribute to Alvin’s history as a railroad town. One of their flagship beers, “Shep N John’s Golden Ale” is named after local celebrities: Shep the dog and John the goose, pets of town founder Alvin Morgan. All this makes Gordon Street feel less like a bar or restaurant and more like your friend’s living room. Adding to this feeling is the kindness of the staff and customers. Henry’s wife sat at the bar and ate dinner with my wife and I, and the ladies to the other side of us filled us in on the last 3 bands to play at Gordon Street during their live music Wednesdays. We didn’t make it very far into the menu before ordering 4 appetizers. My favorite were the pretzel sticks, with some very spicy, house made, Hopadillo Mustard, but they had some stiff competition.

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They can fill up 2 large kegs, or 6 slim kegs, per batch.

We talked Henry and Jay into giving us a tour of the brewery while visiting for the afternoon. Tucked away in the building next door is a 1 barrel electric brewery. Their fermentation room is a walk in freezer, with the temperature set in the high 60‘s. Although this is his first professional brewing job, Jay has been brewing at home for around 25 years, and the knowledge gained shows through in his operation. During our visit, they had their Hefeweizen and Shep N John’s Golden Ale on tap.

The Hefeweizen is a traditional Bavarian Hefeweizen brewed with pilsner malt and wheat malt, noble hops, and a traditional Hefeweizen yeast strain. It is very light and easy to drink. The flavor is a very present but delicate banana which is followed by a clove spice, all flavors created by the yeast during fermentation, not additives. The sweetness of the grain comes in at the end to balance it all out. Shep N John’s is their Golden Ale targeted at craft converts. It is an exceptional gateway beer. I could definitely see myself drinking a pint or two on the patio listening to some live music, especially in our summertime heat. It’s a perfectly balanced golden ale, something that is much harder to execute than you may expect. It has a sweet malty aroma and flavor and a moderate amount of fruitiness from the American hop profile. It’s brilliantly clear despite the fact that I didn’t see any filtration equipment during our tour.

Based on these two beers, you may think they’re brewing only “basic light beers” and playing it safe in the shallow end of the ocean of craft beer styles. While good execution of light styles is something all palates can enjoy, they are also brewing “beer nerd” beers. Tapping soon, they have a SMaSH (Single Malt and Single Hop) IPA, brewed with Vienna Malt and Amarillo hops. In the fermenter, they currently have an Oud Bruin, a sour brown ale Jay is aging until their 1 year brewing anniversary. They also recently brewed a Gose, a tart beer brewed with coriander and salt. The salt for that small batch came from the Galveston County salt domes, ancient underground salt deposits.

In addition to their house beers, their tap list is a well curated list of classic favorites and newer locals. When I visited they had Live Oak Hefe, Saint Arnold Endeavor, Lone Pint Yellow Rose, Texas Beer Refinery Gose, and the first Fetching Lab tap I’ve seen around town. And they’re not afraid of sours and Brett beers either. Their current tap list has 5 of them. They keep their TapHunter page up-to-date, because they use tablets with the TapHunter app for their beer list. The drawback to this is they don’t list prices, but everything is in the $4-6 range.

Gordon Street Tavern is a neighborhood pub. It’s where people gather to watch the game, meet friends, and share stories. No matter where you’re from, it feels like home. The next time you’re in Alvin, whether you’re picking strawberries at Froberg’s Farm, passing through, or heading home, stop in at Gordon Street for a pint.

Gordon Street Tavern Flight of Beers

Shep N John’s Golden Ale (Left) & Hefeweizen (Right)

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Ode on a Neighborhood Pub https://houstonbeerguide.com/ode-on-a-neighborhood-pub/ https://houstonbeerguide.com/ode-on-a-neighborhood-pub/#respond Fri, 17 Apr 2015 03:00:41 +0000 http://www.houstonbeer.guide/?p=127 With apologies to John Keats, some places simply invite one to wax poetic, to recall myriad formal examples of Plato’s ideal, to open the floodgates of memory like Proust’s madeleine. I’m speaking here of those neighborhood pubs so woven into the fabric of their environs that they nigh attain the original function of the icehouse

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Thou still undiscovered pub of tranquility,

  Thou poster-child of Goodwill and chilled Drink,

Sylvan public house, which doth eschew irresponsibility,

  Bid us welcome with nary a moment to think:

What beer-tinged legend swirls betwixt thy walls,

  That hath gamboled through this icehouse, with fresh air,

    In Houston and the copse of Oak Forest?

  What men or sods are these? What maidens fair?

What weekday grind? What struggle to divest?

    What beers and cocktails? What besotted pub crawls?

With apologies to John Keats, some places simply invite one to wax poetic, to recall myriad formal examples of Plato’s ideal, to open the floodgates of memory like Proust’s madeleine. I’m speaking here of those neighborhood pubs so woven into the fabric of their environs that they nigh attain the original function of the icehouse in the age of refrigeration: as a gathering place where the community living nearby can exchange the latest news, gossip, and anecdotes in a convivial atmosphere over a refreshing beverage. Places that sponsor the local Little League, host neighborhood running clubs, and invite surrounding families to steak nights.

Approaching 3,500 breweries according to the Brewers Association, the U.S. finds itself amidst an undeniable craft beer boom. Where once it was like hunting for a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, nowadays it’s pretty easy to find craft beer just about anywhere, to the point that some wonder whether the idea of a “craft beer bar” still obtains. But I think most people know what you’re talking about when you use the phrase: the type of place with eclectic tap handles, chalkboard menus, nitro systems, and mustachioed bartenders evangelizing the good word of some new hop varietal from the Willamette Valley. They’re decidedly different than the average neighborhood pub, most of which retain their casual atmosphere and icehouse trappings without tap lists that would give newcomers to craft beer — or to the neighborhood — pause. The niche craft beer enclaves often have owners or bartenders who become well known among aficionados, garnering a following of their own, with fans who hang on their every word about upcoming events and tappings. Patrons all know these owners’ names, but at the relaxed local joint, it’s still the reverse, it’s about the owners and bartenders knowing their patrons’ names.

Oak Forest ChillOne such is the Oak Forest Chill, housed in a former mechanic’s shop and gas station in its titular neighborhood on its eponymous thoroughfare, just north of 34th St. It’s got the requisite garage doors open to the crossbreeze in the evenings, with bartenders quick to flash a smile and regulars quick to engage in conversation. It was the beer that caught my attention on that first visit after I moved into the neighborhood. I remember passing That Pizza Place on Ella – now defunct and long dormant — with their marquee boasting “the largest beer selection in Oak Forest!” A bold claim, what with the Petrol Station right around the corner. While the Oak Forest Chill might not have the largest beer selection in the neighborhood, it might be some of the cheapest. Everything from Ballast Point Sculpin to Founders All Day IPA to local favorites like Karbach Weekend Warrior: all are $4.50, or $4 when a train goes by. But they also keep the icehouse staples on hand; if you’re just looking for domestics like PBR or Lone Star, those are $2.50, or $2 with the same 50 cent train discount — the neighborhood might as well get something for those 3:00 am horn blasts. And yes, if you’re wondering, they get Divine Reserve and Bishop’s Barrel releases from Saint Arnold.

As for events, Wednesday Steak Nights and Friday Taco Nights are run by a caterer who lives in the neighborhood, as are the popular crawfish boils thrown periodically while in season. The running group meets every Tuesday at 6:30, lingering afterwards for a few beers. There are 4 or 5 regular bartenders whose schedule is posted on a dry-erase board behind — but might as well be carved into — the long, curving granite counter top running through the interior. So even if events aren’t your thing and Mondays are your night, you’re sure to see the same friendly faces slinging beers.

Maybe “craft beer bar” refers only to those places that serve craft beer exclusively. But it’s a testament to how far the industry has come when you can kick up your feet and relax at an icehouse while still enjoying a refreshing Real Ale Hans Pils. As craft breweries’ sales creep ever higher and consumers flock to craft havens for their hop fix, I think it’s important to patronize your local pubs as well, especially when they’re stocking a healthy lineup of craft beer. Your patronage shows them that craft is a sound business decision and is here to stay, without alienating those who just want to watch the game with a bud — those who just might be interested in transitioning to a Fireman’s 4. And what will make the Oak Forest Chill even more of a beer destination is the anticipated opening of the Allen’s Landing Brewery in a refurbished warehouse right next door. They received their TABC license earlier this year and are currently undergoing city permitting. Assuming Allen’s Landing is open by fall, I look forward to taking a tour some Saturday, sampling some brews, then heading next door to chill out and watch some football while reminiscing about all the great icehouses I’ve been to and how far we’ve come.

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