Real Ale Brewing

  • My first 5 stops at Untapped Houston, 2016 edition
    Beer Festivals

    My first 5 stops at Untapped Houston, 2016 edition

    Let’s dive right into this: Untapped Houston is back at Discovery Green on Saturday. I’m going, and you should, too. This will be the festival’s 4th year in Houston, and it’s gotten better every year. It’s very well run, the location is awesome, and the weather should be great. They’ve got you covered on food

  • Houston Firkin Fest 2016: A Firkin Good Time
    Beer Festivals

    Houston Firkin Fest 2016: A Firkin Good Time

    Sponsored by Saint Arnold, Real Ale, Freetail, Deep Ellum, and Texas Beer Bus, and run by the Texas Craft Brewers Guild, the third annual Houston Firkin Fest on June 18 represented the creative depth of some of Texas’s best breweries. After being moved from its original date in April due to a threat of severe

  • Houston Firkin Fest – Preview
    Beer Festivals

    Houston Firkin Fest – Preview

    The third annual Houston Firkin Fest will be held on April 30 at Hennessey Park next to Saint Arnold brewery. So, what exactly is a firkin? According to Webster Dictionary a firkin is, “a small cask used chiefly for liquids, butter, or fish.” It is also a specific size holding 72 imperial pints or 10.79

  • Guest Post: It’s Time for Texas Pilsners!
    Reviews

    Guest Post: It’s Time for Texas Pilsners!

    Editor’s Note: This article is written by Joey Williams, the Beer Department Manager of Spec’s of the “downtown” location on Smith Street. As he describes below, he offered to lead us in a tasting of Texas(ish) pilsners and we happily took him up on it. At the tasting were Houston Beer Guide writers Josh, Jeff,

  • #DrinkNow: attack your cellar
    Culture

    #DrinkNow: attack your cellar

    OK, so now that you know what #DrinkNow is and you’re on-board with the idea, you need a plan of attack against that unwieldy cellar. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, go read the first two posts of this series.) Here are a few things that should help you make it work: Take

  • #DrinkNow: the exceptions to the rule
    Culture

    #DrinkNow: the exceptions to the rule

    After bugging you to stop aging beer and encouraging you to embrace the freshness of #DrinkNow, there’s another thing we should discuss: some beers age really well. This post is about the exceptions to the #DrinkNow rule. First things first: If you don’t know the basics for aging beer, go check out this interview with Adam

  • Mongoose versus Cobra has the best flights in Houston
    Bars

    Mongoose versus Cobra has the best flights in Houston

    Back in August, I asked, “Where are Houston’s flights?” Since then, many breweries have begun offering flights, and slowly, my vision for a small-drink Houston brewery scene is coming true. At the same time, a few bars have begun offering flights, including what is probably the greatest flight program in Houston at Mongoose versus Cobra

  • Favorite Beers 2015
    Reviews

    Favorite Beers 2015

    We asked our writers to send in a few sentences about their favorite beers of the year. We asked them for a favorite local beer and a favorite out-of-town beer. Some of these have been around for years and some aren’t available in Houston. This isn’t meant to be a “best of 2015” article; it’s just