Big congrats to True Anomaly Brewing Company for taking home the big one – the 2024 Brewery of the Year award. Cheers to brewing great beer!

See the full list of Texas winners here.

The post Texas Craft Brewers Cup Awards 2024 first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Texas Craft Brewers Cup Awards 2024 appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

As I set foot onto the entrance I am greeted by a large mural painted on the side of that states “Don’t Stick To What You Know… Explore”, The words welcome you with a challenge and I was ready to explore Walking Stick Brewing.

This repurposed welder’s storage complex has been refitted and worked into a functioning beer hall straight out of the Colorado Rocky Mountains to great effect. You are granted an invitation to relax in a taproom that purposefully conjures up flashbacks to mountain beer lodge in heart of the Garden Oaks/ Oak Forest area (or GOOF to the locals). Elaborate decorations and lighting hanging from the ceiling with fresh cut flowers for each table. 

Before I even get my first pour, I am greeted by Georgina Solis, Head Brewer of Walking Stick. I am treated to her history in brewing, and her passion for her craft. Georgina shows me the equipment and tanks that she uses daily to turn water and grains, yeast, and hops into the beer that Walking Stick has been serving the neighborhood and Houston at large since December of 2018. 

Georgina encourages me to try her favorite beer while I am in the tap room, the Pikes Peak Pilsner, the first recipe she created for Walking Stick when she moved over from Eureka Heights. The Pike’s Peak is a 5.2% Czech style pilsner that is lightly malted and refreshing with a hint of sweetness to it. I am a firm believer that there are few finer things that a well-made lager or pilsner, and Pikes Peak more than qualifies.

I settle more into my stool at the tap room bar top and sitting next to me at the bar top is the General Manager of Walking Stick, Tiare Austin.  Tiare has been with the brewery since day one, starting off as an original beer tender. Over the last four plus years she has taken up the mission of helping build Walking Stick into a growing and thriving brewery. I was sipping on my Pike’s Peak Pilsner while Tiare shared stories of the support from the local neighborhood during Covid, where patrons would purchase beer to go en masse, which kept employees working and helped the brewery stay open.

Tiare excused herself to continue working, so I order Walking Stick’s Fourth Anniversary Strong Ale, the 14er. The 14er was brewed with peach and Tahitian vanilla to form a subtle beer that goes down very smooth, with a 10% ABV punch that settles well.  

Next on my adventure was the Belford Pico de Gallo Berliner Weisse, a spicy mixture of roasted pepper, cilantro, and lime. Spicy food is great, but in my beer? The answer is absolutely yes. The spiciness was not overpowering, blended well with the lime to present a combination that exploded with flavor.    

Walking Stick is family and dog friendly with lots of outdoor space both in front and out back of the tap room. If you are hungry there is Twiggy’s, the onsite kitchen offering bites from 11am-3pm daily, as well as rotating food trucks during the week. Special Events during the week include a Running Club, themed trivia nights, and Sunday Yoga amongst other things. Every Wednesday nights are Refresh Night, where patrons are allowed to take home the flowers at each tabletop (vases not included) in preparation for a new batch.  For those hikers in your life, Walking Stick also offers membership into the Summit Club, available to those that have summited some of the 58 different 14,000-foot mountain peaks in the state of Colorado.  

Walking Stick Brewing is located at 956 Judiway Street. Houston, 77018 @walkingstickbrewing on Instagram www.walkingstickbrewing.com

All photos by and used with permission of Chris Galloway (@libraryclg) and edited by Sophia Panda (@panda.sofia)

The post Don’t Stick to What You Know… Explore Walking Stick Brewing first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Don’t Stick to What You Know… Explore Walking Stick Brewing appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.

The tap room reminds me of a mountain house, probably intentional based on the owners’ affinity for climbing mountains, specifically Colorado 14ers (more on that in a bit). The walls are scattered with skis, maps, and other outdoor-related decorations. It could be hot outside, but the taproom is cool and cozy. The taproom is flanked by two beer gardens, both equipped with picnic tables and umbrellas. This gives patrons ample options and space for their beer-drinking experience. 

Now onto the main attraction — the beer.

Walking Stick brews many IPAs, but they also offer a couple ESBs, which isn’t something that many Houston breweries are making. They also have a Porter and Stout but really seem to focus on the lighter style of beers — beers that would be refreshing to drink after climbing a mountain or two. On my visit, I had the Blanca Witbier IPA, which as you can tell from the name, is a wit / IPA hybrid, and it drank as you might expect it to drink — very hop forward with a strong banana and clove aroma and taste. 

I did take two crowlers home with me. One neat thing that Walking Stick does that I have never seen is they have crowler labels for each of their beers rather than a sticker or sharpie saying what the beer is. The San Luis Simpaticoe IPA is on the more bitter side. It’s earthy, but still very smooth and creamy. The Massive Brown Porter has a very light mouthfeel. It’s sweet, with strong caramel and chocolate notes. Overall, the beers were good. I would happily drink any of them again.

Finally, Walking Stick offers a membership into the Summit Club. A lot of breweries do this. They offer an annual membership where members get half of beer, or invites to special releases or events. However, Walking Sticks membership fee is based on how many Colorado 14ers, the 58 Colorado mountains that are over 14,000 feet, you have climbed. So if you have just climbed one 14ers, you pay $350 annually, but you get your own mug and half off beer. But if you’ve climbed 50+ peaks, your membership is only $5 a year. 

Grab your walking stick (heh), head to Colorado and climb some mountains. The beer and the taproom atmosphere are definitely worth the price of admission. 

The post Walking Stick Brewing Offers Good Brews and Great Vibes first appeared on Houston Beer Guide.

The post Walking Stick Brewing Offers Good Brews and Great Vibes appeared first on Houston Beer Guide.