All Good Beer

Behemoth Beer Week at Flying Saucer

2012-02-13T09:00:00.000-06:00

The Houston Flying Saucer has decided to release a few beers out into the wild that have been aging in their beer cellar. Each day this week a different rare and vintage beer will be tapped:

Feb 13 - Real Ale - Sysphus (2007)
Feb 14 - Brooklyn Brewing - Chocolate Stout (2010)
Feb 15 - Sierra Nevada - Jack & Ken's Ale (2010)
Feb 16 - Stone - Double Bastard (2008)
Feb 17 - Moylans - Barleywine (Cask)

Camp Beer X - Sourpalooza

2012-02-09T12:20:00.003-06:00

Sourpalooza, the tenth edition of Camp Beer from Live it Big, has been announced and will take place on Saturday, March 10th. The list of beers being served includes (in no particular order):

Crooked Stave - W.W.B.O.
Crooked Stave - W.W.B.R.
Crooked Stave - Pure Guava Petite Sour
The Bruery - Saison Rue
Russian River - Supplication
Russian River - Consecration

Jolly Pumpkin - Bam Noire
Jolly Pumpkin - La Roja
Jolly Pumpkin - Luciernaga
Telegraph Brewing - Reserve Wheat Ale
Rodenbach - Grand Cru

As always, the Beer Master of Anvil Bar & Refuge and soon to be open Hay Merchant, Kevin Floyd, will lead the crowd through the tasting with information and anecdotes about the beer and breweries.

Tickets go on sale Friday, February 10th are available for purchase through the website for $55 each. However, you've got to be quick as past events have typically sold out within hours.

** Update: Tickets SOLD OUT in only a few hours ***

2012 Texas Beer Fest Pre-Party at the Ginger Man

2012-02-03T10:34:00.000-06:00

Tickets for the 2012 Texas Beer Fest went on sale earlier this week and now the organizers are holding a pre-party to help raise aware about the festival at the Ginger Man on Saturday, February 4th beginning 7:00pm. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the upcoming event, particularly the volunteer opportunities.

The TxBF has also partnered with Duff Distribution which allowed them to purchase 6 casks, 3 of which will be making an appearance at the pre-party with selections from Texas brewers that you cannot find anywhere else:

Austin Beerworks - Fire Eagle that was dry hopped with Warrior in the tanks and Amarillo in the firkin,
Karbach Brewing - Herkules Dry Hopped Hellfighter Imperial Porter
Southern Star Brewing - Centennial dry hopped Pine Belt.

And there will also be special pours of 15th Anniversary from Real Ale and Czar Imperial Stout from Avery Brewing.

In addition to great beer, there will be live music from the Brandon Matthew Band and bagpiping from Clif Wigington, Manager General of Texas Beer Fest (trust me, its worth going to the party just to see Cliff play the bagpipes). Representatives of Open The Taps will be onsite, tasty treats from Happier Desserts and Oh My Gogi food truck will be available and merchandise with the new logo and slogan for the 2012 Texas Beer Fest will be on sale.

February Glass Nights at the Ginger Man

2012-02-01T18:53:00.001-06:00

The Ginger Man has released their list of Glass Nights for the month of February:

8th - Peroni
15th - Duvel Para Art Glasses
22nd - Independence
29th - Karbach

The glasses are available starting at 6:00pm and only one glass per person with purchase of the beer of the day. As always, the glasses are subject to change and only available while supplies last.

No Label Brewing Beer Dinner at Baker Street Pub

2012-01-30T15:53:00.001-06:00

The Baker Street Pub & Grill out in Katy is hosting a Beer Dinner featuring No Label Brewing on Monday, February 20th. For the low cost of $35 per person, you'll receive a four course meal paired with beers from No Label and even get to try their new Jalapeno Ale. The menu hasn't been released yet, but you can make reservations by calling the Bakerstreet pub.

Tickets on Sale for the 2012 Texas Beer Festival

2012-01-30T10:56:00.001-06:00

The 2012 Texas Beer Fest will take place on Saturday, April 28th and tickets are now on sale. The current price is $17 for an entrance ticket (which will increase closer to the date of the event), a set of 12 food and beer tickets will cost you $12 and a special VIP upgrade package is available for $38. See the Ticket Information page for additional information and buying instructions

This is the second year for the Texas Beer Fest which was held last year at the Humble Civic Center Arena (read a recap of the festival here). About 1,500 attended the innaugural event, but many who didn't said it was because it was too far away (it was near the George Bush Intercontinental Airport people, not halfway to Dallas). Well, to appease those complaints, this year the festival is being held at Discovery Green in downtown Houston. Further details about participating breweries, food vendors, etc will be released in the coming weeks, but circle the date on your calendar or go ahead and buy your tickets now (and take advantage of discounted prices). The location couldn't be better and the weather should still be great for an outdoor event. If you want to have even more fun, offer to be a volunteer. Its a great way to meet people and become more involved in the craft beer community.

A pre-party is also taking place on Saturday, February 4th at 7:00pm at the Ginger Man. Special Texas beers will be on tap, live music from Brandon Mathews Band with special guest Brant Lee Croucher, food trucks and more.

AHA Rally at Saint Arnold

2012-01-28T09:00:00.000-06:00

Saint Arnold Brewing is hosting an American Homebrewers Association rally on Sunday, February 26th from 1pm ~ 3pm. Entrance to the event includes beer samples, brewery tour and a chance to win prices from the AHA and Saint Arnold.

Entrance is free for current AHA members and non-members can gain entrance by joining for a discounted rate at the door. Space is limited and you are asked to RSVP online if you plan to attend.

To learn more about the American Homebrewers Association and what a membership can do for you, see the Membership Benefits on their website.

A Celebration of Dark Beers at Petrol Station

2012-01-27T08:51:00.000-06:00

In celebration of Stouts and Ports, the Petrol Station is once again hosting a "Once you go black, you never go back" celebration on Saturday, January 28th. So far, they've announced on their Facebook page the following beers will be available during the event:

Stone - 15 th anniversary double black ipa
Stone - IRS
Avery - Mephistopheles
Great Divide - Belgian Yeti
Flying Dog - Gonzo Imperial Porter
Rogue - Double Chocolate
Rahr - Barrel-aged Winter Warmer
Buffalo Bayou Brewing co - Imperial Gingerbread Stout

In addition to the above beers (and probably others that haven't been mentioned yet) there is also a special tapping of various cask-conditioned beers:

2pm - Independence Brewing - Convict Hill Oatmeal Stout
3pm - Saint Arnold - Whiskey-Aged Imperial Stout
4pm - Real Ale - 15th Anniversary Russian Imperial Stout
5pm - Clown Shoes - Vampire Slayer

If that's not enough beer for you, you can also join the special bottle share starting at 1:00pm. However, you need to bring a bottle of a rare dark beer to participate. For everyone else, the party begins at 2:00pm.

The results of the homebrew contest will also be announced during the event. The entries were narrowed down a few weeks ago to the following 7 finalists:

Brian Barran, Matt Foster, Kevin Butler, David Rogers, Lisa Norberg, Kyle Preston / Chris Keller and Allen Schneider.

Open The Taps Fundraiser at Southern Star Brewing

2012-01-19T19:54:00.000-06:00

Open The Taps (a grassroots organization dedicated to changing Texas beer laws and regulations) is holding their first fundraiser of 2012 on Sunday, February 12th from 2pm ~ 5pm at Southern Star Brewing in Conroe.

Only 100 Tickets are being sold for the event which will be available for purchase online to current members of the Open The Tap organization starting on Friday, January 20th. Any remaining tickets will then be released for sale to the general public over the weekend. Tickets are $30 each or 2 for $50 (when purchased together) which will get you the following:

• A brewery tour & tasting.
• Food from Coreanos Texas Food Truck.
• Music from local band Folk Family Revival.
• The chance to bid on special items from local breweries and businesses.
• 1 raffle ticket (additional raffle tickets will be for sale at the event - $2 per ticket or 3 for $5).

The proceeds from the event will help fund their mission to bring change to Texas craft beer laws in the 2013 legislative session.

Independence Brewing Wins National Award

2012-01-14T09:56:00.002-06:00

Independence Brewing of Austin, TX received a 2012 Good Food Award for their Convict Hill Stout at an awards ceremony that took place in San Fransisco last night.

The Good Food Awards, now in its second year, grants awards to outstanding American food producers and the farmers who provide their ingredients in such categories as beer, charcuterie and spirits. The Good Food Awards seal, found on winning products, assures consumers they have found something exceptionally delicious that also supports sustainability and social good.

Selected from over 900 entries, Independence was the only Texas brewery in the list of 18 finalist which included well known craft breweries such as Alaskan, Brooklyn, New Belgium and Victory. In order to be eligible for a Good Food Award in the beer category, brewers must meet the following criteria:

• Practice water recycling and other resource conservation
• Support local communities
• Source ingredients locally when possible
• Make an effort to seek out ingredients that are free of synthetic inputs, including pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers.
• Do not use any artificial ingredients or GMOs.
• Seek to know their suppliers and customers in order to support and promote sustainability

“Breweries should be a reflection of their community, and Independence Brewing is a reflection of Austin,” said Independence co-founder Amy Cartwright. “With creative tenacity we strive to responsibly produce the absolute best in our field while working with fellow farmers, business owners and non-profits to build a thriving community.”

Congratulations to the crew at Independence Brewing. Convict Hill Stout is available at various locations around town including Spec's, HEB and Whole Foods.

January Glass Nights at the Ginger Man

2012-01-13T14:03:00.004-06:00

The Ginger Man has released their list of Glass Nights for the month of January (sorry, late on posting this and missed the first two already, too busy drinking beer and not posting about it):

18th - Magic Hat frosted glasses
25th - Rahr mugs

The glasses are available starting at 6:00pm and only one glass per person with purchase of the beer of the day. As always, the glasses are subject to change and only available while supplies last.

Jester King Issues Bottle Recall

2011-12-27T09:06:00.000-06:00

Jester King Craft Brewery has issued a recall on bottles of their Commercial Suicide and urges anyone who purchased a bottle to return it to the retailer or directly to the brewery. From their press release:

A few weeks ago, we posted about an issue with Commercial Suicide bottles continuing to ferment beyond the projected finishing point, and becoming overcarbonated as a result. At the time, we did not feel that the issue warranted a full recall, but with extended cold storage, the bottle fermentation would cease and the excess CO2 that resulted from it would most likely get reabsorbed into the beer. Unfortunately, the fermentation has continued to a point where bottles may now be showing significant signs of leakage and may gush extensively upon opening. For this reason, we must ask that any retailer that still has Commercial Suicide on its shelves pull the product immediately. We would also advise any consumers who may be in possession of Commercial Suicide bottles to return them, either to the retailer from which they were purchased, or directly to the brewery. While we do not currently have any more Commercial Suicide to replace the overcarbonated batch, we are currently working on a Farmhouse version, which we hope to have ready sometime this spring. In the meantime, we will gladly replace any unopened bottles of Commercial Suicide that are returned to the brewery during our Saturday open hours with fresh bottles of one of our other beers of equal or higher retail value. Please accept our apology for this issue and for the inconvenience it has caused.

2011-12-25T08:00:00.000-06:00

Wishing everyone a

Merry Christmas!

From,
All Good Beer

Texas: Where beer is now beer!

2011-12-20T15:21:00.001-06:00

Christmas came early for those attempting change of the local beer laws when Judge Sam Sparks of the United States District Court For the Western District Of Texas handed down his summary judgement regarding the lawsuit filed by Authentic Beverages (with co-plaintiffs Jester King Craft Brewery and Zax, LLC) against the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

The biggest win for local breweries is that they can now advertise where their products are available for purchase. Instead of attempting to work around the law by vaguely indicate locations without using the actual name of the store or bar, they will be able to directly list where their products are sold. Both local and out of state breweries will certainly appreciate the ruling that labels no longer have to contain the word "Beer" if its under 4% ABW or "Ale" if over 4% ABW (regardless of the actual style of the product). This often prevented out of state breweries from shipping their product into the state as they didn't want the extra burden of designing new labels just for the Texas market. It also occasionally caused existing beers to be pulled from the shelves or blocked from distribution when it was found their labels violated this ridiculous law. Unfortunately, the Judge stopped short of overturning the ban on breweries from being able to sell directly from the public, a freedom the wine industry has enjoyed for many years.

Although they didn't get everything they were trying for, its great to see any change that helps the beer industry and brings further attention to the issues.

Further information regarind the case and judgement is available at the Jester King Blog and Free Tail Brewing Blog.

12 Beers of Christmas at Back Yard Grill

2011-12-12T21:17:00.000-06:00

The Backyard Grill on Jones Road in Northwest Houston is celebrating the holidays with a 12 Beers of Christmas beer and food pairing. Starting today, they will be featuring a daily food and beer special starting with Ranger Creek's Mesquite Smoked Porter with a Chili Pie and ending with Independence Bootlegger Brown and Brown Sugar Sirloin on December 23rd. The daily special is available starting when they open at 11:00am until its gone.

Cigar and Beer Pairing with Open The Taps

2011-12-02T08:08:00.002-06:00

Open The Taps (a grassroots organization dedicated to changing Texas beer laws and regulations) is hosting a Cigar and Beer Pairing at Hubcap Grill on Friday, December 9th from 6pm ~ 9pm.

For the price of $35 you get a goodie bag and a pint glass with a pint of Moylan's Ryan Sullivan's Imperial Stout and a Hight Cigar Primitivo cigar. The Hubcap Grill will also be offering burger and slider specials during the event. Teresa Merchant, The Smoking Hot Cigar Chick, and Jenny from the Heights Cigar Lounge will also be on hand to talk about the cigars. 100% of the ticket sales will go to help the Open The Taps organization. Only 20 tickets are available and you can RSVP to leslie@openthetaps.org.

December Glass Nights at the Ginger Man

2011-12-01T11:11:00.000-06:00

The Ginger Man has released their list of Glass Nights for the month of December:

7th - Anchor
14th - Spaten (Santa)
21st - Brooklyn (Chocolate)
28th - Ayinger (Celebrator)

The glasses are available starting at 5:30pm and only one glass per person with purchase of the beer of the day. As always, the glasses are subject to change and only available while supplies last.

The Ginger Man is also hosting their annual Christmas Beer Tasting on Saturday, December 17th at 5pm. Various holiday beers will be paired with dishes prepared by Chef Angela Gaspard. Guest speakers will also be on hand to discuss the beers being served. If you're planning to attend, you must RSVP by calling (713-526-2770) or emailing (gm-houston@gingermanpub.com) the Ginger Man.

Camp Beer IX: Yule Smile

2011-11-28T17:35:00.005-06:00

Tickets for the ninth edition of Camp Beer from Live it Big go on sale at 9:00am on Tuesday, November 29th. The actual event will take place on Saturday, December 10th at 1:00pm at an undisclosed location (participants will receive an email notifying them of the location).

Camp Beer IX: Yule Smile will focus on holiday beers, but a variety of styles are represented. The list of beers being served includes (in no particular order):

Mikkeller - Santa's Little Helper (2010)
Mikkeller - Red White Christmas (2010)
Nogne O - Peculiar Yule (2010)
Nogne O - Saison
The Bruery - Rugbrod
The Bruery - Mischief
HaandBryggeriet - Odin's Tipple
HaandBryggeriet - Nissefar
Funkwerks - Saison
Funkwerks - Maori King
Short's - Bludgeon Yer Eye
Short's - Huma Lupa Licious
Cigar City - 110 K+OT
Hoppin' Frog - Mean Manalishi Double IPA
Crocked Line - Cockeyed Cooper
Odell - Woodcut #5
SKA - Hoperation Ivy #20
Fantome - Fantome De Noel
Fox Barrel - Blackberry Pear Cid

As always, the Beer Master of Anvil Bar & Refuge and soon to be open Hay Merchant, Kevin Floyd, will lead the crowd through the tasting with information and anecdotes about the beer and breweries.

Only 60 tickets are available for purchase through the website for $55 each (plus $4.50 processing fee). However, you've got to be quick as past events have typically sold out within hours (if not sooner).

2nd Annual Monsters of Beer Festival

2011-11-07T14:27:00.002-06:00

The 2nd annual Houston Beer Week kicks off this Saturday, November 12th, with the Monsters of Beer Festival at Guadalupe Plaza Park.

Over 60 beers will be available from at least 30 craft breweries and half of those are breweries from Texas. Tickets are available online for $35 and for $45 the day of at the festival. There will be various food trucks onsite for when you get hungary and an expanded silent auction of beer and beer related items to bid on. You can can also enjoy your beer knowing that 100% of the Monsters of Beer Charity Festival net proceeds go to Live It Big, a non-profit organization that supports startup and small charities, so you're actually helping others by drinking craft beer.

November Glass Nights at the Ginger Man

2011-11-02T08:00:00.004-05:00

The Ginger Man has released their list of Glass Nights for the month of November:

2nd - Karbach
9th - Texas Pint Night (Rahr, Shiner, St. Arnold)
16th - Duff Night (Mixed glassware from Duff Distributors)
23rd - Sapporo
30th - Deschutes

The glasses are available starting at 6:00pm and only one glass per person with purchase of the beer of the day. As always, the glasses are subject to change and only available while supplies last.

International Stout Day

2011-11-01T13:56:00.002-05:00

Three months after the first International #IPADay, the first ever International Stout Day is on Thursday, November 3rd. The official website doesn't contain a whole lot of information about it, but the intent appears to be to raise awareness about craft beer and the Stout style in general. Not sure you necessarily need all these named days to do that, but any excuse to drink I guess.

Flying Saucer Sugar Land on Track to Open Saturday

2011-10-27T12:16:00.000-05:00

The new Sugar Land location of the Flying Saucer Draft Emporium is currently on track to open this Saturday. The new location will feature 200 beers with 80 on tap and two built-in cask engines. They have also included a cellaring area for aging beers and additional storage will allow them to offer a greater variety of appropriate glassware (not just the ubiquitous shaker pint glass for all beers). As with the other locations, customers will be able to participate in the UFO club and work towards their plate in the Ring of Honor. There is also a large outdoor patio (great now that the weather has cooled off) and a private room that will be used for beer dinners and special events, like the beer dinner scheduled for Nov 15th with Garrett Oliver, Brew Master of Brooklyn Brewery. If you're interested in working at the new location, I believe they are still hiring.

Independence Brewing 7th Anniversary Party

2011-10-16T14:17:00.002-05:00

Independence Brewing Co. is 7 years old and is celebrating with a party out at the brewery on Saturday, Oct 22nd from 4pm ~ 8pm. Admission is free and includes three beer samples, but a commemorative anniversary glass will be available for purchase for $12 (cash only). The regular lineup of beers will be available as well as special and rare beers, including a beer tapping every 30 minutes as follows:

4:15 Brewluminati All Seeing Eye(PA) (Cask)
4:45 Brewluminati Braggot
5:15 Brewluminati Epanoui
5:45 Jasperilla Old Ale (2010)
6:15 Brewluminati Thinker’s Ale
6:45 Brewluminati Gold Deluxe

Entertainment will be provide by a band featuring the Head Brewer, Michael Waters as well as local Austin rockabilly band Deuce Coupe. And if you get hungry, Boomerang’s will be onsite selling their delicious meet pies,

October Glass Nights at the Ginger Man

2011-10-06T16:06:00.000-05:00

The Ginger Man has released their list of Glass Nights for the month of October:

5th - Chimay
12th - Unibroue
19th - Dos XX
26th - TBD

The glasses are available starting at 6:00pm (new start time) and only one glass per person with purchase of the beer of the day. As always, the glasses are subject to change and only available while supplies last.

No Label Beer Dinner at Alamo Drafthouse

2011-10-05T13:50:00.000-05:00

The latest installment of the "Independent movie, Independent beer" series at the Alamo Drafthouse Mason Park location takes place on Thursday, October 6th at 7pm and features the movie Lost in Translation along with a feast paired with beers from No Label Brewing.

For the price of $50, you get Scarlett Johansson (and Bill Murray too) and the following four course dinner:

1st Course
Ridgeback (Amber Ale) with Shiitake miso with "Suntori Time" smoked chicken.

2nd Course
Pale Horse (Pale Ale) with Chili-Ponzu Yellowtail.

3rd Course
No Label El-Hefe (Hefeweizen) with soy and ginger marinated pork belly with cheddar grits and a "rising sun" fried egg.

4th Course
Black Wit (Dark wheat ale) with Green-tea and chocolate cheesecake.

Reserve your ticket online and ensure your spot for this great dinner and a movie.