re: Calling all hop heads (Beer thread for the week)

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Let me know how the tour is, I'd like to hit it up when I'm out that way

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Will do!

I saw it after i posted. I was kinda playin catch up.

Glad to know im not crazy

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If you gave me a blind taste test of racer 5 and hopitoulas I'd pick racer 5 all day. The aromatics on it are so much more intense. Not that hopitoulas is bad just that I like racer 5 a lot better.

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We are of like mind here. I really like Hopitoulas, but I really really like Racer 5. The smell of that beer is so damn good. You like what you like.

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I've been on an IPA kick lately. Had a really good one from Anderson Valley brewing co. Hop nottin'. Delicious beer. Also had a good people snakehandler double IPA that was pretty tasty

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Hop Ottin' I believe is what it's called. Great beer.

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Just had a Founders Double Trouble IPA. Good stuff, and hides the high ABV well

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Awesome beer indeed. If ever get the chance try their Devil Dancer

You people sure are getting ahold of some awesome sounding IPAs.
Very jealous of Hopslam. The price doesn't even sound ridiculous bc ruination is about $16 six pack
I follow Bells on Facebook. They had some big arse vessels delivered last year, so hopefully we can see some of their stuff close by pretty soon.
I really wish we'd have another year of expansions into our state. I'm looking at you Terrapin Sweetwater Good Prople Yazoo Cigar City and all that awesome Texas beer Boo is talking about.

Damn.

In preparation of this I tried some Steen's on my pancakes this weekend. Very tasty stuff. I'm not sure how I've never had it on anything all this time I've lived in LA.
Either way, it should make for one hell of an interesting beer. I hope it sells like hotcakes so we can see it in some of those fancy bottles.

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Unfortunately I think many of the Texas breweries are going to be working on expanding just around the state for a while before thinking of crossing borders.

We get Spoetzl, and limited Saint Arnold and Southern Star. My guess for the next one would be Real Ale Brewing, they've been around for 15 years now. Total guess though.

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There are two types of expansion in Texas brewing right now. First, all the "big boys" are trying to grow and expand out of Texas. You guys already get WAY more Saint Arnold than I can get within 75 miles of home. I agree with you that Real Ale is likely to get distributed out of state soon, and I think Rahr & Sons will also. Both make some very good beer.

Second, the new breweries are trying to get started. I know the guy with Texas Big Beer said he would be distributing to Louisiana. I have read about many new breweries that have recently opened, like Karbach (how is that pronounced anyways?) and No Label, and will be opening soon, like TBB, New Braunfels Brewing, etc.

I think that Texas, especially if the lawmakers are willing to work with brewers like they did wine makers, will explode with new brewers in the next 5 years. There is no reason that Texas couldn't have just as many great breeweries as California, Colorado, or the lake states

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I agree with you that Real Ale is likely to get distributed out of state soon, and I think Rahr & Sons will also. Both make some very good beer.

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Good call on Rahr & Sons... I could see them crossing state lines soon.

We get more of the limited Saint Arnold stuff, but only Lawnmower out of the year-round releases which is odd.

I just see most of the breweries like Jester King, (512), Ranger Creek, Karbach, No Label, Buffalo Bayou, Independence, Live Oak, and a few others having a lot more expanding to do within Texas before they consider other states.

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I think that Texas, especially if the lawmakers are willing to work with brewers like they did wine makers, will explode with new brewers in the next 5 years. There is no reason that Texas couldn't have just as many great breeweries as California, Colorado, or the lake states

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Totally agree. Every time I look it seems like there are new ones popping up already. Houston has gone from Saint Arnold to having Karbach (I pronounce is Car-Bosh and I believe that's correct... I even did their tasting/tour last weekend but not sure I heard them pronounce it!) No Label, and Buffalo Bayou within a year.

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I just see most of the breweries like Jester King, (512), Ranger Creek, Karbach, No Label, Buffalo Bayou, Independence, Live Oak, and a few others having a lot more expanding to do within Texas before they consider other states.

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no doubt, but their expansion will be fast, I think. I'm not sure what Karbach and No Label tours are like, but there were 200+ (easily) at Southern Star last Saturday, and tours at Saint Arnold are a madhouse. The support is there, and growing. People cannot get enough of the "standard" releases, and look the hell out when a single batch release hits the shelves.

(personal note: seriously, Saint Arnold, your "we can only make a limited supply, better hurry and get some" marketing tactic is bullshite. You have the room, you charge a lot for them, make more beer)

My cousin in San Diego is working on getting all of his brewing automated, and the setup he has will alow him to use make adjustments for batch sizes. He has mentioned several times that he'd like to start up a nano, but San Diego is a tough spot for it. I've been pushing him to consider Austin, and he loves it out there already. Once the legislative restrictions are removed, particularly allowing breweries to sell directly to consumers, the sky is the limit for Texas breweries.