Last weekend the Paste Untapped Indie Music and Craft Beer Festival rolled into Houston to close out the 2013 Houston Beer Week. The festival brought together up and coming artists along with over 60 breweries from both Texas and beyond. The weather was gloomy but the beer selection kept attendees happy. While some huddled under tents to stay dry, others took the opportunity to sample beers without waiting in line. If there is one thing Texan’s are known for, it’s supporting local products and at the Untapped Festival it was easy to see the support as the Texas beer lines were clearly longer than the others.
Some of the big hits at the festival were from Houston’s own Saint Arnold as they unleashed a series of Bishop Barrels and Divine Reserves which went almost as quick as they were tapped. Pflugerville brewers Rogness Brewing put everyone in the Christmas spirit with their seasonal release “Holiday”. A personal favorite was the Apricot Hopston from Houston’s 8th Wonder Brewing. The apricot brought out the wonderful hop profile and seemed to be a perfect beer for the warm Texas temps. Infamous Brewing from Austin came out with guns blazing and left many talking about their Pumpkin Pecan Porter. While it was light on the mouth it was big in flavor and the profile of spices blossomed as the beer warmed up a little.
All in all, the Paste Untapped Festival was a huge success. The crowd was great and the lines were relatively short. While the beer was flowing, the bands kept the attendees entertained. Many wondered if this was going to be a beer or music festival but as the gates opened the attendees put the beer on center stage. The music was like a soundtrack setting the mood as the beer danced along my taste buds. With such a great success it’s going to have many questioning, who hosts the best beer festival in town?
