This week in The Brew! We decided to not talk about a certain beer commercial that aired during the Super Bowl nor will we discuss Pumpkin Peach Ales. Instead, we take a look inside one of the newest breweries to open soon in Houston, we pay our respects to a brewery gone out of business too soon and lastly we go down the list of breweries that are planned to open this year. Next weekend is Valentine’s Day so we are working to compile a list of things to do with your sweetheart that includes Texas beer. Until then, enjoy The Brew!
Houston– 11 Below Brewing Company is just one of the many breweries opening this spring in Texas. I got a chance to visit the brewery to see the progress and to talk with Brandon Moss and Jeff Handojo about 11 Below. The brewery was founded by Bryce Baker, Brandon Moss and Jeff Handojo who all had careers in the oil and engineering industry. The friends spent their downtime homebrewing and appreciating beer when the idea came to them to start a brewery of their own. As the process started to come together the partners looked for a head brewer that would take them to the next level and that is when they found Keenan Zarling who was a former brewer with Independence Brewing Company in Austin and Tin Man Brewing in Evansville, Indiana. Once the team came together they had to come up with a name that would represent the partners and the brewery. 11 Below Brewing was a play on the difference between a barrel of beer (31 gallons) and a barrel of crude oil (42 gallons). The brewery is located in a business park on the northwest side of Houston close to Willowbrook Mall. They have a 30 barrel brewhouse and plenty of room for expansions along with an open taproom for tours. All of their licenses and permits have come in and they are working on the last few components to take the brewery live. While they haven’t officially given a launch date, they are expecting to be open by March. As soon as beer starts flowing, 11 Below will release their three core beers 7 Iron (Session Ale), Oso Bueno (Amber Ale) and Color Blind (Red IPA) which will be released on draft only. They have plans to work on some big beers and a barrel aging program in the future but for now they will focus on getting the beer across the Houston market. I am excited to see this brewery launch and I wish the guys all the best of luck. Be sure to follow them on Facebook for the progress and upcoming events.
Missouri City– It is quite clear that Texas is going through a craft beer boom but with so many breweries opening up it becomes tougher for the newcomers to make a name for themselves let alone get their beer to the masses. The craft beer scene has become more competitive over the last few years and tougher for smaller breweries struggling to stay afloat. Sadly this week we learned that Fort Bend Brewing Company located just outside of Houston was one of the casualties of this rapidly exploding scene. They announced on their Facebook page on Tuesday that they brewery had officially gone out of business after only 2yrs. While the demand for craft beer continues to grow it leaves many breweries looking for new recipes and unique ideas to reinvent original styles just to keep their fans interested. We would like to wish Ty and Sharon Coburn as well as their employees all the best in their future ventures and we thank you for all that you did. We hope this is the last brewery to have to close but with so many breweries expected to open this year, they are going to have to make beers that really leave an impression.
Texas– Something told me that 2015 was going to be a great year and with the outlook of breweries opening this year, it will continue to put Texas on the map as a serious beer state. By spring there will be a ton of breweries opening up across the state and it is going to make for a lot of new beer to try. Here is a list of breweries that will be opening soon. The way the scene is going, by the time you finish this article there will be another list of breweries opening up. I know I for one am very excited to see the growth and I am wishing all of the new brewers the best of luck and success.
11 Below Brewing Co. – Houston
4th Tap Brewing Co-Op – Austin
Alamo Beer Company – San Antonio
Bearded Eel Craft Brewery – Ft. Worth
Bindlestick Brewing Co – Leander
Bitter Sisters Brewery – Addison
Blue Owl Brewing – Austin
Braindead Brewing – Dallas
Brash Brewing – Houston
Bull Creek Brewing Co. – Liberty Hill
Four Bullets Brewery – Richardson
Ironsight Brewers – Cedar Park
Kinematic Brewing Company – Boerne
Last Stand Brewing Co. – Austin
Nine Band Brewing – Allen
Oddwood Ales – Austin
Old Omen Brewery – Tyler
On Rotation – Dallas
Orf Brewing – Austin
Red Horn Coffee House & Brewing Co. – Cedar Park
Rentsch Brewing – Georgetown
Southerleigh Fine Foods and Brewery – San Antonio
Texas Ale Project – Dallas
Town In City Brewing – Houston
Zilker Brewing Company – Austin
As always, if you’re looking to get out this weekend we suggest you visit a local brewery, don’t forget that we have a list of all of the breweries near you so head over to the Breweries and Brewpubs page and go support your local brewers.
