Martin House heeds a call with Big Hoppa

Image courtesy of Martin House Brewing Co.

Inspired by a call to action put forth by a well-known local retailer, Fort Worth's Martin House Brewing Co. will release Big Hoppa IPA, a juicy, fresh and unfiltered IPA crafted in the spirit of those being brewed at places like The Alchemist, Trillium, and Lawson's Finest Liquids.

The catalyst for the new beer was none other than Lone Star Beverages and Taps & Caps co-founder Rick Ali. As a fan of the newly-emerging New England style of IPA, it was Ali's lament of a local option that lit the fire under Martin House brewmaster Cody Martin.

"We heard Rick, who knows his craft beer, loud and clear when he complained about the lack of a good, juicy, Northeastern-style IPA here in Texas," said Martin. "We decided to take that on the way a Texan would with a 12% ABV IPA full of all of our favorite hops."

Regarding the hops in question, Martin revealed a recipe built on a list of varieties that includes Chinook, Citra, Equinox, Simcoe, Mosaic and Falconer's Flight. It's a mix borne out of work done on another popular Martin House beer, and one Martin thinks should hit the mark for die-hard hopheads.

"Since we started brewing our single-hopped Cellerman's Reserve IPA, we've gotten very familiar with lots of really unique and tasty hops," explained Martin. "So, we took that expertise and came up with this six hop cocktail that will certainly impress those searching for an awesome double IPA."

As for when it will be available, the brewery expects to unleash Big Hoppa to accounts across North Texas in September. Considering the beer's background, that should work out well for Ali as well, since that's about the time Lone Star Beverages will celebrate its tenth anniversary in Carrollton. On top of that, the timeframe may also fall right in line with the debut of the newest Taps & Caps in Fort Worth.

"The timing can't get any better based on what we've got going on with the two shops," said Ali. "With that in mind, I see this beer as an ode to my father and partner Sam (whose image appears on the label), since he loves IPAs. Not only did he inspire me to jump into the business, he's been there by my side the whole way as we approach the 10-year anniversary at Lone Star Beverages."

Of course, Ali is also glad that it was Martin House that answered the call.

"The guys at Martin House have been great partners since they opened and we love what they have been doing with their IPAs and the single hop series," added Ali, "so obviously we're excited for them to brew this!"

Come September, look for Big Hoppa IPA to be available on draft and in four-packs of 12-ounce cans.

BrainDead to take over Taps & Caps for one night, February 25

Image credit: Lone Star Taps & Caps (click to enlarge).

Lone Star Taps & Caps debuted its Denton location just last month, and while the new spot has held a few tap takeover-type events, it has yet to play host to its first beer dinner. That will change, though, when BrainDead Brewing out of Dallas brings its brand of food and drink to Denton on Thursday, February 25.

For one night only, the most talked-about brewpub from Big D will take over the newest craft beer destination to open in 'Lil D for what promises to be "a colossal and epic night," according to owner Rick Ali."We've wanted to team up with BrainDead for a food pairing for quite some time," Ali says, "but we decided something bigger was needed. Something bigger than just beer. This takeover is the most unique and special one of any we've done before, and we're putting it on in celebration of the brewpub's upcoming anniversary."

In addition to BrainDead beers being on tap and available for growler fills, the brewpub's chef, David Pena, will prepare a special four-course dinner to be served at the event (see menu below). Not only that, those in attendance will have the right to purchase limited-release bottles of the BrainDead beers Bent de Garde and Hammer of the Gods for the first time outside the brewpub.

"I am truly excited about this one!," says Pena. "The opportunity to highlight some of our unique beers, including our first ever retail bottle release, is something that makes us all proud. Brewmaster Drew Huerter knocked it out of the park with Hammer of the Gods, a beer that's dangerously easy to drink, and Bent de Garde, which is ridiculously complex and delicious. As a close friend of Rick, it has been awesome to watch how he and his father Sam have been true proponents of craft beer. This is going to be the first-ever BrainDead Pop-up, with a unique menu of four courses paired with four of our own beers (with a few surprises as well). You definitely don't want to miss it!"

Tickets for the event are $45pp (including taxes and gratuity) and are available now by way of Eventbrite at the link that follows. Note that take-home bottles will be sold separately, and are not included in the ticket price.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/braindead-food-beer-pairing-tickets-21432609512

Course 1:

BrainDead Red (India red ale, 6.0% ABV)

Tequila shrimp and pomegranate ceviche with serrano avocado cream

Course 2:

Dry-Hopped Wheat (American-style pale ale with wheat, 4.8% ABV)

Roasted brussels sprouts, cactus fruit syrup, pequin chile, cumin seed, cecina beef

Course 3:

Bent de Garde (red wine barrel-aged bière de garde, 8.5% ABV)

Rye-battered chicken thigh, red pepper manchego grits, braised collard greens, cabernet pepper cream gravy

Course 4:

Hammer of the Gods (bourbon barrel-aged imperial wheat porter, 11.2% ABV)

Stout beer chocolate cupcakes, bourbon vanilla cream, ancho chile pecan brittle, quince and tiger fig jellies

Taps & Caps teams with Cobra for coconut collab

Image credits: Cobra Brewing Co., Lone Star Taps & Caps.

Amongst the myriad of new beers coming out for North Texas Beer Week is one you might miss without a trip to the northern side of the Metroplex. On tap now at Lone Star Taps & Caps (T &C), All Eyez on Me is a collaborative effort between the shop and the neighboring Cobra Brewing Co. of Lewisville. It's a Russian imperial stout brewed with toasted coconut, which T&C co-founder Rick Ali says is inspired by the work of a hip-hop legend.

Tupac Shakur released the album All Eyez on Me in 1996, at a time when, Ali proclaims, the artist "was the best at what he did and a game-changer in his profession." The beer, he explains, "is an ode to that and how we (at T&C) are proud to be a part of the Texas craft beer scene after having been at the forefront of the movement for the last 10 years." And, like Tupac, Ali continues, "we are always trying to push beyond the norm." To get a sense of what he means, simply swap the themes of thug life and crime in the album's title track to craft beer and dedication to the industry.

Ali has wanted to collaborate with a brewery for some time. The partnership with Cobra was a no brainer, in his mind, because he believes they tend to brew the types of beers he and many of his customers like to drink. "Dawn of the Dank, Kitchen Sink, Spring Cleaning and Barrel Aged Klurichan are beers that have all that I want," says Ali. "Each is well-balanced with great aroma and a high ABV that is hidden well."

All Eyez on Me (© Brian Brown/Beer In Big D).

Brewing a Russian imperial stout was another easy decision, since it's one of Ali's favorite styles and one he drinks year-round. As for the added ingredient, coconut is a favorite food of his as well, so to him it was a must-have addition. Ali even arose at an early hour to help out on brew day, something that was naturally set to the soundtrack of Tupac's inspirational song.

In terms of tasting notes, my impressions are that the coconut is more of a subtle player in All Eyez on Me, though it does lend a little bit of lingering sweetness to the aftertaste. Otherwise the beer is rich and roasty, with a bitter finish reminiscent of a high-cacao chocolate bar. It's an all-too-easy drinker considering its strength, with a medium body and virtually no hint of the 9.92% ABV.

All Eyez on Me is a good beer, and one that furthers my belief that founders Neil MacCuish and Bill Shaw have found their groove at the brewery in Lewisville. In addition to the heftier beers Ali mentions above, lighter offerings like the hazelnut-infused Donut Dunker have proven to be solid efforts as well. Given that, if it's been a while since you've visited Cobra, it might be worth your time to give them a second look.

As for this batch of All Eyez on Me, enough was made to fill only five half-barrel kegs, so it will only be available for a limited time. Should the beer prove to be popular, Ali hopes he and MacCuish can continue to develop the recipe, perhaps offering different variants with other ingredients in the future.

Lone Star Taps & Caps unveils new Denton address

Image credit: Lone Star Taps & Caps.

Around this time last year, founders Sam and Rick Ali announced plans to expand their Lone Star Beverages empire with the opening of a new growler station in Lewisville. The concept which has come to be known as Lone Star Taps & Caps opened its doors in December 2014, and now just 10 months later the father and son duo is ready to reveal its next move.

This fall, Lone Star Taps & Caps will open a second location in the City of Denton. Located at 526 W. Hickory Street, the new spot is positioned halfway between the campuses of Texas Woman's University and the University of North Texas. On top of that, it's just steps away from the city's downtown Square and mere minutes from Audacity Brew House and the recently reported landing spot of Armadillo Ale Works. Given the easy access to these entities and the emergence of Denton as a North Texas craft beer destination, the pair says "it was the right time to bring the Taps & Caps concept to the city."

As described in a press release, the new shop will fuse the growler bar elements of the Lewisville location with the convenience of the retail bottles to-go setup that makes up the Carrolton store. In addition, the Denton site will include a one-of-a-kind walk-up service window that is accessible from the street.

For the two founders, "Lone Star Taps & Caps continued growth is a result of their constant dedication to provide the ultimate craft beer experience to patrons." Combine this with a desire to continue providing the service and selection that has made them a staple in the craft beer community, and you have the makings of a mission statement that has remained strong and unchanged since they first entered the industry nearly a decade ago. And, indications are that this approach will endure well into the future, as Sam and Rick have every intention of opening more locations in surrounding cities in the near future.