Sampling "beer" snacks you can buy at the store

"Beer" products now on sale at your local market (© Brian Brown/Beer in Big D).

What's in a name? Well, if it's a food item found on local store shelves with "beer" in the name, you'd naturally expect to experience something beer-like in the flavor. The thing is, though, not every implied infusion actually contains beer.

For example, Mrs. Renfro's Craft Beer Salsa is made with beer from Rahr & Sons Brewing Co., a fellow Fort Worth business. Yet, on the coupling of two other Cowtown companies, there's not a drop of Martin House beer in a Best Maid Beer Pickle.

Indeed, on the grocery aisle, "beer" is a term to be taken either literally or figuratively, depending on the product. Even then, beer as an ingredient doesn't always translate to "beer" as a tasting note in the literal cases, while all bets are off when it comes to food items trying to be "beer-flavored" without the benefit of beer.

In any case, below you'll find notes on nine products for sale in North Texas with beer (or ale, porter, etc.) in the name or the ingredients. Some have beer, some don't. And, of course, some have the taste beer, while others taste like nothing of the sort.

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Harpoon Alehouse Cheddar:  For this product, cheese curds are soaked in both Harpoon IPA and Harpoon Dark (a Munich-style dunkel) from Harpoon Brewery of Massachusetts . The result is a firm, crumbly cheese with a strong flavor element likely attributable to the beer, though I don't really get the "hoppy" impression noted in the commercial description.

Maker: Vermont Farmstead Cheese Co. (South Woodstock, Vermont).

Purchased at: Market Street.

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Red Dragon Cheddar Cheese with Wholegrain Mustard & Ale: Its packaging lists "ale" as an ingredient, but a further search suggests this cheese is blended with a Welsh brown ale. Red Dragon is a soft and creamy cheddar, with a well-balanced taste profile. A mild mustard flavor is most prominent, with a bit of brown ale coming out in the aftertaste.

Maker: Somerdale International (Wellington, Somerset, England).

Purchased at: Central Market.

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Sierra Nevada Mustard: Two varieties of mustard incorporating beers from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. of California are available on local shelves. The first, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale & Honey Spice Mustard, is sweet and spicy with an earthy element and a smooth texture. As for the other, Sierra Nevada Porter & Spicy Brown Mustard is bolder and grainier, coming across as a darker version of French's Spicy Brown Mustard.

Maker: Frank's Famous Foods (Lafayette, California).

Purchased at: Market Street.

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Boardwalk Craft Beer Pretzels: Beer isn't among the ingredients, so we'll assume these Pilsner and Stout-flavored pretzels are designed to mimic the respective beers. Maybe they do, maybe they don't. Either way, both are salty and sawdust-like at their core. The Pilsner pretzels are herbal with some sweetness, while the Stout pretzels have traces of brown sugar and cocoa powder, along with an intense, sort of dipped-in flat brown ale kind of flavor.

Maker: Boardwalk Food Co. (Sarasota, Florida).

Purchased at: Central Market.

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Mrs. Renfro's Craft Beer Salsa: Made with Texas Red American Amber from Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. of Fort Worth, Mrs. Renfro's Craft Beer Salsa is Pace-like, but more complex as it delivers a moderate kick with a noticeable malt sweetness in the finish.

Maker: Renfro Foods (Fort Worth, Texas).

Purchased at: Kroger.

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Wackym's The Temptress Cookies: Infused with The Temptress Imperial Milk Stout from Lakewood Brewing Co. of Garland, what emerges from this pairing is a chocolatey, malty butter cookie that makes for an ideal snack pairing with the beer for which it's named.

Maker: Wackym's Kitchen (Dallas, Texas).

Purchased at: Central Market.

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Best Maid Beer Pickles:  No beer is used in the pickling process for Best Maid's beer pickles. Instead, the company adds lemon and coriander to the brine to model the flavor profile of The Salty Lady from Martin House Brewing Co. of Fort Worth. What emerges is a tart, salty pickle with a hint of lemon essence.

Maker: Best Maid Pickles (Fort Worth, Texas).

Purchased at: Market Street, Best Maid Pickle Emporium.

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Martin House, Fort Worth Zoo come together for elephant conservation

Image credit: Martin House Brewing Co.

Martin House Brewing Co. of Fort Worth has announced a new partnership with the Fort Worth Zoo, as the brewery will release a beer celebrating the zoo's newest exhibit, Elephant Springs.

The two entities first came together in the spring of 2018, when the zoo opened its African Savanna enclosure. In that instance, Martin House created a wheat beer with kiwano fruit called Into the Wild, which helped bring awareness to the plight of the endangered black rhino.

African Savanna also introduced the zoo's "A Wilder Vision" campaign, an initiative designed to create "new ways to observe, interact and learn about animals." Elephant Springs, which opened on April 15, represents phase two of that program, with the new area designed especially for Asian elephants and greater one-horned rhinos.

As for Elephant Springs (5.2% ABV), the beer, Martin House has taken one of its original recipes, River House Saison, and added a favorite treat of elephants - blueberries. And, if memories of River House are any indication (the beer was a stylistic favorite back in the day), this blueberry variant promises to be a light and refreshing springtime drinker.

A launch party for Elephant Springs will be held at the brewery on Saturday, May 1. Admission is free, with the beer to be available on tap and in packaged form. Can purchases (in singles or four-packs of 16-ounce tallboys) will help with elephant conservation efforts, as Martin House has pledged to donate 25% of all can sales to an elephant-centric charity of the zoo's choosing.

Four North Texas breweries earn medals at 2019 Aro Rojo

Image credit: Competencia Internacional de Cerveza Aro Rojo.

Four area breweries and a local gypsy brewer have been recognized south of the border at the 2019 Aro Rojo International Beer Competition.

Held March 26-28 in Tampico, Mexico, the Aro Rojo event aims to be an international platform for recognition of beers from around the world. In addition to those sent in from the competition's home country of Mexico, beers were submitted from South and Central America, South Korea and the United States. Entries were evaluated according to the 2015 Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) Style Guidelines.

As for North Texas, a total of five medals were awarded to local breweries, with an additional medal of note bestowed upon a beer Dallas-based BlackMan Brewing created in collaboration with Costa Rican brewer Treintaycinco - Fabrica de Cervezas. Each of these honorees is listed below, while a complete list of winners may be found by clicking here (image at link expands to a slideshow).


Bankhead Brewing Co., Rowlett

• Silver for Whoopee! in the Czech Premium Pale Lager category.
• Bronze for Devil Wagon in the Munich Helles category.

BlackMan Brewing/Treintaycinco - Fabrica de Cervezas, Dallas/Costa Rica

• Silver for Smoking Lit in the Historical Beer: Lichtenhainer category.

Cowtown Brewing Co., Fort Worth

• Silver for Everybody's Doing It in the American IPA category.

HopFusion Ale Works, Fort Worth

• Gold for Coco Anejo in the Winter Seasonal Beer category.

Martin House Brewing Co., Fort Worth

• Bronze for Friday IPA in the American IPA category.

Cheers and congratulations to all!

Peticolas named top brewery as North Texas shines at 2018 U.S. Open

Image credit: 2018 U.S. Open Beer Championship.

Winners from the 2018 U.S. Open Beer Championship were announced last night, with North Texas brewers literally one-upping last year's performance at the event. This year locals landed 14 medals, which represents a gain of one compared to the 13 prizes awarded to area breweries in 2017.

More than 6300 beers were judged at the 2018 competition, with entries split into 117 different categories. From that pool, eight local breweries were recognized for their beers, including one which garnered the U.S. Open's top overall prize. That accolade went to Peticolas Brewing Co. of Dallas, who brought home the title of Grand National Champion, a.k.a. Top Brewery of 2018, after winning a total of five medals (three gold, two silver).

A summary of all North Texas honorees is provided below, with a complete list of medalists to be found by clicking here.


903 Brewers

• Silver for Sasquatch in the American Imperial Stout Non-Traditional (coffee, maple, chocolate, etc.) category.

HopFusion Ale Works

• Silver for Feisty Blonde in the Specialty/Anything Goes category.

Lakewood Brewing Co.

• Silver for Sin Mint Temptress in the Experimental Beer category.
• Bronze for Lion's Share IV in the Wood/Barrel-Aged Quad category.

Martin House Brewing Co.

• Bronze for True Love in the Fruit Gose category.

Oak Highlands Brewery

• Gold for Tejano Pecano in the Specialty/Anything Goes category.
• Silver for Freaky Deaky in the Belgian Tripel category.

Peticolas Brewing Co.

• Gold for Black Curtains in the American Imperial Stout category.
• Gold for Great Scot in the Scottish Ale category.
• Gold for Velvet Hammer in the Imperial Red Ale category.
• Silver for Royal Scandal in the English Pale Ale category.
• Silver for Sledge Hammer in the American Barley Wine category.

Rabbit Hole Brewing

• Bronze for 10/6 in the English Pale Ale category. 

Rahr & Sons Brewing Co.

• Gold for Iron Joe in the Coffee Beer category.

Cheers and congratulations to all!

Area brewers recognized at 2018 Los Angeles International Beer Competition

Image credit: Fairplex.

Following an event held the weekend of April 21-22, four local breweries have been recognized for their work at the 2018 Los Angeles International Beer Competition.

The event, which celebrated its 18th year, accepted entries from around the world. Judges were tasked with the evaluation of beers in 95 different categories based on the 2017 Brewers Association Style Guidelines. Honors for North Texas brewers are summarized below, with a complete list of winners to be found by clicking here.

Community Beer Company

• Silver for Citra Slice in the Session India Pale Ale category.
• Silver for Köbesse Kölsch in the German-Style Kölsch category.

Martin House Brewing Co.

• Honorable Mention for True Love in the American-Style Sour Ale category.

Peticolas Brewing Co.

• Bronze for Irish Goodbye in the Irish-Style Red Ale category.
• Bronze for It's Always Something in the Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale category.

Rahr & Sons Brewing Company

• Gold for Summertime Wheat in the South German-Style Hefeweizen category.
• Silver for Oktoberfest in the German-Style Maerzen category.
• Bronze for Paleta de Mango in the Chili Pepper Beer category.

Cheers and congratulations to all!

North Texas Craft Beer Conspectus - December 26, 2017 edition

Christmas has come and gone, as has the winter solstice...the latter in evidence based on two of the beers covered in this, the latest (and last of 2017) edition of the Craft Beer Conspectus.

Cheers!


See Star Wars, drink C3P-Ale

Created to coincide with the release of the film, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Lakewood Brewing Co. of Garland has introduced C3P-Ale (6.37% ABV). The beer, a collaboration between the brewery and the historic Texas Theatre in Oak Cliff, is an American-style pale ale that features three popular "C" hops - Columbus, Citra and Cascade. Seek it out at select growler-fill stations and craft beer-friendly cinemas around the Metroplex.


Mix things up with Martin House

The slogan "two great tastes that taste great together" may be the property of a popular candy, but it would seem to apply to a couple of beers recently put out by Martin House Brewing Co. of Fort Worth. At least, that seems to be the case behind Cookies (a cookie dough stout) and Cream (a cream ale), two beers that are said to taste great on their own or when combined. Now available at retail, the pair is sold in mixed four-packs of 12-ounce cans.


Winter is here in the form of a beer

In honor of the winter solstice, Noble Rey Brewing Co. of Dallas has unveiled Mother Night. For a little background, Yule was a 12-day winter solstice celebration that marked the return of the sun. On the first night of Yule, otherwise known as "mother's night," Nordic Pagans awaited the birth of the Sun God, Baldur, son of Odin and the goddess Frigg. As for the beer, Mother Night is a Belgian-style dark saison brewed with black currants and plum puree. It's the first beer ever to be bottled at Noble Rey, and one that can only be obtained at the brewery.


Legal Draft serves up Black Letter Law

Originally offered as a limited draft-only release over the summer, Legal Draft Beer Co. of Arlington has canned Black Letter Law (4.7% ABV). Although billed as a black pilsner, the beer's label declares Black Letter Law to be a traditional German-style schwarzbier that delivers "light and smooth drinkability in every glass." Pick it up in six-packs of 12-ounce cans.


A new Hour is upon us

Darkest Hour (11% ABV, 60 IBU) is a beer that's been around for a number of years, and it too (like Mother Night mentioned above) is one that marks the long night of the winter solstice. This time, though, Deep Ellum Brewing Co. of Dallas has aged Darkest Hour in port wine barrels, with the end result described as a beer featuring notes of dark fruit, tobacco, coconut and chocolate. On draft now in the brewery's taproom, Darkest Hour will also be sold in 22-ounce bottles.


Ring in the Season at Braindead

The holiday season is also tamale season, and in recognition of that tamale truth, Braindead Brewing of Dallas has crafted an inspired variation of its standard Export Stout. Said to be festive AF, Tamale Season (6.6% ABV, 43 IBU) is brewed with cacao nibs, cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans and a mix of guajillo and chipotle chili peppers.

Also from Braindead, the brewpub is pouring A Friend of Rye (10.3% ABV, 38 IBU), a Belgian-style tripel brewed with rye (obviously) and a dash of palm sugar.

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Image credits (top to bottom): Lakewood Brewing Co., Martin House Brewing Co., Noble Rey Brewing Co., Choice Beverage of McKinney, Deep Ellum Brewing Co., Braindead Brewing.

North Texas Craft Beer Conspectus - October 25, 2017 edition

With the start of North Texas Beer Week looming on the horizon, it makes sense to slip in another edition of the Craft Beer Conspectus. This time around, coverage includes news on three new brewing operations, and two local brews now available in cans.

Cheers!


Landon Winery now offering house beers

 

 Image credit: Landon Winery. 

Sliding in somewhat under the radar, Landon Winery of Greenville began serving its own brand of beer in August. The beers, which up to now have included a blonde ale, a bock and a kölsch, are a collaborative effort between Landon and Good Neighbor Brews of Wylie. Wort for each beer is prepped by the brewers at Good Neighbor prior to being passed on to the winery, where fermentation takes place on site.

  

   Image credit: Martin House Brewing Co. 

A new hefe from Martin House

Martin House Brewing Co. launched its latest beer, Martin House Hefeweizen, during an event at its Fort Worth brewery on Thursday. Release notes indicate the beer is brewed in the traditional German style, with flavors of banana, clove and a hint of bubblegum sweetness leading the way. Look for it in six-packs of 12-ounce cans for a limited time.

Wild Acre cans Texas Blonde Ale

Image credit: Wild Acre Brewing Co.

Wild Acre Brewing Co. of Fort Worth has packaged its Texas Blonde Ale in cans, with six-packs rolling out to retail locations this week. The beer, which debuted over the summer as a draft offering, is said to feature a tropical essence brought on by the use of Azacca hops.


Hop & Sting receives TABC license

Image credit: Hop & Sting Brewing Co.

After receiving approval from the TABC on Tuesday, Hop & Sting Brewing Co. is now officially licensed. For those unaware, Hop & Sting has entered into an alternating proprietorship agreement with 3 Nations Brewing Co., which means both entities will operate out of the same facility in Farmers Branch. As for when consumers can expect the first production brews, founders Brian Burton and Jon Powell suggested a late-November time frame as a best-guess estimate.

Image credit: TKO Libations.

Production begins at TKO Libations

According to co-founder Ty Sefton, production is underway at TKO Libations in Lewisville. The company's first beer, a batch of blueberry blonde, was brewed Tuesday night, and a breakfast stout is next on the agenda. An official grand opening is still a few weeks away, but TKO is now up-an-running on a soft basis during weekends. Check the brewery's social media channels (Facebook, Twitter) for details on that, as well as information on what guest beers the brewery is currently featuring on its tapwall.

North Texas Craft Beer Conspectus - October 17, 2017 edition

In an effort to provide more complete coverage of the goings on related to our craft beer community, presented here is the first edition of what I'm calling the North Texas Craft Beer Conspectus.

Long story short, the plan is to publish an occasional summary of notable news items as a way for me to keep up with all that's happening in the local scene (since time constraints and/or limited details make it impossible to write long-form features on everything), and a way for you - the reader - to catch up on things you may have missed on social media.

As is the case with feature articles, information appearing here will be new, which means you won't see mention of re-releases or returning seasonals, both of which generally get due attention on the weekly events page. The exception to that rule being any case where a beer (year-round, seasonal or otherwise) is being packaged for the first time.

Lastly, the intent is for this to be like a week (or month) in review piece, so the past tense prevails, meaning anything occurring in the future (e.g. a new beer being released later this month) will be reserved for later editions.

Got it? Good. Off we go then...


Malai Kitchen opens third location in Fort Worth

Image credit: Malai Kitchen.

Established in Fort Worth's Shops at Clearfork development, Malai Kitchen opened the doors to its third location on October 4. According to a Facebook post, the restaurant does expect to do some brewing with a small-batch brewhouse set up on-site, but the majority of Malai's barley-and-hop-based libations will continue to be made at its site in Southlake.


Panther Island now packaging its beer

Image credit: Panther Island Brewing Co.

Last week, Panther Island Brewing Co. of Fort Worth became the latest North Texas brewery to begin canning its beers. Panther Island utilized the services of Beer Dudes Mobile Canning to package Allergeez (5.7% ABV), an unfiltered American wheat ale brewed with local honey, chamomile flowers and rose hips. The new cans feature a label graphic referencing a silver medal awarded to the brewery for Allergeez, which placed in the Herb and Spice Beer category at the 2015 Great American Beer Festival.


Noble Rey introduces Eagle Tears

 Image credit: Noble Rey Brewing Co. 

Noble Rey Brewing Co. of Dallas has introduced Eagle Tears, a beer crafted in response to Dallas Sucks, a seasonal offering from Pennsylvania's Weyerbacher Brewing Co. The two beers call attention to the longstanding rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL.

Billed as a "better beer, with a better name and a way better design," Noble Rey's announcement was met with a swift reply from a Philadelphia-area reporter who suggested Eagle Tears wasn't even a good comeback. A curious counter, considering the amount of deep thought that must have gone into coming up with the oh-so-original phrase, "Dallas Sucks." Either way, with five Super Bowl rings to our team's credit, we'll take being better at football over being better at comebacks any day of the week.

Also from Noble Rey, Tactical Combat Firefighter IPA (6.2% ABV) was canned for the first time last week. Pick up six-packs at the brewery in the Design District, at Noble Rey's taproom in the Dallas Farmers Market, or at a craft beer-friendly retailer near you.

Image credit: Pegasus City Brewery.

From Pegasus City to your porch

Highpoint Porch Ale (5.3% ABV), the second #porchapproved product to be canned by Pegasus City Brewery of Dallas, is now available at retail in six-packs of 12-ounce cans. The beer, an English-style mild ale, was the first ever made by the team at Pegasus City, with the original test batch being one that was crafted on an actual porch.

  Image credit: Martin House Brewing Co.

Martin House launches Saturday IPA

Launched at the brewery last Thursday, Saturday IPA (8.0% ABV) is the newest micro-seasonal from Martin House Brewing Co. of Fort Worth. The beer is brewed with three hop varieties and 200 pounds of blood orange puree, creating a double IPA that is said to be "a bit boozier with a heavier mouthfeel" compared to its predecessor, Friday IPA. Look for it in four-packs of 12-ounce cans.

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.

Martin House delves into the Abyss with Acheron

Image courtesy of Martin House Brewing Co.

Drawing once again on a literary reference (à la Kafkaesque) in the creation of one of its beers, Martin House is preparing to release its fourth barrel-aged beer in the form of Acheron.

Acheron is a name that comes from Dante's Inferno, the first cantica of Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic poem, the Divine Comedy. In that work, Dante and his guide, Virgil, seek to cross the river Acheron to gain entrance to Hell, but they must first obtain passage from Charon, the ferryman of Hades (or as I like to call him, the chauffeur to the Abyss).

As for the story of the beer, Acheron (12% ABV) is described by the brewery as a "deep, dark and ravishing imperial stout...that will satiate your sinuous desires for something bold, burly, boozy and barbarous. It's brewed with oats, black barley and a mix of black, chocolate and crystal malts, then finished with brown sugar and Columbus hops to balance its leviathan body." And, if that depiction isn't enough to convince you to try it, Martin House suggests "drinking it will help Charon determine your fate."

According to brewery co-founder Cody Martin, Acheron was aged for six months in a combination of first-use barrels from Woodford Reserve and second-use barrels from a Colorado distillery the brewery previously utilized for Christmas in July (a.k.a. barrel-aged Sugar & Spice). The finished beer was then extracted from the casks and kegged as-is, rather than blended with a non-barrel-aged batch, in order to achieve maximum barrel character.

Acheron will debut at Martin House during a Barrel-Aged Pop-Up Dinner being held at the brewery in conjunction with the Dallas gastropub LUCK. Happening on Friday, February 19 at 7 p.m., tickets for the event can be purchased at the following link: http://martinhousebrewing.com/Events/barrel-aged-pop-up-dinner.

Subsequent to that, the beer will be available on a limited basis at select draft accounts throughout the Metroplex beginning February 25.

Martin House now selling Cellarman's IPA and Gateway Blonde in cans

Image credit: Martin House Brewing Company

Rolling out to retail this week, two Martin House favorites are now available in 6-packs of 12-ounce cans.

The first of these, Gateway Blonde, is the brewery's "go-to session ale" named after Fort Worth's Gateway Park Trail and is brewed with corn (ergo the cornhole recommended activity) and acidulated malt. The latter, while sounding somewhat technical, is a type of malted barley that contains a small amount of lactic acid. Its use can result in a sour-like character in the finish of a beer and is why the brewery says Gateway has a "unique but subtle kick on the finish."

As for the second of the two releases, Cellarman's Reserve IPA is the brewery's single-hop IPA brewed with a basic malt bill in order to put the emphasis on the hop addition. Of course, fans of Martin House know that the hops rotate in this beer, and the brewery says the exact variety for any given release will denoted by a sticker placed on the six-pack carrier. According to co-founder David Wedemeier, initial shipments were brewed with Cascade hops, and he expects the variety to change on monthly or bi-monthly basis going forward.

Cheers!

Martin House bringing back Kafkaesque

Images the property of Martin House Brewing Company

After first appearing as an apparent one-off at last year's Untapped Festival in Fort Worth, Martin House has announced it is bringing back Kafkaesque as a new, "micro-seasonal" offering.

Available during the month of January, Kafkaesque finds inspiration in the surrealism of author Frank Kafka, and is described as the "most ambitious and confounding beer Martin House has ever produced." The style description alone may have you "cackling at the moon like a madman," given the beer is billed as an Imperial Smoked Black Rye Oaked Raspberry IPA (try saying that ten times fast).

According to the brewery, the goal in creating Kafkaesque was to make something "menacingly complex and surreally distorted." The list of ingredients is certainly suggestive of the first part of that phrase, while limited-edition glassware accompanying the release is an embodiment of the second. Anyone want to try their hand at drinking a leaning tower of craft beer?

For those that are up to the challenge, Kafkaesque will be unveiled one week from today on Thursday, January 15, at the Pour House in Fort Worth. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. and those arriving early will receive the aforementioned glassware with purchase. After that, the beer will be released on draft only, so look for it at accounts that typically carry Martin House's seasonal brews.


Kafkaesque
Style: Imperial Smoked Black Rye Oaked Raspberry IPA
ABV: 10.3%
IBU: 95

Best of the fest: My Untapped tasting card

Image caption:  All images/logos property of their respective owners. 

It's always a bit of a struggle deciding how to bring attention to beers sampled at a festival. I believe you can't give a proper review based on a two-ounce pour, and Saturday's Untapped event presented even more of a challenge given the colder temperatures. That said, you'll notice a theme in many of my tasting notes, as frozen fingers weren't conducive to hand warming which might normally help to reveal additional character.

On the flip side, there's something to be said for first impressions, and more than one brewer has told me that hearing the words "I'd drink that beer again" are as welcome a compliment as any other. So, with that, here are the beers I'd drink again...provided I could do so in climate controlled surroundings.


Malt

Four Corners Notorious O.A.T: A beer that, for whatever reason, I had yet to track down in the market. I suppose it was better late than never, since they tell me supplies are just about gone. Simply put, a couple of sips of this one gave the impression of yet another quietly solid brew from the Trinity Groves brewer.

903 Sasquatch: Chocolate, chocolate...oh, and chocolate. I wasn't able to pick up on the milk sugar addition, but give me a pint of this in an environment where it can warm up another five or so degrees and let's see what develops.


Hops

Deep Ellum Tongue Punch: The brewery's IPA was dry-hopped with four different varieties, but due to an apparent brain freeze I forgot to write down the details. In any event, it was a beer that was true to its name.

Lagunitas Couch Trippin' Fusion: This beer is billed as a "brown-ish" ale dry-hopped with Nelson Sauvin and Mosaic hops. It's hop-forward (what Lagunitas brew isn't) and I'm not entirely sure what flavor profile they are going for from a malt perspective, but my two favorite hop varieties from one of my favorite breweries (and I'm not even a hophead).  Easy sell.


Smoke

Lakewood Antigoon's Revenge:  The "Goon thing" (which is how I chose to refer to this beer since I couldn't remember the name) is a Belgian golden ale brewed with cherry wood smoked malt. It's a big, warming brew with hints of fruit and spice to go along with a noticeably subtle smoke infusion.

Martin House Kafkaesque: So, let me see if I've got this straight. This beer is an Imperial smoked black rye oaked raspberry IPA. If that sounds bizarre or illogical, it's suppose to given the reference to Frank Kafka (Google it). My taste buds cropped the ingredient list down to a hoppy rye oaked raspberry IPA, and a tasty one at that. Basically, contributions from the smoke and dark grains eluded me, but again it's tough to pick up on certain flavors when you're drinking beer in the Arctic.


Sour

Jester King Cerveza de Tempranillo: A very wine-like, even-tempered wild ale brewed with Tempranillo grapes that would probably appeal to those not typically into sours. It's strong, with an ABV of 9.4%, but I would never have guessed that based on flavor and aroma.


One for the road

Oskar Blues Maker's Mark Barrel Aged Dale's Pale Ale: Maker's Mark bourbon is among the best to my taste when used for barrel aging. It has an appropriate amount of sweetness without being harsh, making it a perfect complement to many types of beer. In this case, the name of the brew is nine words long...just call it "good."


Cheers!

Pro-am beers on tap Saturday at Martin House

Brewer for a Day Justin Foley with Martin House owner Cody Martin
Image credit: Martin House Brewing

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I can't remember too many times a North Texas craft brewery has teamed up with a local homebrewer/consumer to produce a "pro-am" beer. Franconia has done a couple in association with the PantegoFEST Homebrew Competition, but the brews were released on a very exclusive basis. Rahr has maybe had a few as special tour tappings, and then there's the Best in Show winner from Deep Ellum's Labor of Love. The Dubya, a recipe created by the Mox Nix Brewery out of Grapevine, is expected to be released prior to next year's event.

This weekend, though, you'll have an opportunity to try two such creations. Rockwall's Justin Foley won the chance to be "Brewer for a Day" in a contest sponsored by Sportsradio 1310 The Ticket during North Texas Beer Week. He teamed up with Martin House owner Cody Martin a couple of weeks back, and the fruits of their labor are fermenting away as we speak.

You won't see this on the Budweiser tour.
Image credit: Justin Foley

Foley had the option of doing a collaborative brew or shadowing Martin for a day to learn more about the process and equipment. Martin noted that Foley was already "very knowledgeable about beer", so the decision was made to work together on the creation of two small-batch beers. Foley chose the ingredients for each brew himself, basing them on his "love of pairing craft beer with food." Martin worked up the all-grain recipes, and they proceeded to brew both beers in a single day on the brewery's pilot system.

What the...? Spent grains, hops and herbs.
Image credit: Justin Foley

Smokey D. RIPA - If you're not sure how to pronounce it, maybe this will help: it's an amalgamation of Smokey the Bear and Jack the Ripper. Say it with me now, smōk-ē dē rip-uh. It's a smoked double rye IPA which contains 15% rye malt and looks to be finishing up with and ABV of around 8.5%. Martin says the final gravity came up just short of where he'd like it to be and the smoke character isn't quite as strong as they'd hoped, but the result is still quite tasty. Best paired with, what else, Texas BBQ.

Kumite - This Asian-themed saison may have you saying "What the Phó?", but that's exactly where the inspiration for this beer came from. Martin hand-toasted fresh coconut with a blow torch, while Foley hand-chopped all the herbs and peppers. Can you say hand-crafted beer, Mr. Miller? What about you, Mr. Busch? No? Anyway, Martin's take on this one is that the "Kaffir lime [leaves], lemongrass, and coconut shine, with Thai basil, cilantro and Thai chilies rounding it out nicely."


Want to try one? You'll have to head to Fort Worth on Saturday, February 8, for the regular tour at Martin House. First pour will be at 2 p.m., but the yield on each beer is expected to be less than 20 gallons. In other words, get there early!

Deep Ellum's not yet two, but it's year three for the 'Q'

Image credit: Deep Ellum Brewing Company

Back before the Deep Ellum Brewing Company (DEBC) became the first Dallas craft brewery to open in almost 15 years, they made themselves known to the world by way of BrewBQ. It turned out to be symbolic, since in the two years that have followed DEBC has worked to bring attention to other soon-to-be brewers by inviting them to sample their suds at this now annual event. Martin House and Armadillo Ale Works were introduced during the last go around, with Armadillo's appearance being a foreshadowing of a budding partnership. Both returned this past Sunday, setting up alongside a new brewery unearthed from down the Rabbit Hole.

DEBC also showed that size really does matter, at least when it comes to housing hundreds of people under one roof. Having upped their square footage considerably compared to a year ago, previous grumbles about cramped space were literally a thing of the past. It was almost too easy to move around, at least for those of us who may have inadvertently stumbled upon an impromptu meeting of the minds in the bowels of the place. In any case, bigger was definitely better.

Food was provided by Pecan Lodge of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives fame, and then later by Dickey's due to some unforeseen supply issues. I'd be willing to bet this was more a result of gluttony than anything else, which likely means we'll see a return to controlled portions in the future. Other than that, the beer was good and atmosphere electric, thanks in part to some newly powered circular signage.

As for the beer, we'll go the usual route and present the themes of the day:


Farmhouse here, farmhouse there, farmhouse, farmhouse everywhere

Maybe it's just me, but apparently the soon-to-be rising mercury has inspired local brewers to come together for a sort of craft beer barn raising. I mean, how else to explain the sudden abundance of brews of the farmhouse variety? BrewBQ featured a foursome of these frothy fermentations, which in no particular order included Deep Ellum Farmhouse Wit, Armadillo Greenbelt Farmhouse Ale, Martin House River House Saison and Rabbit Hole Wonderlust. Of these, River House and Wonderlust seem to be the most stylistic, with Farmhouse Wit (saison/witbier) and Greenbelt (saison/weizen) being of the hybrid variety. Which is good, better or best? As with any beer, it all comes down to personal taste. If I'm going by the book, though, River House has been at the top of my list since day one.

Coming out of their 'Hole'

On the topic of Rabbit Hole, in addition to Wonderlust they served up 10/6, an earthy and herbal English-style IPA with a saltiness that had me thinking water treatment, along with Deuce, a more malty than bitter take on a Düsseldorf altbier. Anyone having spent time in their own little wonderland will recognize the Mad Hatter reference in the first, it having to do with a sign attached to that character's topper indicating the price of a hat to be 10 shillings and 6 pence.

What's so creamy about cream ale?

If there was ever a single beer style that defies its own description it has to be the cream ale. Most are corny not creamy, something that results from the use of corn or flaked maize in the mash. On this point, the guys from Armadillo shared some thoughts as to how to give this type of beer a bit more of its namesake character. Imagine a cream ale, like the one they were serving on Sunday, with added vanilla and a hint of caramel. Should they follow through on this idea, I dare say the resulting beer might actually be true to its name.

Sometimes you feel like a nut

Armadillo also brought out a new version of their brown ale. Attendees from last year's BrewBQ may remember Pinckneyville Stump, a pecan-infused brown ale named after what's left of a grove of trees that once served as Denton's first county seat. Pecans don't make it into this incarnation, but what remains is a solid brown, complete with caramel malt, nutty undertones and a touch of roasted bitterness.

That's just peachy

Brand and Sales Ninja Tait Lifto swears the hop bill of the brewery's flagship IPA wasn't any different prior to being given the bourbon barrel treatment. That may be true, but all I know is that what emerged in the form of DEBC's Bourbon Barrel IPA was über fresh, bright and intensely peachy. Whatever happened in that barrel worked, since in my mind this was by far the best small-batch beer of the day.

Cheers!

Lock, stock and a barrel full of hops: Taking on the Imperial Texan

Image credit:  Martin House Brewing Company.

If brand imagery influences the kinds of beer we drink, the Imperial Texan from Martin House should be successful from the start.  It's got an eye-catching label (what with its blazing red color), it's "imperial" (trendy buzz word), and it's Texan (regional references are always a winner).  Oh, and let's not forget about the picture.  If the sight of two Texas cowboys locked in a duel doesn't have you asking the barkeep to "draw" you a pint, I'm not sure what will.  Yes, I know what you're thinking.  Not to worry, the beer is good too.

By now you've probably guessed that the Imperial Texan is an imperial red.  That being said, comparisons to Peticolas' Velvet Hammer are inevitable.  Yet, for all practical purposes these are two completely different beers.  Whereas the Hammer imperializes an American-style red ale by boosting equally the flavor contributions of malt, hops and alcohol, the Texan takes direct aim at the Brewers Association (BA) style guidelines with its across the board hop intensity.  One is balanced, one brazen, and taken together they demonstrate the range of interpretations one might see in a single style.

Looking at the Texan more closely, aromas center on the sharp scent of pine needles, tree sap and fresh herbal tones.  It's hop-forward and assertively bitter, with a moderate caramel maltiness forming the basis of its medium-full body.  Some might like a little more heft in the latter, but go too far and it might start to have an American strong ale-type feel.

Referring back to its title, calling this brew a Texan will elicit certain expectations, but this is a beer that appears to live up to its name.  It's big and brash, and is the latest in a string of local brews that exemplify the willingness of new brewers to come out of the gate swinging.  There is a fun bit of irony, though, in one of the brewery's core values.  Intending to remain "unbound by tradition", they promise to not be "stymied by existing categorical guidelines."  The thing is, judging by the BA definition of an imperial red, the Imperial Texan is about as representative as you can get.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

*Originally published on Examiner.com.