Don’t tell local craft breweries the joke about Houston having only two seasons because we might miss out on impressive spring beer lineups. Summer-like spring temperatures bring lighter beer options from our six local craft breweries, which are ready to pour the brews they consider “sessionable” — meaning you had better have more than one pint of each. But this is Texas, so you know they’ll also be packing big beer with lots of flavor.
Southern Star Brewing Co. out of Conroe will be launching a seasonal beer in mid-March that will benefit local parks and wildlife conservation organizations. Red Cockaded Ale (7% alcohol by volume) will be an ultra-hoppy red IPA (India Pale Ale) named after the red-cockaded woodpecker that is native to our area.
Southern Star will also be introducing a very limited supply of a new, already highly anticipated one-off batch. The brewery’s popular Buried Hatchet Stout has been aging for 14 months in bourbon barrels and will hit the market as Black Crack (8.7% ABV). Look for it in 16-ounce bottles and get yours as soon as it is announced because they only produced 400 to 500 cases of this special stout.
No Label Brewing Co. out of Katy will bring back Don Jalapeno Ale (6.7% ABV) on March 4. This ale is based off of the brewery’s Pale Horse, but is infused with 60 lbs. of jalapeños — 30 raw and 30 roasted. This is the brew you’ll love if your go-to cocktail has a spicy kick to it. Although this offering might sound intimidating, it’s highly drinkable, crisp and invigorating. But if that’s too spicy for you, try the Mint IPA in early May. Although this beer is hoppy, it has a minty finish that will reinvigorate imbibers.
Karbach Brewing Co.’s hit Barn Burner Saison will be on draft and in cans this season. Karbach’s marketing manager David Graham describes it as “effervescent and golden, with a hint of citrus and spice, this brew will be a thirst quencher without sacrificing flavor.” Cans of this saison are expected to go on sale the first week of March and will only be available until May.
Karbach will also be pouring an unoaked version of its Hellfighter Imperial Porter, which should last until the end of April. That estimate might be a stretch because this beer piqued the interest of beer-loving palates all around town as soon as it hit tap walls. Hellfighter has been released on draft a few times before but will also be released in bombers (22-ounce bottles) this spring.
Saint Arnold Brewing Company, Houston’s first and largest craft brewery, is known for stirring up excitement with limited batches and highly sought-after annual offerings. Their most coveted beer at the moment is Bishop’s Barrel #2 (8.5 ABV), aged with sour cherries in Chardonnay barrels, this Old Ale might be hard to find even though it just recently hit the market.
The rest of Saint Arnold’s spring lineup includes Icon Blue (7.5% ABV), a Cascadian dark ale that will be released in early March and Divine Reserve #13 (11% ABV), a Belgian quad that we can expect to see on shelves around March 18. The summer lineup begins in late April with the brewery’s Summer Pils.
Fair warning: Take the day off to get in line for a case of Divine Reserve #13, this beer is released annually and cases will likely be gone before the afternoon’s end.
8th Wonder Brewing Company’s inaugural beers are currently sitting in fermenters, waiting to fill pints in about three weeks. Wonder is the city’s newest brewery and is helmed by the Eatsie Boys, a group of brewers, businessmen and chefs who recently turned their well-regarded food truck into a brick-and-mortar Montrose cafe. The team has 50 recipes ready to brew, but the foundational lineup that we’ll see this spring includes Alternate Universe, an Altbier; Hopston, an IPA with three to four different hop strains; and Intellectuale, somewhere between a Wit and a Belgian Golden.
Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co. has already released Buffalo Sunset, a black IPA infused with beans from Amaya, the local coffee roaster. The inky-black color hints at the density in this full-boded, caffeinated brew. Buff Brew also has Double Buffalo on the market, a beer that packs double the hops and malt from the brewery’s signature beer, 1836. Buffalo is known for innovative, hard-to-nab one-offs and collaborations, so be on the lookout for small batches of a smoked cherry ale and raspberry Dubbel.