Houston Beer Bars

I pretty much agree with what you have said. Just a quick note, I like posting on WBAYDN and often post Houston beers (not that you were saying that nobody does, just pointing that out )

 

They don't call you "champ" for nothing!

I'd post in WBAYDN, if it were easier to post a damn picture. I feel like the app that's used or the tech thats needed, changes way too often for me to post on there more. Its just a royal pain in the ass posting pics on BA. I used to post a ton and always tried to rep Texas.

CHEERS my friend!!!

 

Based on all replies to date, I think I'd likely fall in the same camp. Truly there are few better places to enjoy a beer than Jester King. And there's nothing like that in Houston. BUT I think both Saint Arnold and Urban South have awesome spaces/atmospheres and I love the atmospheres at many other breweries in Houston as well. By the way, if you want some very well executed traditional (mostly English) style beers with an awesome space here in Houston, I HIGHLY recommend you try Walking Stick. Such a cool place and great classic beers.

 

i'm a big austin fan but houston area has Baa Baa, Ingenious, Spindletap, Sigma, St. Arnolds Brash, Urban South, Copperhead, B-52 which in my opinon are top tier breweries and then a second tier of breweries that are producing some great beers: Eureka, Baileson, Great Heights 11 below etc.

While Austin has a handful of great breweries: JK, Oddwood, AGBG, Southern Heights, I'm comfortable with my Houston preference.

That said, I do think Austin does have better beer centric venues than Houston. But on breweries alone, I'm a strong Houston lean

 

Hey guys, hope you don't mind if I threadjack/borrow for a second. . .

GF is airline stewardess, picks up beer for me from around the country. . . gonna be in Houston soon.

Any recommendations on best breweries in Houston to put an online order in to?

Thank for any suggestions.

 

This pretty much hits it on the head.

 

Ingenious is a hike unless your GF is coming into George Bush, in which case it's a breeze. And she could then hit Spindletap on her way into downtown to nab Urban South and she's just hit the three most interesting/exciting breweries in town. Holler is very close to Urban South and they may or may not have cans but they brew some excellent beers, including hazy IPAs, and she may be able to get crowlers if not cans. If she still has more time and patience, there's always Astral and Sigma from there. Saint Arnold's can be picked up in most grocery stores. That would be my recommended game plan.

If she's coming from Hobby, I'm not sure I'd make it up to Ingenious but I'm not sure how she'd be getting around.

 

Thanks for the insight.

I'm pretty standard taste wise at my age. Drink plenty of the hoppy, barrel aged, sour stuff. But pilsners, berliners, gose are my summer jam. Not at all interested in "rare" stuff if it means an iota of extra effort, money or patience.

Any thoughts on Eureka Heights? As a huge Simpsons fan, who actually owns a "Nuke The Whales" shirt, their beer by the same name got me fit to make an order there. Figured I'd throw a 6er of their pilsner and core lineup variety 6. . . on fence with 'so hot right now'.

What's the closest brewery to Eureka Heights you'd recommend?

 

Wow Factor from Eureka is pretty good. Holler and Great Heights are both close. They both make very good Pils as well, you will need to check on availability and time though. None of those are easy to get to quickly from either airport, especially if you don't have your own transportation.

 

Good call on Eureka Heights, it's a very good brewery. Of their core lineup, I would suggest the Mini-Boss IPA along with the pilsner. The closest place to Eureka that you can get to-go beer is probably Great Heights.

Since you like pilsners, I recommend Saint Arnold 5 o'clock pills and Holler Czech pills.

 

I would definitely recommend 5 O'clock if you see it fresh, heard a bad rumor that that is being discontinued, and I haven't seen it at the stores in a long while

 

Damn, is this a recent rumor?

 

Hearing that since around the beginning of the year, that its being slowly phased out. Feb was the last batch I saw, and now that that is gone, haven't seen it at the stores around me since (though I haven't had a chance to go to Specs downtown lately). Maybe they will keep it on at the restaurant/tap room when things get back to normal...which is what I'm hoping at the very least (thats what they did with Endeavor).

 

5 O'clock Pils is excellent when fresh. Less excellent if not fresh. Saint Arnolds Summer Pils is also pretty great--just a little sweeter.

Like Saint Arnold's, Eureka Heights beers are generally available in most supermarkets so a trip to the brewery is probably unnecessary. They are a fun group of guys with a combination 80's/90's bent. If you're into that they are worth a visit (maybe not for your GF by herself though). I think their beers are well executed but hardly ground-breaking. Haven't had Nuke the Whales. I'm sure their pilsner is great. Buckle Bunny, which is a cream ale, is also very easy drinking and tasty (if you like that kind of thing, which I do).

Agree Great Heights is close. They're OK but are not my favorites. Also close to Great Heights is Astral, which I think is wayyyy better.

You should have no issues getting the great stuff at Spindletap or Urban South by the way. (And Urban South makes a really nice pilsner and grisette, though they don't always have them.)

 

I wouldn't be surprised if it became a seasonal pilsner for times when they don't otherwise have a seasonal pilsner. Kinda hard to see a need for them to be brewing both Summer Pils and 5 O'Clock Pils at the same time. By the way, Headliner from Saint Arnold's, which is their new year-round blonde ale, is fantastic if you like easy drinking beers (like pilsners). I keep it constantly stocked in my fridge.

 

I think Sigmas All Together is a pretty good beer (better than Urban Souths take), along with Tank it To the Limit from Holler (which they are sold out of). If I was going to choose over Sigma or Holler, it would be Sigma right now as they have All Together 4 packs and LoggerBeir which I think is a hell of a german "style" pils. I would take Tank it to the Limit over All Together, but they don't have any cans left. Also I would be leary putting Hollers twist top cans on a plane.

 

Terrible news. That's an excellent beer.

 

After reading @champ103's posts, I emailed SA and asked whether 5 O'clock was being discontinued, and I received this reply:

"No sir 5O is still around.

Cheers!"