There must be some new beers dropping in the shop ya’ hear! We sure are feeling the cheer here at the store this holiday season. If you find yourself not into the merriment, I bet one of these new products will do the trick.
Our timing with this week’s draft selection could not have been better. Just as those chilly breezes blew in, we put on Meanwhiles Winter Warmer. With a very deceptive 8%, I’m getting toasty notes of cinnamon & allspice with a touch of orange peel. It’s as close an approximation to an old fashion we can sell. For those hop heads be sure to check out the all El Dorado hopped Zythophile from Lone Pint. It’s got some pretty lush tangerine notes on the nose but is fully balanced with a dank hoppy resinous quality. On the light side, I’ve been crushin’ on the lagers and pilsners from Roughhouse… and their Pasternak Polish Pils doesn’t disappoint. Crisp. Balanced. Refreshing. I could drink this beer ALL the time! One last little nugget, rumor has it that we’ll have a quad on nitro by the end of the weekend.
If you’re looking to wine down this holiday season, I’ll highlight two new options dropping this week. First off, we were lucky to get our hands on an allocation of Margins Pinot Noir. This is the fresh, light on its toes Pinot you didn’t know you were missing. Guaranteed to put a smile on your face. If you fancy yourself the belle of the ball, then reach for a bottle of Serol Gamay Pét Nat. It’s silly, fun, and will give you life to go all night. This is party wine indeed.
Y’all next week is jam packed with events! Kicking things off on Thursday, we’re headed down under for some Jansz Tasmainian sparkling rosé and Shiraz from Yalumba vineyards. On Friday we have old vine Carignan from Les Lunes wines and a silly fun red Pét Nat from Populous. We’re purely stoked to have the folks from Independence Brewing out to hang Saturday from 4:30-7:30. Finally, to wrap up the end of the year, Martin House is stopping by for a pint night on the 30th.
For our Brewery of the month, we are happy to have the fine folks from Texas Beer Company filling our shelves. For JUST $8.99 a six pack we have their Pecos Amber, K9 Lager, and Hoppy Duck IPA.
Later, y’all.
New & Returning Beers & Ciders This Week
Back in Stock – Saint Arnold Double Down, Holidaily Brewing Favorite Blonde, Jolly Pumpkin Bam Noire,
Firestone Walker Cinnamon Dolce Nitro– We reimagined our nitro milk stout into something entirely new and seasonal. Conditioned on whole Madagascar vanilla beans and cinnamon sticks, for a rich profile reminiscent of a cinnamon dolce latte. 6% ABV
Christian Drouin, Cider Pays d’Auge – 70% of the blend comes from bitter sweet and bitter apples, 20% comes from sweet apples, and 10% comes from acidic apples. Harvesting is carried out by shaking the trees. The fruit is then left in a loft above the press in order to ripen fully. Only mid season and late season apples may be used for the cider. If apples ripening in September were used, they would have to be mashed early in the year when the temperature is to warm for the production of good cider.” (Brewery Notes) 4.5%ABV
Hitachino Nest XH – Hitachino Nest XH (Extra High) is a strong Belgian Brown Ale, matured in shochu (distilled sake) barrels. Chinook & Styrian Goldings hops are used. 8%ABV
Prairie Barrel Aged Moose Boots – Barrel aged imperial stout maple syrup, toasted almonds and vanilla. 13%ABV
Wasatch Devastator Double Bock – If you’re going to sin, sin big. Our Double Bock is sweet, toasty and rich, but finishes gentle. This beer has developed a serious cult following. Imagine that – a cult following in Utah.. 8%ABV
Prairie Double Vanilla Noir – Barrel aged stout with Madagascar vanilla and Tahitian vanilla 14%ABV
Live Oak Grodziskie -Piwo Grodziskie is a centuries old Polish beer style that ceased commercial production in the late 20th century. A decoction mash, 100% oak-smoked wheat malt, and noble Saaz hops join the traditional yeasts to bring this beer back to life in Texas.
A highly carbonated, low-alcohol beer with a clear, pale yellow to golden color, low to moderate levels of hop bitterness, and a moderate to medium-high smoky aroma and flavor. The bright, clear, and highly carbonated appearance of Grodziskie has caused the beer to be compared with Champagne, and it is sometimes referred to as “Polish Champagne” OG: 8ºP ABV: 3.0% IBU: 36
4th Tap Gingerbread House Party – A toasty amber with notes of biscuit, spicy ginger, nutmeg, and clove. 6.5% ABV
Spindletap Sticky Fingers – Brewed with Simcoe and Citra Hops ABV 8%
Hoppin’ Frog B.O.R.I.S The Crusher – This Bodacious Oatmeal Russian Imperial Stout will crush you like no other! This is the grand-daddy of all stout styles, with an intensely deep roasted and full bodied flavor. A robust hop character adds a refreshing balance. 9.4%ABV
Hoppin’ Frog Infusion Coffee Porter – Swirls of heavenly chocolate and peanut butter flavors surround your senses, as you enjoy this wonderful maze of complexity that is “Infusion A”. The first of our Tower Tuesdays Series, this robust coffee porter is a great example of the eye-opening flavors we have developed with our Tuesday infusions. Taste the results of our research, we truly are developing better beer through knowledge. 6.2%ABV
Hoppin’ Frog Cranberry Turbo Shandy – The refreshing sweet and tart flavor of cranberries is captured in this beer! An enjoyable, friendly taste that brings back memories. Cheers! 7%ABV
Hoppin’ Frog PB Hazel Caramel Choc Cake Stout – The rich, decadent character of this gourmet cake stout will fill your senses with friendly, familiar flavors and aromas of yesteryear. Take a trip back in time, and enjoy all the memories that our Peanut Butter Hazelnut Caramel Chocolate Cake Stout will invoke. 8%ABV
ANXO Happy Trees – Mid-Atlantic heirloom apples fermented in giant wood casks by yeast living on the apple skins | Limited releases don’t last long! | Batches vary based on apple selection. 6.9% ABV
Champion ICBM Hazy DIPA – With a soft base of fluffy oats and wheat, and a massive double dry hop of Huell Melon, El Dorado, and Simcoe, this hazy DIPA is unbridled danger in a glass. Huge notes of honeydew melon, strawberry, candied pineapple, and sweet spruce crash the palate, unencumbered by bitterness. 10.0% ABV • 68 IBU DDH with Huell Melon, El Dorado, Simcoe
Fair Isle Ariana Farmhouse IPA – Ariana started with a soft, lean malt bill of Fritz Pilsner and Malted White Wheat from our friends at Skagit Valley Malting along with the second-use Mosaic hops from Bobbi. This set the stage for a dry-hop of the Hallertau Blanc and Ariana, drawing out fantastic notes of black currant, juicy red grapefruit, floral geranium, and slight hit of woody vanilla.
Whether you’re after a hoppy saison or a fruit-forward IPA, Ariana covers all the bases! We hope you love it as much as we do. 7.7% ABV
Fair Isle Eugene Farmhouse IPA – OBSCURING THE LINE BETWEEN IPAS AND SAISONS- Eugene is our saison impersonating an IPA and every batch uses second-use Mosaic Hops from Bobbi and dry-hopped with a different rotating hop. The current batch in our taproom is dry hopped with Nelson Sauvin. 7.5% ABV
Fair Isle Fay Fuller Saison – Eight weeks ago the good folks of Craft Canning came by and packaged our first ever can-conditioned saison, Fay Fuller. Named after the first known woman to climb Mount Rainier, Fay Fuller is our salute to all the women who have broken boundaries and summited mountains.
Fay Fuller is a dry saison with notes of grapefruit pith, mango and herbs. Fermented and conditioned for eight weeks with our house culture of wild and feral yeasts and bacteria. Unfiltered and naturally conditioned. 5.2% ABV
Fair Isle Franz Meredith Smoked Saison – A GRODZISKIE INSPIRED SAISON
Franz Meredith is a grodziskie inspired saison. Brewed with 85% oak smoked wheat and 15% malted white wheat from Skagit Valley Malting and hopped with Strisselspalt and Hüll Melon. Franz has a soft smoke aroma followed by notes of melon and apricots.
A favorite style among our production team, we enjoy the playfulness of how palates adapt and evolve from the first sip to the end of the glass. The initial smoke bouquet gives way to bright citrus and floral notes begging you to enjoy another pint. 3.6% ABV
Fair Isle Ana Kiwi Saison – Ana is a tropical saison, kin to Cheri, and refermented on Ananasnaya Kiwi fruit from Red Cedar Farm in Poulsbo, WA.
Kiwi fruit, aka kiwi berries or kiwi grapes, are perhaps the Pacific Northwest’s best kept secret. The fruit is reminiscent of a Kiwi, but is the size of a large grape and has a smooth skin that is edible and packed with tropical flavors, even sweeter than a traditional Fuzzy Kiwi. The fruit is grown on Kiwi vines and thrives in the Pacific Northwest climate, yet it’s not widely available.
We hand crushed the ultra-ripe fruit, added it to the empty fermenter and allowed natural fermentation for 48 hours prior to adding the base beer on the fruit. This allowed for native microbes on the skin of the fruit to get a head start before our yeast culture took over – creating another layer of fermentation complexity. Ana then refermented for eight weeks on the fruit prior to being packaged.
The subtle mineral aroma of Ana is closely followed by notes of Pippin green apples, white grape skins, melon rind and bursts with tropical notes and bright acidity. Dry like our other saisons, but with a perceived sweetness coming from the kiwi, Ana stands apart. 7.4% ABV
Fair Isle Rachelle Rhubarb Saison – Rachelle is a saison aged in second-use gin casks from Copperworks Distilling Co. and refermented with fresh Washington grown rhubarb. Rachelle has a unique acidity from the rhubarb with notes of watermelon rind, vanilla and underlying layers of botanicals from the gin casks. Bright, effervescent and refreshing. 6.7% ABV
Fair Isle Gus Oak Aged Saison – While hop-forward beers and oak-aged beers may seem to be in different veins, we’ve particularly enjoyed how these elements play off one another in our saisons.
Perhaps you remember Jean-Michel, a release that was blended from puncheons and dry-hopped with French Barbe Rouge. The red fruit elements of the hop varietal and the vanillin present in the wood merged together to create an astounding note reminiscent of strawberry pound cake.
This convinced us to continue exploring this path in our oak program, and what led to Gus! Starting with a farmhouse ale base featuring Salish Blue wheat from Skagit Valley Malting, Gus completed primary fermentation in oak puncheons and continued to age for 7 months. A hearty dry-hop of flavorful Idaho Gem from Yakima Chief adds distinct notes of red currant, grapefruit, and raspberry to the soft, rounded base beer. Simple, elegant, and extremely drinkable.
Fair Isle Madame R Galle Saison – Inspired by saisons in the Wallonian region along the border of Belgium and France. Madame is a dry saison brewed with barley and wheat from Skagit Valley, setting a stage for our house yeast culture to thrive and produce notes of meyer lemon, apricots followed by a soft bitterness from German hops. 6.2% ABV
Fair Isle Waltrude Spelt Saison – Waltrude is a straw colored saison brewed with malted spelt grown in Eastern Washington and dry-hopped with Sterling hops from Crosby Farms in Oregon. Notes of lime zest and dandelion are followed by subtle acidity and a clean but vanishing finish.
Waltrude is the moment you step out of the tall evergreens and enter a meadow on a spring hike in the Pacific Northwest. Or for urban dwellers, entering your neighborhood nursery on that first warm weekend in Seattle. A nod to La Brasserie de Blaugies, Waltrude is the patron saint of Mons, Belgium. Every year, brewer and owner Pierre-Alex participates in the descent of the shrine during the festival Doudou in Mons. In 2017 on our inaugural visit to Belgium, we met up with Pierre-Alex and his family at Blaugies after the festival Doudou, talked about saisons and finished the evening with a memorable meal cooked at their restaurant Le Fourquet. 4.7% ABV
Fair Isle Odelette Bière de Garde – Odelette is a Bière de Garde lagered in a Missouri oak foeder for eight weeks. Dry yet rich, this malt forward farmhouse ale was brewed and garde during the cooler months welcoming the spring. Created with ingredients farmed in the Pacific Northwest. Fermented with our house blend of wild and feral yeasts and bacterias. 7.7% ABV
Islla St Rojo – A staple of Texas Sundays with some barbacoa tacos, this berliner is finished on real Big Red syrup. Perfect to start your Sunday morning or any other day! We don’t judge. 4.6% ABV
Ridgeway Lump of Coal – This 7.5% bittersweet chocolate stout is the best you could hope for in these dark times. Actually, come to think of it, considering how bad you’ve been, this little coal-black gem is more than you deserve for Christmas this year.
Ridgeway Santa Butt -This special porter is made for winter — rich and warming, the way they like it in the North Pole. It was inspired by this famous line from a well-loved children’s story book:
“And Santa sat on his great butt, drinking a hearty brew” 6% ABV
B-52 Cowabunga – Our Classic West Coast Double India Pale Ale dry-hopped with righteous amounts of Simcoe and Strata hops which provide stonefruit, dank, and tropical flavors with a crisp bitter finish. 8.5%ABV
B-52 Wheeze The Shake Blueberry Apricot – We were just crusin’ the mountain and figured you could Wheez a little Sha-ke. This Fruited DDH Pale Ale is blasted with Citra hops, Apricot, Blueberry, and Vanilla to make it a true Cult Classic. 5.5%ABV
B-52 Smoothie Tart Cranberry Orange – Brewed with barley, oats, and wheat, then conditioned on cranberry and orange puree, cinnamon, Tahitian vanilla, sea salt, and lactose to make it taste like a slice of deliciously tart crumble pie. 6%ABV
Great Divide Peppermint Bark Yeti – As the temperature drops, Yeti waxes the runners on his sled while visions of bold imperial stouts dance in his head. When the sleigh bells ring and the first flakes of snow begin to fall, Peppermint Bark Yeti is the antidote to winter’s bitter pall. The inclusion of peppermint chunks, chocolate, vanilla and lactose round out the roastiness and bitterness normally associated with Yeti making for a sweeter, holiday-themed version of our legendary imperial stout. 9.5% ABV
Sweetwater Almond Milk Stout – Sidle up to the perfect pint pub for an innovative new deliciously smooth, dark and indulgent classic-style milk stout, but with a tasty dairy-free almond milk twist. All of the flavor and mouthfeel of a bold tasting stout, yet lighter-better-faster, with a nod to the new non-dairy day dawning.
Super stouty and nicely balanced, this cow-less coup is an authentic tasting milk stout featuring flavors of roasted coffee, milk and dark chocolates. Almond flavor with some roasted malt smoooooths it all out for a whole new off the mainstream brew. 5.4% ABV
Odell Friek – This unique blend of framboise (raspberry sour ale) and traditional lambic kriek (cherry sour ale) is aged in oak barrels in our cellar. Fresh raspberries are then added to the wild fermented brew just prior to the final blending, creating a subtle sweetness to balance the tart cherry flavors. 6.9% ABV
Austin Beerworks Sputnik – A Russian Imperial Stout with an intense coffee aroma and bold flavor that perfectly compliments the silky oats and high alcohol. It will take your taste buds to orbit. 8.5%ABV
Bear King Blueberry Hills – Hazy Pale Ale Double Dry-Hopped. 5.8% ABV
903 Birthday Sasquatch – Dark chocolate milk stout with double fudge and toasted marshmallow. 9.8%ABV
Martin House Campfire – In early 2019, we released a limited edition brew – S’mores Stout. This year we decided to kick it up a notch and take it to the next level the only way we know how – whiskey barrels. Campfire is an imperial version of S’mores Stout, so it has a higher abv of 11.6%. This roasty stout has everything you would enjoy in a freshly made s’mores: chocolate, marshmallows, vanilla, graham crackers, and cocoa powder. It wouldn’t be a campfire without a little smoke, so we added a slight amount of smoked malts to the grain bill for that perfect touch. Finally, we aged it in whiskey barrels for 3 months. The result is a flavorful stout fit to be enjoyed on any cold Texas night in the woods or at home 11.6%ABV
New Wines This Week
(On-Premise Consumption or Off-Premise To Go)
Séléné Beaujolais Nouveau 2021 – From the winemakers:
“2021 was a year that wouldn’t stop. First we had the frost, which hit all of our parcels. We have 6 hectares now, with a fairly small production. After the frost, we had 6 hectares with almost no production! In April, we decided to purchase some fruit in advance from some nice organic plots nearby; there was no way we would have coped otherwise. Then there was the rain… It was very wet, meaning lots of disease. We had so much work to do in the vineyards, but we were working with biodynamics, and this really helped the health of what we were working with.
After all that, we didn’t have huge maturity in the fruit. We waited as long as we could and had to begin the harvest in late September. But once fermentations started, they went incredibly well. After 9 months, that was the first thing that went right for us! We’re really happy with where the wines have got to, and happy to say we haven’t needed to use any sulphur this year.
The Nouveau this year is mostly from the négoce fruit with just a little of ours added. We did a 6 day carbonic maceration, held it in concrete, and it’s really delicious. Zero sulphur, very direct, very easy to drink – a perfect primeur. We really hope you guys enjoy it.”
Domaine Robert Serol ‘Turbullent’ Sparkling Rosé NV – Winemaker notes: Vivid pink colour. Ripe grape, pear and raspberry aromas. In mouth, the aromatic expression of Gamay is emphasized by the bubbles finesse. Rounded attack well-balanced by a lively finish. 9% ABV
Altos Las Hormigas, Malbec, Terroir, Valle de UCO 2016 – The freshness of the Uco Valley invades this wine as it shows the ultimate expression of this special wine region in Mendoza. With an intense ruby red color, the nose is fruity and delivers some notes of violets. It has a medium body palate underpinned by structured tannins, filled with flavors of ripe fruits. The finish is fresh, with a vertical mineral bouquet. 2016 13.5%ABV
Margins Pinot Noir 2018 – Vinification: 100% destemmed. Fermented on skins for three days. Aged in neutral oak for 10 months. Native fermentation, no fining, no filtration, no other modifications or additions except 20 ppm of sulfur dioxide the week before bottling.
Bio: I stumbled upon Makjavich Vineyard in spring of 2017 while on my way to a square dance on the rural property of a good friend. This vineyard lies on the site of the 8th registered organic farm in the USA. Larry Makjavich planted these vines himself around 2011 and farmed them with friends for eight or so years, making the wine in his basement. Starting in January 2019, I began to co-farm this vineyard with Larry, and Margins has purchased all of the fruit since then.Ever on the quest for something ‘marginal,’ I am always striving to make very light bodied Pinot noir. I enjoy blurring the line between rosé and red wine in order to bring out the qualities of Pinot that I find to be most delicate and appealing.
Zulal Areni Classic 2018 – Areni is Armenia’s leading red grape variety, capable of making energetic wines full of bright fruity flavors. Zulal, meaning ‘
New Draft Beers This Week
(On-Premise Consumption or Off-Premise Crowlers)
Roughhouse Pasternak Pilsner –Walser Alpine Lager owes its inspiration to the crisp mountain Lagers of the Swiss Appenzell. Rich golden in color with a delicately balanced profile of German Pilsner malt, two varieties of Munich malt, and Spelt. Hopped with choice Hersbrucker, Tettnanger & Hallertau Tradition – meadow herbs and subtle spicy floral elements marry fait notes of juniper and candied citrus. 4.8%ABV
Meanwhile Fireside– Cozy up to the fireside with our winter warmer ale. This festive beer was inspired by one our favorite cocktails: an Oolong Old Fashioned. It was brewed in collaboration with our friends at Guerilla Suit. 8%ABV
Zilker Future You–This dark lager is rich and crisp. With subtle notes of chocolate, caramel and coffee followed by the refreshing lightness of the lagers you love. Here’s to all the places you will go, here’s to seeing all your favorite people and here’s to future you. 5.1% ABV
Lone Pint Zythophile El Dorado– American two row malted barley and El Dorado hops. Tasting notes: orange color with lacy white head; light body; pungent bitterness with hints of orange and tangerine. 6%ABV
Great Divide Peach Milkshake IPA–As the summer months wane, Colorado’s collective mouths begin to water at the thought of the coming peach harvest. While the simple pleasure of biting into one of these juice bombs is reward enough, some peaches are destined for greater things. This Peach Milkshake IPA is one of those things. Lusciously sweet with a creamy mouthfeel and pleasantly hoppy, the traditional peaches and cream has just been one-upped. 6.5% ABV
Real Ale Swifty–Swifty is a refreshing revival of a classic American style – the American Pale Ale. With a light-medium body and bright citrus hops, Swifty APA delivers bold flavor, remarkable balance, and thirst-quenching crushability. Here at Real Ale, we believe there’s always time for a Swifty! 5.2% ABV
Aqua Brew United Stout of America– Dark beer brewed with roasted malt, with subtle chocolate and coffee malt notes. 6%ABV
Parking at WhichCraft Mueller? The garage behind us on McBee is free to use.
