Texas Tuesday

Rahr & Sons Oktoberfest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s that time of year, when every craft brewery releases its version of the classic Oktoberfest. And clearly, we’re not complaining. As you know, we featured Saint Arnold’s Oktoberfest as our Texas Tuesday pick a few weeks ago and today we’re featuring another one of our favorite Texan takes on this fall seasonal – Rahr & Sons Oktoberfest.

Rahr & Sons calls their Oktoberfest the “celebration lager,” and why shouldn’t they? Their brew’s got all the ingredients for a good German time. Their Oktoberfest is a “traditional Marzen-style Oktoberfest lager,” meaning it’s got a dark amber color with a “super smooth, medium body and a sweet malty finish.”

Pair with traditional German food or try it with spicy south of the border favorites for a nice Mexican kick. And don’t forget to yell “O’zapft is!” when you pop a top on Rahr & Sons Oktoberfest! After all, it literally translates to “the keg has been tapped” which means the festivities have just begun!

Cheers, Pint Jockeys!

Read Full Post »

September tasting events are here!

Join the Pint Jockeys Thursday, September 20 from 5 – 7 pm for a free tasting event highlighting new, rare and seasonal craft beers from the Del Papa Distributing portfolio.

The Beaumont and Victoria events will welcome Brooklyn’s Sixpoint Brewery to Texas by featuring several of its most popular beers. The Beaumont and Victoria event will also offer attendees a taste of fall favorites from Buffalo Bill, Rahr & Sons and Southern Star.

The Texas City tasting will feature an all-Southern Star lineup and beer lovers will also get to hear from special guest Dave Fougeron, founder and head brewer for Southern Star Brewing Company.

As always, the events take place at each city’s Del Papa Distribution Center are free and open to the public ages 21 and older.

Don’t forget, we’re giving away Pint Jockeys pint glasses as part of our beer school graduation celebration. See you there!

Del Papa Distribution Center
Hospitality Room
410 I-10 South
Beaumont, TX 77707

Del Papa Distribution Center
Hospitality Room
3907 E. Rio Grande
Victoria, TX 77807

Del Papa Distribution Center
Hospitality Room
1220 I-45
Texas City, TX 77591

Read Full Post »

One final beer school lesson

Märzen (aka Oktoberfest)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to the last installment of our beer school series! We’re wrapping up our six-week course with a lesson featuring a lager style we can’t wait to drink each year, Märzen. You may know the style by the more popular name “Oktoberfest,” so we’ll use the two titles interchangeably throughout.

A “distinctly German” lager, a good Oktoberfest is all about the malt, according to About.com. The “base malt should be a good two row Pilsner, with up to 20% Vienna or Munich.” Hopping should be light, resulting in a brew that BeerAdvocate.com describes as “full-bodied, rich and toasty” and “typically dark copper in color with a medium to high alcohol content.” It’s a versatile beer and pairs well with poultry, seafood, game and meaty Bavarian dishes.

The traditional name “Märzen” comes from “March,” the month in which the lager is brewed. The first Märzen was concocted in 1872 by a brewer pining for the popular Vienna-style beer served at Oktoberfest in years prior. The brewer’s recipe was so well-liked, Märzen became the unofficial beer style of Oktoberfest, even adopting the popular two-week festival’s name!

Just can’t find the time or money to get to Germany for the yearly festivities? Worry not. Cities all around the world host their own versions of the famous festival every year. Head to Galveston this October 26-27 for the island’s celebration, featuring a hefty German dinner and lots of libations. If you can’t wait that long to get your hands on Märzen, we suggest trying one of our favorites – Widmer Okto Festival Ale, Saint Arnold Oktoberfest or Rahr & Sons Oktoberfest – at your local watering hole.

There’s no homework this week (after all, it is the last day of school) except to enjoy the weekend with the craft brew of your choice.  If you didn’t already have a preferred style, we trust that during the previous six weeks, you’ve had the opportunity to read about and try your share of different varieties, and have since found a few new favorites!

Visit the blog next Tuesday when we’ll post our September 20 tasting information. You won’t wanna miss this one; it doubles as a graduation party, complete with Pint Jockeys pint glasses for completing our beer school course!

Have a great weekend and as always, cheers, Pint Jockeys!

Read Full Post »

Saint Arnold Pumpkinator

A Texas Tuesday Brew Worth Waiting For

We’re finally feeling the cool, fall weather in Southeast Texas and we couldn’t be happier, Pint Jockeys! In honor of the changing seasons, today’s Texas Tuesday post is all about a fall favorite we’ll have to wait another month to get our hands on– the Saint Arnold Pumpkinator.

According to our Saint Arnold friends, the Pumpkinator is “a big, black” beer “full of spice and flavor.” Some of you may remember it by its original name and release date – it was the Divine Reserve 9 brew in 2009. The imperial pumpkin stout was so popular it became a seasonal regular in the Saint Arnold lineup.

Here’s a fun fact for you Saint Arnold lovers: Pumpkinator is the most expensive beer for Saint Arnold to brew. And no wonder; it’s brewed with a “combination of pale two row, caramel and black malts, Cascade and Liberty hops for a background hop flavor, pumpkin for a rich mouthfeel, molasses and brown sugar, and spiced and dry-spiced.” That’s a whole lot of goodness in one 22-oz. bottle.

Pumpkinator is best enjoyed at 50°F or warmer. And while we’ve still got a month ‘til we can enjoy this Texas brew, that won’t stop us from talking—and dreaming—about the Pumpkinator now.

Read Full Post »

Beer School, Week 5

Stouts & Porters

 

 

 

 

 

Labor Day is behind us and NFL season has officially begun, which means we’re looking for a heavier, heartier, more aggressive beer to fill our mugs this fall. So, for this week’s beer school lesson, we find ourselves revisiting the stout and the porter, two of our favorite ales.

Stouts and porters are both dark ales with rich, full flavors. In other words, they’ll make you feel something. Stouts, whose name denotes its very strength and weight, are rich, full and go down smooth. High in flavor and grain content, About.com says you may taste hints of coffee, chocolate, licorice and molasses. Porters are a little smokier and red-brown to black in color. The real difference between stouts and porters, according to the site, “has traditionally been gravity,” or the amount of fermentable and unfermentable substances as compared to the amount of water found in the brew.

Revived in the late 20^th century by microbreweries all around the country, stouts and porters are, as you know, an American craft favorite. But, you might not know that while the styles originated and were wildly popular across the pond in the late 18^th century, they don’t account for much of the British beer market today. Use that in your Thursday night bar trivia games.

All of this talk about deliciously rich brew leaves us thirsty (and hungry, but we’re always hungry). So, our weekly homework challenge-that’s-not-really-a-challenge-because-it’s-just-a-reason-to-drink-beer is to visit the local microbrewery in your area and taste their signature stout or porter. Then, in the comments or on Facebook, let us know where you went and the name of the beer you tried. Bonus points if you’re able to try a few of our favorites – Saint Arnold Pumpkinator, Rahr & Sons To Thee Snowmageddon or Southern Star Buried Hatchet.

As always, Pint Jockeys, happy sipping!

Read Full Post »

Texas Tuesday: Cornel’s

A Beaumont Favorite

It’s Texas Tuesday, so it’s time to think local and drink local!

Today’s pick comes from Cornel’s Brewing Company from the great city of Beaumont, Texas. Try their mild stout Schwartzbier called Maelstrom, inspired by a Brazilian black lager and a crème brûlée. This tasty lager has a dark black color and medium body with a very slight hint of vanilla flavor that starts as bitter coffee and chocolate blending into a slightly sweeter finish. Give it a try; you won’t be disappointed.

Read Full Post »