Southern Star Brewing Company’s Walloon

Southern Star Brewing Company’s Walloon

A Texas Tuesday Grisette

Good to see you, Pint Jockeys! We know you’re gearing up for Independence Day festivities this Thursday, and that no doubt includes icing down the cooler and filling it with delicious Texas craft beer.

Southern Star Brewing Company’s Walloon, available for the summer season starting tomorrow, July 3^rd, is exactly what you need in said cooler. Trust us.

Walloon is a “Grisette”; a style of beer developed in the 1800s in the Hainaut province of southern Belgium to slake the thirsts of coal and stone miners. Quite the rarity these days, this style is now scarcely produced by American brewers or Belgians alike. Thankfully, Southern Star had brought this beer out of Belgian inconspicuousness and into our Texas fridges.

It has a light, delicate body attributed to a subtle acidity from the yeast, followed by a rich, bready maltiness from a traditionally long boil. The hazy, glowing, persimmon brew quickly displays a frothy head with tight bubbles when poured, giving off a crackery aroma with a touch of banana and citrusy notes. Incredibly drinkable, Walloon is a perfect fit for sweltering Texas summers with its medium, zesty carbonation and persimmon-like taste. You’ll also notice a hint of mango and banana flavors and a softly sweet grain and wheat profile as you sip it down.

Mouth watering yet? We suggest pairing this deliciousness with some fresh Gulf Coast seafood for one seriously “summer” meal. Try steamed mussels, fried calamari or a nice pan-seared sea bass with orange butter sauce to create the perfect combination of flavors.

Cheers to Southern Star for bringing this gorgeous Grisette to our neck of the woods!

As you prepare for red, white and blue celebrations on Thursday, make sure a designated driver is part of your plans. In need of a ride? Use the HAIL A CAB™ application – the fastest way to catch a cab. Here’s to a festive and SAFE Fourth of July, Pint Jockeys!

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Summer is Here and Our Texas Tuesday Pick is Hot

Rahr and Sons Ugly Pug is a Black Beauty

Feeling the heat Pint Jockeys? Welcome to your first Texas Tuesday of the official summer season!

There are plenty of leisurely ways to celebrate summer rolling in: longer days, lake trips, lounging by the pool and our personal favorite, lagers by the pint. Which brings us to our first summertime Texas Tuesday pick: Rahr and Son’s Ugly Pug.

Known as a “Schwarzbier” or black lager, Ugly Pug is a dark beer with a surprising light body. Though most Schwarzbiers are usually described as “heavy” or “chewy,” Rahr’s Ugly Pug is easy to drink even on the hottest of Texas summer days. Often referred to by its most fervent fans as “nirvana in a bottle” it combines three perennial favorite flavors: coffee, hints of chocolate and of course BEER!

Pick a park and pack a picnic basket with a few dimpled mugs, a six-pack of Ugly Pug, and your favorite fried chicken and you’re set for the perfect summer Saturday afternoon.  When you’re stocking your fridge for next week’s Fourth of July festivities, keep in mind this lager also pairs well with BBQ, roast beef, brats and cheeses like Muenster and Gouda. It’s sure to be a BIG hit with all your fellow revelers, whether hardcore black lager enthusiasts or Schwarzbier newbies.

Don’t take our word for it – Ugly Pug is the recipient of numerous awards including a Silver Medal at the 2009 US Open Beer Championship, the Bronze Medal at the 2009 North American Beer Awards and the Best of the Southwest/Rockies award at the 2006 United States Beer Tasting Championships.

We raise a pint to Rahr and Sons for creating this outstanding lager that’s anything but ugly. Cheers, Pint Jockeys!

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New Brew Alert: Texas Tuesday from the Hill Country

Introducing Pedernales Brewing Company

Good day to you all, Pint Jockeys. We’ve got some exciting news for you! Although if you follow our Facebook page, you may have already heard: Del Papa Distributing Company is now distributing selections from Pedernales Brewing Company in Victoria, Beaumont and the Galveston/Texas City area! We’re pretty excited about it and we’ll outline a few reasons why you should be too.

First off, Pedernales is based out of Fredericksburg, Texas, one of the best places to unwind with a cold one. Second, its president and CEO, Lee Hereford, spent many years in the wine business, meaning he knows a thing or two about a good libation.

The folks at Pedernales have been distributing craft brew for about a year – since April 2012. They’ve got five beers in their lineup, including Lobo Lito, their premium Texas Pilsner; Lobo Texas Lager; Lobo Negro; plus an English Style IPA and their Classic Hefe-Weizen. Each week during the month of May we’ll feature a different selection from the Pedernales lineup to feature as the Pint Jockeys Texas Tuesday pick of the week.

Today we’re featuring their flagship beer, Lobo Texas Lager. They call it their “clean, refreshing” pilsner, made from a recipe dating back to the pre-prohibition days of 1910 (awesome). Using Hill Country well water and Czech hops (what else?), Lobo Lager is brilliantly crisp and clear with a dense head of foam, light golden color, and subtle hop aroma. Of course, it pairs well with our favorite food groups – TexMex and pizza.

Let us know if you’ve tried any of Pedernales’ brews yet, and if so, where you found them. And come back next week for another Texas Tuesday feature on one of their offerings! Until then, cheers, Pint Jockeys!

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A Bucking Good Texas Tuesday

Rahr and Sons Bucking Bock

Have you recovered from last week’s tasting event, Pint Jockeys? It was a good one. We asked on Facebook which of the samples you most preferred, and while the always crowd-pleasing Southern Star Bombshell Blonde took first place, Rahr and Sons Bucking Bock tied for a coveted second place spot.

So today our Pint Jockeys Texas Tuesday Pick of the Week is dedicated to the traditional German Spring Bock, available for just a few more days before the brewery’s summer seasonals start to roll out. Bucking Bock is award-winning, mildly-hopped and golden in color. It has a smooth, malty character, and at 7.5% ABV, pairs well with roasted or grilled game or pork.

Of course, living in Texas, we’d like to note it also goes smashingly with Tex-Mex, so break out the chips and salsa, invite some friends over and have yourself an early Cinco de Mayo fiesta. We’ll raise our bottles to that!

Cheers to you, Pint Jockeys!

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Pint Jockeys’ April Tasting Event Celebrates Flavors of Spring

Texas City, Beaumont and Victoria to enjoy selection of new brews and warm-weather favorites

This Thursday marks the Third Thursday of April, Pint Jockeys, and you know what that means – it’s tasting time!

The April 18 Pint Jockeys craft beer tastings will take place from 5-7 p.m. at Del Papa’s distribution centers in Victoria, Texas City and Beaumont. All three tasting events will feature the below lineup of spring and summer seasonals, plus a few classics. All tastings are free and open to adults ages 21 and older.

•Saint Arnold Divine Reserve 13 – The newest in Saint Arnold’s Divine Reserve series, 13 is a Belgian Quadrupel. The aroma is distinctly Belgian with a hint of fruit, while its simple malt bill allows the caramel and chocolate malts to come through. Large amounts of Belgian Extra Dark Candi Syrup darken the color and impart dark, fruit-like flavors. Its aftertaste is slightly sweet and dry.

• Sixpoint Sweet Action – Part pale ale, part wheat, part cream ale, Sweet Action is a simple representation of what makes beer great: the marriage of barley and hops. The barley malt will coat your tongue like honey while the hops brush your palate clean with every sip.

• Southern Star Bombshell Blonde – The American blonde ale has a rich, creamy golden color with flavors of yeasty bread coupled with a touch of hops. Now available in 16 oz. cans, this fan favorite is fermented at a cool temperature to give it a clean finish.

• Rahr and Sons Bucking Bock – This award-winning beer is a traditional German Spring Bock, golden in color and mildly hopped. It has a smooth malty character at 7.5% ABV.

• Saint Arnold Summer Pils – Summer Pils is a true bohemian-style pilsner brewed with fine German malt and a copious quantity of noble hops imported from the Czech Republic. Its delicate, sweet malt taste is complemented by an abundant hop aroma and flavor.

The bonus beer in Beaumont is Goose Island’s Pepe Nero. Texas City tasting-goers will enjoy New Belgium’s Dig, and the Victoria tasting will feature Samuel Adams’ Summer Ale.

WHEN:
Thursday, April 18, 2013
5 p.m. – 7 p.m.

WHERE:
Del Papa Distribution Centers
Hospitality Room
1220 I-45
Texas City, TX 77591

-and-

3907 E. Rio Grande
Victoria, TX 77807

-and-

410 I-10 South
Beaumont, TX 77707

See you there!

 

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Smokin’ Hot Texas Tuesday

Cornel’s Smokin’ Hot Blonde

We love a good Southeast Texas-brewed beer. Brews from both Texas BIG BEER and Cornel’s Gulf Coast Brewing Company consistently make the top of our “favorite local beers” lists (what’s at the top of your list?).

We suppose the taste of a Buna- or Beaumont-made brew just warms our taste buds with Southern comfort, which is why today we’re featuring a spicy selection from Cornel’s Gulf Coast Brewing Company in Beaumont. Cory Nelson’s Smokin’ Hot Blonde is our “Think Local, Drink Local” Texas Tuesday pick of the week.

The 2-Row base brew with 20% smoked grain, Hallertau and Willamette hops is fermented with Chico. Aged for about a week with roasted Poblano peppers (seriously, where else but Texas?), Smokin’ Hot Blonde has a natural kick of heat and a great roasted flavor on the backside. Even better, it’s got a medium, light body, making it the perfect brew to cool off with during these muggy Texas days.

Send Cory a message on the brewery’s Facebook page and set up a visit to his “micro-nano-brewery” off Highway 105. After you’ve tried Smokin’ Hot Blonde (and Maelstrom, too), come back here and let us know what you think!

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A Beer with a Cause

Southern Star’s Red Cockaded

How goes it, Pint Jockeys? No complaints from our side of the computer. We’re just counting down the days ‘til the weekend when we can indulge in good food and great beer.

Today’s featured beer is new to the Texas Tuesday lineup. It’s Southern Star Brewing Company’s spring seasonal, Red Cockaded, a West Coast Style Imperial Red Ale.

Southern Star notes the beer is a “deep red, with a generous dose of malted rye and English crystal malts, giving the malt profile a sticky caramel property and substantial earthiness.” And it’s quite hoppy. With “massive late charges of Pacific Northwest hops,” and because it is generously dry-hopped,” Red Cockaded has a citrus, pine and resin aroma and flavor.

And now, a little more about that name. Red Cockaded Ale is actually named after the Red Cockaded woodpeckers who happen to live near Southern Star’s Conroe brewery. To help raise awareness for these and other endangered species, Southern Star donates a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this beer to the Friends of Texas Wildlife.

Available NOW, you can find Red Cockaded in cans and on draught at retailers, bars and restaurants. Pick up a few extra packs or buy a round for your friends. After all, charitable drinking is the best kind of drinking.

‘Til next Tuesday, Pint Jockeys!

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A BIG Texas Congratulations

Happy First Anniversary to Texas BIG BEER Brewery

Call it a birthday, anniversary or commemoration, but whatever you call it, know this: Texas brewers Tammy and John McKissack just celebrated something BIG – the first full year of Texas BIG BEER in business!

We first introduced you to Texas BIG BEER Brewery in October 2012, when Del Papa Distributing announced it’d be carrying Big Texas Blonde, Renaissance Cowboy and Texas Crude throughout its three distribution areas across 17 counties.

But the brewery’s story actually began earlier that year. In May 2012, the first batch of Big Texas Blonde, brewed in a small building deep in the Big Thicket of East Texas, hit area liquor store shelves. Soon after, the brewery debuted their beer on tap (and floated five kegs in the span of a few hours) at Madison’s on Dowlen in Beaumont.

In the last year, Texas BIG BEER has made appearances at several Texas festivals, held their grand opening to a crowd of over 300, introduced a few new brews to their lineup and expanded their distribution area across much of our great state. Along the way, they began brewery tours, garnered local and national media attention, picked up a coveted award – the Best Porter in the Rockies / Southwest at the United States Beer Tasting Championship for their Texas Crude – and most importantly, gained a loyal following all while developing, perfecting and growing their craft beer lineup.

All that makes for a story – and year – worth celebrating. And so, we tip our bottles back to you, Texas BIG BEER, for making the Lone Star State just a little tastier and a little more home-grown.

May your beer stay cold, malty and BIG, Pint Jockeys!

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An Iconic Texas Tuesday

All about Saint Arnold’s newest release, Icon BlueAn Iconic Texas Tuesday

Raise your bottles, Pint Jockeys! You’ve nearly made it to the half-way mark of the week. How’s everyone doing?

We’d say we’re pretty swell, given that the second release in Saint Arnold’s Icon series is out and ready for the pickin’. Though this feeling is nothing new; every time the Saint Arnold folks release something new, we get excited.

Different from its predecessor (Icon Red), Icon Blue is a Cascadian Dark Ale, also known as a Black IPA. According to the fine folks at Saint Arnold, “it has a big hop nose and flavor with a great roast finish, yet a light body.” It’s now available in four packs and on tap for up to three months, or until it’s gone, so get it while the getting’s good.

And “get” this. Icon Blue is a derivative of Pete Garza’s winning entry of Saint Arnold’s 2012 Big Batch Brew Bash homebrew competition. We think congratulations are in order to Pete Garza!

One Facebook commenter mentioned Icon Blue is great on tap. Have you tried it yet? Let us know where and what you think in the comments below.

Until next time, cheers, Pint Jockeys!

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Texas (Independence) Tuesday

Southern Star Pine Belt Pale Ale

Yeehaw and giddy up, y’all! Aren’t you proud to live in the Lone Star State? Not only does our great state  produce some of the best gosh darn people on the planet (we’re looking at you, Pint Jockey) but it is also home to some of the best craft breweries in the world.

That’s why today, in honor of Texas Independence Day, we’re sharing a little more about Southern Star’s Pine Belt Pale Ale. Brewed in Conroe, Pine Belt is a deep copper-colored American Pale Ale. The flavor has a substantial malt backbone, aggressive hop bitterness and notable American hop flavor, achieved by the mix of Galena, CTZ and Nugget hops.

Available in 16 oz. 4-packs and on draught, Pine Belt is a year-round brew. If you weren’t able to try it at our last tasting event, you can certainly get your hands on this favorite now and throughout the year.

And while Texas celebrates its 177 birthday this Saturday, Southern Star Brewing Company will honor its own milestone this month. Next Saturday, March 9, the brewery will celebrate its 5^th birthday, and every beer lover is invited! You can find out more details and purchase tickets here.

Until we meet again, raise a glass Texas and happy trails to you, Pint Jockeys!

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