Big Bend Hefeweizen

Man, it's been hot outside lately.  It is August in central Texas after all, and a sure cure for the sweaty blues is a nice, refreshing hefeweizen.  So, why not imbibe one brewed out in the mountainous desert of West Texas from young upstart Big Bend Brewing?  The Big Bend Hefeweizen pours a light, hazy gold and gives off aromas of wheat and citrus.  The beer is subtly sweet with some hints of breadiness, and crazy easy to drink.  Weighing in at 5.6% ABV, it's certainly a sessionable beer, but lets you know it's there.

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Austin Eastciders Texas Honey Cider

Hey!  That's not a beer!  Shaking it up a little bit this week with fantastic local cider from Austin Eastciders.  I'm not normally a cider drinker, but i grabbed Texas Honey Cider on a whim at dinner the other night and found it to be a perfect complimentary beverage for a hot summer night.  Pairing some subtle sweetness with a dry bite and 5% ABV, this hard cider is ridiculously easy to drink.  If they had had these around 25 years ago before i developed my beer palette, i'd have been in trouble.  And now, while it's not something i would drink on a daily basis, it's nice to change things up every now and then.  Have one with your next outdoor meal.

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Forbidden Lavender

I like breweries that really put themselves out there by taking chances with odd or tweaked ideas.  Katy, Texas's No Label Brewing's seasonal offering this summer is a Belgian-style witbier brewed with lavender instead of coriander, and it's a slightly off-kilter, subtle, and wonderful beer for this time of year.  Pouring a nice, clear gold with a white, bubbly head, the beer smells of wheat with hints of honey and vanilla...and of course lavender.  The flavor is similar.  The lavender never overpowers, but it certainly lets you know it's there.  All in all, this is a great summer beer to sip on the porch while the sun goes down.

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Real Ale Gose

Not sure why this pic came out so dark.

This summer, i've noticed that several brewers are offering their own take on the Gose.  A Gose-style beer is a specialty brew that was originally made in northern regions of Germany.  It's a sour wheat beer that has notes of coriander and a unique saltiness caused by the water used locally from that region.  The Real Ale Gose from the awesome folks at Real Ale is a central Texas take, adding lime juice into the mix to make a tart and tasty, one of a kind brew.  The beer pours a wheaty gold and smells of bread, yeast, and citrus.  Sour and salty, the lime and salt shine, but the wheat and yeasty notes keep it grounded.  This is an awesome beer for these hot, summer days, and at 4.4% ABV, it's highly sessionable.

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New English Brewing Zumbar

There's really not much i like better than ending the day with a dark, heavy beer, sitting back on the sofa and watching a movie or reading a book.  The kid's asleep.  The dog naps next to me.  It's a lovely time.  And so, we have what is probably the last beer i'll be writing about from my trip to San Diego earlier in the summer, New English Brewing Co's Zumbar, a delicious chocolate coffee imperial stout.  The beer pours dark with a thick, tan head, aromas of chocolate and coffee permeating the air.  The chocolate flavor hits first with a subtle sweetness that is immediately followed by the coffee notes along with some malts and bitterness.  It's fantastic, and at 9.3% ABV, it does not mess around.  I wish i had one to drink tonight.

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