8th Wonder Dome Faux'm

We are quickly approaching some MLB playoff action, and while football has always been my sport of choice, there's just something about Fall baseball that feels so right.  So why not start drinking a brew that would be the perfect companion at the ballpark?  Houston's 8th Wonder Brewery has just the concoction you need.  Their Dome Faux'm Cream Ale is a pre-prohibition throwback beer, a crisp and easy drinking beverage for any sporting event...or just sitting around at home in the backyard or whatever.  Pouring gold with a thick and foamy white head, the 5.2% ABV beer smells of grains, grass, malt, and spicy hops.  Light and drinkable, the flavor is a good and balanced mix of malt and hops with just the tangiest bit of bite.  I imagine they'll be drinking a lot of these in Houston is the Astros can repeat this year.

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Whitestone Keyboard Gangsta West Coast Hazy IPA

Taking a short break from pumpkin ales and Oktoberfests to enjoy a hazy dream from Whitestone Brewery.  A fusion of styles (West Coast and hazy/juicy), the Keyboard Gangsta West Coast Hazy IPA pours a fuzzy, hazy (naturally) gold and smells of citrus, tropical fruit, hops, and florals.  The full-bodied, 6.5% ABV brew mixes those same citrus, fruit, hop, and floral notes into a wonderful and tasty beverage that ends with a lingering bitterness.  Good, good stuff, and a nice switch off from my usual Autumnal beer choices.

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The Brewer's Table Idée Fixe Dark Lager

The wife and i celebrated our 10th anniversary last week, and to mark the occasion, we spent the day without kids eating and drinking and watching giant shark movies around Austin.  One place we'd been meaning to check out and finally had the opportunity to do so was The Brewer's Table, a restaurant/gastro-pub/brewpub on Austin's east side.  While sitting at the bar, i tried the brewer's Idée Fixe, a dark lager that was malty and crisp and delicious.  The beer pours dark brown (almost black) with a white head and smelled of malt, oats, lemon, and tea.  The flavor as described by the brewer is that of a summer English breakfast which really isn't far off.  The lemon and tea notes mixed well with the malt and grains meshing together in a more medium bodied brew that felt both complex and easily drinkable.  I'm going to have to get back there soon, with kids or no.

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NXNW Bohemian Raspberry

I know we're heading into Fall, but the weather in Central Texas really does not care, as we're still pushing 100 degrees and beyond almost everyday.  And so, on these hot afternoons, a fruity concoction of hops and malts will certainly hit the spot.  Yesterday, NXNW Restaurant and Brewery in Austin hosted its 19th Anniversary Party, an event marking it as the city's oldest brewpub.  It was a family friendly affair, so where else was an avid beer drinker with two kids going to be?  Anyway, i was able to try a few different beers while there, and all were excellent (meaning i'll probably write about one next week too), but their limited Bohemian Raspberry, a fruit beer brewed with...you guessed it...raspberries really helped beat the heat.  Pouring a pinkish hue, the 6% ABV brew smelled of raspberries, citrus, hops, and spice.  Notes of raspberry were dominant, but meshed well with the spices and some subtle hints of yeast and bread.  The brew finished dry, tart, and crisp, an excellent choice to wind down these hot summer days.

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