Franconia Dunkel

Ah, German style beer.  Ah, German style dark beer...and from Texas of course.  We're certainly known for our German brews around these parts (even in the northern parts of the state).  Enter Franconia Brewing Company from McKinney, Texas, and their delicious Dunkel.  It's a dark ("dunkel") brewed lager using an awesome blend of different German malts as well as the obligatory spicy hops for kick.  The beer goes down pretty smooth, as it's fairly sweet, and ends with some light cocoa flavors at the bottom of the brew.  There is a bit of a tangy aftertaste, akin to what you'd get after drinking a Newcastle Brown Ale, but the Dunkel is lighter and feels more like spring time.  It would probably go great with a burger.

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Circle Brewing Company and the Wryteous Rye-Wheat I.P.A. - A Special Report

 Although we try to limit ourselves to trying only one new beer a week (we're not alcoholics after all, just alcohol-enthusiasts), the time and opportunity occasionally presents itself to imbibe a new brew.  Brewery tours and open houses pretty much beg for this.  And thus, we went and visited Austin's own Circle Brewing Company and their first open house to celebrate the release of their latest creation, the Wryteous Rye-Wheat I.P.A.  And...it was fantastic.  Unlike the majority of I.P.A.'s that i've tried, this one was not overly bitter.  Sure, the hops and bitter flavors were there, but they were combined with a sweetness that reminded me more of a summer pale ale, or at times, even a light Hefewiesen.  It was perfect for the heat of the early afternoon, and i might add, that it went great with the hot dog i ate out there (The Evil Wiener).  So, congratulations Circle Brewing, you've just created my new favorite beer!  I look forward to drinking many of them in the near future.

Rows and rows of kegs...nice.

And that is the refreshing and delicious elixir of the gods below...

Circle Brewing Wryteous Rye-Wheat IPA

 And there's some goofball with his new found love...

Shocked and amazed at how good it is.

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Southern Star Bombshell Blonde Ale

Texas brews...Texas brews...so many Texas brews.  I love it.  We recently tried the Bombshell Blonde Ale from Houston's Southern Star Brewery, a lovely version of a classic style beer.  The hops are mild and not too bitter, and the beer's got a really good malt flavor going for it, where you get an almost sweet taste at the end, and is a smooth drink from start to finish.  Probably too smooth, as it's a cinch to down one after the other.  All in all, this a great summer time beer, perfect to enjoy in the middle of the day in the sunshine.  (I won't tell your boss.)

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Austin Beerworks Pearl Snap Pils

Lately it seems that every year, Austin gets more and more breweries to choose from.  And that's about as awesome as anything you can think of.  Austin Beerworks has been around for a couple of years and are at the forefront of abandoning your fancy-schmancy bottles in favor of the aluminum can...the peoples' way to drink beer.  At the head is the delicious and refreshing Pearl Snap, a German-style Pilsner.  This is your basic everyday beer.  It goes with anything...BBQ, Mexican food, cigarettes.  You name it.  To me, it tastes like drinking a beer with your dad after spending a Saturday afternoon mowing the lawn.  And that's as fine of an endorsement as anything i can think of.

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Adelbert's Naked Nun

Always happy to find a local brew that tastes as good as this one.  Austin's own Adelbert's Brewery (named after the brew master's deceased brother) makes a variety of different beers, each with their own back story.  The Naked Nun is a Belgian Style Wit Ale with hints of orange and coriander in the mix.  It gets its name from a story involving Adelbert getting robbed and stripped only to find aid from a group of Colombian nuns.  It's pretty easy to drink and goes down very smooth.  While this is an exceptionally good beer, i'd say that the spices make it feel like a late autumn or winter beverage.  It's not really a summer time beer.  And, apparently that's my thing right now.

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Alaskan Summer Ale

And we now have a nominee for my new favorite beer for the summertime...Alaskan Summer Ale.  The good folks at Alaskan Brewing Co. deliver the goods on this Kolsch-style brew, a perfect mix of hops and malts that complement each other in the best possible way.  Damn, this beer is refreshing.  There are hints of fruit and sweetness that don't overpower, making this a ridiculously easy beer to drink.  As far as food pairings go, i'd recommend it with anything.  I know i throw this out there a lot, but this is a perfect beer to beat the heat...and we can now get the stuff in Austin.  Hazaa!

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Real Ale Devil's Backbone

It's May.  And we're in Austin.  It's only going to get hotter, so i must divert myself away from the usual dark and heavy brews i love so.  Bring on the crisp and refreshing pale ales my friends.  Texas's own Real Ale Brewing Company unleashed their yearly batch of Devil's Backbone, a Belgian style Tripel ale.  It's a wonderful mix of malts and hops with a blend of sweet sugars, and served ice cold, is wonderful for these upcoming long and sweaty days.  But, be wary.  The 8.1% alcohol by volume content can pack a wallop you were not expecting.  It is a damn good beer though, the kind of brew i start thinking about around 4PM when i'm still at work, as if it's calling me from my refrigerator.  Ahhh.

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