- There are other beers you could drink...just like there are other states you could live in but, let's get real though, Texas is the best. After four-some-odd years of making it my mission to find good local beer that wouldn't break the bank, I found four Texas brews that every beer drinker needs to keep in the fridge. So sit back, crack and cold one and remember why life is good but, better in Texas.
1. Dammit Jim! Texas Amber (ABV: 5.2%)
The brew that started New Republic Brewing Company in College Station, Texas is a knockout. DJ initially has a German malt note and is hopped up like an American Pale Ale with hints of tropical flavoring that you wouldn’t expect to taste in an Amber beer.This writer's opinion: If you can find it locally on tap, don’t skip out. Dammit Jim is perfect out of a keg, just like God intended
If you love it as much as I do, try New Republic’s other six brews, available in all groceries, Spec’s & Twin Liquors in College Station as well as in HEB, Krogers, Whole Foods and Spec's throughout Houston.
2. Guns & Oil Maverick Lager (ABV: 4.6%)
As the frontier beer for Guns & Oil Brewing Company out of Austin, Texas, the Maverick Lager is the kind of beer you sit down and have with your dad. The finish is clean, crisp and refreshing with very light hints of caramel. Guns & Oil isn’t like any other brewery so they took the boring title of “lager” and made a flagship beer unlike any other.This writer’s opinion: This beer is best enjoyed on the patio with friends and family. If you can find it on tap be sure to notice the one of a kind tap handles your brew is spewing from.
When (yes, I said when) you love it, you can also try Guns & Oil Brewing Company's newest addition to the family, the Black Lager. The Maverick Lager is available in numerous locations in Austin, Round Rock, the DFW area and Houston.
3. Blood & Honey Golden Ale (ABV: 7.0%)
Revolver Brewing Company, located in Granbury, TX put together Blood & Honey as an unfiltered, deep bodied golden ale. The blood orange hints and honey body make this beer stand out alongside the many other citrus toned beers out there. This writer’s opinion: I had to keep an open mind going in to try Blood & Honey and I’m sure glad I did. Revolver brews with only the highest quality ingredients and it shines through in the finished product.
Revolver has a lot of other great flagship beers along with some great seasonal and limited release selections. Blood & Honey is available in a variety of locations throughout central Texas.
4. Lakewood Lager (ABV: 4.6%)
Lakewood Brewing Company, out of Dallas, Texas, offers an array of tasty local brews. The Lakewood Lager is a old Vienna-style lager with a refreshing twist. With caramel notes and a malty sweetness, it takes the originality of an older Vienna lager and pairs it with a new age twist.
This writer’s opinion: Lakewood Lager is the perfect beer for every occasion. It’s light and refreshing taste goes with a backyard burger or brat. Try Lakewood Lager and all of their other fantastic brews all over the DFW metroplex.
