Holiday parties. It seems we have one every single weekend during the month of December. It’s that time of year when you enjoy the company of family and friends, exchange gifts, and spend time with those you love and care about.
Since we had to make a run to Spec’s in Midtown Houston for our contribution of liquor to the holiday party this weekend, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to pop over to the beer department and see some of the items that are harder to find. What I didn’t know was I would discover a new beer while I was there.
The Spec’s beer department at the Midtown Houston location is unmatched when it comes to variety, selection, and availability. Therefore, it wasn’t surprising to see some beers that I’ve had a more difficult time locating here in the Greater Houston area. A welcome sight was seeing Community Beer Company’s Inspiration Belgian-style dark ale in bottles. A month ago, I had a difficult time coming across this in the Dallas area, so finding it here was a treat.
Seeing the full selection of New Braunfels Brewing Company’s beers on the shelf brought a smile to my face as they are one of the best breweries in the state for sours. I opted for the WasserWeiss, which is a low ABV Berliner Weiss that has a tart lemon-lime flavor.
One of the more surprising beers I saw on the shelf and immediately snatched up was 903 Brewers Sasquatch, which was a silver-medal winner at GABF this year in the aged beer category. This Imperial Chocolate Milk Stout is tailor made for the changing of the seasons into winter as it starts becoming stout season in my house.
The tried and true Hops & Grain The One They Call Zoe pale lager had to be bought simply due to my affinity to all of their brews and the fact that I haven’t enjoyed this beer in quite some time. This beer recently enjoyed some positive press from Livability.com, which named it the best beer in the city of Austin. For a city that is loaded with beer options, this was quite the compliment.
5 Stones Artisan Brewery’s Norma Jeane also was a welcome sight on the shelf. For a fruitier and more light option, I opted for this beer due to use of Texas-grown strawberries made in Poteet that are used in abundance for this beer. Any brewery that uses locally-sourced ingredients in their brews always have a special place in my fridge.
Finally, the find of the day for me was discovering Cornel’s Brewing Company’s Maelstrom American Stout on the shelves. I vaguely remember hearing something from these guys about 3-4 years ago, but never knew they were distributing to the Greater Houston area until I saw the bottle. I’m eagerly looking forward to tasting this beer and seeing what’s brewing east of us in Beaumont.
Even though I found a few gems, I still feel like I could have spent all day in there stocking up with the variety I really wanted. I’m sure I’ll be making another trip soon, so I’m not worried about just getting a little bit to tide me over for a week or so.