Until last year, the Spring Branch area of Houston was a complete craft beer desert. The Branch craft beer bar changed that, but the one thing that was lacking in the area was a brewery. Enter 4J Brewing. On March 24th, two and a half years after being originally granted Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) brewpub license approval, Spring Branch finally had a brewery.
The 4J story, like most other breweries, is one that was the product of leaving another career behind. A financial analyst by trade, owner/brewer Jennifer Edwards turned an initial family homebrewing hobby into what is now the self-made business of 4J Brewing Company. However, what is unique about 4J is the owner, herself. Jennifer is one of the youngest brewers in the Greater Houston area and one of the few female head brewers in the state of Texas. Make no mistake, she’s not having to go at this alone as this brewery is a family affair with the name deriving from the four J’s in the family. All of the children that make up this family are women with names that start with the letter J. The 4J name originated with the family ranch that is owned in Lee County and continues with the brewery of the same name. On Saturday, three of the four “J’s” were in attendance, in addition to other family members like Jennifer’s mother and father.
Small is the new normal for breweries in Texas as many newcomers to the scene are starting with modest brewhouses and small taprooms to cater to the local community before starting to branch out to larger areas. 4J is no exception with a small two-barrel brewhouse and a taproom designed to be a cozy space for any visitor to the brewery. Astutely, Jennifer has made it clear that the primary focus of the brewery at first is to stay completely in-house until production can be scaled up to allow outside accounts and keg sales. Can or bottle sales are not currently in the immediate plans, which is refreshing for a brewery starting up as many seem to feel the pressure of growing too quickly. 4J appears to be concentrating on perfecting the beer recipes and gauging consumer tastes before making that next leap into more growth.
On opening day, 4J had four beers for the grand opening celebration. Fortunately, the event was a ticketed event that was limited in capacity. Another refreshing plan of the brewery was to limit the number of attendees on the first day since the space is small and the beer supply is limited. A recent trend of soft/grand openings is to announce the date and allow anybody to show up. This often has led to enormous crowds, unbelievably long lines waiting for beer, and a general crowded feeling that sullies the experience. 4J did the opposite by allowing a reasonable, yet modest, number of people to purchase tickets which created a friendly environment for all visitors. Also, it kept beer lines short and supplies plentiful throughout the day. With our ticket, we were given four 16 ounce pours and none of the beers ran out, while allowed us to sample all four of the different beers on tap.
Our initial choice was the pale ale. As a more malt-forward pale ale, we have a difficult time being objective about the brew as most of the pale ales we typically sample are hop-forward with a citrus or pine flavor. This pale ale was low in hop volume and reminded me of Samuel Adams Pale Ale with the sweet notes balanced by a slight splash of bitterness.
Sticking with the lighter theme, we chose the blonde ale for our second beer. This blonde ale was executed well with a honey sweetness that engulfs your mouth at first sip. The crisp taste and nearly non-existent hop flavors made this beer perfect for us as it warmed up outside. We spent a majority of our time at the brewery outside enjoying the Texas spring weather, but as it got warmer, outside this beer tasted better to us. No doubt, this beer is going to be a summer favorite as we can drink several of these on a hot day.
Our third beer was our standout favorite – the amber ale. Amber ales are a style that are usually one of the most basic and easy beers to make. However, they are also one of the most difficult styles to get right as there are so many mediocre amber ales out in the market. The 4J amber ale was stellar with a nice red hue, a caramel sweetness, and a balanced hop profile that makes this beer easily the best execution of a style by the brewery. At 7.2% alcohol by volume, this beer packed a punch, so drinking a few of these can sneak up quickly on your equilibrium.
To finish out the day, we sampled a pint of the stout. We enjoy a good stout regardless of the time of year and how warm it is outside, so tasting this beer on a warmer day was still pleasant. The roasted malt gave off hints of coconut and chocolate and provided a fuller mouthfeel as the beer warmed. We purposely drank half of it while it was cold and half of it while it was warm to see how the flavor profile changed. Undoubtedly, the release of a rich dark chocolate taste was more intense as it warmed with the sweetness being more prevalent straight out of the keg.
Initially, the brewery plans on being open every other Saturday, so keep a lookout on their social media pages for news on their next opening. It’s definitely worth venturing out and trying 4J Brewing. The friendliness of the Edwards family will make you feel welcome and Jennifer is a wealth of knowledge on their brewery, their processes, and someone who loves to talk beer.
You can follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Also visit their webpage to learn more about the brewery and the history behind the 4J name.