New Homebrew Club

A (relatively) new homebrew club has emerged in North Texas, the Horsemen of the Hopocalypse. This is a small group that has been meeting for less than a year and is generally based in Fort Worth, Tarrant County and a few places just west of there.

Texas Brewers in the News

A snapshot summary of the 2008 Texas craft brewery scene entitled "Beer mugs runneth over" appeared in Tuesday's edition of the San Antonio Express-News.

Written by Travis Poling, reporter and beer columnist for the Express-News, the article touches on the status of new breweries such as (512) Brewing, Southern Star and Franconia, as well as the upcoming Freetail Brewing brewpub in San Antonio. Also mentioned is the recent Ben E. Keith acquisition as well as a number of out-of-state craft beers likely to appear here soon.

Additionally, a report by Lee Nichols appeared in the Austin Chronicle last Friday entitled "A Disaster Brewing," recounting the origins of the drastic current hop shortages and how local Austin brewers such as Live Oak, Uncle Billy's, North by Northwest and Real Ale have been impacted.

Rahr to Brew for Central Market

Rahr & Sons Brewing is currently developing a line of seasonal beers to be branded and sold under a Central Market label and available through their stores state-wide. The current plans are for four rotating beers per year, one per quarter, most likely focusing on popular seasonal styles. The specific styles have not yet been decided.

Central Market is a Texas-based chain of specialty grocery stores similar to Whole Foods that tends to favor local and environmentally friendly suppliers. Both store chains are noted for carrying a wide selection of craft, independent and imported beer.

Celtic Brew-Off in Arlington, May 17

The final date of the 2008 Celtic Brew-Off has been set as May 17th in Arlington. The Celtic Brew-Off generally coincides with the Texas Scottish Festival and Highland Games, although this latter event will be held in June.

The Celtic Brew-Off is an AHA-sanctioned competition and is sponsored by the Knights of the Brown Bottle as part of the Lone Star Circuit. Entry details and deadlines can be found on the Celtic Brew-Off website.

Southern Star Grand Opening

The newest Texas brewery Southern Star will be holding its official grand opening at the brewery on April 5th from 3pm to 6pm. The first scheduled brewery tour will be on April 12th at 1pm.

(512) Brewing Lauches Website

New Austin brewery (512) Brewing has launched their new website, including full details about the new location and operations.

BrewCrAzY Interviews Bev Blackwood

The online beer and brewing podcast show BrewCrAzY recently interviewed Bev Blackwood, Brewing Production Manager of Saint Arnold Brewing Company and patron saint look-alike, about his homebrewing background and his role at Texas' oldest operating craft brewery.

Of interest, Blackwood talks about Saint Arnold's planned relocation and expansion to a site just north of downtown Houston. While the contracts are not yet finalized and no timetable has been announced, the new facilities should more than quadruple the current size and capacity of the current brewery.

The interview is included in BrewCrAzY's "It's the Alcohol Talking" Show 52 originally aired on March 10th. (The interview with Blackwood begins about 16 minutes into the podcast.)