Live Oak Brewery
I had the opportunity to hang out at the Live Oak Brewery in the industrial area of east Austin last week. Ron, my "lead" at Central Market, Callaway, my #1 brewing companion and I headed over on Wednesday morning around 11 a.m. -- just as the winter blast was entering town.
Ron is good friends with Steve, the brewmaster. Callaway, by happy providence, just received his brewing internship there. I was just the third wheel, an interested observer and taster.
I don't normally drink beer so early in the day (I promise!), but I wasn't going to just stand there and miss out, either. So I began with their Hefe Weisen, recalling that Germans traditionally drink wheat beer for breakfast. I've been a big fan of this beer for quite a while. It is as close to a true German-style Hefe as I've found from a U.S. brewery, with the classic hints of bananas and cloves and a milder fruitiness than the typical American variety. Refreshing and creamy.
Next I sampled their Pilz. Again, the idea here is to remain true to the Bavarian tradition, using European malt, yeast and hops. And once again, this is a great beer for Texas heat and cooking. This a very good Pilsner, one I often enjoy at local Austin restaurants with a burger or pizza. It has the crisp backbone characteristic of Pilsner Urquell, though not quite as dramatic. And it hints at the floral aroma of Rebel and the breadiness of North Coast's Scrimshaw.
"So why didn't you guys open a brewpub instead?"
"Because we don't know anything about the restaurant business."
"Why don't you bottle your beers, instead of just delivering kegs?"
"Because the bottling equipment is the largest investment in any brewery."
I like their logic. And I like their humble ambition -- to simply make great beer for the locals, rather than trying to mass market themselves all over the place.
I tried the Liberation Ale next. This is a slightly heavy-bodied IPA, somewhere between the hoppy beers that have become so common in the Northern Pacific microbrew renassaince, and the maltiness of English pale ales. A really pleasant beer, though I would only pair it with thick, meaty foods.
As we were leaving, the owner called our attention to a rare beer they had snuck into the tap. Although it was on the Big Bark label, this was actually the Liberator. This is an extremely high alcohol Doppelbock. It was way too much to drink at 12:30 in the afternoon (good thing these were small samples), but I was very pleased by it. This is one to look out for if you can find it -- an exceptional sweet, malty winter warmer. Try the Ginger Man in Dallas or Alamo Drafthouse South in Austin.
I've been saying this since I've lived here and I've found no reason to change my mind -- this is the best beer in Austin (maybe Texas). At a brewing rate of 3,000 gallons per week of kegs sent to local pubs and restaurants, there's plenty of support for my opinion.
Ron is good friends with Steve, the brewmaster. Callaway, by happy providence, just received his brewing internship there. I was just the third wheel, an interested observer and taster.
I don't normally drink beer so early in the day (I promise!), but I wasn't going to just stand there and miss out, either. So I began with their Hefe Weisen, recalling that Germans traditionally drink wheat beer for breakfast. I've been a big fan of this beer for quite a while. It is as close to a true German-style Hefe as I've found from a U.S. brewery, with the classic hints of bananas and cloves and a milder fruitiness than the typical American variety. Refreshing and creamy.
Next I sampled their Pilz. Again, the idea here is to remain true to the Bavarian tradition, using European malt, yeast and hops. And once again, this is a great beer for Texas heat and cooking. This a very good Pilsner, one I often enjoy at local Austin restaurants with a burger or pizza. It has the crisp backbone characteristic of Pilsner Urquell, though not quite as dramatic. And it hints at the floral aroma of Rebel and the breadiness of North Coast's Scrimshaw.
"So why didn't you guys open a brewpub instead?"
"Because we don't know anything about the restaurant business."
"Why don't you bottle your beers, instead of just delivering kegs?"
"Because the bottling equipment is the largest investment in any brewery."
I like their logic. And I like their humble ambition -- to simply make great beer for the locals, rather than trying to mass market themselves all over the place.
I tried the Liberation Ale next. This is a slightly heavy-bodied IPA, somewhere between the hoppy beers that have become so common in the Northern Pacific microbrew renassaince, and the maltiness of English pale ales. A really pleasant beer, though I would only pair it with thick, meaty foods.
As we were leaving, the owner called our attention to a rare beer they had snuck into the tap. Although it was on the Big Bark label, this was actually the Liberator. This is an extremely high alcohol Doppelbock. It was way too much to drink at 12:30 in the afternoon (good thing these were small samples), but I was very pleased by it. This is one to look out for if you can find it -- an exceptional sweet, malty winter warmer. Try the Ginger Man in Dallas or Alamo Drafthouse South in Austin.
I've been saying this since I've lived here and I've found no reason to change my mind -- this is the best beer in Austin (maybe Texas). At a brewing rate of 3,000 gallons per week of kegs sent to local pubs and restaurants, there's plenty of support for my opinion.
posted by gdwill | 1:53 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home