Who thought we’d actually have the stamina to make 9 of these?

I’m going to nick name this one “the reckoning”

So welcome to Over a Pint Episode 9 at the Flying Saucer… the reckoning.

In this episode, we had the pleasure of sitting down wt Sam and Rob (whom I call Sam in the video, sorry Rob) from the Flying Saucer in Austin. Maybe you’ve been there. They’ve got this nice little gig going there wt the beer and such.

We sit outside on a Thursday night; the wind tickles our beards, the casual conversation in the background is loud enough for me to trail off when I realize I don’t know what I’m talking about, the Oscar Blues dry hopped Gordon is flowing, we’re rapping about the Saucer, their upcoming Fall Beer Festival, Rob says “shit”, we cheers like three or four times, it’s revealed that there’s more in store at the festival that you have to show up to find out (of which they spill some beans but also leave some beans left in the can for Saturday), a good time is not missed by any of us.

Do you know when the first Saucer opened?

Do you know in what city?

Can you tell what I do wt my hands when I don’t know what to say next?

What about the special stuff happening inside the Flying Saucer on the 24th?

After watching this video you should be able to answer all these questions and some (meaning they spill some beans in the video that really sweeten the deal).

Check below the video for their cool poster and a hand typed list of the beers we talked about or I was given a list of.

Also, I think we may do a live stream Over a Pint from the festival. TBA.

Sam and I both have a Columbus dry hopped OB Gordon from a cask and Rob is drinking a Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout.

So, if you can, crack open a cold one and join us over a pint,

Enjoy!

The hand typed list:

[I'll bold everything I want and don't want you to drink all of]

Allagash Four

Brooklyn Oktoberfest

Victory Storm King Imperial Stout

Dogfish Head Punkin

Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale [WTF!?]

Green Flash Hop Head Red

Lagunitas 13 (Mondo Large Red)

North Coast Red Seal Cask

Anderson Valley Oatmeal Stout

Sierra Nevada Edge of Darkenss [WTF!?]

Green Flash West Coast IPA

Ska Modus Hoperandi

Saint Arnold Divine Reserve #8

Live Oak Oaktoberfest Cask

Real Ale XII Anniversary Ale

(512) Pecan Porter

Independence Imperial Oatmeal Stout [aka Convict Hill]

Dogfish Head Burton Baton

Breckenridge 471 IPA Cask [WTF!?]

Boulevard Smokestack Tank 7

New Belgium Transatlantic Kriek

So here we go.

If you follow BTA on Twitter you know we go out and drink beer sometimes. Being the amateurs that we are, we don’t make it out to every beer special in Austin, but also being obsessive-if-it’s-advertised-at-us-we’ll-bite type guys, we do try a lot of beer.

Here are our favorite recent ten.

(Disclaimer, I am not a trained beer critic, these are my opinions. Also, some of the beer was given to me free, but that did not influence the list)

(Counting down)

10. Moylan’s Hopsickle
Ouch- this is a hoppy beer. The bottle brags “Tripple Hoppy.” So should you expect a beer three times as hoppy tasting as a regular IPA? Maybe.
I liked that the hops were large and in charge, but a bomber size bottle gave me a hop headache. At 9.2% alcohol, I got a buzz too. Then later hop heart burn. It’s good, but good for sharing. NIce use of Tomohawk hops. I found it for $15 at the Hyde Park Market (also ouch). Thanks for bringing your Hopsickle to Texas Moylan’s.

9. Real Ale Oktoberfest This, Real Ale’s first lager, was not bad. Honestly, I have had enough Oktoberfests this month, that I can barely tell them apart. Unlike Oktoberfests I don’t like, it had a good amount of maltiness, but not too much that you want to pour it on pancakes. Also, they succeeded in avoiding that gross cardboard taste I get from some lesser Oktoberfests (aka, the one I tried brewing at home a few years ago. RIP Spookyfest).

8. (512) Pecan Porter wt Pumpkin Via the Flying Saucer Randall
I want to applaud Flying Saucer Austin for the ingenuity required to produce this beer. A lot of thought and hard work went into it. And adding Pumpkin and spices to an already outstanding porter is close to genius. Sadly, this was an experiment, and for the most part, didn’t really achieve the desired goal. And I was hoping for this one so bad. I LOVE pumpkin beers.
It had a great nose from the spices and pumpkin, but to flavor such a strong and already flavored beer, they needed more pumpkin. Great pumpkin. I hope the think-tank at the Saucer tries this again. FYI, I’m available for taste testing if you guys experiment with it.

7. Saint Arnold Divine Reserve #8 on draft
Saint Arnold released the 8th in their Divine Reserve series earlier this Fall. There was pandemonium among Texas beer drinkers.
People were buying cases at $17 a six pack.
There was a video.
There was much hype (of which we are not claiming to be innocent.)
Not everybody was happy with it.
I drove around. I got the $17 six pack. I drank it in holy silence. I was not so impressed.
Then I tried it on tap. At the Draught House.
AND I LOVED IT.
I think it’s still there. Also saw it on tap at Flying Saucer and Ginger Man I think. Someone should make a web page that keeps track of who has what on tap… and keep it up to date.

6. Real Ale Coffee Porter
Yum. And yum again. I took this photo at Opal Divine’s Freehouse during Go Texas Beer Week the night they had it on cask. If you can find it on cask, try it. I know Draught House did it last year for their Anniversary party, maybe we can look for it there again on November 7. (click the link to see their awesome party art)
Also, it’s now being sold in bottles as a seasonal. Gah, this is a great beer. If only it would stay chilly here in Austin for more than a few days.
Real Ale brews it using coffee from Katz Coffee Roasters out of Houston. Almost a perfect Coffee Porter, at only a 5.6% ABV, I would like it just a bit warmer.

5. Avery’s The Kaiser Imperial Oktoberfest
This beer was exactly what I needed to cut through my Oktoberfest boredom. A huge beer, malty, hot, sweet, getting me drunk; exactly what I wanted.
Avery rarely fails to come through on the hot-but-hot-like-you-like-it-beers.
With 9.3% ABV and tons of flavor, this beer made my Oktober. I found it on tap at Draught House.
It’s also on draft at the Ginger Man.

4. [edit]Indy Oatmeal Imperial Stout Independence Convict Hill Oatmeal Stout
Probably my favorite beer from Independence. This hearty stout is mighty tasty (why am I all of a sudden blogging like a pirate?). It’s gots flavors of chocolate, licorice, and I think raisins (and now it sounds like I’m reading this from a forum or the brewery’s website). I had it at Flying Saucer on a Sunday night on their TX beer special. It’s a good Sunday night beer. Maybe soon the guys at Independence will put it in bottles. Please.
[via Eric/@AustinBeerGeek, the Oatmeal Stout is now called Convict Hill. Why? "Convict Hill is the name of a Quarry in Oak Hill that the stone for the foundation of the capital is from." Thanks, Eric!]

3. Bear Republic’s Racer X
Name one beer by Bear Republic you don’t like… you couldn’t, could you? And with Racer X they only get better. (although some could take offense at their label art and web design…)
Excuse the rough iPhone pic, but I liked how the baby glass they serve it in at Draught House made my hand look giant. I got this at a Firkin Friday event.
It’s a mighty tasty double IPA. Double like I like. Citrusy aroma, like most hopped beers from Bear Republic, and a solid body. Here’s what Draught House had to say about it. As of now, only on tap in TX. Go get some while you can. It’s a winner!

2. Dogfish Head Punkin’ Ale
Oh yeah, this is a great beer. My second pumpkin to love. I won’t speak ill of the first, but alas, it’s not around this season.
This pumpkin beer puts all those novelty ones to shame. Kicks them to the curb. Kicks them hard.
I always recommend this pumpkin beer when someone asks. Mr. Calagione and company did good work with this one. Unlike the pumpkin ales you see in the stacks at the grocery store every fall that smell all right but are just over carbonated cardboard juice with some spices, the Punkin’
ale has a huge body of pumpkin. It’s like pumpkin pie that gets you drunk. I wonder if it would be good with whipped cream on top… I bet it would make a great ice cream float. It’s also good for just drinking, too.
It’s on tap and in bottles all over Austin.

1. Draught House Saison Noire
Yup. At number one I chose the Draught House’s housebrew, Saison Noire (I’m not actually sure that’s a photo of the Noire, it’s just the closest looking image I had that I wasn’t sure was something else… imagine it darker… and taken with a better camera by a better photographer.)
This beer is great. It has all the things I love about a Saison, but the Noire… it gets me. Very drinkable, lots of flavor, hopped just enough, but not too much to that you don’t get some of the yeast.
Looking back on Josh’s past few housebrew batches, he has taken a turn towards the dark side with the Black IPA, the Black Wheat, and now the Saison Noire.
In making this number one, I’m not so much saying that it’s a better beer than the other nine, they are all great beers, I’m saying that it was my number one of the past few months. For some reason, I kept returning to it. And it’s even came to me (via random pitcher dropped off at my table last week- thanks Ben!).

After putting this list together, it reads like I’m getting paid by the Draught House. I’m not. It’s just a quick bike ride from my house, so I go a lot.

What do you think?

What is this? Look here and here.

Penn Field Texas Beers for Go Texan Week

Real Ale:

Octoberfest, Lost Gold IPA, Coffee Porter, Anniversay, Devil’s Backbone, Sissyphus Barley Wine, Rio Blanco Pale, Brewhouse Brown, Fireman’s #4

Independence:

Austin Amber, Bootlegger, Pale Ale, Freestlye, Stash IPA, Oatmeal Stout

Live Oak:

Pilz, IPA, Hefeweizen, Big Bark, Oaktoberfest

(512):

One, Pale, IPA, Wit, Pecan Porter

St. Arnold:

Elissa, Amber, Lawnmower

Shiner:

Shiner Bock, Anniversary, Rauchbier

Southern Star:

Bombshell Blonde, Buried Hatchett Strong American Stout

We will also have Lone Star.

Freehouse Beers For Go Texan Week

Real Ale:

Octoberfest, Lost Gold IPA, ESB, Anniversary, Devils Backbone, Sissyphus Barleywine, Rio Blanco, Full Moon Pale Rye Ale, Brewhouse Brown, Firemans #4

Independence Brewery:

Austin Amber, Bootlegger Brown Ale, Independence Pale Ale, Freestyle, Stash IPA, Oatmeal Stout

Live Oak Brewery:

Pilz, Oaktoberfest, Big Bark, IPA, Hefeweizen

512 Brewery:

One (Anniversary Ale), Pale, IPA, WIT, Pecan Porter (Cask Cond.), IPA (Cask Cond.)

St. Arnold’s:

Elissa, Amber, Lawnmower, Amber (Cask Cond.)

Shiner:

Shiner Bock, Shiner Anniversary, Shiner Smokehaus

Lonestar:

Lonestar

Southern Star Brewing:
Bombshell Blond, Buried Hatchett Strong American Stout

Episode 7 with Michael Parker, owner of Opal Divine’s, all around great guy.

In this episode of Over a Pint we had the great opportunity to sit down with one of the godfathers of the ATX craft beer movement. Mr. Parker shares with us how he started with humble beginnings as a beer slinger at Dog and Duck, was involved in some of Austin’s earlier breweries and brewpubs, and since creating the Opal Divine’s empire (of which he explains the history of the name), has been integral in introducing Austin/Texas to some great great beers.

Mr. Parker, we thank you very very much.

We end the episode with Michael talking up the very exciting Go Texas Beer week. Yup. You heard him right. All taps, all Opal Divine’s locations, only Texas beer, only $2.50, all week, September 28-October 2.

Close your mouth, sweetie. You look like a trout.

And as if it couldn’t get any better… we will be there, live, in person, Monday the 28th at the Freehouse to shoot a LIVE OVER A PINT!
Yeah. So come out, drink some great TX beer on the cheap, and help us keep this LIVE OVER A PINT experiment afloat… you can’t imagine how much pressure there is to not be lame when you’re LIVE.
Normally, I don’t worry about being lame (it’s obvious if you’ve ever been around me in person), but when it’s LIVE… I’m infatuated with not being lame.

The facts: I’m drinking a (512) ONE (yum!). Michael has a Real Ale XIII. We clink glasses in this 10 minute episode, probably, more than any other episode to date.

Enjoy!

Over a Pint Episode 7 from Beer Town Austin on Vimeo.

OK.

Well if the summer from hell came with complementary beverages these would be a few of our local favorites.
DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT PRETEND TO HAVE PROFESSIONAL OR TRAINED PALATES; ONLY OPINIONS BASED ON OUR PERSONAL TASTES AND EXPERIENCES

More than once these past few weeks the great folks at Live Oak have provided us with heat relief after plenty an ill advised bike ride with their delicious Live Oak Pilz and Live Oak Hefe Weizen. For effective heat relief, find a bar that has a Texas beer special and rotate between the two. The light hop crispness of the Pilz followed by the body and citrus of the Hefe then repeated makes an outside biergarten bearable.

(512) Brewing Co, describes their Wit as a “hazy ale with coriander and domestic citrus peel aromas,” which, I believe citrus=grapefruit. Yup. These guys got something good going on in the Wit department. They’ve even received the stamp of approval from Austin’s previous Wit authority, Pierre Celis.

Nextly is Real Ale’s bringin’-home-the-bacon Fireman’s #4. This is a blonde ale that, even if they don’t know what they’re drinking, even you’re most unexperienced of beer drinkers have prolly had. It’s a good beer, and what makes it just a little better then the previous few is that it comes in bottles. Yup. It’s portable heat relief. A solid bring to a bbq, a yard party, a basketball game, a beach, a bonfire, a weekend brunch, a sneak into a summer blockbuster movie beer. Pretty much good for most events when beer is expected and even not. Maybe more often appropriate to show up with a sixer of this than not. I’m sure there’s some situation where Fireman’s #4 doesn’t fit, but I’m drawing a blank. My only criticism, and this may reveal some personal denseness, what’s with the bike gear?

Uncle Billy’s Hay Stack Hefeweizen, Back 40 Blonde, Agave Wit, and Belgo-a-Go-Go all just made the team. Maybe being around flames, smoke, and hot sauces have influenced Mr. Peters to crafting tasty beverages of the heat reducing type. If you’re lucky enough to find all four of these on tap at once (only the Back 40 Blonde, Agave Wit, and Belgo-a… were available last time I went) then, well, you should drink them. Cause you’re lucky. Especially the Hay Stack Hefeweizen. Let me put it this way, the HSH is to beer as bread is to your mouth (yeah, I scored pretty high on the SAT/GRE). It’s like drinking the most spritzy glass of bread ever. Refreshingly chewy. And the Agave Wit, Back 40 Blonde, and Belgo-a-g… are nothing to scoff at either. Not glass of bread good. But still excellent with their own unique merits. And if you didn’t catch it, the Belgo-a-… is a Belgian style pale ale. Yum. You may be thinking, “What!? It’s too damn hot for a Belgian!” And I say, “Yes. But it’s gots hops in the end so your mouth feels refreshed.” So try it.

This post is getting long [read: I'm losing endurance, well into a few beers, and getting distracted by Adult Swim] so I’ll just list these with a little bit of commentary.

Saint Arnold Summer Pils- The tie-dye and sunglasses says it all. Crisp, delicious, a little bit sweet, ice-chest ready. Get it on draft if you can find it.

[whoa- the first ever episode of King of the Hill just came on!]
Saint Arnold Fancy Lawn Mower- I heard this beer was made on a bet. Some craft beer lover said he still liked to drink college beer when he mowed the lawn. He called it “Lawn Mower Beer”. So the guys at Saint Arnold took that as a challenge and made a “Fancy Lawn Mower” beer. This rumor is unfounded and I may be making this story up or confusing it with something I saw on TV. Either way, it’s very good- for lawn mowing and other things. It’s a crisp, malty Kolsche styled beer. Almost apple juicy.
Shiner Smokehaus- I tried this for the first time with a vegetarian friend. At least he was refreshed.
Shiner Blonde- BeerAdvocate doesn’t like it much, but I do. On certain occasions. Like that one occasion that I went to a friend’s house and he had a keg of it on his fancy pants kegorator. It was good that time. But last time I got a twelve pack of it when they were $8.99 at HEB it took me 3 weeks and a pool party to finish them.

Lone Star- Hells yeah. I’m not too good to drink it. Neither are you. Being a can (and a tall one at that) it’s good for all kinds of can only activities, like disc golf and also sneaking into movie theaters.