#5. Oasis
Satisfying session beers from the Texas Hill Country.
Austin, Texas' Oasis Brewing has been around for a little while now, but they just started canning their beers about a year ago. Unlike many of their competitors, Oasis doesn't place their focus on barrel-aged stouts or palate-wrecking hop monsters. Instead, they craft a small variety of well-made, yet simple beers that will please everyone from the most casual drinker to the most discerning beer snob.
Best of all, every one of their year round brews seem to be made with Texas' weather in mind. Their Extra Special Bitter (ESB), London Homesick, is a unique blend of toasty malts and crisp English Challenger hops that goes perfectly with Texas' mild winters. The rest of the line-up is almost tailor-made to help you cope with the heat without sacrificing quality or taste. Be sure to keep an eye out for their psychedelic cans at your local Spec's, and be sure to keep a six-pack of Slow Ride pale ale on the list for your next backyard barbecue.
Key beers: London Homesick, Slowride Pale Ale, Meta-Modern Session IPA
#4. Dogfish Head
Their name is only the beginning...
Between the beer made with cilantro and the bizarre attempts at rapping, sometimes I sincerely worry about Sam Calagione. But truth be told, I wouldn't have it any other way.
Calagione and his brewery have been simultaneously setting and exploding standards in the craft beer world since 1995. More than any other brewery of their size, Dogfish Head always stays true to its roots in home brewing with an endless parade of experimental ales that expand the limits of what beer can be. Whether it's a blended imperial stout meant to sync with a classic Jazz album (Bitches Brew) or a fruit beer based on a 9,000 year old recipe (Chateau Jiahu), Dogfish Head's best brews always make for a memorable experience best shared with your most interesting friends.
Just a small sampling of Dogfish Head's many beers.
Key Beers: 90 Minute IPA, Indian Brown Ale, Burton Baton
#3. Ballast Point
California living in a can
With a distinctive nautical theme and some of the most refreshing beers on the planet, Ballast Point has managed to make quite a name for themselves over the last few years.
Their signature beer, Sculpin IPA, has quickly become a mainstay at any respectable beer bar, and is one of the best-selling IPA's on the market today. Its lush tropical fruit flavors make it a rewarding summer beer, and its relatively high (but hard to taste) 7% ABV makes Sculpin nearly impossible to resist.*
Sculpin alone would make Ballast Point a front-runner in my book, but fortunately, they offer a wide range of quality beers. Unlike many of their California counterparts, Ballast Point doesn't really seek to push the envelope. Rather, they seek to perfect and improve upon classic styles, making them feel fresh and exciting for a new era of beer fans. Case in point is their crisp, beach-ready Longfin Lager .
So next time you're heading for the beach, make sure you have something from Ballast Point in your cooler.
Key beers: Sculpin IPA, Fathom IPL, Longfin Lager
* If you happen to find a pack of Grapefruit Sculpin, buy it on sight. Believe me, it's well worth the price of admission.
#4. Saint Arnold Brewing Co.
The patron saint of craft brewing
Established in 1994, Saint Arnold is Texas’ original craft brewery. 21 years later, they remain a force to be reckoned with, consistently delivering both reliable fridge beers and more complex special offerings. With a lineup as diverse as the city of Houston itself, Saint Arnold has been able to exceed and even define the standards for American craft beer.
Not many breweries can claim to have invented an entirely new style of beer, but Saint Arnold have achieved exactly that with the 2010 introduction of Santo, a previously unknown black kolsch. While it drinks like a crisp, refreshing lager, its sweet and roasty flavor profile makes it a uniquely versatile beer and a local favorite.
While year-round beers like Santo and Lawnmower make Saint Arnold an easy choice for casual beer fans, experimental series like Divine Reserve, Icon, and Bishop’s Barrel provide aficionados with plenty to be excited about. In fact, the release of a beer in either the Divine Reserve or Bishop's Barrel series tends to attract long lines and packed houses of people anxious to sample Saint Arnold's latest brew.
Every year, the release of the Pumpkinator draws massive lines at the midtown Spec's, where people have even been known to camp out over night.
So whether you’re stocking the fridge for a long weekend, or you’re looking for a new addition to your beer cellar, Saint Arnold has got you covered.
Key Beers: Santo, Pumpkinator, Elissa IPA
#1. Stone Brewing Co.
They Aren't Here to Make Friends
Stone's tagline, "Liquid Arrogance," isn't simply a contrarian boast; it's practically a contract, and one that Stone takes very seriously. Stone don't merely defy standards, they blatantly scoff at the conventions of taste, and as a result create ales that verge on transcendent. If there's something you think a beer can be 'too much' of, chances are Stone will use that as a starting point for their latest delicious creation.
There's no better evidence of Stone's devil-may-care approach than their flagship beer, Arrogant Bastard. This American Strong Ale (emphasis on strong) wastes no time letting drinkers know where they stand with a proclamation of "You're Not Worthy," right on front of the bottle. Those defiant enough to make it to the back of the bottle are greeted with some of the most snide copy known to man-kind.
If this beer were anything short of fantastic, a stunt like this would be pathetic. Fortunately, Arrogant Bastard is a brilliant, complex beer that lives up to its description and then some. A challenging mix of bitter hops and creamy malt make for an alarming start, but the finish is uniquely sweet and leaves you wanting more. As promised by Stone themselves, Arrogant Bastard isn't for everyone. But those who are serious about their beer are in for something truly special.
Though Stone have many excellent, more traditional beers like their Stone IPA and their recently revamped Pale Ale, they are always at their best when they break the rules. Right when aging your beers became common-place among beer fans, Stone decided to make a beer designed NOT to age with their Enjoy By... series of IPA's, each of which comes complete with a firm expiration date on the front of the bottle. Pushy though it may be, the premise works in execution. The mandated freshness brings out a whole range of tropical fruit flavors and a tantalizing pine aroma, a combination that makes for an uncommonly lush IPA.
But of course, Stone doesn't stop there. Whether they're pushing the limits of hoppiness with their Ruinten Triple IPA, or crafting a golden colored chocolate stout, Stone is always coming up with something new for the adventurous beer drinker.
Key beers: Green Tea IPA, Arrogant Bastard, w00t stout