As we bid adieu to the veritable feast of Oktoberfest beers that have graced the state’s shelves and tasting-room taps, Texans now look forward to a further flood of seasonally suitable brews—fingers crossed that the weather cooperates. So, with stout season nigh, it’s time to welcome the winter warmers!
Some great Oktoberfest beers can still be had, of course, and if you haven’t yet had the pleasure, look out for mouthwateringly malty offerings from the likes of Fredericksburg’s Altstadt Brewery, Blanco’s Real Ale Brewing Co., and Conroe’s Southern Star Brewing Company, among numerous others.
But for dark-beer lovers (and the dark beer–curious), fall and winter call for stouts, coffee stouts, imperial stouts, milk stouts, oatmeal stouts, porters, pecan porters, and beers that have been brewed with subtle tinges of seasonal spices—think cinnamon and vanilla. It is upon these hardy styles that we now—or will soon—set our gaze. And amid the bountiful bevy of Texas-brewed beers of this ilk, we’re looking forward to the following.
Buried Hatchet Stout
Southern Star Brewing Company, Conroe
At 8.5 percent ABV (alcohol by volume), this selection is the stoutest beer on this list. With a dark brown hue and hints of chocolate, coffee, roasted malt, and toffee, Buried Hatchet is everything a beer drinker could ask of a stout. Thankfully, it’s offered year-round.
Christmas Ale
Saint Arnold Brewing Company, Houston
The holiday season will be here before we know it. Don’t let the recent warm spell fool you. And Saint Arnold Brewing Company is well prepared for the occasion. Its beloved Christmas Ale, which was the brewery’s very first seasonal offering, way back in 1995, is already available on shelves and on tap. This full-bodied ale’s sweetness is the result of the inclusion of five different malts, which account for both the flavor and the relatively high alcohol content (7.5 percent ABV). Two hop varieties, both from the Pacific Northwest, provide balance with a touch of spiciness. It’s beginning to look a lot like “Give us another copper-colored Saint Arnold Christmas Ale.”
Coffee Porter
Real Ale Brewing Co., Blanco
Beginning in November, the good folks at Real Ale Brewing Co. let loose their delicious Coffee Porter, an ideal example of the subgenre. The brewery’s most popular seasonal release, this porter is robust (6.6 percent ABV) with a dry finish. The addition of organic, fair trade, cold-brewed coffee from Houston’s Katz Coffee adds the essential jolt of java. If you’ve had it, you likely anticipate its arrival every year. And if you haven’t had it, you really should.
Festivus
Pondaseta Brewing Co., Amarillo
It just wouldn’t be Festivus season without a special winter lager, now, would it? Thankfully, the Panhandle’s six-year-old Pondaseta brewery has you covered with this highly anticipated annual offering, a malty-yet-crisp German-style amber lager that pays homage to the faux holiday made popular by Seinfeld. By adding hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla, the brewers intended it to subtly conjure the flavors of a holiday cookie—a goal they’ve achieved.
Peanut Butter Pretzel Stout
Martin House Brewing Company, Fort Worth
If pretzels go so well with beer, why not put pretzels in beer? That’s exactly what Martin House Brewing Company has done with its popular Pretzel Stout and, now, the limited edition Peanut Butter Pretzel Stout, which is based on the original recipe but with the addition of peanut butter flavoring, instead of real peanut butter, so that those with peanut allergies may partake. The Fort Worth brewery is not afraid to be experimental, and that has proved to be a crowd-pleasing success.
Pecan Porter
(512) Brewing Company, Austin
So good is this pecan porter that the seemingly seasonal beer sits in the brewery’s year-round lineup. It’s almost jet-black in color, and the full-bodied sweetness brought by heaps of black, chocolate, and crystal malts is tempered by the subtly earthy aroma and flavor of organic, Texas-grown pecans, our official state nut. Hot tip: If you ever stumble upon it on nitro tap, don’t pass. And if you’re feeling particularly bold, try the 9.5 percent ABV, whiskey barrel–aged Double Pecan Porter.
Punkel
Lakewood Brewing Co., Garland
This German dunkel–style (see what they did there?) lager with hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger is an easy-drinking 5.5 percent ABV that will be around in cans and on taps at least through November. Next, Lakewood breaks out its Sweater Weather, a Belgian-style winter-warmer ale that will fit the cooler months just right.
Winter Lager
Tupps Brewery, McKinney
Full-bodied, smooth, and flavorful, this beer is crisp and wintery, with subtle flavors of cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg. Tupps’ Ugly Sweater, a spiced-up amber ale available in November and December, is perhaps even more wintery. So wintery, in fact, that the brewery colorfully and accurately describes it as “holiday spirit in your mouth.” Cheers!
