sidegate Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 The Inner Loop will soon officially have no brewpubs.....Two Rows has apparently lost its lease and will close on October 2nd. It never really decided whether it was a brewpub or a sports bar, but at least it made its own beer. Score one more for mediocrity. Must dust off the brewing equipment in the shed.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fringe Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 It's a shame a city the size of Houston does not have more brew pubs (make that none after Two Rows closes). I can remember when there were several brew pubs back in the 90's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20thStDad Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 It's a Bud/Miller light culture down here. It sucks. Not that Two Rows was that great, but it was something different and I always enjoy looking at brewing equipment while drinking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted September 20, 2010 Author Share Posted September 20, 2010 Yup - Houston Brewery, Village Brewery, Bank Draft...the list goes on. I suppose this one could be chalked up to the recession, but what about all the others? Has to be cultural as you say...I like that St Arnold's is nearer the city center now but it's a real challenge getting there. I've cycled down there a couple of times and, smartphone and all, been completely bamboozled in the fading light. Shame because they have a nice beerhall in there. I know their pockets aren't bottomless but a satellite St Arnold's bar somewhere in the city would be very welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 I'm sure a brewery owning a full-on bar is a TABC violation of some sort. Practically everything is, it seems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20thStDad Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 Hopefully not for long, every year St Arnold lead a push to change the laws about breweries and selling their own product. This state is just a racket when it comes to using distributors, apparently they have more lobby $$ than the breweries. I managed to ride my bike to the St. Arnold brewery recently, all the way from Heights via the new trail, I agree it would be an awesome place for a bar. The dbag-WAve-bud/miller light types wouldn't go near there, that's one good thing about the location. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted September 21, 2010 Author Share Posted September 21, 2010 Being a scientist, I'll pose a hypothesis: I wonder to what extent the trend away from brewpubs is a reflection of Houston's incremental de-Anglicization? Seems like tippling craft beers, at least in my experience, has been a past-time of a predominantly white demographic. Areas with the most robust pedigrees in the tradition are themselves predominanty white - Rockies, Pacific North West, etc.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 Brewpubs are dying because of the rise of craft brew, I would say. The average brewpub beer simply can't compete with the large microbrews. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fringe Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 The ones in Houston are dying because they are little more than sports bars which just happen to brew their own beer. Perhaps something a little more upscale with decent food like the Covey in Fort Worth could succeed here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 According to a friend of mine, the beer had greatly improved the last time he went. They had a new brewmaster. I agree that the last time I went (years ago) the beers were very underwhelming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fringe Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 According to a friend of mine, the beer had greatly improved the last time he went. They had a new brewmaster. I agree that the last time I went (years ago) the beers were very underwhelming.I was there two weeks ago and had the Route 66 which was quite good. I think the problem is there is just so many good craft beers on tap all over Houston that you can no longer just rely on your own brew to make a place work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted September 21, 2010 Author Share Posted September 21, 2010 I remember, at the other end of the scale, I remember the Houston Brewery had a carpeted floor. Not sure what the ingredients for a successful brewpub are but I do know a carpeted floor isn't one of them.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunchtastic Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 I remember, at the other end of the scale, I remember the Houston Brewery had a carpeted floor. Not sure what the ingredients for a successful brewpub are but I do know a carpeted floor isn't one of them....Heh. Carpet in bars. Houston Brewery was that failed mid-90s experiment from the the Ale House/Richmond Arms guy, right? I was a heavy regular at the Richmond back then and other than a couple of initial visits to show some support, we never went in the place. Seemed silly to bother when there were 70 some odd beers and the crowd down the road at the pub.From the beer purist's perspective: a friend of mine has just licensed the South Austin Brewing Company (brand new FB page as of yesterday,everyone please go like) after working for a number of other central Texas outfits, and his mindset is: if my goal is make and sell great beer, why would I want to muck it up with trying to run a profitable restaurant simultaneously? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 From the beer purist's perspective: a friend of mine has just licensed the South Austin Brewing Company (brand new FB page as of yesterday,everyone please go like) after working for a number of other central Texas outfits, and his mindset is: if my goal is make and sell great beer, why would I want to muck it up with trying to run a profitable restaurant simultaneously?The legal implications of a restaurant notwithstanding, the beer purist's answer is to pair various beers with complimentary foods. Ideally, the menu should offer combo meals that pair various beers with appropriate meals.And no, you shouldn't just offer a wide selection of beers and of entrees that an experienced beer lover can adeptly mix and match. You should indicate your patrons what they should like because most of them are unsophisticated bores, too proud to admit their ignorance (or that they're geeky by way of being curious) by asking for suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 The legal implications of a restaurant notwithstanding, the beer purist's answer is to pair various beers with complimentary foods. Ideally, the menu should offer combo meals that pair various beers with appropriate meals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted September 22, 2010 Author Share Posted September 22, 2010 Heh. Carpet in bars. Houston Brewery was that failed mid-90s experiment from the the Ale House/Richmond Arms guy, right? I was a heavy regular at the Richmond back then and other than a couple of initial visits to show some support, we never went in the place. Seemed silly to bother when there were 70 some odd beers and the crowd down the road at the pub.From the beer purist's perspective: a friend of mine has just licensed the South Austin Brewing Company (brand new FB page as of yesterday,everyone please go like) after working for a number of other central Texas outfits, and his mindset is: if my goal is make and sell great beer, why would I want to muck it up with trying to run a profitable restaurant simultaneously?People continuously make the mistake of trying to be all things to all people. I go to a bar to drink beer, I go to a restaurant to eat. The Spanish successfully mix drinking and food with tapas, but authentic tapas is simple, honest fare (still bloody tasty!). Houston's version of tapas in the Village misses the point (waiters, sitting down at tables, etc.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crunchtastic Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 The legal implications of a restaurant notwithstanding, the beer purist's answer is to pair various beers with complimentary foods. Ideally, the menu should offer combo meals that pair various beers with appropriate meals.Well sure, but that's not my point. My fault as I should have used the word brewer, not purist. From the brewer's perpective, it's extremely difficult to establish a name for oneself. Attempting to run a successful restuarant at the same time is damn near impossible, so I can see why a committed brewer would typically not tie up his money (or his partner's) in a secondary venture that risks success of the brewery. I'm trying to think of all the brewpubs I've been too, but with the exception of that one in Fredericksburg, (can't remember the name but it was known as the Brew n Screw due to the upstairs rooms for rent) all I remember are chains where both the food and the beer were bleh to good, but never great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 Monk's Cafe in Philly is a good brewpub. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20thStDad Posted September 25, 2010 Share Posted September 25, 2010 Monk's Cafe in Philly is a good brewpub.Damn good mussels and beer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted September 25, 2010 Share Posted September 25, 2010 The brewpub thing was a bit of a fad too, so it's not surprising to see the ranks thinning after a few years. I hadn't been there since Two Rows had a new brewmaster, but the old beers weren't anything to write home about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 The Inner Loop will soon officially have no brewpubs.....New brewpub to open in downtown. 3 story location from Freetail, out of San Antonio. http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IronTiger Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 Excellent. A high-end steakhouse is brewing its own beer in-house in CS, and a BJs is opening soon near the mall (but does that count?)There is a bill in the Texas House that will allow small microbreweries (St. Arnold, NRBC in CS) to sell beer on site. The main antagonist in this case, of course, is AB-InBev, who claims the bill will "discriminate" against large breweries since they brew more than the smaller ones (and thus are subject to limitations).http://blog.chron.com/beertx/2011/05/ab-inbev-gives-hb602-a-case-of-the-hiccups/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidegate Posted May 17, 2011 Author Share Posted May 17, 2011 Cool. Hope it's a bit easier to get to than St Arnold's. I know St A's is primarily a brewery rather than a brewpub, but it's a real assault course to get to. With this and the new one apparently opening on the Westheimer bend, we'll soon be spoiled for choice...relatively speaking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylejack Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 It's going to be about two blocks from Flying Saucer, if my sources are correct. Daring move! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadrunner Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 It's going to be about two blocks from Flying Saucer, if my sources are correct. Daring move!On Main St? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 BJ's is opening near the mall? Galleria? Got any links or specifics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trymahjong Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 Yup - Houston Brewery, Village Brewery, Bank Draft...the list goes on. Maybe change is cominghttp://www.texaswatc...ompromise-plan/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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