An old unpublished 210SA bar review

Corner Pocket

The Cakery Bakery

While this isn't bar related, it is about a downtown bakery/cafe: The Cakery Bakery. Delicious. I had one of the specials for the day, the Banh Mi, a Vietnamese sandwich of marinated beef, spicy mayo, cucumber, cilantro and carrot salad all wrapped up in a hoagie-type bread (this was thinner and lighter than a hoagie, though). Light and refreshing, this sandwich tasted Vietnamese -- owner Doreen Howarth (who also co-owns the Milam Diner with her husband) got it spot on. I love the intriguing daily specials like the Banh Mi and the Mac & Cheese Panini, a regular on the menu, is really good, too. The ingredients are fresh: the Green Goddess dressing uses green onion and other herbs and tasted like it had been made that morning (and it probably had).

Get down there and give them your business. It's a unique, delicious and downright friendly.

Esquire 2011

--Glance (October 2010?)

Ranger Creek Oatmeal Pale Ale

Had the Ranger Creek Oatmeal Pale Ale at The Friendly Spot the other day. So delicious. Probably my favorite beer on tap right now.

GABF

So Texas did us proud with beer medals this year. It appears that, though we don't have many, our microbrews do an excellent job.

It's also great to see that there is so much interest in microbrewed beer and the Great American Beer Festival, that their site can't keep up with demand.

Check back for a list of those Texas medals.

Alamo Golden Ale

Several years ago, down on the Houston Street Fair, one of the guys from Alamo Beer Co. (a San Antonio company who has their beer brewed under contract by Real Ale Brewing Co. just north of Blanco) told me that they were thinking about opening a brewery over by Sunset Station. I never heard anymore about it until now. According to Travis E. Poling, author of Beer Across Texas: A Guide to the Brews and Brewmasters of the Lone Star State (sadly a very thin book), they now have their eyes on a facility on the near Eastside that may open in 2012 (it's certainly not a done deal). Eugene Simor, the founder of Alamo, Poling writes, "envisions building party and event space into the brewery location and perhaps a rooftop bar that would be independently owned and operated so as to not run afoul of archaic alcoholic beverage laws in Texas." They hope to up their brewing capacity to 60,000 barrels a year (from 3000 as of now). Obviously this would be another great boast for San Antonio and the Eastside, especially. It doesn't get any better than rooftop bars. Keep your fingers crossed.

Microreview: Hofbrau & "Beer Garden"

This place is awful. So awful that I have to use a sentence like, "This place is awful," to describe it. I mean, that's an awful sentence. Right on Jones Maltsberger, this "beer garden" has the personality of a rock. Not a quarry rock, which can have a bit of personality (you know, fancy little places made out of Hill Country limestone, something like The Vineyards), but a construction rock -- nah, still too much credit. Let's say some Platonic vision of a rock, perfectly rocky.

My brother and I walked in and our waitress, as it turned out, walked right by us without even making eye contact and found a seat in the "Beer Garden" (seriously, there was a huge door jamb that had "beer garden" written on the top of it). Then John had to go ask the bartender if we could get some service. We had a couple of Spaten Optimators and a plate of tasteless boiled (that's the only explanation I care to think about) chicken pieces and jalapeño slices wrapped in boiled bacon and coated in what must have been brown-flavored dish water (at least the chipotle ranch was all right, though it didn't taste anything like chipotle). The beer prices weren't knee-cappingly horrible, but not really happy houry (5.50 for the brews and who knows how much regularly), though the food prices were high (they can only get away with these prices for this shit on the riverwalk and Alamo Heights, my brother said) especially for the quality.

The speaker, attached to a tree, blared really bad, pop country music. I mean, just horrific stuff no matter where you are, but in a beer garden? Come on. If you're not going to play oompah music (and I'm fine with that: in fact don't do it), then don't play anything. And while there is a certain connection between South Texas (vaquero country) and Germany, pop country is not one of them. Tejano? O.K. Taylor Swift. Fuck no. Anyway, background conversations are music in biergartens. Still, I suppose nothing much about the place is biergarten. In fact the only thing beer gardenish about it is the outside seating.

On the way out (mercifully we were there for less than an hour -- long story, but we didn't have a choice), we walked through the inside, which still looks like the Mexican restaurant it was recently. At least the music wasn't on in there. Via Con Dios, it says over the exit. I'll be viaing con dios from that place forever.

Barrel Aged Brew Fest

Freetail and Real Ale Brewing partner up to sample some of their barrel aged brews. Freetail will offer up Barrel Aged versions of the highly-sought after imperial stout, La Muerta, and the winter warmer, Old Bat Rastard as well as Solera IV and V, the most recent pulls of their Wild Ale from a process usually used in the production of sherry and port. “With our Solera, we never completely empty a barrel. When we pull some out, we immediately replace it and the wild activity occurring in the barrel is constantly evolving,” explained Metzger.

Real Ale’s barrel aging program dubbed “Mysterium Verum” will also be heavily represented with beers never before seen in the San Antonio market. Representatives from Blanco will be on hand as Empire (barrel aged Lost Gold IPA), Highlander (barrel aged Real Heavy Scotch ale) and The Devil’s Share (barrel aged Devil’s Backbone Belgian-style tripel) are all tapped in addition to a handful of Real Ale’s non-barrel aged offerings.

There will also be a surprise in store for patrons. Doors open at 11:30 on Saturday, July 17th, 2010.

Information from Freetail press release.

Fresh Eyes at the Bottom of a Frosty Pint of Beer

An interesting review of Blue Star from a visitor to our fair city. I like to read what people think of a place that I frequent all too regularly (and sometimes complain about -- partly, I suppose, because of this fact). Still it points to the general decent quality and atmosphere (I must say that it's one of my favorite places to sit in the afternoon, skylight aglow). I'm glad they're around the corner as a choice.

News of Brews

The Bash at the Brewery is back for a second year despite developer woes at Lone Star noted in the Express-News and in the San Antonio Business Journal. Hopefully that's good news for the development. It could mean nothing at all. Of course B. Knightly Homes has nothing new to say about the matter.

Still: The Bash at the Brewery is on... Good Texas music and a view of the river.

And Ranger Creek has gotten their equipment, which was made in Germany (copper still) and Hungary (stainless steel brewing equipment).

And finally Real Ale is having its 14th anniversary party on Saturday, June 26 from 12pm - 5pm. They're located at 231 San Saba Ct, Blanco, TX 78606

Liberty Bar opening

Liberty Bar pushed their opening date back to June second.

Microbrews all over the place

San Antonio has more than doubled their microbreweries with the opening of BJ's at The Rim. Granted the other two are also BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse and they're all out to hell and gone, so we're still stuck with the one (Blue Star) in San Antonio proper (that is, inside 410 -- though this definition, with outward expansion still at big bang speeds, is beginning to look more optimistic and naive rather than real). Obviously, with three locations around San Antonio, this is a chain, but at least they're brewing their beer on site (I'm not sure, now that I think about it, why that makes it O.K.). My brother who I admire, especially in the realm of beer and food, has been out to the location on 151 and 1604 and said that the open, light interior and went well with the craft beer and food. Gordon Biersch, after all, is a chain, and their dunkel still sits up in my favorite beers. The more microbrews we have in the area, the more likely there will be more independents opening up in the area. Always a good way to mark the worth of a city.

A short article about BJ's at The Rim from San Antonio Business Journal.

I hope to have a chance soon write a short review of one of them (as well as updated info for Blue Star).

Liberty Bar Relocation

Liberty Bar closed its historic doors last night. It's hard to believe such an iconic location can be moved successfully, especially when the building itself has become intertwined with the restaurant. I certainly hope that they do, though, as they're moving down to the Convent in Southtown. They're actually trading one great location for another, but many people will see it as the end of Liberty Bar as such. Still: a chance to start something new in an exciting, upcoming neighborhood.

As a sidebar: The old St. Benedictine Convent has recently been repainted. Lots of complaints, but people just like to complain. Nothing wrong with a little color and I like the deep salmon walls. Southtown has always housed those in favor of color (including author Sandra Cisneros who's house turned up "periwinkle" in 2000 causing an uproar in the Kind William District; this ultimately was a mistake, but still, according to an Express-News article: "The 'purple house' became a national media happening. Cisneros cast herself as a minority whose cultural expression through bright colors was being oppressed by her non-Hispanic neighbors in what Texas Monthly once branded as being 'the snootiest neighborhood in Texas.'" Though this turned out to be erroneous -- mix up with the painter -- the point is still pretty much the same: drab is a culture).

According to the Express-News, they are already open for lunch and will be open for dinner as well on May 26th. Brunch on Saturday and Sunday. Beer on tap and a full bar. Count me in. Liberty Bar is one of the few places you can get a wild boar sausage, venison sausage and lamb. The food is always fresh and cooked perfectly (and appears to be somewhat local).

Great photos of the final night in the restaurant's old location.

Liberty Bar is dead. Long live Liberty Bar!

Things are looking up

Pig Liquor! Conversation with Anet. Conversed and written by my ex-boss, Jennifer McInnis.

Micro afternoon bar review -- Tycoon Flats

So this place has been around in one form or another for quite some time on the St. Mary's strip. I went back for the first time in ages the other day. The food menu is rather basic, but their Reuben is decent. Still it's a nice homey place to sit in the afternoon and sup a beer. And they have a decent selection: Magic Hat #9, Deschutes' Mirror Pond Pale Ale & Black Butte Porter and Real Ale are the majority of good selections.

These craft beers are $4 a pop (Guinness and Stella are considered a "premium" and thus $3.75), which is pretty average anymore, but on Thursdays, they've got a special: $2.50 for anything on tap. That's a delicious pint for next to nothing.

Regular happy hour prices from 4 - 7 = $2.50 domestics and margaritas.

There's always live music and their covered patio refreshes even in the middle of summer.

Alamo City Cerveza Fest Brewing Results

The Bexar Brewers Cerveza Fest winners.

Real Ale Website Updated

It's much sleeker.

American Craft Beer Week

Get involved by going to Freetail (or Blue Star, though I don't see that they're doing anything specific for this). They've got a beard contest on Friday, May 21st. Grow a beard. Drink craft beer. Not that you need an excuse, but I'd think the American Craft Beer Week would be a good one. Mmmm, craft beer.

Texas Distilleries

When it rains it pours. And when it pours, it's whiskey or vodka in Texas. Not a week after having learned about San Antonio's first distillery, Ranger Creek Brewing & Distillery, the Current ran an article about the Garrison Brothers distillery producing bourbon in, at least, our backyard. Located in Hye, TX just 22 miles east of Fredericksburg on US 290, Garrison Brothers distills bourbon from 75% organic, Texas corn.

The article also talks about another Bexar county distillary: Rebecca Creek, which distills vodka. Granted they're just barely Bexar county, north on US 281, but another distillery nonetheless.

Apparently the thousand bottles of Garrison Brothers' bourbon distributed to a few liquor stores disappeared just 72 hours after arriving at stores. Hopefully some of these fine spirits will make their way onto shelves in enough quantity to slake more than just the first fifteen customers' thirst.

Olmos Bharmacy (microreview)

I've been meaning to go to Olmos Bharmacy for quite some time. I tried once a while ago, but I was too early and the bar, grated up in the back of the diner, sat dark even in the middle of the day (well, late afternoon, I swear). So on Friday, I ducked in for a quick beer.

Instinctively, it reminded me of the Korova Milk Bar somehow, but without the naked mannequin coffee tables. Maybe it was the high backed boothing that ran along the far wall all the way to the bar (though red and leathery in this case), or maybe it was the smattering of "down and out" 09ers slumped along it. Still it was a comfortable, undroogish atmosphere. The contentment I felt couldn't have been from the $4 Sierra Nevada that I slugged back. Nor the vaguely cheesy, but vaguely jazzy band: The Lewis and Clark Musical Expedition (I think the name is a pretty good description of the music). Perhaps the green neon lights that laced the window looking upon McCullough behind the band and the ones up above the bar (red blue red: Rx Prescriptions Rx) that hued the air in that way only neon can lent the abandoned diner its atmosphere. But I liked it. The silent metallic equipment behind the short diner counter top suggested being in a restaurant after closing, silent and dim and relaxed after the chaos of a dinner rush. The open area created from getting rid of the short wall that cleaved the room in two and cramped the space not three months earlier contributed to the surreal, laid-back atmosphere. Plus the bartender was friendly. Everything merged into a smooth, cool light.

I didn't have time, but it would be a great place to sit and talk and drink a glass of milk, um, I mean, wine, and pleasantly stare into space.

Sweet, sweet nectar of the gods: Ranger Creek Brewing and Distilling

Ranger Creek Brewing and Distilling is coming soon. We're working on getting ourselves a bit of a brewing repertoire. Austin360 ran an article about the owners (why didn't the Express-News or Current?) and their progress ("product rolling out the door ... in September or perhaps late August.") They've bought their equipment, but I can't find anything on their site about location yet. Hopefully, it will be accessible (read: not halfway between here and Austin).

I would have taken a sip (come on, they must have supped)

From Freetail News (of course this was an April Fool's Day joke -- posted here on the 2nd. Ha ha.):

"Freetail Sets Record by Brewing Strongest, Hoppiest Beer Ever

Freetail Brewing Co. has announced that it has created the strongest, most hoppy beer ever weighing in at an astonishing 92.73% alcohol by volume and 11,312 IBUs, far surpassing recent achievements by Scottish brewer BrewDog and Danish brewer Mikkeller.

To create the beer, Freetail used a patented cryogenic freeze distillation process they hope to eventually sell to ethanol fuel production facilities. “We’ve developed a very alcohol tolerant strain of yeast to produce our high-gravity beers, but even it stalls out at around 13%,” said Freetail Founder and CEO Scott Metzger. “At that point we begin our cold distillation process. We got the inspiration for our process by watching Encino Man starring Brendan Frasier and Pauly Shore.”

Metzger went on to describe the hopping process. “I hoped this would never be made public, but I’ll go ahead and spill the beans,” Metzger said with a sheepish grin. “We were responsible for the 2007-08 hop shortage. To make one half barrel of finished beer we used over four thousand pounds of cascade hops in 120 barrels of wort. We could have just as easily used a higher alpha hop at an earlier stage of the boil, but we didn’t want to lose all that terrific flavor and aromas obtained by this American noble variety.”

To mark the achievement, Metzger and Head Brewer Jason Davis ceremoniously poured the beer down the drain together."

That does, however, leave my tongue feeling a little numb. I suppose it was a virtuoso performance.

OBR @ Freetail

At noon on Saturday, March 20 Old Bat Rastard/Barrel Aged OBR bottle 2-pack will be selling at Freetail for $21. Those are big, beautiful beers, folks. 

Freetail at CNN

Our very own Freetail mentioned in this CNN article. Celebrity status beyond our fair city.

Sad news about El Tenampa

This was a fantastic, iconic San Antonio bar. Sadly it will be closing its doors, according to this Express-News article, on March 21st. I've been in a few times and was lucky enough to get to review the place. The owners brimmed with that old San Antonio friendliness and the atmosphere, dark and brooding, was always such a cool place to come in from out of the heat.

Fiesta will be a little less enjoyable this year.

Some good news about craft brews

Below are some facts and figures about craft beer. From what I can gather, while craft beer sales are up, larger brewers' sales are down a little (beer sales are down overall while local craft beer sales are up). As they say, Viva La Revolucion! Go out and drink more Freetail.

Freetail Brewing Co. Announces 2009 Sales Numbers Up 282%

Craft brewer sales grow 7 percent in a year of decreased beer sales for other brewers

SAN ANTONIO, TX – March 10, 2010–The Brewers Association, the trade association that tabulates production statistics for U.S. breweries, today released 2009 data on the U.S. craft brewing industry. In a year when other brewers saw a slowdown in sales, small and independent craft brewers (see definition)¹ saw sales dollars increase 10.3 percent and volume increase 7.2 percent² over 2008, representing a growth of 613,992 barrels equal to roughly 8.5 million cases.

Overall, U.S. beer sales were down approximately 5 million barrels (31 gallons per U.S. barrel) in 2009.
Locally, this growth trend for craft brewing was reflected in the results of Freetail Brewing Co., which posted an increase of 282 percent in beer sales for the year after normalizing 2008 results to account for partial year operations in 2008.  Non-normalized volume was up 4,508% versus 2008.  Through February, Freetail has seen 20% growth in beer sales over the same period for 2009.

“We  are continually wowed by San Antonio’s thirst for fresh, local, and independently brewed craft beers,” said Scott Metzger, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Freetail.  “San Antonio and south central Texas in general are in the midst of a flavor revolution when it comes to beer, and we are proud to be part of the forefront of that movement.”

Metzger’s sentiments were echoed nationally, as the trend is towards craft beer.

“Beer lovers continue to find great value and enjoyment in fuller flavored craft beers,” said Paul Gatza, director of the Brewers Association. “Americans have an increasing appreciation of craft beers, and the growing number of brewers behind them. They’re eager to try the latest seasonal release and to sample a variety of beers from different breweries.”

In 2009, craft brewers represented 4.3 percent of volume and 6.9 percent of retail dollars for the total U.S. beer category. With the total U.S. beer industry representing an estimated retail dollar value of $101 billion, the Brewers Association estimates the actual dollar sales figure from craft brewers in 2009 was $7 billion, up from $6.3 billion in 2008.  

The total number of U.S. craft brewers grew from 1,485 to 1,542 in 2009, and they produced 9,115,635 barrels, up from 8,501,713 barrels in 2008. Overall U.S. beer sales fell from approximately 210.4 million barrels to 205.8 million barrels.

The 2009 growth and popularity of beer from small, independent breweries did not go unnoticed by industry observers. The National Restaurant Association Chef Survey (see results), for example, cited “locally-produced wine and beer” among its top five overall trends to watch for in 2010. In the alcohol and cocktails category, the organization ranked “locally-produced wine and beer” as its top trend, while “food-beer pairings” came in at number five on the list.


For more information
Find more statistics on the craft brewing industry in the updated 2009 Craft Beer Industry Statistics on the Brewers Association website. A more extensive analysis will be released on April 8, 2010 during the Craft Brewers Conference in Chicago. The Association's full 2009 industry analysis, which shows regional trends and sales by individual brewery, will be published in the May/June 2010 issue of The New Brewer. For the second straight year, the Craft Brewers Conference will also feature a presentation by Metzger on brewpub startups.  

The Brewers Association also publishes a list of 2009 U.S. craft brewing companies on its website.
For more information on Freetail Brewing Co. visit: www.freetailbrewing.com 

¹ The definition of a craft brewer as stated by the Brewers Association: An American craft brewer is small, independent, and traditional. Small: Annual production of beer less than 2 million barrels. Beer production is attributed to a brewer according to the rules of alternating proprietorships. Flavored malt beverages are not considered beer for purposes of this definition. Independent: Less than 25% of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by an alcoholic beverage industry member who is not themselves a craft brewer. Traditional: A brewer who has either an all malt flagship (the beer which represents the greatest volume among that brewers brands) or has at least 50% of its volume in either all malt beers or in beers which use adjuncts to enhance rather than lighten flavor. 
² Volume sales by craft brewers represent total taxable production.

# # # 

Freetail Brewing Co. is founded on the pursuit of creating exciting, innovative and unique world class beers and wood-fired gourmet pizzas. We embrace the laid back and fun-loving South Central Texas culture and set out to create products that mirror the lifestyle of our diverse and rapidly growing community. We believe in promoting an increased appreciation of craft beer and its responsible enjoyment. We believe in going above and beyond customer expectations not only through our products, but also through exceptional customer service. We believe in providing a dining and leisure experience unmatched in the local community.  And in case you didn’t get it the first time… we believe in having fun.

New Boerne Brewery

Something to look into. Supposed to start brewing in late spring and bottle by summer. Always good to hear the state is getting another locally owned brewery.

La Muerta -- Freetail

Freetail Article

Another article about Freetail. Doesn't bring a whole lot new to the table, but it's always good to see more publicity for the best beer in Texas.

News Release for Freetail's Fe-brew-ary

Below is the Freetail's news of February events included limited edition bottle-release of the barrel-aged version of La Muerta (oh, baby on the 13th) and a PorterFest II (on the 6th).

There's always something great on at Freetail even if there's nothing going on at Freetail.

http://www.freetailbrewing.com/

FREETAIL BREWING CO. ANNOUNCES FEB-BREW-ARY FESTIVITIES

Release of Barrel Aged La Muerta Bottles & Winter Beer Dinner Highlight Month of Beer Related Events

(January 20, 2009) San Antonio, TX – Freetail Brewing Co. announces a month-long celebration of all things beer dubbed “Feb-BREW-ary.” The February 13th limited edition bottle-release of a barrel-aged version of La Muerta—the brewery’s rare, much sought-after and highly rated imperial stout—highlights the events along with a special winter beer dinner on the 15th.

Festivities kick off with PorterFest II on the 6th, featuring a selection of interesting riffs on the brewery’s Torpor Porter. “Early February is a perfect time for PorterFest,” said Freetail brewer Jason Davis. “The rich, chocolaty, roast character is perfect for a cold winter’s eve. Or a balmy winter’s eve, depending on what the weather decides to throw at us.” Last year’s PorterFest included varieties such as Bourbon, Vanilla, Ginger, Cherry, Pecan and Chipotle. Special kegs will be tapped beginning at noon. There is no admission fee for PorterFest; pints will be available for $4.50, and 4-oz samples for $1.50.

On the 13th, Freetail will release 22-oz bottles of a bourbon barrel aged version of its imperial stout, La Muerta. “We significantly increased bottle production of the regular version for the last release, and they sold out in one day,” said Freetail Founder & Chief Executive Officer Scott Metzger. “With the buzz already building up around this beer, we wanted to create a way to get it into the hands of our most loyal customers first.” To do so, Freetail mailed out a coupon in its e-newsletter on January 1st, granting the holder the right to purchase a bottle when they go on sale at 11am. In the event that not all bottles are sold to coupon-holders, bottles will then be released to the general public. Bottles are $12 each and are limited to one per person.

The brewery will once again play host to a beer dinner on February 15th with four courses individually paired with six different Freetail beers. “This is a perfect Valentine’s day gift for the beer lover in your life,” said Metzger. “Unlike dinners we’ve done in the past, this one is going to focus on special beers we’ve made in small batches but don’t necessarily have concrete plans to release to the general public. We create a lot of unique things out of experimentation, including some the brewers don’t even tell me about. This will be a special treat for the Freetail fans out there as they’ll get to see yet another side of our brewer’s creativity.” The full menu is available on the company’s website. Tickets are $45 and do not include tax or gratuity. Space is limited to 40 guests and Freetail’s beer dinners typically sell out, so advance reservations are required.

On February 20th, Davis will lead a beer and cheese tasting seminar at 2pm. The event will pair rich, flavorful cheeses with a variety of beers and include a discussion on how the two complement one another. The event costs $15/person, no reservations required.

Freetail will cap off Feb-BREW-ary with part three in their “Battle of Wits” series, featuring a number of “funkafied” versions of the Rye Wit, a Belgian-style witbier. Previous Battles have included offerings such as Black Currant, Cherry, Raspberry, Starflower, Lavender, Chamomile and Prickly Pear, among others.
Freetail Brewing Co. is founded on the pursuit of creating exciting, innovative and unique world class beers and wood-fired gourmet pizzas. We embrace the laid back and fun-loving South Central Texas culture and set out to create products that mirror the lifestyle of our diverse and rapidly growing community. We believe in promoting an increased appreciation of craft beer and its responsible enjoyment. We believe in going above and beyond customer expectations not only through our products, but also through exceptional customer service. We believe in providing a dining and leisure experience unmatched in the local community. And in case you didn’t get it the first time… we believe in having fun.
For more information visit http://www.freetailbrewing.com/.

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Beer Polls & Shiner

Some interesting (though small) polls from Texas Beer Blog. I this one particularly telling:

Poll 15 (August): Is Spoetzl a Craft Brewery?

1. No (57%) 47% in 2008
2. Yes (35%) 47% in 2008
3. Perhaps (7%)

Total 40 votes

I've always felt bad about not liking Shiner (something I mentioned before) and so this makes me feel a little vindicated. Though the fact that I don't like "craft" brews sounds a little pretentious, the presumed opposite is large scale, industrialized beer like Budweiser and Coors. Shiner is Texas' answer to these rather nasty (preservative-filled? I don't know about this) brews.