HB 660 Filed in the Texas Legislature

Cheers, hopefully, to progress in the Lone Star State. Both for small businesses that deserve our local support and for beer enthusiasts state wide.

Mike Villarreal, State Representative of District 123 here in San Antonio, filed HB 660 that would allow Texas brewpubs, which can currently only sell on premise, to sell their products through retailers (wholesale distribution system). It seems ridiculous that this isn't legal already, but at least someone is trying to do something about it*.

Scott Metzger, owner of Freetail, and other San Antonio brewers worked closely with Villarreal to draft the bill. Check out Brewed and Never Battered, the blog Metzger created to keep you up to date on the bill as the Legislature moves, ever so slowly, through its 140-day session.

Keep your fingers crossed and pint glasses filled with local brews. And always write to your representative. Let them know that you support this bill. If you don't know your jurisdiction you can find out on the Bexar County Elections Jurisdiction Helper. Then look over the Elected Officials & Precinct Guide. We, the drinking public, can make this work.

*There's another beer related bill HB 602, which according to I Love Beer is on tap at the Legislature every session, that would allow microbreweries to sell their product on premise.

An old unpublished 210SA bar review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.