On most weeks, TABC releases Label and Brewery approvals that have been approved for sale in Texas. Every beer that is sold in Texas has to go through this process before you can see it on store shelves or on tap at your favorite Craft Beer Bar. It is a way to see what beer will be coming into the Texas market before it shows up at your local bottle shop. The time frame between showing up on the label approval list and hitting the shelves could be anywhere from a day to a couple of months out.
The same can be said for breweries. The brewery approvals tend to be even further out. Every brewery opening in Texas has to go through the same process to get approved by the TABC. Once they do this, they can then get labels approved.
I only include craft beer labels that have been approved.
After each label, I have indicated what they have been approved to sell in. They are as follows:
K = Keg
B = Large format bottle
b = Small format bottle
c = Small format (12oz) can
C = Larger format cans
Here are this week’s releases:
Abita – Bad Mothershucker Oyster Stout (B, K)
Abita – Barrel Aged Macchiato Coffee Stout (K)
Abita – Citrus Spring IPA (K)
Abita – Extra Hopped Wrought Iron IPA (K)
Alltech’s – Kentucky Honey Barrel Brown Ale (K)
Alpine – Ale Pale Ale (K)
Alpine – Captain Stout (K)
Alpine – Duet IPA (K)
Alpine – Hoppy Birthday Pale Ale (K)
Alpine – Mciihenney’s Irish Red Ale (K)
Alpine – Nelson IPA (K)
Avery – Liliko’i Kepolo Belgian Style White (c)
Big Sky – Camp Robber Coffee Porter (b, K)
Big Sky – Powder Hound Winter Ale (c)
Big Thicket – Lonestar Electric Imperial IPA (B)
Big Thicket – Piney Woods Pale Ale (B)
Boulevard – Tasting Room Blonde Ale (b, K)
Boulevard – Tasting Room Red IPA (b, K)
Boulevard – The Calling IPA (b, K)
Breckenridge – Barleywine Ale Batch #2 (B, K)
Bridgeport – Hop Czar Imperial IPA (b, B, K)
Buffalo Bayou – Blood Orange Wit (K)
Buffalo Bayou – Figaro, Figaro, Figaro, Fiiigaaaro (K)
Nebraska – Apricot Au Poivre Siason (B, K)
Nebraska – Black Betty Imperial Stout (B, K)
Nebraska – Fathead Barley Wine (B, K)
Nebraska – Hopanomaly Ale (K)
Nebraska – Melange a Trois Belgian Style Ale (B, K)
Nebraska – Responsibly Belgian Style Ale (B, K)
Nebraska – Sexy Betty Imperial Stout (B, K)
New Braunfels – Black Fury Oak-Aged Dunkel Wheat Ale (K)
Pinthouse Pizza – Calma Muerta Session IPA (K)
Rabbit Hole – 10/6 English IPA (K)
Rogness – Schoppe Pirvae Stock Doppel Sitcke German Style Amber (B, K)
St. Arnold – Fancy Lawnmower (c, C)
Smuttynose – Imperial Stout (B, K)
Texas Beer Refinery – American Dream Pale (B)
Texas Beer Refinery – Bayou City Brown (B)
Texas Beer Refinery – Mexican IPA (B)
Texas Beer Refinery – Oysters Creek Stout (K)
Texas Beer Refinery – Shirley Q Malt Liquor (K)
Texas Beer Refinery – Tex’s Blonde (B)
Twisted Pine – Agaveras IPA (B)
TABC Brewery Approvals:
Armadillo Ale Works – Denton
Braindead Brewing – Dallas
Tupps Brewery – McKinney
A couple things to take from these releases:
Alpine Beer Company – As mentioned last week, it sounded like they were coming to Texas. Well, here is the conclusive evidence that they are. Expect them to be at bars starting in March. If you have not had some of their beers, you are in for a treat. Bottles should be following some time after kegs.
Nebraska Brewing Company – Most of these releases fall into their big bottle Barrel Aged Reserve Series. And, most of them are great. Up until this point, Texas has mostly seen their 6 packs at stores, but no big format bottles. Be sure to check some of them out in stores.
Texas Beer Refinery – This greater Houston area brewery is starting to release bombers of their beer. Up until this point, they were selling full growlers of beers on the shelves of HEBs in the Houston area. I like this move to make bombers instead.
DFW Breweries – Three DFW area breweries were approved last week. Armadillo will get it’s own standalone brewing location up in Denton (they were brewing at Deep Ellum up until now). Braindead Brewing finally received brewpub approval for their Dallas brewery. There is a lot of industry experience behind this place so expect them to do well. And finally, Tupps, up in McKinney, also received their approvals. The DFW scene is definitely growing quickly. I also should recommend going up to the Big Texas Beer Festival in April in DFW to check these new places out. More info can be seen here (https://craftbeeraustin.com/events/big-texas-beer-festival-2015/). Regular tickets will be selling out soon.
Other News:
Independence’s taproom will be now open on Thursdays (5-9), Fridays (5-9) and Saturdays (1-7). Be sure to check out their new taproom. Black Star, as well, is now open for lunch most days of the week. Be sure to follow any of these changes here (https://craftbeeraustin.com/texas-brewery-brewpub-tour-listings-map/).
