Since moving back to Houston, I have been rediscovering the city I grew up in. You know, looking at Houston through a different lens. Where I once saw Houston as everything that I needed to escape from, I now am able to give it more of a chance. What I have found from this new vantage point, is the ability to see the city with all its hidden treasures and one of these treasures has been Southern Star Brewery.
Southern Star Brewery is a beer producer located in Conroe, Texas (which I pretty much consider Houston). From an earlier point of view I would have shunned the idea of Conroe producing good beer. In my mind, I used to think that Austin was the only city in Texas that would be able to produce a the kind of beer that I would normally drink. That is because Austin represented what I thought was "cool." It made more sense that Austin, not Houston would have the environment to produce "cool," local breweries.
I saw Houston on the other hand as being a city that would only cater to the business, no non-sense crowd that normally drank from the kegs of large mega-breweries and their un-creativeness.* But low and behold Southern Star Brewery is making a case for itself right here in what I mistakenly thought was a flavorless city, Houston, Texas.
I would put Southern Star's Bombshell Blonde against any of the other beers that are being produced in Texas right now.** Austin's Real Ale and Independence haven't produced anything like Bombshell Blonde that is both drinkable and tasty (sorry Fireman's Four).
*To be fair I am always impressed with how the big companies like Miller Light constantly find new way to present themselves: 1) Widemouth 2)Vortex 3) Aluminum Bottles.
**In second place I would put St. Arnold's Lawnmower, but that will have to wait until another post.
Bombshell Blonde is a Blonde beer with a great flavor that makes it both drinkable and pleasing to the palette. There are hints of vanilla, orange, something bitter and most of all it is creamy without being so creamy that it disagrees with it's environment. Moreover, the fact that it comes in a bright blue can makes it both cool and trendy. No longer do you hipsters have to drink Pabst and Lonestar to make a statement while having to sacrifice on taste. Don't get me wrong, I prefer those two beers over any of the "lights" the bigger breweries are doing. But let's be real, the taste is only slightly above passable. Bombshell Blonde on the other hand has it all.
I got to thinking about why Houston was able to get it so right, despite a reputation for being un-creative. Here's a small bit of reasoning as to why I believe Houston produced a good beer. Whereas other places in Texas like Austin and Dallas are obsessed with their image (Keep Austin Weird, Dallas... i don't know, but it's something) Houston doesn't give a shit. It's always been known as this concrete city with no culture, so in a way it doesn't have to care about certain things. like normal rules of making craft beer. Southern Star made a product that fit the city, put it in a can and didn't go out of their way to try and make it elite. The end product is a delicious beer.
I wonder if this theory could expand to other things. In a way I am starting to feel that Houston, with it's "I don't give a shit" attitude might start being the new cool. At least for beer anyway. Let's see what happens. Until then.
