Here is the story of my relationship with beer and how I went from a naive beer enthusiast to an obsessed home brewer.

In the old days I used to seek out interesting imported beer. I really like to try different beers and will often seek out a new beer to try before going with one that I already like.  I would frequent pubs like the Flying Saucer and Trinity Hall where there was better selection.  There were no breweries in Dallas at the time, so there weren’t a lot of options.  I like the different flavors and varieties, and learning about what country the beer was brewed in.  Other than that, I didn’t think too much about it. Most places in Dallas stocked the mainstream beers from the Big 3, or some of the standard imported beer were most likely by one of the Big 3 breweries as well.

A few years ago Sarah introduced me to locally brewed craft beer when I first started visiting her in Austin.  I think that we were on a date at the Alamo Drafthouse one night and she suggested that I try a Live Oak Big Bark, and told me that the beer was brewed in Austin.  I took a few sips and fell in love, I was hooked!  Their website says that Big Bark is a “Vienna-style lager that has a reddish-amber color with a smooth, malty flavor and low hop bitterness. It is made from Czech and German malts and German hops.”  To me it was a delicious dark brown beer that tasted better than any of the fancy imported beer I had been drinking, and I was fascinated that it was brewed a few minutes away from where I was drinking it.

It turns out that Austin is a beer town.  You can find beer such as Real Ale Fireman’s 4 (I am drinking one while I write this), Live Oak, Independence Beer, and 512 Brewery on tap at almost any bar or restaurant.  All of these local breweries have their staple production lines of beer, and created special and seasonal varieties too.  Most of them sell keg beer exclusively to places in Austin, I love that all the money, jobs, and energy within that industry stays in Austin, and the beer is fresh and delicious!

Now I seek out the latest varieties of beer from my favorite local breweries.  I still sample imported beer and beer from craft breweries around the country, but usually it is only after I have already sampled all the local beers that are available.  Beer selection has become so important to me now.  I will find any way to get my hands on a delicious local brew, and the selection of good beer at a restaurant is a factor in my decisions too.  For my 29th birthday, Sarah bought my an Owner’s Membership to the Black Star Co-op pub and brewery, so I try to stop by there as often as possible. Their beer and their food is awesome, anytime you want to go just let me know!

For my 30th birthday, Sarah got me a home brew kit from Austin Home Brew Supply.  She got home wine making supplies for one of her birthdays, so now we share our equipment.  Another friend of ours who works there chipped in some supplies to get me started with my first batch of beer.  It is a Texas Kolsch, a limited edition recipe, that AHBS is donating the profits from to the Red Cross to aid in the recovery from last summer’s wildfires.

I really want to tell you all about the Kolsch variety of beer, but I am still two week away from tasting my first batch of home brew. Please read all about it on Wikipedia.  I had help from Sarah, her father George, and her brother Erich in the initial preparation, I let the beer ferment for about 2 weeks, and we bottled it a little over a week ago.  It needs to sit for about 2 more weeks and then it will be ready to drink.

I have to thank my wife for giving me my start in home brewing.  She knows that I am very passionate and creative, but sometime struggle to funnel my energy into something productive.  Also, along the same lines of some of the other topics we blog about, I am really happy to be learning a new skill and have a new hobby that will provide our community with good beer.

I will post a review of the first batch of home brew, and will blog more about my adventures in home brewing.  For now visit out pictures page to see some photos of the home brewing action!