There’s perhaps no better season for drinking beer in Texas than fall, when the weather finally cools off—or at least cools off enough to sit and sip outside. These five beers will help you forget the sweltering summer and gird you for the coming holidays.
1. One of four initial year-round offerings from Austin Beerworks, Black Thunder was retired in 2017, much to the chagrin of many beer geeks. Luckily for us, This schwarzbier (black lager), sporting a fresh new can design, is making its return as a fall seasonal for all to enjoy.
2. It’s 2018, the year of IPAs, you can’t make it through fall without having one once in a while. Mama Tried IPA, from Brazos Valley Brewing Co. in Brenham, is a brew craft beer fans are well aware of, hitting that sweet spot between trendy hazy IPAs and aggressively bitter IPAs.
3. Dallas-based Community Beer Co. offers its Public Ale year-round, but this English-style ale—which is inspired by that country’s ESBs (Extra Special Bitter) and uses ingredients mainly from there—is especially ideal for fall drinking sessions at your favorite neighborhood pub or around the firepit.
4. It’s right there in the name. No fall is complete without several pints of Märzen-style lager (traditionally brewed in March and enjoyed in late September into October). Oktoberfest from Real Ale Brewing Co. in Blanco, is one of the state’s finest interpretations of the style, medium-bodied and über-drinkable.
5. What, you thought you’d make it through this list without a pumpkin beer? Sorry, but not really. Pumpkinator is the clear king of pumpkin beers in Texas. Weighing in at 11 percent ABV, this imperial stout from Saint Arnold Brewing Co., which this past summer opened its cathedral-inspired restaurant and beer garden in Houston, is packed with enough pumpkin and spices to last you through Black Friday.
