Subject: Beer

• The Hophead: After A Visit to The Old Monk, I May Join A Monastery

  In heaven there is no beer so we drink it here. --Trappist Monk Proverb (or Polka lyric) The Old Monk 2847 N. Henderson 214-821-1880 Edging to a table at the Old Monk, I noticed a young man drinking Miller Lite and nearly stopped in my tracks. In a bar with such an admirable selection of handcrafted specialty beers and imported ales, opting for flavorless, lowest-common-denominator grain-water would be like going to a steakhouse and insisting on hamburger, well-done. Don’t get me wrongâ

  November 13, 2008

• Hot Dish

  September 21, 1995

• Hophead Extra: What Does Beer Have In Common With The Blind Salamander?

  Photos by Benjamin Lewis Some people consider it uncouth to begin drinking before 5 p.m. Thankfully, you won't run into any of those spoilsports at the "Blind Salamander Day" tour and tasting at Rahr & Sons brewery tomorrow from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. I took my first tour of the brewery last weekend and sampled the brewery's newest product, Blind Salamander. For some reason, I had the idea that the tour would be very academic and dry, with thirsty tourists suffering through detailed explana

  January 16, 2009

• Snow job

  June 6, 1996

• Hophead: Forget Wine. Try Beer With Your Next Meal.

  Good pies and strong beer. --Poor Robin's Almanack, 1695 (but don't leave out good beef and strong beer, good fish and strong beer, good cheese and strong beer, good ... well, you get the picture.)Maybe I'm just projecting, but it seems that beer is getting a bit more respect these days. With all due respect to my colleagues at Pairing Off, I say a good beer can go just as well, if not better, with a gourmet meal--or an order of General Tsao's chicken--as a much pricier wine. Oceanaire Seafood R

  January 22, 2009

• Math test

  November 28, 1996

• Hot Dish

  December 19, 1996

• Something's Brewing

  Beer and bratwurst. Beer and pizza. Beer and more beer. None of these "pairings" bring to mind white-linen service or cheese factory tours. But if tough economic times are causing some connoisseurs to reconsider more expensive options (re: wine), no matter. Beer pairings fit right in with non-traditional surroundings. Just like individual components of wine perfectly complement certain foods, a beer's unique pedigree, such as its recipe and brewing method, can bring out the best in meat, seafo

  January 26, 2009

• Liquid sky

  June 19, 1997

• Best beer joint

  September 21, 2000

• Best beer cheese soup

  September 21, 2000

• A Glassware Menagerie

  July 5, 2001

• Hophead: Magic Hat Number 9, Number 9, Number 9, Number 9...

  Never pretend to a friend. --From the underside of the bottle cap of a Magic Hat #9 sample.In a sign of both the growth of Vermont's Magic Hat Brewing Company and that of the market for craft beers in the area, Magic Hat's flagship #9 is now available in Texas for the first time.*Magic Hat #9 is marketed as "Not Quite Pale Ale." Maybe that qualifier is the reason I don't notice any of the hoppiness I usually associate with American pale ales. This has much more in common with lighter English pal

  March 19, 2009

• Standard Setting

  New bistro to open in Deep Ellum

  June 12, 2003

• Delaware On Tap

  You've dreamed for years of taking off work, jetting to Wilmington and spending a few days downing the great beers of Delaware. Well, Flying Saucer Draught Emporium saves you the trouble.On April 1--yes, April 1, a day when everyone suspects some sort of double-cross--Flying Saucer's Montfort location hosts Claus Hagelman of the state's Dogfish Head Craft Brewery. He will present a vertical tasting of four labels: 2009 and 2006 Fort, Immort Ale and 120 Minute IPA, along with the 2009 and 2005 B

  March 23, 2009

• Hophead: Too Much Of A Very Good Thing

  Sometimes too much to drink is barely enough. --Mark Twain (and with Dogfish Head's super-strong beers, barely enough really is enough)When I was a kid, my Papa Salfi had a framed poster in a guest bathroom from which I first learned about the effects of alcohol. It had a numbered series of lines on which he had signed his full name. By the seventh or eighth, his signature had devolved into an illegible scrawl. The tenth was just a crooked line. Printed across the bottom was the moral: "You can'

  April 2, 2009

• Five Places to Drink Beer Around Dallas

  October 16, 2008

• My 10 Top Texas Beers

  October 16, 2008

• Want More Beer? Change This Law!

  October 16, 2008

• Beer Is Good

  October 16, 2008

• Stomp It Out

  September 11, 2008

• Dish And Drink

  July 24, 2008

• A better brew

  Routh Street Brewery ranks as Dallas' best brewpub to date

  October 12, 1995

• Brew With a View

  Keep your eyes on your own show

  December 7, 2000

• Drinking Dinner

  October 5, 2006

• Best Beer Joint

  Old Monk

  October 14, 2004

• This Week's Day-By-Day Picks

  September 2, 2004

• Heads Up

  Is there a correct way to pour beer?

  April 22, 2004

• Beer Bust

  It's better to come to BJ's with a thirst than an appetite

  January 16, 2003

• Near Beer

  The fad fades, but brewpubs survive

  January 25, 2001

• Rahr Earns Business Award, Fills It With Beer

  Looks like Rahr managing partner Tony Formby found a good use for the Excellence In Business awardCowtown-based Rahr & Sons Brewery earned the Clear Channel Outdoor Excellence in Business Award April 22 during the Entrepreneur Expo luncheon at the Fort Worth Convention Center. The award is more than just a pat on the back: the brewery will receive creative consulting and five billboards with 24-weeks of coverage from the signage giant. Rahr managing partner Tony Formby was on hand to accept

  April 27, 2009

• Hophead: Relive Your Skankin' Days

  Remember the great ska craze of the mid-90s? My memory of that era is a bit cloudy, but from what I recall it was a thankfully short-lived phenomenon in which kids rediscovered English ska punk from the '80s, which itself was a rediscovery of the original version of ska, a Jamaican dance music that English mods listened to, a trendy precursor to reggae in the '60s (which went on to influence later punk bands). Suddenly punk bands wore suits and formed a weird truce with the band geeks who knew h

  April 30, 2009

• Hophead: Saison d'ĂŞtre At Zymology

  For every wound, a balm. For every sorrow, a cheer. For every storm, a calm. For every thirst, a beer. Summer is nearly here, which explains the sudden cloudiness. I'm not talking about the weather; I mean the cloudy pints of seasonal unfiltered wheat beer offered at your favorite beer pub. And, while the place puts just as much thought into its wine selection as its beers, and while it isn't big enough to boast the overwhelming selection of an Old Monk or Flying Saucer, Zymology is on my short

  May 14, 2009

• Hophead: Camping Out In The 'Broo-er's Festival' Tent At Bonnaroo

  Mark C. AustinHophead wasn't the only one thirsty for beer at Bonnaroo last weekend. Hophead spent a four-day weekend at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. The music, comedy, people-watching and general chaos of the thing made for an outstanding trip. But one of the highlights was the accompanying "Broo-er's Festival," a biergarten featuring some 20 brewers ranging from tiny local outfits to Anheuser-Busch. As it turned out, two personal favorites from the bash are

  June 18, 2009

• Hophead: Brooklyn Beer In 'The Brooklyn Of Dallas,' And A Question For Local Beer Lovers

  At the Kessler groundbreaking ceremony last weekend, a music critic was overheard calling Oak Cliff "the Brooklyn of Dallas." It's not a new sentiment. According to an 1890 flyer by Dallas Land & Loan Co., "Oak Cliff is to Dallas what Brooklyn is to New York." Whether or not the analogy is accurate, it seemed appropriate to try an offering from Brooklyn Brewery on a recent visit to Eno's Pizza Tavern. Though Eno's beer selection isn't huge, it offers 20-something microbrews, making

  June 25, 2009

• Hophead: When Pairing Beer, The Sommelier Is Helpful...Sometimes

  Mikal Beth HugheyGreat Brewers recently launched its "Beer Sommelier," an online program that purports to pair beers to a variety of meats, grains, vegetables, cheeses, breads and sweets. "Masterfully select the best beer styles to pair with any dish," the Web site boasts. With the Libertine Bar's Brass Knuckle Corn Dog Beatdown set for Saturday, it seemed an ideal opportunity to find out what beers would best complement a battered and deep-fried frankfurter. That's when the first problem arose:

  July 2, 2009

• Hophead: Uncannily Good Beer From Oskar Blues

  Jesse HugheyLast year, Oskar Blues added five 100-gallon tanks and increased its brewing by more 64 percent over 2007 in order to keep up with increased demand. That the Lyons, Colorado, brewery experienced such a rapid growth probably wouldn't surprise anyone who has tasted its excellent flagship beer, Dale's Pale Ale, or other offerings like Gordon's Ale (a Hophead favorite). What is surprising is that the Oskar Blues beers are primarily available in cans. Cans carry a stigma among the beer-sn

  July 16, 2009

• Hophead: 'Liquid Aloha' From Kona Brewing Co.

  Jesse Hughey When you think about brewing hot spots, what come to mind? Some obvious international destinations include Belgium, Germany, Ireland and the Czech Republic. As for the U.S., craft breweries are everywhere, but we think of the West Coast--especially Portland and Seattle. There's always (for better or for worse) St. Louis and Milwaukee, too. But Hawaii? Believe it or not, the state actually has a few well-respected breweries, including Mehana, Waimea and Kona Brewing Co., the lat

  July 23, 2009

• Hophead: Yes, Southern Star Can

  Jesse Hughey​Two weeks back in this column, Oskar Blue made a pretty convincing case that high-quality beer need not be kegged or bottled to taste great. In fact, as commenter Paul Hightower pointed out, you can find a Texas example of high-quality craft beer that comes in cans. And no, that's not a reference to Pabst Lone Star. Southern Star is a new brewery that began production just over a year ago in Conroe, some 45 minutes north of Houston. The company makes just a handful of beers, inclu

  July 30, 2009

• Hophead: First Shot At Homebrew

  ​There's something enticing and romantic about the idea of making one's own beer right at home. Along with home wine making (yechh!) and the few in Kentucky--and elsewhere--who manage home spirits, it's the last frontier of legal DIY intoxicants.Set up a meth lab in your trailer and ... well, you're resigning yourself to a life of paranoia and rambling explanations to the neighbors as to why you're mowing your lawn at 3 a.m. But homebrewing? Ain't no law against making your own beer. In certai

  August 13, 2009

• Hophead: Prost In Plano

  Mikal Beth Hughey​A liter a day keeps the doctor away. --Old German proverb (at least according to the Bavarian Grill's Stein Hour menu)Along with a handful of other local eateries, the Bavarian Grill in Plano is in the running for GermanDeli.com's designation as The Best German Restaurant in America. Kuby's may have great sausage, Jorg's Cafe Vienna may have delicious schnitzel and Edelweiss may boast its patronage of such celebrities as John Wayne and, umm, Mark Davis. But thanks to its dedi

  August 27, 2009

• Bier For Junior

  September 17, 2009

• Hophead: New Belgium's Hoptober, Paulaner's Oktoberfest And Sam Adams' Octoberfest--A Three-Way Rocktober Smackdown!

  ​As it is now officially Rocktober, Oktoberfest beers are replacing summer brews on store aisles, bar coolers and tap walls. Apparently, though, not all brewers have the traditional Oktoberfest German Marzen-style amber lager in mind for this month. New Belgium, best known for Fat Tire, has introduced a new golden ale, Hoptober, which bears little resemblance to the malty lagers that typify the Oktoberfest style. It's a refreshing--literally and figuratively--change of pace for the season. In

  October 1, 2009

• Hash Over: Beer Hero Makes Dallas Stops, Fair Food A Grind, Five-Sixty For Happy Hour And More

  Garrett Oliver​Author, beer judge and Brooklyn Brewery brewmaster Garrett Oliver will be in town Wednesday for a couple of Brooklyn Beer-related events. One is free, while the other costs $58 per person plus tax and tip. Guess which one we'll be attending. First, Oliver will offer samples with food pairings and a cooking demonstration in a free event at the Highland Park Whole Foods location from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Later, he'll lead diners through a five-course beer dinner at Newport's Seafood a

  October 12, 2009

• Hophead: Brooklyn Brewmaster Says In Food Pairing, Beer Is The Answer

  Jesse HugheyBrooklyn Local 1 with honey-pepper salmon.​Brooklyn Beer brewmaster Garrett Oliver's visit to Whole Foods yesterday afternoon was first and foremost a cooking demonstration with beer pairing suggestions. But as Oliver described how the flavors of each brew complemented each course, he kept returning to a central thesis: When it comes to food pairings, beer is superior to wine. "Sommeliers' number one question they're asked isn't about, say, 'What's the soil content in Napa Valley?

  October 15, 2009

• Hophead: Notes From Flying Saucer's Fourth Annual Fall Beer Festival

  ​A beer tasting event like last Saturday's Fall Beer Festival at the Fort Worth Flying Saucer is an easy way to try several new beers at once, hang out with fellow beer people and see a lot of hilarious T-shirts. However, as I discovered, it's also an easy way to get a bad impression of a beer for a multitude of reasons that are no fault of the brewer's. Saturday's festival in the Flying Saucer parking lot featured two dozen beers from American craft brewers, separated into East Coast, West Co

  October 22, 2009

• Hophead: Beer Across Texas Guides Brew Lovers To The Lone Star State

  ​Fort Worth's Paul Hightower may make his living as a technical writer, copywriter and indexer, but one of the great passions in his life is beer. On his Dallas Craft Beer Examiner blog, he is a relentless and well-informed cheerleader for the best beers available in North Texas, whether they're brewed locally or abroad. Writing a guide to Texas brewers would seem an obvious choice for a textbook author with such an extensive knowledge of the subject. As it turned out, though, his friend and f

  October 29, 2009

• Hophead: Pyramid Haywire Hefeweizen And Deschutes Black Butte Porter Free Samples--Sometimes You Get What You Pay For

  Jesse HugheyPyramid Haywire Hefeweizen​A Pyramid PR representative recently sent a press release announcing the Gold Medal awarded to the brewery's Haywire Hefewiezen at the Great American Beer Festival, and offered to send over sample bottle or two. As if she needed to ask.Ben E. Keith beer distributors did her one better and delivered two six-packs, free of charge. One was a Haywire sixer, while the other was a mixed pack with three beers from Deschutes: the Jubelale Winter Seasonal, the Bla

  November 12, 2009

• Pints And Cans

  November 19, 2009

• Hophead: Michelob Rye P.A. And Bavarian Wheat Outdo Some Craft Brewers. What Is The World Coming To?

  Jesse HugheyMichelob Bavarian Wheat​Last week, Pyramid's Haywire Hefeweizen proved a tad, shall we say, underwhelming. This week seemed a perfect opportunity to try a couple of macro-brewed attempts at craft-brew styles, just to put things in perspective. After all, if a relatively small outfit like Pyramid can't get the wheat-beer style right, surely a lowest-common-denominator, masses-pleasing corporate behemoth like Anheuser-Busch couldn't do a better job, could it? And then there's this ne

  November 19, 2009