Buff Brew

Being a wine lover, I have an affinity for alcohol in general. I enjoy beer and cocktails, and relaxing with an adult beverage after a long day is almost a requirement in my daily life.  So I wanted to take the opportunity to highlight a friend's new brewery in Houston, TX - Buffalo Bayou Brewing Company - which he started about a year ago. Rassul makes micro-brewed craft beer for the Houston market, and he's currently got kegs in over 60 bars and restaurants! Not bad for a fledgling beer business. 

I had a chance to visit the facility (which is not yet open to the public) on a recent business trip to Houston, sampling a few very unique and delicious beers. The first was called 1836, for the year that Houston was settled along the banks of the Buffalo Bayou, a waterway running through Houston. It's a rich "copper" ale with really nice malty notes. Second was a hibiscus "wit bier," which had a faint pink tinge from the flowers and a subtle floral quality to complement the citrusy notes in this light, refreshing beer, pictured above. Last was a gingerbread stout, which was dark, thick and creamy with a warm baking-spice quality. It's got twice the alcohol of Guinness, which brings it to around 8%.

I liked seeing the brewery equipment (pad filter above is quite similar to one we used at Wiemer) and hearing about how they're experimenting with flavors and barrels. Rassul acquired some French oak barrels and is thinking of doing a batch with oak aging. The great thing about beer is you can brew it anytime - you don't have to wait for a vintage like with wine. And you can add all sorts of flavors and essences to the batch to make a unique brew every time.

Currently Rassul kegs all of his beer and only makes bottles for sampling. He's looking to keep it local and remain a craft brewery for fellow Houstoners to enjoy.

Cheers to the Buffalo!