Saint Arnold Brewing Company By Pete Pizzarelli

Saint Arnold Brewing Company is Texas’ oldest craft brewery located in Houston, serving craft beer delivers fresh and full flavored beers to the Texas community. Austrian priest who was recognized by the Catholic Church as the Patron Saint of Brewers, who warned peasants about the dangers of unsafe drinking water, while encouraging them to drink beer. Due to water during the dark ages was not a healthy alternative, but Beer was quite safe. He said, “From man’s sweat and God’s love, beer came into the world.” Saint Arnold Brewery is run by a group of seventeen people who passionately manage all aspects of the brewery, with Brock Wagner at the helm. After realizing that Houston was the largest city in the country that did not have a microbrewery, they opened and shipped their first keg in June 9, 1994. They now brew ten different beers, with Five made year around, and five are seasonal. These beers can be found in locations in Houston, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, and San Antonio.

Elissa IPA

Elissa IPA is a traditional India Pale Ale, which is a hoppy, a balanced malty bodied beer. Ellissa, a tall ship like the ships used to transport IPAs to India and is located in Galveston. Saint Arnold Brewery donates money from the proceeds for the preservation of the Elissa. They add hop in the kettle to give the bitterness, and then dry hopped in the fermenter for a floral, hoppy nose. The bitterness is softened by reverse osmosis, and the maltiness from British Maris Otter malt. By using reverse osmosis, they were able to overcome their high calcium carbonate, which would add a bitter characteristic to the beer. The distinctive American hop, Cascades, gives its citrus note. To maintain its freshness, they do not pasteurize their beer. This authentic version of IPAs richness stands up to the hops making this a great beer for any style of seafood, Indian food and spicy Thai.

Divine Reserve

Divine Reserve is a run of single batch beers, labeled on the neck for the appropriate number. They all have a different recipe, with a common characteristic of being big, and always benefits from being aged under refrigeration.

Reserve No. 7: Weizenbock, Alcohol: 8.4% ABV

The Reserve No. 7 has a dark, slightly chocolatey weizenbock with bananas and cloves undertones, with hops adding spiciness and the strength of the beer is balanced by the malt. Bravarian hefeweizen yeast gives a distinctive banana and clove characteristics, and is brewed with Dark wheat, light wheat, Chocolate wheat, Pilsner, Munich, Special B and Chocolate malts, and Northern Brewer hops.

The Saint Arnold Brewing Company has a complete line of fantastic brews.

Reserve No. 6: American Barleywine, Alcohol: 10% ABV

This barleywine is a big and balanced beer with hoppy, and malty characteristics. The sweetness comes from the malt, and spice from the hops to round out this high alcohol beer. They added brown sugar to the kettle along with Caramunich and Special B malts and 225 lbs of Columbus hops along with 44 lbs that were dry hopped. The rich, creamy mouthfeel comes from their Saint Arnold yeast strain.

Reserve No. 5: Russian Imperial Stout, Alcohol 10% ABV

This Reserve is a typical big and very black, with a rich malty, coffee, and chocolaty flavor. Its spiciness derives from its high alcohol, and hops from Nugget, Willamette, and Centennial. They suggest to serve with dark chocolate and a bowl of vanilla bean ice cream.

Reserve No. 4: Wee Heavy, Alcohol: 9.5%

Wee Heavy has an aroma of Irish coffee, hints of peat from this deep ruby beer. This beer is in the middle of thin, and heavy and a sweet, and creamy finish. The Saint Arnold yeast adds to the caramel malt, coffee, and citrus complexity.

Reserve No. 3: Double IPA, Alcohol: 9.5% ABV

Honey, and molasses are added to the kettle with Maris Otter, Wheat, Caravienne, Carapils, and Dark Crystal to lighten the beer. This hoppy beer includes Chinook, Centennial, and Ahtenum, then dryhopped with Cascades making a bitter and hoppy beer.

Reserve No. 2: Abbey American Quadruppel, Alcohol: 9.3% ABV

This beer breaks all molds of styles of beer, but could be described as a quaddruppel. It is brewed with Maris Otte, Munich, Victory, and Special B malts. Along with Perle, Liberty, Saaz hops, they add brown sugar to the kettle, while adding American Ale yeast, and Belgian Trappist yeast. The malty, fruity, spicy, and alcoholic with a pleasant bitter hop finish.

Reserve No. 1: Barleywine, Alcohol: 9.3% ABV

They use Maris Otter malt, then add Munich and Chocolate malt for a chocolatey flavor that is heavily hopped in the kettle. This creamy beer, has a pleasant fruity beer, that should hold up over time.

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