Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Boulevard Coming to Texas?

I only have time for a short post tonight, but what it lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality: A very reliable source tells me that Boulevard, a quality American brewery and just about the only beer I drink when I'm in Kansas City visiting the in-laws, may start distributing here in Texas soon. (I'm awaiting confirmation from the brewery itself.)

That's great news — the KC company makes some might nice stuff. Their pale ale may be the best in America, with a load of hops heavy enough that it almost tastes like an IPA. On our Christmas visits, I enjoy quaffing their Porter and Nutcracker Ale, and they've also begun experimenting with some Belgian-style stuff, and they may have an actual IPA out soon. Currently, Boulevard is distributed throughout the Midwest but not here, thanks to Texas' @#$%ed up alcohol laws. (One of my best friends disparagingly refers to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission as the Texas Association of Baptist Churches. Many of their rules are completely nonsensical, and appear designed solely to harass, rather than regulate, the alcohol industry.)

My across-the-street neighbors also have KC family, and between their trips and ours, I'm pretty sure we currently constitute Boulevard's largest Texas distributors. I bring back a case every time I'm up there.

Of course, if Boulevard becomes available in Texas, that completely kills off any incentive I have to go visit my in-laws. (Kidding! I'm kidding, honey!)

UPDATE: I've now had two different people tell me that they recently bought Boulevard in the Dallas area. Hey Boulevard: Plenty of beer snobs down here in Austin — send those trucks a little further down I-35!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I'll give you a reason to visit the in-laws. The Boulevard Smokestack Series: A Saison, Abt, IPA and Trippel. And they're only going to be sold up here in KC for the time being.

Lee said...

Yeah, my reliable source's exact words were: "you gotta try the new Smokestack Series stuff. Lovely stuff."