Saint Arnold Santo: A Black Kölsch?

Sounds interesting. Press release from Saint Arnold:

HOUSTON, August 8, 2011 – What do you do if you brew a beer that doesn’t fit an existing category? You make one up. At least that is what Saint Arnold Brewing Company (www.saintarnold.com) is doing with the upcoming release of its latest creation: Santo. The company is describing its new brew as a black Kölsch – light in body and dark in color. Santo will be available on tap and in 12-ounce bottles sold in six-packs and cases throughout Texas starting on September 1, 2011.

The other big development is Santo’s packaging. Instead of the distinctive image of an outreaching St. Arnold, which continues to grace the brewery’s other beers as it has for more than 17 years, Santo features a design created by Houston artist Carlos Hernandez. His attention-grabbing “Day of the Dead” style artwork depicts a big eyed crowned skull on a bright red background.

“This is the first beer we have ever brewed that started with the packaging,” said Saint Arnold Founder/Brewer Brock Wagner. “The process started over four years ago. We originally commissioned Carlos to design new packaging for Saint Arnold Brown Ale. We loved what he came back to us with, but somehow it didn’t fit the Brown Ale. Thus began our work on creating a beer to fit the packaging, an odd process for us. The final result was a recipe we called a black Kölsch. We’ve been waiting to have the capacity available to brew it and are now very excited to begin drinking it.”

To some in the craft beer community, the black Kölsch concept is an oxymoron, since the Kölsch style is expected to have a golden appearance. However, Saint Arnold’s brewers insist that stretching the boundaries is part of the fun. Besides, despite Santo’s dark appearance, the beer maintains other characteristics of a true Kölsch. Saint Arnold uses the same special Kölsch yeast – an ale yeast that ferments at almost lager temperatures – that is used in Saint Arnold Fancy Lawnmower Beer. This contributes to Santo being light bodied and floral even though it has a distinctive dark malt flavor.

Santo is brewed using pale two-row and pils malted barley, a dash of malted wheat and an addition of dark malt. Saint Arnold uses Hallertau Hersbrucker hops, added to the brew kettle in four separate cycles to create a delicate flavor and aroma. It has an original gravity of 1.045 (11.4° Plato), bitterness of 15 IBU and alcohol content (by volume) of 4.9 percent.

Santo is the sixth year-round beer from Saint Arnold. It joins Saint Arnold Amber Ale, Saint Arnold Brown Ale, Saint Arnold Elissa IPA, Saint Arnold Fancy Lawnmower Beer and Saint Arnold Weedwacker in the regular lineup.

The #3 Bus Pub Crawl Is Underway!

If you're reading this on Saturday, August 6, and you're in Austin, then get yourself over to Burnet Road or some other location along Capital Metro's #3 bus route, because I'm celebrating my birthday with a renewal of the Number 3 Bus Pub Crawl!

Sorry for giving no advance warning on the blog — while I'd love for many of my regular readers to join me, I can't have everybody along, because that would turn this thing into an even worse clusterfuck than it will already be.

But if you're lucky enough to have nothing to do today and you can catch up with us, please do. Check my Twitter feed at http://twitter.com/ILoveBeerBlog for updates on where we are and where we're heading next. We'll start at the beginning of the route at North by Northwest's Brewer's Brunch at 10am and after we fill our bellies with breakfast and beer, we'll head south, literally and probably figuratively as well.

And if you have no idea what the Number 3 Bus Pub Crawl is, read about the first here (my 40th birthday) and the second one here (my 41st). I turn 43 today.

No prayer and fasting! Today is for debauchery and gluttony!

(Note: That Cap Metro illustration is there just for decoration. This event is in no way sanctioned or sponsored by Capital Metro.)

Flavored Beer Salt: Blech

Time for a quick product review. A San Antonio Company called Twang sent a box of flavored salts to The Austin Chronicle (for which I write). There were a variety of flavors and purposes: Several cocktail salts (for margaritas — including mango and lemon-lime flavored — and bloody mary) and several different flavors for putting on snacks.

The ones of interest to me: beer salts. I was immediately wary of these. I remembered my father, before he discovered craft beer, putting salt and lime in his Miller Lite. Looking back on it, I realize that must have been for one reason: Because Miller Lite has no flavor.

And when I was in college, I did like everyone else and squeezed lime into my Corona. I did this for the same reason: Because otherwise, Corona has no flavor. At the risk of offending Latinos everywhere, I'll boldly proclaim that this is a consistent theme in Mexican and other Latin American beers: They tend to always be flavorless water. Ideal, perhaps, for a hot climate — I myself like 'em cold and crisp in our Texas summers — but sadly, it means that I don't turn to those countries when I'm looking for something bolder. (Of course, beers like Fireman's 4 prove that a good summer beer doesn't have to be devoid of taste. And of course, I do not include the "Mexican style" beers of Cedar Park's Twisted X.)

So, to cut to the chase: I dumped some of this stuff (it came in lime and lemon-lime flavors) into a glassof Modelo Especial , and it just upheld my suspicions: This is for people who don't like the taste of beer. This is for people who drink Corona or Lite or whatever, oblivious to the fact that they are just drinking overpriced water, and need something to make it worthwhile for their tastebuds.

But if you actually like the taste of beer … just leave this stuff on the shelves. It's not for you.

More News From Freetail

More news from Freetail, sent to me while I was on vacation:

SAN ANTONIO-BASED BREWERY SUSPENDS PLANS FOR SECOND LOCATION
(July 27, 2011) San Antonio, TX – Having previously announced expansion into the Houston market, Freetail Brewing Co. will announce the indefinite suspension of plans for a second location — citing concerns over access to capital.

“As I moved forward with the Freetail Houston project, I began to run into an increasing level of resistance in capital markets. A brewpub is a good project for downtown Houston, but the deal is simply not there for me at this time,” explained Freetail Founder & CEO, Scott Metzger. “When we announced the project on May 17, we also stated there were financial considerations to be addressed. Those considerations are ultimately what put this project on hold indefinitely, and no other reason. To move forward with the project at this time would be irresponsible and an injustice to my company and the City of Houston.

“For now my focus will be to continue growing our successful original location, which has internal expansion needs of its own, and moving forward in the battle for fair reform of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code, as it relates to the activities of our state’s brewpubs and breweries,” added Metzger.

Freetail's "RealTail" Festival August 27

Press release from our friends down in San Antonio:

FREETAIL BREWING CO. ANNOUNCES 2^nd ANNUAL “RealTail” FESTIVAL TO BE HELD ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 27

Event with Blanco’s Real Ale Brewing Co. to also Feature Special Collaboration Beer

(August 3, 2011) San Antonio, TX – Freetail Brewing Co. is announcing that it will host RealTail II on Saturday, August 27. The annual festival will feature rare, barrel aged beers from both the local brewpub and Real Ale Brewing Co. from Blanco, TX in addition to a special collaborate beer developed by the two breweries.

Austin-to-Saint Arnold Bus Trip

Hey Austinites, would you like to check out Saint Arnold's new brewery in Houston? And more importantly, would you like someone else to be your designated driver? Here's your chance. This is on the Saint Arnold website:

Austin to the Brewery Bus Trip

Once again it's time for another trip down to Houston to see Texas' oldest craft brewery! If you have not been to the new brewery, now is your chance. Saturday, August 20, at 10:30 am we will meet at The Flying Saucer and depart at 11 am sharp. We will get there at the end of our regular Saturday tour and enjoy some cold Saint Arnold. Then we will open the iPub for lunch and more tasty beverages. We will leave the brewery at 5 pm and return to Austin at 8 pm. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased here:

Click here for tickets!

Shameless Self-Promotion

Hey, check it out, I'm today's "Featured Local Blogger" on the Spoken City blog. Damn, I wish I'd proofread my replies to their questions a little more carefully before I hit 'send.'