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Brace yourselves! Meteorologists from all over the Lone Star State agree that summer 2018 is going to be a warm one.
Lucky for us, Karbach Brewing Company is around to not only quench our thirst but make summer a little bit sweeter with their seasonal summer beers and Love Street Music Fest. I sat down with Eric Warner, founding brewmaster at Karbach Brewing Company to talk about beer, fruit and—of course—the ultimate beer and dinner pairing.
Karbach’s summer beers – what do we need to know?
Tasty Waves is our summer seasonal this year. It’s a mashup—a wheat beer with a touch of acidity like a Gose (fermented beer) to give it that refreshing tartness. It has a touch of salt reminiscent of summer waves and is finished with passion fruit puree. What’s even better is that a portion of proceeds go to the nonprofit organization, Coastal Conservation Association Texas.
We also recently released Blood Orange Radler and Weekday Warrior. The key ingredient to a delicious Radler is a kickass soda, and that’s why we make our own natural soda in-house. The Blood Orange Radler is amazing alone, and you can also mix it with your favorite liquor for a refreshing cocktail. Weekday Warrior is an incredibly low calorie session IPA that is different. Most session IPAs have a bitter hoppy taste, but with this one we aimed for a smooth and full body. The hop profile is really unique – it has a citrus tropical fruit and melon character. It’s perfect for a hot summer day.
How do the summer beer flavor profiles differ from other seasonal beers?
A lot of our seasonal beers have been lager beers, like Pilsner and Karbachtoberfest, whereas Tasty Waves is an ale. It uses Belgian witbier yeast and oats that gives some unique flavor, aroma, and body. It’s fun to see people enjoy the unique flavor of Tasty Waves.
Do you think the trend for fruity/citrus beers is here to stay?
Yes, there is no question that fruit-forward beers have been gaining steam. Between Radlers and the fruity Gose styles, many breweries are bringing fruit and citrus to the forefront. If you look at the millennial drinking patterns, you’ll see there is a love for variety. They often drink wine, beer and spirits and they might enjoy each in one night. These mashups that involve flavors that might be more typical in a wine or cocktail, such as fruit and citrus, will live to be a sustainable trend.
What can people expect at Love Street Music Fest?
Love Street Music Fest will include a fantastic lineup of local and national musicians from Bleachers to Tontons, and of course, refreshing Karbach beers. It will be a great opportunity to come taste the Karbach beers you’ve always wanted to try—including all our new summer beers. It will be in the low 90’s – the perfect setting for refreshing brews.
What is your ultimate Karbach Beer/meal pairing?
Texas is so well known for BBQ, and our Hopadillo IPA goes perfect with lightly spicy smoky foods, so I’d recommend a Hopadillo IPA with brisket.
Gabi De la Rosa lives in Houston with her husband and three children. You can usually find her at a great local restaurant or out exploring HTX with her family.
