Beat the Heat Big Time: The Beers of Summer, Texas Edition

“It is 97° outside as I type this,” writes Brock Wagner of Saint Arnold Brewing Company in Houston, Texas.

That’s exactly why Whopperjaw wanted to give Texas its own scorecard in “The Beers of Summer.” It’s a state that’s damn hot and damn big. Welcome, then, to The Beers of Summer, Texas Edition.

From his spot at the oldest craft brewery in Texas, Wagner is very much in a Pilsner mood. “There are so many great beers out there,” he acknowledges, “if you ask me for three perfect summertime beers I’ll probably give you a different answer every time you ask.” This day, here are Wagner’s three suggestions:

• Saint Arnold Summer Pils: “Obviously designed for days like today,” he says. “Light, but has some malt and a nice hop flavor.”
• Pilsner Urquell, unfiltered and unpasteurized: “Not a very practical answer, since there are only two places you can get this, and both are in Plzen.” We imagine Wagner leaning back in his chair, taking an ample swig from his glass and adding with a grin, “But you didn’t ask me to be practical.”
• New Glarus Edel Pils: “This is one of the most satisfying beers I’ve ever had.”

Whopperjaw reached Christine Celis, daughter of world-renowned brewmaster Pierre Celis, who is “taking her father’s world-famous recipes and bringing them back to beer fans everywhere.” She immediately thought of one of our old favorites. “I used to love the original Celis White (1991-1995) when it was brewed by Celis Brewery,” she writes. “It had the right amount of coriander and orange peel, and was so refreshing!”

Her current picks:

•  Brouwers Verzet Oud Bruin or Brouwerij Bockor’s Cuvée des Jacobins Rouge: “Mmm…delicious!”
•  Alaskan Summer Ale: “Slightly tart, but very clean and crisp,” she explains. “ An excellent summer beer for me.”
• Sünner Kölsch: “An easy-drinking lager, nice and dry, great carbonation, grassy aroma. And I love the perfect lacing in the glass.”

When someone achieves the title of “Chief Sales Sensei,” as Tait Lifto of Dallas’s Deep Ellum Brewing Company has, you’d better listen up. “I know I didn’t list any of our own beers,” Lifto writes. “I felt it’d be too pedantic.”

So, without playing favorites, here are his seasonal selections:

• Live Oak Hefeweizen: “One of the best Hefeweizens outside of Germany you can find anywhere,” says Lifto. “ I’m fortunate to live in Dallas and Live Oak is out of Austin, so finding it isn’t an issue for me. But if you live out of state, create an excuse to visit Texas and track one of these bad boys down. This 5.2% Hefe pours with a nice cloudy yellow and great head, then brings in a wonderful banana taste. So refreshing.”
• Chimay 10: “I know it sounds insane since it’s so high in ABV (8%), but I actually prefer higher ABVs, and a nice Belgian Tripel is right up my alley on a hot summer day,” Lifto explains. “Honestly, there are a couple tripels that I prefer over Chimay 10 (also known as ‘Chimay White’ since the label is white) but a nice thing about this beverage is how easy it is to find across the US, so I don’t have to drive far to get my ‘fix.’ Chimay White also has a nice banana flavor, but you also pick up some sweet malt and some light spice with a bit of hop bitterness on the finish.

Interested in other cool brews? Check out our earlier installments of The Beers of Summer: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

Have your own recommendation? Add it in the comments!