4. Texas-Grown Magnum Hop Cone
Robert C Deming
Lifestyle
There isn’t much Texas in your Texas Craft Beer, But is That About to Change?
By |
To put this all together takes progressive thinking brewers like Brian Dwyer. Although he is not from Texas, his brewing career has been shaped by experience in Maine, where breweries make an effort to support local farmers. Brian brews at Oasis Texas Brewing Company above the Colorado River northwest of Austin, and he is not driven so much by Texas pride as by the desire to make an excellent and unique lineup of beer. If you haven’t visited, you are in for a treat; some of their beers have won big medals, and the view off their cliff is inspiring.
Photo: Robert C Deming
That brings us back to hops – also assumed to be impossible to grow in the Texas heat. “Not so fast!” says one Texas farmer. He planted seven varieties of hops on his farm, and six did quite well. He believes his land and climate are similar to Idaho, famous for its hop production, with one exception: high winds from Texas summer storms. His challenge is to build a trellis which will hold the tall vines in high winds. A creative thinker, he is engaged by this challenge, which for him is just another day on the farm.
5.Support Your Local Brewery
Photo: Robert C Deming
Texas Craft Beer has one big challenge – YOU. Were you aware that craft beer is only 12% of the total beer consumption in the US? Texas has around 250 breweries selling to that small sliver of the market. Swear off cheap mass-produced factory “beer” in favor of the real deal made right here.
A version of this article was originally published in 
Heart of Texas Magazine, Spring 2018, by Texas Media Group, LLC. All Rights Reserved.”
