We drink two of the best sours in Texas, Atrial Rubacite from Jester King and Sea of Waves from True Anomaly, all while sharing our opinions and detailed instructions on how to perform the biggest faux pas when visiting breweries.  Ryan brings it home with some beer news and Drew shares his toddler woes on airplanes. Featured Beers: Atrial Rubacite.  Jester King Brewery, Austin, TX. 5.8% ABV. Sea of Waves. True Anomaly Brewing, Houston, TX. 8.5% ABV.   Other Shout-Outs: GABF Texas Craft Brewers Conference Houston Beer Guide Houston Beer Month Elder Son Southern Yankee Yelp 4J Br ..read more

We back? It’s been a minute since our last episode, so we pay penance to the beer gods by drinking weird beers while we bring you up-to-speed with the state of affairs in craft beer and in our hoods.  Tarot cards, anonymous Facebook posts, and Troy Aikman branded beer, all in the same episode? Featured Beers: Slice Sipper.  Sixpoint Brewery, Brooklyn, New York. 5% ABV. Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier-Marzen. Schlenkerla (“heller-Brau” Trum), Bamberg, Bayern Germany.  5.1% ABV Evan’s 5 Year Beer. Eureka Heights Brew Co., Houston, TX. 3.5% ABV. Buckle Bunny. Eureka Heights Brew Co, Ho ..read more

It has been well established on our Podcast that host Ryan likes his beers (and other drinks) unadulterated.  So what did we do to him?  We made him face his fears and drink a wide range of beer mixed drinks for the first time ever, tournament style!  And let him talk about more conspiracy theories.   Featured Beer Mixed Drinks: Michelada: Spicy Michelada Mix by Space City Snax.  Maracas Mexican Lager by Nook Brewing Company, Broken, Arrow, OK (or Zeno’s if you are Ryan). Black and Tan: Guinness and Zeno’s Pale Ale by Lone Pint Brewing Company, Magnolia, TX. Black Velv ..read more

Ryan and Drew crack into some of the best beers from Belgium and Germany while sitting outside on the edge of the Austin, TX wilderness.  In an episode rife with bad accents and pronunciations, your hosts discuss why Euro beers have fallen down so far on the Beer Advocate ratings while paying homage to these classic styles.  Will Ryan learn to appreciate the Belgian quad?   Will we be able to finish the episode without being interrupted by coyotes?  Tune in and find out.   Featured Euro Beers      Duvel. Duvel Moortgat. Puurs, Vlaanderen Belgium. 8.5% AB ..read more

In this episode, we do what we love best - beer news and blind tastings - but also answer some pretty important questions.  Mexican Lagers are often considered basic beers, but are craft Mexican lagers an exception?  And more importantly, could you pick them out of a lineup?  And while we’re at it, where do you stand on putting fruit in your beer?  It's time to take a stand. Featured Mexican Lagers:      Scout.  True Anomaly Brewing,  Houston, TX.  7.6% ABV. Dos Equis Lager.  Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma S.A. de C.V.  4.2% ABV Mode ..read more

The Beering Ain’t Easy podcast has evolved into a new form fueled by Chat GPT and Artificial Intelligence, or in short, Beer GPT.   We test out the capabilities of current AI and whether it poses a risk to white collar jobs, the writer’s guild, or at a minimum the low-grade humor you come to love on our podcast.  We play around with AI generated beer descriptions, movie descriptions, and even generate and record a Beering Ain’t Easy rap!' Featured Beers:      Dry Hopped Kolsch.  New Magnolia Brewing, Houston, TX.  4% ABV. One Very Important Thought.  Lua ..read more

One of the earliest US craft beer icons from New Belgium, the one and only Fat Tire, has gone through a major overhaul.  New recipe, new logo, and new branding with sustainability at the forefront.   We pull out our last batch of the old recipe and drink it side by side with the new and debate which tastes better, what does it mean to be a carbon neutral beer, and whether sustainability actually sells.  And in true podcast fashion we’ll go off track with trivia about the brewery, pop culture from Fat Tire’s original release in 1991, and popular songs that were hijacked by movies ..read more

So, you’re supposed to drink IPA’s fresh, right?  Well it may be common sense to you but we’re going to test it in an experiment anyway as is tradition.  We sample three Saint Arnold Art Car IPA’s at varying levels of freshness and answer why do IPA’s degrade, how do they degrade, and what are the best and worst types of beers to age?  And just in case proving common sense beer facts is not your thing, we also provide a meticulous and entertaining recap of the Bud Light Culture War Saga from the month of April! Beers We’re Drinking:      Art Car.  Saint Arnol ..read more

Asa Hanrahan, General Manager of the Houston Flying Saucer, joins the podcast to share his experiences spanning 16 years at the cornerstone beer bar and landmark of Downtown Houston!  We discuss the craft beer evolution in Texas, Houston new downtown patio space along Main Street, the staying power of the franchise, and the resurgence of Euro beers.  You’ll even find out the most famous people to step foot in the Houston Saucer!  And if that’s not enough, Drew finally joins the Ring of Honor after 18 years!   Beers We Mentioned:      New Belgium Sunshine Whea ..read more

This week we talk about the one topic Ryan enjoys more than beer… conspiracy theories.  We go through a series of wacky beer-related conspiracy theories and make up a few unsubstantiated theories of our own. Plus Ryan runs down Birds Aren’t Real and his favorite conspiracy theories of all time and Drew explains the myth of the Sumerian beer goddess Ninkasi.  As Shania Twain might have said: Man, hops make me feel like a woman! Featured Beers:      Banger IPA.  Saint Arnold Brewing.  Houston, TX.  Imperial Hazy IPA. 8.4% ABV. Houston Haze.  Spindleta ..read more