Historically speaking, tastes tend to repeat themselves. Beer drinkers and hops history buffs of every taste are sure to find these rare brews from Spec’s selection the sure cure for summertime blues.
Southern Star Walloon is the only Grissette available in Texas. Originating in Southern Belgium, the grissette was the choice drink of 19th century coal miners. This lighter-than-saison, farmhouse-style beer is uniquely suited to warm weather drinking. With notes of persimmon, mango and banana, this sweet southern wheaty brew’s zesty carbonation suits itself to meals or serves as a great summertime cooler.
Lindeman’s is the only commercially available Faro on the local market. A Faro is a low-alcohol, light and winelike beer. By sweetening a funky lambic with brown sugar rather than fruit, this wheat beer achieves a crisp tartness and serves as a wonderful aperitif. This summer sipper is not to be missed.
For hopheads there’s Dogfish Head’s Burton Baton. This pre-IPA oak-aged English export is the granddaddy of the hop intensive. The burton is made by brewing two separate batches of beer: an English-style old ale and an imperial IPA. When both have fully fermented, each is transferred from a stainless steel vat and blended together in a giant oak tank where the brew will continue to ferment for about a month, which imbues it with a tasty blend of citrusy hops and woody, vanilla notes from the oak.
If you’re in the mood for a beer that goes down smoothly with any meal, choose Jester King Petit Prince, an increasingly popular table beer. This low-alcohol brew (2.9%) proves that you can enjoy plenty of flavor and still keep your feet under you.
Submitted by: Levi Castello, Store #60 in Austin, Texas
