Huff Brewing Company – A Texas Craft Beer Find!

           Sometimes I get lucky and find an interesting place to visit just by accident. On a recent day trip to get Suzanne out of the house when she’s feeling better after chemo, we were driving through Bellville. This is a route we take often through the back roads when we head out west of Houston. Bellville is a typical Texas small town with old historic buildings, a town square and numerous small businesses dotting the roads. I asked Suzanne to check and see if there would be anything interesting for us to do in town.

One of the internet searches brought up Huff Brewing Company. Since it was a hot late afternoon, I commented to Suzanne that these small craft brewery entrepreneurs reminded me of the pioneering Texian spirit of days long past, when pioneers left their homes and families to search for a better life. I mentioned to her how difficult it must be to sink your savings and hard labor into such an endeavor. Fortunately for me, she took the bait and asked if I would like to stop and try their beers. I replied, “OK, if you think it’s a good idea.” Deep inside I was excited about the idea of having a couple of ice cold beers at a new craft brewery, while making it seem like it was Suzanne’s idea.  Quite an accomplishment considering the fact that she can’t have alcohol right now!

While Huff Brewing is currently not always open on Saturdays, this particular Saturday afternoon they were open. (You have to check their Facebook page for Saturday times.) The brewery is nestled in a barbwire community outside of Bellville.  Although the brew house is unassuming on the outside, once inside, it was easy to see that these country boys are serious about producing quality beer. The brewery setup is very professional and similar to some of the larger breweries we have visited.

Once inside, we met our hostess, Susan, who is also one of the owners of the brewery. Suzanne asked her why she wanted to own a craft brewery. Her quick and short answer came with a big smile, “I love to drink beer!” Sounds like a good reason to me to own a brewery. Made me think of Blue Bell, “we drink all we can and sell the rest!” While Suzanne’s inquiry was interesting, she missed the most important question.  “How good does the beer taste?” So, I put them to the test. Drinking a short glass of each of their four beers, I treated them like a wine tasting. I looked at the color, swirled the beer in my glass, felt the coldness of the brew, and sipped slowly, while embracing my foam mustache. Without laughing out loud, our hostess Susan kept a straight face and answered all our questions about the brews and the brewery. Little did she know that I am a seasoned beer drinker who thought to have a little fun while enjoying the beers!

Huff’s four brews are: Huff’s Original, Huffmiester, Overture and Troilis. The light lager Huffmiester was my personal favorite.  Troilis was the most interesting.  It is aged in Cognac barrels for up to sixteen weeks to infuse the Cognac flavors with the amber lager. As far as where to buy these tasty brews, they are just now getting into the Houston markets and have plans to introduce a canned beer soon. They are on tap at The Farm Drinkery at Louetta and Champions Forest and soon you will be able to find them at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.  For other locations and the brewery hours, check their website and Facebook page.

The best bet in my opinion is to visit the brewery near Bellville and have a few brews while soaking up the country ambiance. Ask for Susan and tell her Suzanne and I sent you! She will treat you right. Ask your favorite watering hole to add the Huff Brewing Company tap beers to their stable of brews. The pioneering entrepreneur spirit is alive and still kicking. Let’s keep it that way as we see Texas Thru My Back Door!

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