When on a beach in Mexico, what I really want is a Corona. When I'm hanging at an all-inclusive resort in Cozumel, I hope I'm drinking some crazy sweet, tropical thing like a Bahama Mama. Coronas and tropicals--the two drinks I associate with the beach.
But Galveston, TX is not that beach. It's not a Mexican beach. It's not a Caribbean beach. It's Galveston. Hell, they have signs on the beach explaining the joys of seaweed. Seriously. Seaweed may indeed be the eight wonder of the world, but it doesn't make me want to hang out on the beach and drink a Corona or even a Bahama Mama.
No, Galveston needs something different.
Enter Beerfoot Brewery, a great spot right on the seawall.
Charlie, the brewmaster of Beerfoot.
Beerfoot is a brewery, yes, but it's mostly a bar. The place where they brew their one-of-a-kind beer is more like a laundry room. Charlie, the brewmaster, is able to make some nifty beers in that little space, but he can only make two kegs at a time. So they have two different Beerfoot brews on tap every week. Yes, Charlie stays busy making each new draught.
When I went, they had two Beerfoot brews: Texas Breakfast, and Chai Wit. Both were really good. The Texas Breakfast was their attempt to make a beer that tastes like Captain Crunch. No, really. And they succeeded, too. You see, Beerfoot's brewery is so small that they invite in other brewers from around Texas, even sometimes homebrewers, to come in and try something that they couldn't do on a larger scale. That's how Texas Breakfast came about. A bit nutty, a bit sweet, a bit, well, crunchy.
The Chai Wit was even better. Most spiced beers just taste like a regular beer with a little spicy oil in it. Not this one. Charlie steeped a bottle of vodka with lots of chai tea, and, bam!, poured it in the wit beer. It is in-your-face spice. Cinnamon and cloves and nutmeg almost jump out of the glass.
The beer selection at Beerfoot Brewery.
Beerfoot Brewery also has a great tap selection. The first beer I had to try was the Hot Sculpin. As I have mentioned before, I love San Diego's Sculpin. It is a serious IPA, and its metallic finish tingles me. For the Hot Sculpin, they put peppers in it and let it steep. It's hot. It's burn-your-mouth weird. And it's not for me. I drank the whole pint, but I didn't really want to.
So stay away from the Hot Sculpin, but definitely drink whatever Charlie has cooked up that week.
If you're not a beer guy, you can still get a Jagerbomb at Beerfoot, too. Even though, they're a brewery, they have a full bar. But why go to a brewery and not drink the interesting beer???
