Chano's Patio Brings Laredo a Finer Dining Experience

There’s a new eatery in town, so-named after its owner and head cook, Chano.  Thus, Chano’s, as it is called, is aptly named.  After all, this place is different.  The first thing a visitor notices is that the venue is completely outdoors; there’s no indoor seating.  Chano, too, cooks outside and is viewable by patrons through a wire mesh screen.  The natural setting, located in an older part of Laredo, works very well to create the mood that Chano’s is going for.  Birds chirping, soulful music played at an enjoyable volume from the speakers, and happy customers augment the positive vibes.  To add to the ambiance, the artwork on the walls—murals and abstract paintings and pictures created by local artists—line the giant wall behind the stage where local bands perform with delicate purpose.  At the top of the wall, the word “Freedom” repeats itself along the course of the perimeter of the wall.  An appropriate word that suits quite well the theme that Chano’s creates.

Now onto the food…it is outstanding!  The finest ingredients and the utmost care factor into food of the highest quality.  Cooked by Chano, himself, his lifetime of dedication to his craft are evident upon the first bite into any of the entrees.  Some seriously great recipes showcase the seriousness with which the food is prepared.  The cuisine is obviously made to irreversibly and positively impact the lives of patrons.  And so with the tasting complete, one is now officially and forevermore a member of this intimate society of return customers.

And that’s the point of such a place as Chano’s.  It strives for more—to be better.  It seeks to instill something new into the fabric of the community that helped fashion the character behind the restaurant.  All the more, it stays true to this vision of uniqueness and expression that has so often been lost to things corporate and impersonal.  While eating at Chano’s, one can’t help but feel a sense of something more and different that is evolving into a new sense of pride in the community of Laredo.  And that is exactly what we, the engineers behind this soon-to-be brewery intend for this city and its community that helped to make us who we are.  With the increasing popularity of a restaurant like Chano’s, we have hope that people are finally ready for something different—something more.

-Marc & Dan 

Drinking Wheat Beer (Hefeweizen) May Improve Your Health.

Recent evidence now suggests that drinking wheat beer also has its perks for living better, and it is not just used for getting happy after a few drinks. Wheat, unlike barley, has higher levels of protein in its yield. This is why wheat beer is known for having a characteristic cloudy appearance. Protein is a very important part of maintaining a healthy metabolism and essential to muscle growth with athletes. There is a significant amount of protein in wheat beer that can be further broken down into simpler carbohydrates that the body needs to remain healthy. This is perhaps why events like Tough Mudder will provide beer to the public after finishing their strenuous obstacles. Drinking 1-2 wheat beers a day may help prevent heart problems, reduce stress, and may extend the lifespan of a person. 

Since its discovery, wheat has developed into one of the most important crops consumed by humans. It has been historically used as flour for producing bread, which was and still is the lifeblood of most cultures since civilizations began to form. However, the wheat crop has historically had to compete with those parties wanting to produce bread and those wanting to produce beer. With the advent of modern war, it became clear that wheat resources would have to be used to produce bread instead of beer. But in recent times, wheat has made a huge comeback in the production of beer. The resurgence of wheat beer is due to more stable wheat output worldwide.

So, wheat beer does provide quite a few health benefits but let’s not forget that it is also a great beer to drink. We have considered this fact, which is why we have decided to produce our very own wheat beer, called a hefeweizen. A hefeweizen distinguishes itself as a very refreshing summer beer with its origins in Southern Germany. Our recipe remains true to Old World traditions by keeping beer simple and enjoyable. When savoring our delicious Hefe (pronounced Hef-uh), one could find a delicate banana and citrus taste that is complex yet subtle enough to enjoy after a good workout to replenish protein.

-Marc & Dan

Vienna Lager: The Mexican Lager?

Originally brewed in Vienna, Austria over 150 years ago, the Vienna lager is characterized by a dark brown/amber hue, a toasty, caramel flavor imparted by the Vienna malts, and its smooth mouthfeel due to the lagering process.  Initially attempting to replicate lager styles produced by their counterparts in northern Germany, Bavarian and Austrian brewers concluded that their water supply was not conducive to brewing the same recipes that they sought to replicate which used lighter grains.  To solve this problem, a Viennese brewer began using darker grains that were better suited to his town’s water profile.  Thus, the Vienna lager was a response to differences in water conditions that varied from region to region.

Ironically, however, despite its name and origin, there are hardly any breweries in Europe today that still brew Vienna lagers.  Instead, this style has a new home in Mexico where it has become a staple for more than a century, largely because of Austrian immigration into Mexico during the late 1800s when expats began employing the same brewing techniques used in Austria.  Recently, the Mexican-style Vienna lager has found its way into commercial success and onto store shelves in the U.S. with notable names that include Dos Equis’s Ambar Lager, Negra Modelo, Bohemia, and Indio.

Taking cues from this famed style, we have researched traditional ingredients and water profiles and have created our very own unique interpretation of the style. We used many ingredients from the old world such as Vienna Malts and Noble hop varieties found in Germany. We decided to give our Vienna Lager a twist by using biscuit and chocolate malts that add a smooth yet subtle complexity of fresh baked cookies with caramel undertones while remaining true to drinkability. We are confident that our version of this classic style will help spark up the new tradition of finer beer in our region. 

 Cheers!

Marc and Dan

Bottle vs. Can vs. Glass. What is the best way to enjoy your beer?

Rogue: Double Chocolate Stout

   There’s an another old myth that goes back as far as time itself that states that bottles are the way to go.  After all, what’s more ‘Murican than a nice cold bottle of your favorite brew?  They look cool on your shelf after use; they look cool in your hand while you drink them; and they make nice targets for shooting practice on your uncle’s ranch.  Supposedly, while the color of the bottle has to do with preventing light from changing the flavor, some allege that the color of the glass also adds extra flavor to the beer and determines the level of carbonation to be expected (I call BS on that one).  Furthermore, not only are the labels collectible, but the bottle caps are also pretty nifty and make nice baseball cap accessories.  Yet despite all the positives of beer in a bottle, one cannot take bottled beer to campsites or rivers.

Oskar Blues: Ten Fidy Imperial Stout

But on the other hand, there’s an equally numbered faction and equally old myth among beer junkies that cans are the way to go.  They’re reliable.  They don’t shatter.  They’re impervious to sunlight.  And best of all, you can drink them while floating down a river on a beautiful summer’s day.  However, with the advent of craft beer, snobs like to note that cans leave a tinny flavor that contributes to unintentional flavors.  Yet while that may have been correct for a long time, things have changed.  Canned beer is now produced with a type of technology that does not change the flavor of the beer.  Thus, beer lovers everywhere can now enjoy beer straight out of the can whilst floating down a river on a beautiful summer’s day and worry not about the beer police or, even worse, off-flavors.

Our Authentic-Style Hefeweizen

Nevertheless, if you’re looking for the completeness of flavor, aroma, and overall beer experience, nothing can replicate what you seek more than glass.  Glass allows the drinker to utilize his or her five senses in ways that bottles and cans do not.  With a glass, you can see the beer and witness its hue, admire its clarity or haziness as you hold the beer up to the light, and even hear the foam (if you listen delicately) that settles at the top after a good pour.  You can also savor the aroma of a finely crafted beer and inhale its complexity on a whole new level.  Furthermore, because—as the old saying goes:  taste is 90% smell—you can taste the beer more deeply and feel it on your palette on a whole different level because of the circumference of the glass that is wider than that of bottles and cans.

So ultimately, bottles or cans?  It just depends on your preference.  But what is certain is that glass trumps the others.  Better yet, glassware that is suited specifically for certain beer types.  But that’s a better topic best left for another day.

Cheers! 

Marc and Dan

Valentines Day Beer? Here is a brewer's guide for curing a heartbreak.

Alas, Valentine's Day is near.  Some love it.  Some loathe it.  Whatever your opinion, everyone admits that chocolate is good; and there's lots of it on Valentine's.

Although wine tends to be the socially accepted festive drink of this unofficial holiday, why not do things a little differently this time?  After all, variety is the spice of life.  Therefore, do yourself--and of course, your significant other--a favor, and drink a STOUT this time around.

However, as mentioned previously, Valentine's is not favored by everyone.  In that case, if you're heartbroken and you feel that your life is not worth living, you have ever MORE of a reason to drink yourself silly with a stout.  It's good for you, and it will make you feel better.  The doctor says so.

Here's why:

Reason #1.  The chocolate.  If you don't like chocolate, you don't like life.

Reason #2.  The coffee.  If you don't like coffee, you probably eat puppies.

Chocolate and roasty, coffee goodness.  Enough said.

RECOMMENDED STOUTS:

1 -Samuel Smith's Organic Chocolate Stout.  This beer is addictive, and is therefore well worth the price.  Who can refuse the name? 

2 -Brooklyn Dark Chocolate Stout.  Very, very roasty with large hints of coffee and dark chocolate.  Its namepulls no punches. If you are newly single and heartbroken, cry no more. This great offering has got you covered. 

3 -Founder's Breakfast Stout.  Widely considered to be not only one of the best stouts, but one of the best beers in the world, Breakfast Stout is rich with Kona and Sumatra coffee and genuine cacao. Try this one and you will end up like a baby who drank his breakfast too fast.

4 -Young's Double Chocolate Stout.  A world-class favorite, although naysayers scorn the overly sweet and Nestle-esque quality of the chocolate . Try this in a bottle and then the canned version and see if you taste any difference.

5 -Left Hand Milk Stout.  Smooth, creamy, and complex, it's hard to resist the subtlety on the palette provided by the lactose in this one. You may actually fool yourself into thinking there is in fact a trace of milk in your beer. 

In a holiday steeped in often pointless traditions and gimmicks (because we all know that giant teddy bears = true love), Valentine's has been done to death.  You owe it to your partner to add a darker, tastier, dreamier, more complex and ultimately more fulfilling side to your relationship:  Go with a stout.

-Marc & Dan

Dark Beer vs. Light-Colored Beer: Does Color Matter?

These days in the United States, the craft beer industry is booming.  Ales and lagers of various tints and hues find their ways into the bars, taverns, and store shelves of even the smallest, less involved communities.  But what’s with the color?  After all, everything that the U.S. has grown up with for the past 30 years has been the inoffensively light-complected offerings of Bud, Miller, and Coors.  Surely the light-colored stuff is the real deal.  Surely REAL beer cannot possibly be red, brown, or even black.

With so many questions racing through the minds of those less acquainted with craft beer, one of the questions always remains the same—“Why is THAT beer so DARK?” (*look of disgust).  The answer is simple:  it’s all in the grains.

As it turns out, different beer styles call for different types of grains.  Different types of grains yield different flavors.  And different flavors create a fascinating world of brews that require your attention…NOW.

However, there’s still that soul-searching dilemma that confounds those new to craft beer:  “Why would anyone want to drink a beer with so much alcohol?  That’s what dark beers are, right?”  Simply put:  No.  Not necessarily.  The color of the beer does not determine the alcohol content; the amount of sugars extracted from the grains determine the alcohol content.

For example, Bud Light Platinum at 6% ABV contains more alcohol by volume than Guinness Draught at a mere ~4.1% ABV.  Heck, Bud Light, Miller Lite, and Coors Light all have higher alcohol content than the O-so-dark beer, Guinness Draught.

That said, color isn’t so important.  The color of the beer really doesn’t make much difference in overall heaviness or taste of the beer.  Though the color of the beer could be used as an indicator of how the beer will most likely taste, that’s not always clear cut, either.  Perhaps the real importance of a beer’s color just depends on someone’s personal preference.

-Marc & Dan

By the way, these are our beers ;)

2014 Border Beerfest

A diverse and congenial group of people showed up to support the growing craft beer movement in Laredo. From Clown Shoes in Massachusetts, to Big Sky in Montana, to Sierra Nevada in California a pretty good representation of craft brew was available.

The South Texas Border Beerfest is a rather new tradition to the city of Laredo. It is a showcase to the rapidly growing phenomenon of the Craft Beer movement. It is wonderful to see a growing number of people going out and seeking out beer for the craft that it is.

Getting to meet the many beer enthusiasts from around town was the best part of the night. The sizeable crowd and the excitement they had for sampling the gamut of beers available was inspiring and refreshing.

Being able to finally meet local homebrewers and people interested in homebrewing was equally exciting. I was impressed with the willingness of other homebrewers to share their collective knowledge with everyone. That kind of passion motivates me to keep brewing and is what will help Laredo to emerge into a craft beer locale in the near future.

My experience at the Border Beer Fest was a great one, and I'm more certain than ever that this town of 250,000 residents is ready for the first craft brewery. Prost!

-Marcus