Paul Kushner
Houston is one of the most popular cities in Texas, with the NASA Space Center, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, and the Museum of Fine Arts. When I finish sightseeing every day, I love to kick back and visit some of the best breweries in Houston. If you’re visiting this city and want to know where to get a drink, check out my favorite fun places to go out.
Astral Brewing
4816 N Shepherd Dr suite a, Houston, TX 77018
Phone: (713) 534-1067
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Astral Brewing is one of the best places to go out in Houston’s Independence Heights neighborhood. The taproom is open six days a week with a great happy hour, so I try to stop by on weekday afternoons to take advantage. Some of my favorite beers here are the Northeast and West Coast IPAs. However, they have lighter seasonal beers for when I don’t want something too hoppy.
Saint Arnold Brewing Company
2000 Lyons Ave, Houston, TX 77020
Phone: (713) 686-9494
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This brewery is the oldest craft brewery in Texas, so I always recommend people stop here instead of other bars. It’s north of downtown Houston, in an industrial area that gives them a great outdoor space where I love to sit and enjoy beers on nice days. They have seasonal beers on tap, so I always check out a unique drink I’d never get anywhere else. However, they also offer cider and non-alcoholic beverages, so there’s something for everyone at Saint Arnold Brewing Company.
SpindleTap Brewery
10622 Hirsch Rd, Houston, TX 77016
Phone: (713) 325-1477
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SpindleTap Brewery is in north Houston, right off Hirsch Road near Tidwell Park. The brewery has a cool outdoor seating area, but the inside has air conditioning, which can be crucial depending on what time of year I visit Houston. The brewers offer a selection of hazy beers I can never resist, but they also have a unique offering on the menu: coffee. I like to have a selection of hazy double IPAs before grabbing a bag of coffee beans to help me wake up the next morning.
Eureka Heights Brew Co
941 W 18th St, Houston, TX 77008
Phone: (832) 953-4677
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As you might guess from the name, this brewery is in the Houston Heights neighborhood, just blocks from Timbergrove Manor Park and the White Oak Bayou Greenway Trail. There are always seasonal beers on tap, like English pale ales, golden ales, and cream ales, to celebrate each major holiday. They also have year-round beers and hard seltzer.
True Anomaly Brewing Company
2012 Dallas St, Houston, TX 77003
Phone: (346) 704-5701
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True Anomaly Brewing Company is in East Downtown Houston, offering some of the best Belgian and sour ales I’ve ever had. It’s right off I-69, not far from Graffiti Park, so it’s a great place to stop in and have a beer after spending time outside. I always order the American IPA or pale ale for the unique taste of Citra hops in each, but their seasonal menu also hits the spot. I can’t turn down a Belgian blonde in summer or a barrel-aged golden sour in fall, so it’s fun to try different items each time I visit.
Karbach Brewing Co.
2032 Karbach St, Houston, TX 77092
Phone: (713) 680-8886
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Whenever I need a break from navigating the mess of US 290 and I-610, I get off at West 18th Street and head over to Karbach Brewing Co. It’s a peaceful place to kick back and have a hazy, double or imperial tropical IPA that made the place famous. While many breweries don’t offer food or occasionally have food trucks on site, Karbach stands out because they have a restaurant open seven days a week. In addition to bar food snacks, I can order delicious upscale items like hummus and crudites, truffle parmesan fries, and gourmet pizza.
Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co
2101 Summer St, Houston, TX 77007
Phone: (713) 714-3335
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Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co is across from the Classical Theatre Company, right down the street from Art Alley at Sawyer Yards. It’s one of the best breweries in Houston because they keep several beers on tap, along with six special beers per season. They also serve wine, Micheladas, and mimosas. The food menu stands out as upscale, homemade bar snacks. They have some of the best fries or tots because they offer topics like Mediterranean kabob, tikka masala, and carne asada, so I get a unique taste when I order something to soak up the beer.
B-52 Brewing Co.
12470 Milroy Ln, Conroe, TX 77304
Phone: (936) 447-4677
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The B-52 Brewing Co. is on three acres of land near Lake Conroe, so I feel like I escape the city whenever I stop in for a drink. They have an expansive patio and picnic tables set up across the land, along with cornhole games. I like to order a dry-hopped pilsner or the unique toasted coconut Schwarzbier, but they also have hard cider and mead, which is a nice change from the standard beers I get at most breweries.
8th Wonder Brewery
2202 Dallas St, Houston, TX 77003
Phone: (713) 581-2337
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8th Wonder Brewery is one of the most fun places to get drinks after seeing games at Minute Maid Park or Shell Energy Stadium since it’s a few blocks away. They have a vast menu of beers, plus spiked seltzer. The brewery partnered with Bayou City Hemp Company to offer unique CBD herbal seltzers, so I can unwind with a nice drink even if I don’t want beer.
11 Below Brewing Company
6820 Bourgeois Rd, Houston, TX 77066
Phone: (281) 444-2337
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This brewery is in the Willowbrook neighborhood of Northwest Houston, not far from Cutten Green Park. They have a solid year-round selection of blonde and American amber ales and IPAs, but I always try their seasonal offerings when I visit. They make unique double IPAs that taste hoppier than any other beer I’ve had.
Southern Star Brewing
3525 N Frazier St, Conroe, TX 77303
Phone: (936) 441-2739
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Southern Star Brewing is just north of Houston in Conroe, worth the short drive when I want a great craft beer in a unique setting. The brewery is on 13 acres of land that includes a Biergarten, live music stage, and disc golf course. I like to make a day out of my visits here and take part in as much activity as I can.
Holler Brewing Co.
2206 Edwards St Suite A, Houston, TX 77007
Phone: (832) 781-0555
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Holler Brewing Co. is about two blocks south of Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co, in a strip mall on Edwards Street, so when I have time to hit two breweries in one stop, those are my go-to’s. This brewery has the best ales and lagers and is open seven days a week, so I never miss a chance to stop in for a drink.
Great Heights Brewing Company
938 Wakefield Dr, Houston, TX 77018
Phone: (281) 220-6900
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Great Heights Brewing Company is in the Garden Oaks, Oak Forest area, affectionately called “the Goof.” However, the beers here are serious. I like to sip on American, New England, and Imperial IPAs in the taproom, then bring back a to-go growler of hefeweizen or Kolsch. The brewery partners with City Orchard to offer ciders, and I always like to try the seasonal offerings on tap.
No Label Brewing Co.
5351 1st St, Katy, TX 77493
Phone: (281) 693-7545
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This brewery in this historic area of Katy is right off I-10 and Highway Boulevard. My favorite thing about No Label Brewing Co. is that it’s open seven days a week, so I can visit anytime I’m in Houston. They have an amazing selection of IPAs, including a hazy and a West Coast, or a Kolsch, blonde, and hefeweizen if you want something lighter. Despite the name No Label, the beer cans have amazing artwork, so I always grab a six-pack to bring home.
Ingenious Brewing Company
1986 S Houston Ave, Humble, TX 77396
Phone: (832) 412-2142
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I never expected to see this brewery tucked behind a business park, but Ingenious Brewing Company has a great location with a nice outside patio and lawn. It’s not far from Schott Park, the Humble Civic Center, and I-69. I love to visit this brewery because they make small batches of unique beers, so I never try the same thing twice. They have sours made with fresh fruit and some of the hoppiest IPAs I’ve ever had.
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