New Braunfels To Release HimmelWeiss Texas Beer

From New Braunfels Brewing:

On May 10, 2014, New Braunfels will release the first ever Texas beer  .

Yeah, you read that right. Up until now, all beer produced in Texas has been made from grains grown and malted OUTSIDE the boundaries of the Lone Star State. If we were talking wine, it would be federally illegal to label the beverage Texan.

From TTB’s website:

Whether mandatory or optional, an appellation of origin may be used on a wine label only if:

With a viticultural area appellation of origin:
1. The labeled area is an American viticultural area approved under U.S. regulations (specifically 27 CFR Part 9)
2. Not less than 85% of the volume of the wine is derived from grapes grown in the labeled viticultural area

The wine is fully finished (except for cellar treatment and/or blending which does not alter the class and type of the wine) in the state or one of the states where the viticultural area is located

On Thursday, April 17, New Braunfels Brewing Company will brew their 5th Elemental beer, HimmelWeiss, for the first time. The beer will be made with 85% wheat grown in Hutto, TX and malted in Leander, TX. The wheat is malted by start-up, Blacklands Malt, out of Leander.

“Sourcing local grains for our beer lineup has always been our plan for NBBCo.” Said owner and brewer Kelly Meyer. “I created all of our recipes from 85% wheat malt, a plan from the beginning to be able to create a federal ABA to protect the unique flavors and character of beer made from our TX malt.”

HimmelWeiss is a wheat saison that is equal parts sweet and spicy. The character of the TX wheat malt will carry the body of the beer. Saaz hops will be used both in the boil and in the dry hop to add spicy bitterness and aroma. Lemongrass is added to give a smooth complexity. And, finally, our German yeast that ferments all of our beers will give a big ester profile at the higher fermentation temperature.

“When I first mashed with this batch of Red Winter Wheat malt I was immediately surprised at how sweet the wort was. More surprising though was this very distinct earthy flavor that I have to say is a terroir you will only find in Texas wheat.” Remembers Brandon Ade, owner of Blacklands Malt. ”Looking back on the long road to getting to this point it astonishes me the amount of work it has taken to make malting local grains a reality. I believe it is an important step in connecting folks back to the land around them and it requires the dedicated support of brewers like NBBCo to drive this new venture forward.”

The first taste of HimmelWeiss will be available at the New Braunfels Brewing Co Anniversary Party at the brewery May 10. Tickets are available at www.eventbrite.com and are limited to 300.
.