Texas brew review: Independence Brewing introduces a refreshing, tart summer beer

Everyone has their own definition for the ideal refreshing beverage. Water, lemonade, sports drink, beer: the list is endless.

Even among those who prefer a cold beer to quench their thirsts, there exists a wide variety of preference on what satisfies most.

Many will forever cling to their favorite mainstay in the “light” category while others swear by Mexican beers like Corona or Dos Equis.

Many craft fans prefer lighter craft fare such as Saint Arnold Fancy Lawnmower Kolsch, Lakewood Rock Ryder or Real Ale Hans Pils while others will tell you big-hop IPAs like Ballast Point Sculpin or pale ales like Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale hit the spot.

Still others prefer beer and fruit juice mixes like shandies and radlers. Needless to say, in 2015, our choices extend far beyond the Lite of yesteryear.

A relatively new trend for Texas palates in the thirst-quenching game is the Berliner wiesse. Not a particularly common style, this low-alcohol German summer beer is brewed with lactic yeast cultures that give it a distinct sour-tart finish.

Houston’s Saint Arnold launched Boiler Room a couple of years back and some other Texas breweries have made one-offs of the style. Austin’s Independence Brewing is the latest to brew one with its latest canned offering, RedBud.

RedBud is as light colored as beer gets with a pale lemony hue and a spritzy white head. It’s slightly funky with a tart bite and lemony finish. It’s refreshing in the same way that lemonade is.

Its distinctive qualities do more than wet your whistle. They satisfy the core human desire for citrus — even if this beer contains none. It’s slightly bolder than some Berliner weisses and a little higher in alcohol at 4.5 percent, but it’s damn tasty and an impressive jump for the veteran Austin mainstays.

Independence has increased the number of beers it cans and several are available throughout DFW now. RedBud certainly deserves your attention this summer.

Craft Brew and Music fest

The Pour House in Fort Worth will host the Trinity River Craft Brew and Music Festival 3-8 p.m. Saturday, May 30. Featuring 14 rare beers and 4 bands, the festival the Hope Center for Autism. Of course, the day before, The Pour House is holding a retirement party for its name, so maybe they’ll be called something different when the festival happens. pourhousefw.com/

Brew-B-Q back again

Back for its fifth year, Deep Ellum Brewing’s annual Brew-B-Q is this Sunday from 5-10 p.m. The event features rare Deep Ellum beers and food from Rudy’s BBQ. www.deepellumbrewing.com/

Quick sips

Cedar Creek grand opening: Southeast of Dallas, in Seven Points, Cedar Creek Brewing will have the grand opening of its brewery 4-9 p.m. Friday. One the area’s more underrated breweries, Cedar Creek will expand production and have a new and improved taproom for visitors. 244 E. Cedar Creek Parkway, Seven Points. 214-502-9795; cedarcreekbrewery.com/

Rabbit Hole in Wonderland: Justin’s Rabbit Hole Brewing hosts its largest event of the year with Summer in Wonderland 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Featuring an impressive list of its own beers as well as guest beers from Austin’s Oasis Brewing and Adelbert’s, the event will feature a variety of food, music, coffee and crafts. 608 Topeka Ave., Justin. rabbitholebrewing.com

Ivanhoe launches: New Denison brewery Ivanhoe Ale Works, 220 W. Main St., will host its grand opening 1-4 p.m. Saturday with a ribbon-cutting, live music and food.

This story was originally published May 22, 2015 at 7:55 AM with the headline "Texas brew review: Independence Brewing introduces a refreshing, tart summer beer."