Saint Arnold Brewing Company - Saint Arnolds Amber Ale

Saint Arnolds Amber Ale brewed with both two-row pale and imported Belgium Caravienne malts which lend a caramel sweetness and fuller body to the beer. Brock uses only Pacific Northwest hop varieties. The addition of Cascades early in the brewing process gives the ale bitterness to balance the malt sweetness. A 2nd addition of Cascades during the boil gives this beer its pleasant hop flavor. Brock then finishes Liberty hops, a "Noble" variety, which gives a round, soft hop aroma. Immediately note a complex hop aroma up front with big floral tones and some spiciness as well in this light amber, filtered ale. We found it medium to full-bodied, very well balanced Amber Ale with a pleasant maltiness and yeast fruitiness in the body. Note excellent head retention & a slightly bitter finish. Overall, a great balance of malts and hops all the way through! We loved it.

Saint Arnold was born to a prominent Austrian family in 580 in the Chateau of Lay-Saint-Christophe in the old French diocese of Toul, north of Nancy. He married Doda, with whom he had many sons, two of whom were to become famous: Clodulphe, later called Saint Cloud, and Ansegis who married Begga, daughter of Pépin de Landen. Ansegis and Begga are the great-great-grandparents of Charlemagne, and as such, Saint Arnold is the oldest known ancestor of the Carolingian dynasty.

Saint Arnold was acclaimed bishop of Metz, France, in 612 and spent his holy life warning peasants about the dangers of drinking water. Beer was safe, and "from man's sweat and God's love, beer came into the world." The people revered Arnold. Go Figure. In 627, Saint Arnold retired to a monastery near Remiremont, France, where he died on August 16, 640.

In 641, the citizens of Metz requested that Saint Arnold's body be exhumed and ceremoniously carried to Metz for reburial in their Church of the Holy Apostles. During this voyage a miracle came to pass in the town of Champignuelles. The tired porters and followers stopped for a rest and walked into a tavern for a drink of their favorite beverage. Regretfully, there was only one mug of beer to be shared, but that mug never ran dry and all of the thirsty pilgrims were satisfied.

Just as Saint Arnold is recognized by the Catholic Church as the Patron Saint of Brewers, Brock Wagner should be recognized as the Patron Saint of Texas Brewers.

The owner of Saint Arnolds, Brock has a long history with beer. In fact, it starts before he was born. His great-great-great grandfather came from Alsace in the mid-1800's and opened Wagner's Beer Hall in San Francisco (now the oldest existing bar in the city, renamed The Saloon). Brock grew up in Cincinnati and Brussels, both big brewing towns, where he was exposed to many of the beer styles of the world. Then in college at Rice University, fate (and a friend) introduced him to homebrewing. This love of beer and brewing was what eventually led him to the inevitable: opening a microbrewery.

Brock develops the recipes for the Saint Arnold beers based on his own homebrewing experience coupled with a desire to create world-class beers for local tastes. His preference is for beers with rich malty, creamy flavors and no shortage of hops. Several of Brock’s beers have won awards, including two gold medals at the 1995 Colorado State Fair and a Silver Medal at the 1996 World Beer Championships.

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (713) 686-9494 or check out their web site at www.saintarnold.com.