Texas Leaguer Brewing - 2 Hopper

This IPA pours a bright, clear golden color with plenty of off-white foam that laces the glass nicely as it subsides. In the aroma, look for super inviting fruity notes to jump out right away, showcasing fragrant tropical character evoking pineapple and mango, joined by prominent stone fruits, touches of melon, some candied citrus tending towards orange and lemon, and even some berry-like hints, all overlaid by a soft floral quality. This multifaceted cocktail of fruity hops continues on the palate too, supported by a sturdy malt backbone that provides a dose of balancing caramelization amidst a super smooth and satisfying medium body. We found the hop bitterness to come through moderately firm, offering a good dose of drying bite without obscuring the other hoppy fireworks. For pairing options, we’d steer towards roasted fowl or pork with a fruity sauce or glaze, or a teriyaki chicken sandwich topped with grilled pineapple. Latin dishes with a fruity tropical salsa should work well, too. Cheers!

Located in Missouri City in Fort Bend County, towards the southwest of the Houston metro area, is Texas Leaguer Brewing. Founded in 2017, the brewery (often just called TXL, for short) is the brainchild of Houston native Nathan Rees, who began toying around with the idea of starting a local brewery while homebrewing with friends about four years prior. Nathan and his wife Elise ultimately made the dream into a reality, and their hometown of Missouri City was a natural spot for the brewery as there were no others within many miles. After much planning and perfecting of recipes with brewer Doc Rebeck, the brewery launched with four beers in the fall of 2017.

With a massive love of both beer and baseball – passions which bring communities together – it was natural for Nathan to choose a baseball theme for the brewery, as the enterprise was designed around a brewery-taproom concept to serve as a local watering hole and hangout spot for the local community. Their 12,000 sq. ft. facility boasts a 25-barrel system and a large open-air warehouse taproom area known as TXL Beerpark, featuring rotating food trucks, live music, Sunday crawfish boils, Farm System Fridays for small batch releases, Little Leaguer Root Beer for the kids, cornhole and board games, and, of course, a big screen to watch the Astros and sports in general.

In addition to their canned beers for retail distribution, TXL currently offers over two dozen beers and a couple of hard seltzers on tap at the brewery. For more info on the brewery and upcoming events, visit them at txleaguer.com.