Texas Leaguer Brewing - Robot Umpires

This IPA from TXL is brewed in the relatively new “Cold IPA” substyle, which is essentially like an uber-West-Coast-style IPA. The brewers use some corn, or sometimes rice, to give the beer its needed heft while reducing caramelized flavors. Additionally, the beer is fermented colder than is typical of ales, often with lager yeast, or a blend of lager and ale yeast, with the end result being a full-throttle IPA, usually with a decent ABV, that’s crisp and clean – a pure showcase for the hops. Robot Umpires pours a very bright and clear yellow-golden hue with a lively cap of foam. On the nose, we get very fruity hops with a citrus emphasis. Look for notes of fresh-cut orange and tangerine, with touches of grapefruit and lemon. Hints of tropical fruit and flora appear, as well. As we take a sip, we find these hop notes are well-expressed in the flavor, too, and the hop bitterness is firm and joined by a hint of fruity alcohol to keep this quite dry. While the malt profile is purposefully devoid of rich caramels or toasty notes, it nonetheless offers a bit of a crackery pils quality, plus plenty of heft and backbone to provide more than enough support for the hops and a medium-bodied feel. Finishing clean and crisp, we’d pair this IPA with fried fish or chicken with a lemony dipping sauce, or aromatic Vietnamese or Thai dishes with a good dose of heat. 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.