Saint Arnold Brewing Shows Texas Spirit, Introduces Texas Wheat
HOUSTON, August 11, 2005 – Saint Arnold Brewing Company, the oldest microbrewery in Texas, is putting the finishing touches on the first batches of Saint Arnold Texas Wheat, a filtered wheat beer that will join the brewery’s collection of year-round brews.
Saint Arnold Texas Wheat will replace Saint Arnold Kristall Weizen, which was introduced in 1994. The Kristall Weizen recipe has been tweaked to remove some of its caramel character, which results in a cleaner, crisper beer. Founder and CEO Brock Wagner explained that Kristall Weizen earned raves for its taste, but its sales suffered because few knew how to pronounce it.
"People don’t like to feel uncomfortable, so they won’t order a beer if they’re not sure how to pronounce its name," Wagner said. "The name ‘Saint Arnold Texas Wheat’ is straightforward and reinforces that we’re a Texas brewery, which a lot of Texans are surprised to learn."
In keeping with the traditional German wheat beer formulation, Saint Arnold Texas Wheat offers a light flavor while maintaining a rich body. The recipe has a light hop profile with light fruitiness. Saint Arnold uses 50 percent malted wheat and 50 percent malted two-row barley in this recipe. Malted wheat is expensive and difficult to mash because of its lack of husk. Therefore, it is rare in the U.S. for wheat beers to contain more than 30 percent wheat or to be brewed with two-row barley.
Saint Arnold Texas Wheat features Pacific Northwest hop varieties. A small addition of Perle hops early in the brewing process balances its sweetness, while two additions of Liberty hops contribute a hint of floral character.
Specifications:
- Original Gravity: 1.047 (12° Plato)
- Color: Golden Yellow
- Bitterness: 18 IBU
- Alcohol Content: By weight - 3.9%; By volume - 4.9%
Saint Arnold Texas Wheat will be available in 12-ounce bottles sold in six-packs and cases. It will begin arriving at grocery and liquor stores as well as bars and restaurants throughout Texas in early August.
About Saint Arnold Brewing Company
Saint Arnold Brewing’s ten brews are made and sold by the company''s staff of 15 dedicated employees. The brewery is located at 2522 Fairway Park Drive and its free brewery tour and tasting is offered every Saturday at 1:00 P.M. For more information on Saint Arnold''s five year-round and five seasonal beers as well as root beer, log on to http://www.saintarnold.com.
Editors Note: Texas Wheat label art is available for download.
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