11 Jul Buffalo Bayou Summer’s Wit by Hannah

Buffalo Bayou Summer’s Wit

Buffalo Bayou Brewery

Houston, TX

Witbier

ABV: 6%

IBUs: 20

Packaging: Draft, 6 pack 12 ounce cans, Growler

If you’ve ever questioned the validity of global warming, Al Gore and I both urge you to step the hell outside at literally any point during the day to experience the blistering heat and overwhelming humidity. While eleven straight months of summer make for a solid tank top and flip flop industry, it also provides Houstonians with some of my favorite “seasonal” beers.

And lets all be honest here, these summer seasonals could really kill all year long in the Bayou City.

Who’s going to raise their glass with me and start petitioning our local, independent craft breweries to sell summer beer three hundred and sixty-five days a year?! In my book, the light, wheat-driven, sessionable summer beers arguably edge out the darker, heavier, and spicier fall seasonal brews, but by all means, sound off in the comments section below if you disagree (come at me, Pumpkinator bros)!

Imagine an average Saturday afternoon in July in HTX. What does any level-headed, semi-intelligent, pseudo-athletic woman do on a day like that?… Day drink? Not this time. Nap? Nope. But God do I wish the answer was nap.

Instead, she runs five miles during peak temperatures. Five hellacious miles. Fortunately for myself, around mile three and a half, as I’m heavily panting on the trails at Buffalo Bayou Park, a fleeting moment of hope and genius flashes through my mind.

“Treat yourself,” the voice says. “You’ve earned a shower beer or three,” it boastfully exclaims.

And so I did just that, not questioning the logic of the beers gods (for you don’t dare anger the god of grain, the holiness of hops, or the priests of yeast), and I shower beer’ed the shizz out of some Buffalo Bayou Summer’s Wit after completing my run through the fifth circle of hell AKA an afternoon in the Texas heat.

Upon cracking open the can, I was pleasantly greeted with light floral and citrus notes, and the signature yeasty scent of most witbiers.

Buffalo Bayou claims “real dudes drink pink” because spoiler alert, Summer’s Wit is brewed with the dainty, rosy-toned hibiscus flower! It pours a rusty orange, light amber color with a fingernail’s length of off-white head.

The citrus aroma comes full circle with a bubbly, medium mouthfeel full of orange and banana flavors.

It tastes crisp, clean, and finishes with heavy hints of coriander and ginger. The malty scent and taste gives Buffalo Bayou Summer’s Wit a cloudier, thicker feel than you may expect from a wheat prominent beer. Although the spiced flavors create a drier finish, there’s hardly any bitterness.

Buffalo Bayou Summer’s Wit definitely holds it’s own amongst other local, summer seasonal hits such as Saint Arnold’s Summer Pils, Galveston Island Brewing’s Tiki Wheat, and 8th Wonder’s Weisstheimer. It easily climbs its way into my list of top ten beers to consume while showering (another post in the making…?) for it’s magically refreshing and rejuvenating qualities post-afternoon run.

Other than showers around town, you can find Summer’s Wit on tap at a variety of establishments and in cans at all major grocery stores. What are you grippin’ and sippin’ this summer? What makes your list of fave shower beers? Let a girl know in the comment section. Beers to you, Houston. 🍻