The definitive Guide to Corpus Christi Craft Beer

One thing to know about me: I’m a know-it-all, and I’m really into beer.

My favorite thing to be a know-it-all about is the Corpus Christi beer scene: how it started, where, by who and what all the beers taste like and why.

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B&J’s Pizza and Railroad Brewing Co. have been brewing ales in Corpus for years, cultivating a beer scene on the Texas Gulf coast that was ripe for evolution about five years ago. The B&J’s Beer Drinkers Club is part-VFW, part-Illuminati and puro Corpus Christi.

Since I’ve been a local reporter, three other breweries (Lazy Beach Brewery, Rebel Toad Brewing Co., and Lorelei Brewing Co.) have opened in their own respective pockets of the city. And what’s cool is they’re all friends for the most part – sure there’s competition, but they advocate for their beer brethren.

So, here’s your guide to local Corpus Christi beer. Keep in mind that ABVs/IBUs are not included for each.

Lazy Beach Brewing, 7522 Bichon #100 in the Southside

Taproom: Monday-Thursday 5- 9 p.m.; Friday 5-11 p.m.; Saturday 3-11 p.m.

Food trucks every Thursday-Saturday

Family- and dog-friendly

Beer flights available

Beer list

1. Session IPA: 4.5 percent ABV – Citrus and floral aroma. Bitter with a malty finish
2. Beach in wHeat: 4.5 percent ABV – A light, refreshing Bavarian-style Hefeweizen
3. Blonde: 4.5 percent ABV – Easy drinking, American blonde
4. Texas Bock: 4.5 percent ABV – Texas-style bock
5. Queen’s Koffee (collaboration with Greenlight Coffee): 4 percent ABV – a subtle mix of Greenlight’s coffee and the Queen’s chai recipe
6. Justa Pale Ale: 5.7 percent ABV – a simple pale ale made with hop oil extracts
7. Molinillo: 5.9 percent ABV – a Mexican hot chocolate stout with cinnamon, vanilla, ancho chilis and cayenne pepper
8. Choppy Waters: 8.7 percent ABV – brewed with Cascade and Ekuanot hops
9. 1799 Stout: 4.7 percent ABV – a classic, dry Irish stout. Clean, roast and dry
10. Corpus Christi: 6 percent ABV – rich, malty blonde

Rebel Toad Brewing Co., 425 William Street in downtown

Taproom: Thursday 5-10 p.m., Friday 5 p.m. to midnight, Saturday 4 p.m. to midnight

Food trucks and changing art show

Family- and dog-friendly

Beer flights available

Beer list

1. Rebel Blonde Golden Ale: Light and refreshing; delicate malt with hints of passion fruit
2. Angry Man Porter: Chocolaty male profile with smooth coffee notes and great aroma
3. Suicide Hop Double IPA: Smooth bitterness
4. Evil Little Soul Belgian Tripel: Rich, malty with fruity esters and mid hop bitterness
5. Troublemaker Pale Ale: Piney and crisp with balanced dry malt to hop finish
6. Little Sin Belgian Blonde: Smooth citrus flavors, complex, fruit and honey with a hint of spice
7. Hop Bait IPA: Grapefruit and citrus profile mixed with sweet malt, medium bitterness with a nice hop aroma
8. Haywire IPA: Higher-alcohol IPA with smooth bitterness
9. Abracahopra IPA: Tropical hop aroma and flavor up-front. “So drinkable, it’ll remind you of why you fell in love with IPAs.” Can confirm.

Lorelei Brewing Co., 520 NAS Drive in Flour Bluff

Taproom: Monday-Thursday 2:30-8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday noon to 10 p.m.; Sunday noon to 8 p.m.

Available in cans in Corpus Christi and San Antonio stores

Food trucks

Family- and dog-friendly

Beer flights available

Beers on tap

1. Manatus NE IPA: 7.2 percent ABV, IBU 30
2. Khryseis Blonde Ale: 5.1 percent ABV, IBU 20
3. The Belgian Honeypot: 10.5 percent ABV, IBU 30
4. Ephyra Double IPA: 9 percent ABV, IBU 83
5. The Mer-Dude Russian Imperial Coffee Milk Stout (collaboration with Coffee Waves): 9.5 percent ABV, IBU 60
6. The Witty Tart: 6.5 percent ABV – Sour wit bier with thai basil and long pepper

Canned beer

1. Khryseis Blonde Ale: 5.1 percent ABV, IBU 20
2. Ephyra Double IPA: 9 percent ABV, IBU 83
3. The Mer-Dude Russian Imperial Coffee Milk Stout (collaboration with Coffee Waves): 9.5 percent ABV, IBU 60

Railroad Seafood Station Brewing Co., 1214 N. Chaparral Street in downtown

Hours: Monday-Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Full restaurant menu

Family friendly

Beer list

1. Black Vulture: 4.5 percent ABV – black IPA
2. Stouted Conductor: 4.0 percent ABV – Irish stout
3. The Boxcar: 6.83 percent ABV – American IPA
4. The Eight Irishmen: 4.25 percent ABV – Irish red ale
5. Blonde Damsel, Not in Distress: 4.07 percent ABV – blonde ale
6. Yellow Caboose: 5.78 percent ABV – pale ale
7. Derailed Hefe: 5.14 percent; American Hefeweizen

B&J’s Pizza, 6335 S. Padre Island Drive and 6662 S. Staples Street in the Southside

Hours: Monday-Thursday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to midnight;
Sunday noon to 10 p.m.

Full restaurant menu

Family friendly

Beer list

1. 2 X 4: American blonde – approachable and easy drinking with a mellow malt backbone and mild hop aroma
2. Hairy Porter: English brown porter – full-bodied dark ale with a bold, rich malty backbone and hints of toffee, espresso and dark chocolate
3. Hefeweizen: Bavarian Hefeweizen – effervescent German wheat beer with hints of clove, bubble gum and banana
4. Nordstrom Cider: Sparkling Dry English Cider – crisp, refreshing slightly-tart dry English cider
5. Blood Orange IPA: 6.05 percent ABV – hazy with orange aroma hopped with centennial and Cascade-blended hops. “Great beer for those suffering from scurvy; not a sufficient source of Vitamin C.”
6. Coffee Porter: 8.02 percent ABV – made with coffee therefore it’s caffeinated and tastes like coffee and chocolate
7. Centennial IPA: English IPA – total Centennial hops from start to finish; mildly bitter with citrusy notes accompanied by a nice caramel backbone. Not super hoppy.

Seasonal beers

1. Vic’s Poteet Strawberry Blonde Ale (summer): fruit/vegetable ale – the 2 X 4 Blonde ale used as a base beer with fresh Poteet, Texas, strawberries that are added during the boil and in the kegging process
2. Shandy (summer): beer cocktail – mildly sweet and citrusy blend of the wit bier and lemonade
3. Sunshine Wit (summer): wit bier – crisp beer with a wheat base and splice blend of coriander peppercorn and orange peel; low-hop presence
4. Octoberfest (fall): refreshing, malty “with the herbaceousness of German noble hops.”
5. Pecan Pie Porter (holiday): fruit/vegetable beer – robust English brown style porter with hints of coffee, smoky roasted pecan and toffee
6. Big Fat Delicious (winter): Scottish 80/Schilling Wee Heavy – malt-driven ale with kettle caramelization and dark candy sugar flavors, a bready quality and noble hop-taste