From one of the most ground-breaking breweries in the state to relative babies on the scene who are turning out experimental and memorable craft beers every month.
While you may go for the beer, several taprooms are destinations in their own right for live music, trivia nights, and bingo.
A lot of them have a family-friendly atmosphere and are dog-friendly.
In this guide, we will detail 16 of the best breweries in Houston, and nearby.
If you are looking for possibly the most influential brewery in Texas, then make a trip to Saint Arnold. It may also be the oldest craft brewery in the state and it has certainly proven to be ground-breaking.
That may be simply how they have paved the way for their own competition by lobbying the state legislature to allow for Houston’s next generation of brewing in microbreweries.
Aside from their huge impact, they still make some great beer as their raft of Great American Beer Fest medals will attest to.
The brewery is also a destination in its own right thanks to its beer garden and restaurant. Whether it’s Surf and/or Turf, pizza, sandwiches, or a chocolate soufflé.
Make sure you pair them with one of their noted beers, from a German-style kölsch (‘Lawnmower’), a Margarita-inspired beer (‘Hideaway’), or a hazy IPA (‘Harmony’).
For an unforgettable brewing experience, take a trip into uncharted territory with True Anomaly. While they opt for French, Belgian, and German traditions, this is the place for something different.
That may be a grisette, a wild, a tart and sour ale, or an experimental hop-forward old-world ale.
Such offerings have included a dry fruited passion fruit and mango sour (‘Truffula’) and their version of a Belgian single, ‘Trappist-1’.
While the name of the brewery relates to the rather decrepit Astrodome, once known as the eighth wonder of the world, you can get something decidedly fresh further down Dallas Street.
Their draft beers will also pay homage to the culture of the city.
That could be a throwback cream ale (‘Dome Faux’m’), a Vietnamese coffee porter (‘Rocket Fuel’), or their Texan IPA, (‘Hopston’).
Whatever you pick, make full use of their outdoor patio and enjoy a brewery that is an intrinsic part of the neighborhood.
With repurposed shipping containers and some huge Beatles sculptures, you can even take a photo by the We Love Houston sign.
It may get busy as the brewery is in a great location for those looking to catch an Astros or Rockets game, or any other team that happens to be playing in town.
B-52 Brewing Company may be off the beaten track amidst around seven acres of Texan pines. Once you find it, you will be rewarded with some of Houston’s wildest brews.
In the past, these have included a barrel-aged saison, a double dry-hopped hazy IPA, or ‘Szechuan Sauce’, a dry-hopped pale ale which pays homage to the crazy animated show, Rick and Morty.
Those beers may not be around anymore but you can likely still find a couple of festbiers, an American barley wine, a sour smoothie beer, or a sour IPA.
Make sure you get there from Wednesday to Sunday and make a day of it with live music, Bingo Night, Trivia Night, or S’Mores Sunday.
Few breweries can be as Texan as one named after an oil well, specifically the one in Beaumont. That’s right, the one that launched the first oil boom in the region.
After a few years in the game, SpindleTap has quickly become an integral part of Houston’s beer scene, mainly due to the beer, but the Frisbee golf course and basketball court help too.
Top of the list for their offerings should be ‘Houston Haze’, their typically hazy orange juice colored New England IPA.
For something a little heavier, try their imperial New England DIPA (‘Hops Drop DIPA’), an English barley wine (‘Ingraine’), or a Russian imperial stout (‘Aceite Crudo’).
There are opaque colors and complex beers that are worth spending an afternoon with.
Down in South Houston, there is a brewpub that prides itself on pushing boundaries.
That means small-batch brews that you need to keep an eye on, from tart fruit sours to bold pastry stouts.
Then there are decadent milkshake IPAs, and hoppy IPAs, so they will always have something new to try so you may be better off taking some cans, crowlers, or growlers away with you.
Pay a visit to their 2,000 square foot taproom, enjoy their air conditioning and take your pick from their offering of 24 taps.
11 Below Brewing is for those who like their beer decidedly cold, which should be ideal during a hot Houston summer.
That means refreshing ales to quench your thirst like their ‘Hipster Sauce’ IPA, their ‘Citra Time’ hazy IPA, a Margarita-style beer, ‘Taco Tuesday’, or their blonde ‘7-Iron’.
Those four beers are available all-year-round as half of their core offering but check out their occasional Sometimes range for more innovative flavors like coconut, oatmeal, and chocolate milk.
Address: 4816 North Shepherd Dr, Suite A, Houston, TX 77018
While it may not be as big as some of the other venues in Houston, Astral Brewing is worth visiting as a brewpub.
Especially if you like hoppy, inventive ales such as hazy IPAs and crisp West Coast IPAs. T
hen there are rotating offerings including light ales and roasty, deep porters.
To enjoy them fully, either sit in the air-conditioned taproom decorated with space-themed murals or take them outside to their patio area, sit back and enjoy a movie or some sports.
As well as their barrel room being one of the coolest places in the city to host an event, the beer list at Great Heights is well worth checking out.
This is another brewery that excels at German-style beers as well as American standards and a few other noteworthy beers.
Try their German pilsner (‘Lothar’), witbier (‘Great Heights Hefeweizen’) or their kölsch (‘Lager-ish’).
For beer styles closer to home, there’s a couple of New England IPAs (‘Fruity Pellets’ and ‘Paisley IPA’) as well as American IPAs (‘Strikes & Gutters’, ‘Blue Tile IPA’, and Serenity By Chan’).
This is a brewery that puts back into the local community which is another plus point.
Their spent grain is given to local farmers to use as livestock feed and their cycling perks are worth checking out too.
Not only that but a lineup of food trucks that are worth sampling from, with a beer of course.
Though not strictly one of Houston’s independent breweries following their acquisition by Anheuser-Busch InBev, Karbach Brewing still creates great craft beer.
From a blonde to a light to a bock, IPA, DIPA, imperial hazy, or tropical IPA, and maybe just a simple lager.
Check out their seasonal offerings too though if you are driving there, their range of hard seltzers is worth delving into as well.
Make a day of it and embark on a tour of the brewery to learn about Karbach’s history, beer production, and their philosophy.
Then again, simply grab a beer and head outside into their Biergarten which is family and dog-friendly.
There’s also a restaurant serving classic Tex-Mex fare like their Clutch City Queso, Steak Tacos, or a BBQ Chicken Pizza.
There are many reasons to visit No Label Brewing Company, one could be what is known as the top-selling and longest-running hefeweizen in the city (‘El Here Hefeweizen’).
At current count, after 12 years, the brewery has amassed 18 awards while, allegedly ‘still figuring this out’.
They seem to know what they’re doing as their ‘Cali Boy’ was awarded a gold medal at the 2022 Fredericksburg Craft Beer Festival and got silver at the 2022 World Beer Cup.
See for yourself at their brewery which comes with a children’s playground, outdoor seating areas, and a taproom you can rent all for yourself.
That could be on Taco Tuesday, Bingo Wednesday or after their running club on a Monday.
Check out their events page for new beer releases, live music, or food truck events.
Then again, you could simply pop in for a special release or a seasonal variety.
Houston Heights is home to several drinking venues yet one of the best is Eureka Heights.
Their easy drinking beers include a cream ale (‘Buckle Bunny’), a Mandarina pils (‘Wow Factor’), IPAs, a light beer (‘Somethin’ Light’), and a citra pale ale (‘Mostly Harmless’).
Then there are seasonal beers, a limited awesome beer series, and even barrel-aged beers.
Eureka Heights is named after the Long Point-Eureka Heights fault system which is the only serious point to note in an otherwise chilled location.
Make the most of it for you and your friends by reserving a table making it the ideal location for gatherings.
That could be for a birthday or a trivia night based on The Office, a tasting flight, or some food truck fare.
Boasting the title of ‘Houston’s Most Creative Brewery’, Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co. is proudly independent while maintaining a focus on creativity.
A lot of those beers take on fruity notes including Texan berries, pineapple, and Key Lime Pie, with some increasingly moreish flavors like peanut butter, maple chili jam and mint chocolate thrown in for good measure.
To avoid being disappointed, keep checking their list of around 75 beers to know which beers have since been retired, those currently available, and those that are in production.
Whatever is on offer, you are sure of a taste sensation and their brewery is now one of Houston’s most popular outdoor destinations complete with a restaurant.
Address: 3118 Harrisburg Boulevard, Unit 108, Houston, TX 77003
With more than 20 beers on tap, there are many options to try in the taproom at Equal Parts Brewing.
Those beers can come with a European influence including an Italian-style pilsner (‘Gorlami’), a Munich-style dunkel (‘Ned-Noir’), or a fruited Berliner weisse (‘Intermezzo – Cherry Limeade’).
Their offerings go even further, including a Japanese-style rice lager (‘Kaizen’) or closer to home with their Mexican chocolate imperial stout (‘Black Rain’).
For a treat, indulge yourself with one of their barrel-aged beers that includes a range of imperial stouts and porters.
The building itself has its own history too; built in 1911, rebuilt following a fire in 1948, and later being used for heavy construction equipment supply.
In its current incarnation as a taproom, it can seat 80 and maintains that industrial vibe with many of the room’s original features.
For a conclusive taste of Texas, try an easy-to-drink local brew from Lone Pint Brewery.
The brewery began, not with a lone pint, but with a brother and sister brewing 20 gallons at a time in a garage.
Having mastered the water chemistry, Lone Pint Brewery began in earnest in 2012.
Their core brew range of beers includes a Smash IPA (‘Yellow Rose’), an English-style brown ale (‘Gentleman’s Relish’), a pale ale (‘Zeno’s’), and an imperial IPA (‘The Jabberwocky’).
However, if you want your trip to be unforgettable then try some of their limited releases. That could include an American strong ale or a Belgian-style farmhouse ale with the ABV turned up.
The beer garden has a family-friendly atmosphere and dogs are welcome too, though they do need to be leashed.
Make a trip of it by visiting for a live music event or on one of their market vendor days.
Though Southern Star lies outside of Houston, it is well worth the trip for their creative range of craft beer including seasonal releases.
That could be a grapefruit IPA (‘Coast To Coast’) or a 12% IPA (‘Korova Milkshake’). The taproom is only open from Thursday to Sunday but there are brewery tours on Saturdays at 2pm and 4pm.
If you fail to get out that far, you may simply find their ‘Bombshell Blonde’ in many bars.
Final Thoughts
Houston’s beer scene may be one of the newest in the United States but it features several outstanding breweries.
The scene largely began with the legal intervention of Saint Arnold Brewing Company which allowed for several microbreweries to blossom and encouraged other brewers to get involved.
That did mean more competition but that has created a creative scene with more breweries looking to involve more exciting flavors.
That could mean cream ales, barrel-aged beers, or simply a range of beer styles done exceptionally well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Houston-Based Breweries Are Ideal For Groups?
There are some great breweries in Houston but a select few are great for groups. These include Saint Arnold Brewing Company, SpindleTap Brewery, and Karbach Brewing.
Which breweries in Houston are dog-friendly?
If you have a dog, that should not prevent you from enjoying some great beer while being accompanied by your canine companion(s).
Thankfully, there are several breweries that accommodate dogs, as long as they are kept on a leash.
These include Astral Brewing, 8th Wonder Brewery, Great Heights Brewing Company, Karbach Brewing Company, No Label Brewing Company, Saint Arnold Brewing Company, True Anomaly Brewing Company, and Eureka Heights Brewery.
Hi, my name is Alex Kallen and I love to travel. Ever since I could afford the ticket, I hopped on a plane and never looked back. I’ve made a living writing travel guides and blogging my experience all over the world.
I want to encourage and inspire others to travel around the US like I am. There’s no need to go on vacation overseas when there is an amazing land of opportunity right on your doorstep. Enjoy my website, I hope to see you out here one day.
