From the suburbs to the the inner Loop, a fever pitch has got its hold of Houston.  The city seems to be on an unstoppable high since the Astros won, and well, the return of recycling has got our beer cans out of the way with room to toss more. One particular brewery, out in Missouri City, opened around the same time the ‘Stros were in the midst of a playoff push. Coincidence?  In a sport that is surrounded with superstition, maybe not! 

Located at 13503 Pike Road in Missouri City, Texas Leaguer Brewing Company is easily accessible by way of the Beltway. It opened its doors on September 29. Texas Leaguer is a sports-centric brewery with a heavy emphasis on baseball, including showing games on a projector screen in their taproom. Housed inside a giant warehouse, there are large communal tables throughout the taproom and some in the adjacent patio area, as well as two large industrial fans on the ceiling that helps visitors stave off any mugginess. The baseball theme is all over the taproom as the cheekily named beers are listed on a big green baseball scoreboard that sits right above the taps.

Right now there are four offerings, the styles of which are in their names: Airmail Blonde; Knuckle Bock; 6-4-3 Belgian; and 2 Hopper IPA.  They use a token system for the beer pours that thankfully don’t expire or have a “use it or lose it” caveat since you can bring them back on another visit. Just don't misplace them as you did with arcade tokens as a kid.

Texas Leaguer owner Nathan Rees says his goal was to bring a brewery closer to home. "There is not another brewery around for miles," he explains.  “As for now, our market has been beer fanatics and the people that live in the surrounding suburbs. I wanted to have a community atmosphere where people can come out with their kids or dogs and have a beer, unwind, and hang out." He adds that he hopes to expand with a sports bar beside the taproom.  

Having tried all four beers on tap, Rees and head-brewer Doc Rebeck have hit it out of the park with a fantastic lineup that’s sure to please hop heads and the slow sippers alike. The Airmail Blonde is smooth and crisp. Meanwhile, the Knuckle Bock can be described as an honest-to-God German-style Bock; 6-4-3 Belgian is hoppier than your average Belgian and fondly nicknamed "Patio Pounder." The 2 Hopper IPA is not as hoppy but easy sipping nonetheless. 

When it comes to food, Leaguer has rotating food trucks on standby, as they tend not to open without a food truck waiting in the wings.  As of now Texas Leaguer Brewing is open Friday from 4-8 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., but they do have plans to extend their days and hours of operations. A brewery still in its infancy, Texas Leaguer Brewing Company has so much going for it and doing so many things right that you should remember the name. When we're no longer flying high, a little day drinking will certainly be in order, and this spot has some of the best.