The big news in beer this week is a new collaboration created by Spindletap Brewing Co. and local hazy IPA aficionado Larry Koestler. Called Musical Box Brewing, this effort will be an opportunity for Koestler, who helped create Spindletap's Juiceton IPA and recently worked with Ingenious on a beers called Joose Wayne and the Hop Knight, to produce his recipes—mostly hazy double IPAs—for public consumption.

Speaking on details of the partnership, according to Koestler it's "an ongoing collaboration." He's not under contract with Spindletap (he's calling this a brand or a side project, not a brewery), but declined to disclose financial information regarding the partnership. 

What to expect: Koestler will work with Spindletap to devise recipes that the brewery will produce in its brewhouse. He's hoping to release a new beer every two months or so, with a likely volume of 80-100 cases per beer. Expect demand for the beer, and special release days with long lines of people wanting to take some home.

"I do think we've lost a little something in some of the excitement in the run up to these release," said Koestler about most current-day beer releases. "I don't want anyone to stand on line for hours on end, but something about the communal aspect of a release happening is really special."

With a likely catalog of mostly hazy double IPAs, there will be plenty of dry hopping and loads of Citra hops being used in the Spindletap tanks. But Koestler said he's eager to try some new hop blends, get the hop Strata into something, and maybe even cook up a milkshake IPA (hot at the moment, especially with breweries like Ingenious and B-52). 

The first beer from Musical Box (named after a now-shuttered New York City bar close to Koestler's heart) will be Where It All Started, a quadruple-dry-hopped double IPA at 8 percent ABV; it'll be released Sept. 21 at Spindletap. 

News & Events

Saturday is Under the Radar's three-year anniversary party, set for noon to 8 p.m. There will be 15 beers on tap, glassware available, and live music from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. 

No Label's Oktoberfest is set for 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sept. 13 at the Katy brewery. A stein-holding contest, live music, Oktoberfest beer release and more are happening.

Karbach's Viva La Cultura Festival is planned for noon Sept. 15 at the brewery. It's free, with live music and a DJ, street tacos, giveaways, a mercado, and more. 

On Sept. 19, 8th Wonder and Coterie are teaming up for a pizza, beer, and spirits tasting. You'll get a cocktail from the 8th Wonder Distillery, three beers, and of course, pizza from chef Adam Dorris. It's at 7 p.m. Sept. 19 at Coterie, and tickets are $45.

And good news for Eureka Heights fans: Mostly Harmless and Wow Factor are now year-round beers. Heck yeah.

Beer Releases

New year-round offerings are now available at Saint Arnold. First is Honey Agave Cider, a 5.9 percent ABV cider using Burleson's Honey and carrying tropical and citrus notes. Second is Guten Tag, a Bavarian-style Märzen at 5.8 percent ABV. Yup, German-style lagers are back, baby.

B-52 is releasing Gold Bricks 3, a pastry stout aged for 16 months in bourbon barrels used previously for maple syrup, then conditioned on vanilla caramel cream cookies and chocolate. That's a lot. It comes in at 11 percent ABV. 

No Label's newest is Brew of H, a Katz Coffee milkshake double-dry-hopped IPA. (Also available as a non-coffee milkshake IPA).

Saloon Door's Oktoberfest is available now at the taproom. Can coming.