Saint Arnold is the patron saint of brewers.  How cool is that?  When I stopped in at the Saint Arnold Brewing Company in Houston, Texas, the tour that day was being given by none other than the owner, Brock Wagner.  How cool is that?  Wow!  Almost like meeting Saint Arnold, himself.  The tour was fabulous, covering the entire brewing process.  The beer tanks, see below, are all named.  And, the tour ended in the tasting room which is spacious enough for really large groups.  The Saint Arnold Fancy Lawnmower is a crisp summer beer and since my sons have a lawn business I just had to bring them home t-shirts.  Saint Arnold Endeavor Double IPA is my favorite, a strong and flavorful beer.

So, while in Houston I need to cover two other related items.  One evening I enjoyed the Saint Arnold Pumpkinator pumpkin ale with dinner at a Mexican restaurant.  It was a dinner package that ended with a pumpkin empanada.  What a great meal.  And, I was able to bring the special glass home with me.  Also, one other evening I enjoyed a Saint Arnold Bishops Barrel I at Local Foods.  This special release was a bourbon barrel imperial stout.  I enjoyed this beer so much I asked if I could buy one to go and due to the local laws this was impossible.  I then checked several local beer stores, none of which was able to get this beer.  At one small beer and wine store I spoke at length with the owner and he identified with my interest.  He was a real beer guy.  Well, I stopped in that store a few days later and he had found the beer for me and sold me a couple of bottles.  I was amazed at his customer service.  What a champion.  To this day I saved one of the empty bottles as a reminder.