Neches Brewing Company, 1108 Port Neches Ave, Port Neches, TX 77651 phone: 409-237-5700   website: facebook.com/Nechesbrewingcompany/
Hours: 12:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Experience before you go . . .

Okay, here's how it went down. My brother-in-law Guy, is the fish whisperer. Now I'm serious about this now! You've heard of the horse whisperer, dog whisperer, even the Big Foot whisperer, well Guy is the Fish Whisperer! Every time I go fishing with Guy, we catch fish....every time!! Big Mouth Bass, White Bass, Sac-a-lait, Drum, Trout, Catfish you name it and we catch it! Now for the longest time Guy's been talking about catching and eating Redfish and I finally decide I needed to get myself some of that Redfish. So I flew down to Beaumont, Texas for some shenanigans, to hang with Guy and to cast a line in pursuit of the hard fighting, good eating Redfish.

I know you're thinking, when's this guy gonna start talking about beer. We're gonna get there, I gur-ronn-tee it!! But first, Guy and I fished two mornings in a row and caught our limit of redfish each day......3 per day each, total of 12 in the boat. We fished the brackish waters in the grassy channels leading to the Gulf of Mexico. Flat bottom boat in 2-4 feet of water reeling 'em in left and right.....way fun!! First night we blackened them in a cast iron skillet with some Cajun seasoning, wild rice and a salad.....good eating I don't care who you are!!

With the fishing out of our system, the last night in town we hit a Cajun Restaurant and then drove south to Port Neches. Now over a 100 years ago this whole area was basically a swamp. Very few inhabitants, fewer jobs, but one thing's for sure.....there were a whole bunch of mosquitos! Then in 1901 a 1,050 foot drilled hole in the ground produced a 150 foot geyser which led to 100,000 barrels of oil per day. The Spindletop oil field brought riches to the area and prosperity followed. And because of this prosperity, 115 years later the Neches Brewing Company opens its doors.

The brewery was pretty easy to find. Right there on Port Neches Avenue, ample parking, we pull up, pile out and head to the door. Front sign selfie, didn't break the camera, all good on the western front and in we went. The minute we walked in I felt home town eclectic brewery with a warm feel and a local following. Right inside the door to the left was a small raised stage for the live entertainment. Two windowed garage doors that open up to let the fresh air in are on both sides of the front door to let the outside in....nice! Tables and chairs to the right and about 20 feet in you have the start of the bar on the left running the rest of the wall leading to the office and production area. Very nice layout!

I scope out empty bar stools right in the thick of it and we stake our territory, get comfy and immediately we're greeted by Alex and Collin. Big smiles and friendly....winning combination!! Out comes the Hoppin Brewery Tour card with a brief mission statement and elevator speech, we're good to go. I ordered a Neches flight of four starting with the 409 Honey Blonde - Blonde Ale (5.0%, 20 IBU) light, refreshing and just good fun; next was the Pea Patch Pale Ale - Pale Ale (5.2%, 34 IBU) followed by 2x IPA - IPA (7.5%, 75 IBU) double dose of hops to open your sinuses, strong citrus with a balanced finish.....very nice; Gingerbread Winter Warmer (7%, 45 IBU) not too sweet or artificial but just right, the gingerbread man would be proud. Guy orders the Groves Pecan Porter (6.1%, 37 IBU) rich Pecan flavor with a smooth finish and made from the Pecans from the owner's own Pecan tree growing in his front yard....love it.

Alex gets a break in the action and takes us to the back production area for a quick little tour. Alex is a great guy, knowledgable and proud of what he does. Fermenting tanks hard at work! A tank of their best seller, Big Floyd coming to life! Sticker refrigerator door showing some style.

Port Neches has given Neches Brewing Company one big hug and Neches Brewing has returned the favor. Quality beer, cozy fun interesting taproom, live tunes and a lot of heart behind what they do! Those are some basics that sometimes are hard to find but when they are found....big things happen!!

Until next time and remember.........

Go get'cha one!!