Lengendary Brewer Brian Peters Back at Uncle Billy’s

Most of the regular readers of diningoutwithrobbalon.com know that I am a wine guy first. I certainly appreciate a good glass of beer but my knowledge of the fine art of beer-making is sketchy at best.

But when you need an expert to expand your education, one need look no further than Brian Peters. Peters is a legend among home brewers in Austin. He started the iconic Live Oak back in the 90’s and followed that by a memorable run at Bitter End. Now, he is brewing his eminently potable suds at the new Uncle Billy’s Brew and Que on Barton Springs.

It was something of a coup for Uncle Billy’s to land Peters: in the beer world, it would be something close to the baseball equivalent of signing Roger Clemens.

A recent afternoon spent with Peters at Uncle Billy’s provided a sense of what makes this guy so good. He loves his craft and is passionate about it. His pride in his work and his enthusiasm were evident as he led me through the intricate process of beer-brewing at UB’s.

But it was when we started sampling the fruits of his labors that I got a sense of how much this guy knows about beer. Brian has produced five beers thus far at Uncle Billy’s: they include the Back 40 Blonde Ale (a mild malt-flavored lighter brew), the Amber Ale (smooth and malty with a slight bisquity flavor), the Haystack Hefeweizen (an unfiltered Bavarian-style wheat beer), the Ax Handle Pale Ale (finishes with a firm bitterness and a nice malt aftertaste) and the India Pale Ale (dates back to the 1700’s when India was under British rule. The high alcohol content and hops helped preserve the beer while it was shipped from British breweries to India).

We did a horizontal tasting of all five and I listened spellbound as he regaled me with an almost unlimited number of factoids regarding each of the beers. Soon, I was drowning in a sea of jargon: two-row malt vs. six-row malt; the percentage of Plato [not the philosopher]; Perle, Fuggle and Golding hops; bitterness, color, and so much more.

Bottom line though: while I may not have been able to keep up with all the terminology, one thing was abundantly clear: these were beers with depth and character. All had really interesting flavors. True, not all were my personal cup of tea. But the two that I liked best (The Back 40 Blonde Ale and the Amber Ale) I REALLY liked. I’d be back there in a heartbeat to soak in a pitcher or two of either one.

And it is of course, a foregone conclusion that beer goes perfectly with Barbecue. So do make it a point to stop by Uncle Billy’s Brew and Que on Barton Springs and check out the maestro himself at work. Brian Peters is back and the beer lovers across the city are celebrating!