Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc.

An Open Letter To The Texas Craft Beer Industry

A lot of news has been made of the recent legislation that exited committee earlier this week regarding the Texas beer industry. I addressed the basics of these bills earlier today. While generally positive, reactions in the craft beer community have been noticeably and understandably mixed. See a ... More >>

Texas Appeals Court: Longneck Bud Bottles Just Fine For Whomping Someone Over The Head With, Thanks

In an august decision that will shine in the annals of beer-related jurisprudence for as long as bar patrons whomp each other over the side of the head, a Texas state appeals court has ruled that Anheuser-Busch cannot be sued just because their longneck beer bottles are so damn handy for getting tha ... More >>

Bottoms Up: 5 Beers From 5 Bands To Give You 5 Hangovers

Whether you're at a show with friends or just putting your feet up while listening to some tunes after a long day at work, for many alcohol is just another part of the rock and roll experience. And when hard liquor gets too expensive and wine seems too highfalutin, there is one drink that's always t ... More >>

Track Your Bud Lets You Find Out Where Your Brew Was Born

There are many things about food and drink that I will readily admit confound me. How did salty, slimy fish eggs become a delicacy an ounce of which cost more than my monthly rent? What is the obsession with food so spicy, it literally hurts to eat it? If Anthony Bourdain weren't famous, would he be ... More >>

Obama's War on Weed

In a strange about-face, the president tries to hack medical marijuana off at the knees.

Unimportant News: Rick Perry Places "Friendly World Series Wager." Important News: He Puts a Period in Dr Pepper!!!

NO PERIOD, Governor.​If your state has a team in the World Series, chances are your governor is going to make a silly bet with a cohort from the other league. So it's no surprise Rick Perry has a bet with someone called Jay Nixon, who we are reliably informed is the governor of Missouri. And ... More >>

Open the Taps: Houston Lobbies for Statewide Access to Better Beer

Will you support the cause?​It's one thing to sit and complain about the wretched restrictions the State of Texas has placed on the sale and distribution of craft beer. It's quite another to actually do something about it. And because Houston is a city of do-ers, five Houston craft beer lovers ... More >>

AB InBev Trademarking Our Area Code for Crappy Beer

Filling a stein with Budweiser is tantamount to filling a Riedel glass with Boone's Farm, just FYI.​Anheuser-Busch is counting on civic pride to make its next product a smash seller: beer named after America's various beer-drinking cities, based on their area codes. To that end, AB has alread ... More >>

Comment of the Day: Saddest Beer Palate Ever

​We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula involv ... More >>

Sampler Plate: This Week in Food Blogs

Each week, we put together a sampler plate of the most interesting links from both local and national food blogs. Know a blog we should be paying particular attention to? Leave the address in the comments section below. Barleyvine: The termination of House Bill 602 in the Texas legislature last wee ... More >>

Sampler Plate: This Week in Food Blogs, the James Beard Awards Edition

Each week, we put together a sampler plate of the most interesting links from both local and national food blogs. Know a blog we should be paying particular attention to? Leave the address in the comments section below. 29-95: Yes, it's true: There was a tie this year at the James Beard Foundation ... More >>

Brew Blog: Wild Blue Blueberry Lager from Blue Dawg Brewing

​Since I focused on Reinheitsgebot, Germany's beer purity law, in choosing my last two Brew Blog entries, I decided to kick it to the curb for this one. There's something to be said for tradition, but there's no reason to be stifled by it. With that in mind, I selected Wild Blue Blueberry Lag ... More >>

It's the Final Countdown

2011 is almost here — how will you ring it in?

It's The Final Countdown

2011 is almost here — how will you ring it in?

Brew Blog: Deschutes Brewery

​Many excellent West Coast and Pacific Northwest brewers have long shown the good sense to ship their wares to Texas, and Deschutes Brewery has now joined the party in a real way, too. The Bend, Oregon brewery has inked a deal with Ben E. Keith Beverages to expand its local reach. Of course ... More >>

Weed Takes Root

Marijuana's steady creep toward legalization nationwide.

Beer Nerds Rejoice

​Typically we would never celebrate a prominent distributor of Anheuser-Busch beers (or even mention that dreaded name), but we can make an exception for something this cool. Fort Worth-based Ben E. Keith Beverage, the nation's third-largest beer wholesaler, has partnered with other distribut ... More >>

Lonesome Onry and Mean: Texas Music Will Solve Everything! Thanks, Ed!

Photo by aznviolaguyOkay, Ed, if you insist. We've been lax in our examinations of Ed Shane's monthly Flack Fest, Best in Texas, lately. Let's rectify that. In the January issue, publisher Shane led off with this sterling bit of advice as the national and world economies fell apart. "Be careful. ... More >>

Judge Not The Two-Step, Lest Ye Be Judged

Yeah, so we judged a Texas Two-Step dancing contest last night.That's pretty much the equivalent of Sarah Palin judging a Dance Salad festival, but we tried.You know it's bad when the only song you recognize in the half-dozen or so tunes in the warm-up is George Strait's "Love Without End, Amen, ... More >>

Hello Budweiser American Ale

Texas Wants Beer: Change This Law!

Texas Wants Beer!

Our state is the top beer market in the country, so why are we falling behind in the microbrewery movement?

KUHF Classic Film Concerts: Nosferatu

The Golden Arm Trio gives this early horror classic a new soundtrack

Metropolis

2026 is just around the corner

Aftermath: Heybale! at the Continental Club

One for Doc Concert

HSPVA grads say thanks to Director of Jazz Studies Emeritus Dr. Robert Morgan

Val D. Adams, Oscar Wyatt, Paris Hilton, Garbage and Religious Transfers

A preacher makes the news again

The Lucky Charms

Blaggards, Houston's only Celtic metal band

Redneck Renaissance

Gretchen Wilson’s return to town makes us wonder, What’s really behind all these songs about Wal-Mart, cheap beer and NASCAR?

Grudge Match

The United States faces off with Mexico in Houston

This Old House

The City of Houston wants to further spiff up the area around Minute Maid Park. The historic Cohn House stands in its way.

Dumped On

Houston was supposed to be cracking down on polluters. So why has it spent five years cleaning up on little guys like Walter Bazarsky?

Expect the Wurst

Schadenfreude

This Bud's for John

John McCain's family

News of the Weird

Presidential Kids' Charity

Call to contribute to the Bush bid, and guess who answers?

Press Picks

Rotation

Blowing Smoke

Bonus Babies

Variety Club Follies

How the curtain came down -- for the time being -- at the "show biz" charity

The Celluloid of the President

A winning documentary about the Clinton campaign's inner circle