Houston Beer Scene – World Tour: Curacao Brewing Co
Ryan@HoustonBeerScene.com
June 13, 2018
There are many words to describe beer…
Hoppy, Floral, Citrusy, Earthy, Rich, Full, Dry…But now there’s a new one.
Dushi.
While pronounced the same, no, it’s not THAT word –
Dushi is the Dutch/Papiamento word to describe good things in life.
Last month, I had the blessing to go on an adventure to the Dutch Caribbean Island of Curacao for my honeymoon. I enjoyed many beers on the island. Being a Dutch island, the usual suspects Heineken and Amstel were well represented. Curacao also had it’s “Bud Light”, a beer called Brion.
But this is Houston Beer Scene – we are about Craft Beer… and when I googled “Craft Brewery in Curacao” from my Hotel – I never expected to find this. Appropriately named, “Curacao Brewing Co.” – this local craft brewery was everything and more. Located in a bungalow-esque setting, CBC greeted us with a set of chalkboards letting us know what they’d be serving up…like it mattered. You already KNEW I was trying it all.
The interior felt very much like home. Literally. I think this used to be someone’s home. The first thing I noticed was the signage on the bar. “Drink Local”…In your face Heineken, I’m drinking local.
We were greeted by Rex – one of the most pleasant and knowledgeable craft beer bartenders I’ve met in my travels abroad and in the states. His English was even better than mine. Rex described each beer, its flavor profile, and the brewing process. He gave me a short history of the brewery and told me that the owner makes frequent trips to the states, and has quite a love for the way we do craft beer.
After the show and tell, it was time to get to it. I ordered up a set of flights, and the mouth vacation began.
The menu featured 4 Common “Goats”.
A Wit, IPA, Brown Ale and Lager.
There were also 2 specialty brews on that day –
Citra IPA and Orange Ginger Saison.
Not going too deep into the flavor profiles, but I can’t say ANY of the 6 disappointed.
Highlighting my favorites of the trip.
IPA – This was a West Coast style, piney with a touch of grapefruit, utilizing Tomahawk, Chinook, Willamette and Cascade Hops.
Brown Eyed Girl – Brown Ale – a nice malt with the classic nutty/woody tones finished off with a smooth finish of chocolate, almost finishing like a Porter.
The WINNER of the trip was their Orange Ginger Saison (of which I ordered 2 more on top of the flight sample). I was afraid the ginger would overpower the orange peel but it balanced very nice.
If you happen to be heading outside of Houston, traveling to island on a cruise, a honeymoon (like me), or just to get away, make Curaco Brewing Co. a definite destination!
It’s DUSHI!