B-52 Brewery in Conroe: The Wizardry of Creative Brewing
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Story and photos by Scott Kendall (unless otherwise indicated)
Hidden just south of Lake Conroe and highway 105, there is a top secret laboratory mixing exciting, unusual, and unique ingredients to create brand new concoctions the world has never seen.
No, it’s not a top secret military lab – it’s B-52 Brewery, a wonderfully creative brewery nestled in the woods of Conroe, Texas. Named “Best New Brewery in Texas” when they opened about 5 years ago, B-52 is a place where risk and experimentation results in truly unique and exceptional products. Find out why their motto of, “Too Good To Ignore,” is totally true.
Marin Slanina, General Manager, says, “B-52 is a one-of-a-kind experience catering to all ages. Set in the piney woods with yard games and indoor space for comfort. Food trucks and beverages for any pallet. A must-see destination for when you are in the area.”
Humor and Nostalgia Comes Alive at B52
The creativity and humor of B52 is evident in the line of 40 or so craft beers on their product list. For example, the very popular Before the Internet series includes brews Empty Shelves (reminiscing the days of going to Blockbuster on Saturday nights to find the movie you wanted to see was gone), Before the Internet: Lite Brite (who didn’t have fun with this legendary toy), and Music Videos. Always working on the next batch of great beer, Master Brewer Justin Slanina recently came up with After the Internet: Selfie, a Hazy Triple IPA honoring the craziness of the “selfie” phenomenon.
Try a Wheez the Shake or a Snickers Stout
Some of our other favorite creative brews include:
- Smoothie Tart: Guava, Strawberry, & Mango, a Fruited Sour Farmhouse Smoothie Ale conditioned on Guava, Strawberry, Mango, Vanilla Beans, and Milk Sugar, bringing all the senses together
- Wheez the Shake: Double Vanilla, Wheez the Juice conditioned on gobs of vanilla
- I Thought Hurricane Season Was Over, a Hurricane Cocktail inspired Hazy Milkshake DIPA conditioned on passionfruit, orange, lime, and hand-cut vanilla beans (contains milk sugar)
- Stargazer: Snickers, a Pastry Stout conditioned on Snickers and Milk Sugar
Fantastic Traditional German Pilsner
For you traditionalists, don’t worry. In addition to the wild new flavors they are known for, B-52 also brews a fantastic German Pilsner and Crucial IPA, a low bitter, high hoppy American IPA. No matter what your taste, you’ll find something to love at B-52. In addition to libations, rotating food trucks are available every day they are open, and for kids and those who prefer non-alcoholic drinks, house made Root Beer and Lemonade are available.
OCD: Obsessive Crawfish Disorder!
Unlike some breweries in the area, B52 is set up to accommodate small or large groups. In addition to dozens of picnic tables outside under the towering pines on 7 acres, B-52 offers three distinct spaces on the grounds: the Indoor Taproom (yes, air conditioned!) can host 150+ guests; the outdoor Patio Bar with TV and sound system can host 60+ guests; and the indoor Barrell Hall (also AC) seats 50 guests. Overall, the facility can host events for over 1,000 people.
During Hurricane Harvey, B-52 suffered from some flooding, but luckily escaped major damage. In fact, B-52 became a favorite hangout of many in the area as a refuge from the ravages of Harvey. Many patrons appreciated the family atmosphere as members of this close knit community worked together to help each other get through this troubling time.
B52s is Family Friendly
Marin emphasized that the brewery is family friendly. Bring your kids, your dogs (on a leash), and your smile when you come to B-52. The outdoors is set up with games likes cornhole, ping pong, and horseshoes, and there are even free old-time video games (think PacMan) inside. Fun events are programmed throughout the year, like weekly trivia games, a giant Easter Egg Hunt, and Crawfish Boils. And don’t forget to mark Octoberfest on your calendar, when up to 1,500 join in the festivities at B-52.
Join your friends and family at B52
So, for all you fans of cloak and dagger machinations behind the scenes, bring some friends and solve the mystery of the next strange brew created by the beer scientists at the B-52 experimental lab in Conroe. You’ll be rewarded with a one-of-a-kind, truly unique taste of Texas magic.
Scott Kendall is the Founder, Editor, and frequent contributor to PlayStayEat. He is a former Navy Officer, teacher and tennis coach who is an avid traveler and writer. Scott has traveled extensively throughout the United States and overseas to Italy, France, England, Croatia, Slovenia, and others. In addition to his contributions to PlayStayEat, much of his published work can be seen at scottkendalltravels.com.