What's On Tap, Houston - The Ginger Man

by Mike Pomranz, Posted Jan 21st 2009 @ 12:01PM

A weekly look at the draft selection at beer-friendly bars across the country.

The Ginger Man began as a Houston legend. Opening in 1985, some consider it to be the first true multi-tap bar in America. By 1994, locations had opened in Dallas and Austin making it a Texas-wide phenomenon (a fourth establishment opened in Fort Worth in 2007). And in 1996, The Ginger Man moved up to the big city (though, yes, Houston is quite a big city) when a "cousin" location, inspired by that original Ginger Man spirit, opened in New York City where people pronounce the word Houston a little bit differently. (Since that time, the NYC pub has even expanded with two locations in Connecticut, Greenwich and Norwalk. Phew.)

But let's get back to that original Ginger Man. Still going strong well over 20 years later, The Ginger Man has taken up the power of the internet to keep their current draft list online. As they say on their site: "We're making a new effort to keep [our draught beer list] page updated, since it is arguably the most important page on the whole web site." Here, here.

After the jump, let's take a look at what The Ginger Man is currently serving up on tap...

Here's the list. They chose to break the list down by country, so I follow suit. Yes, it is very long, but scroll down for notes at the end.

from the UNITED STATES
New Belgium 1554
Arrogant Bastard Ale
Stone Smoked Porter
St. Arnold Christmas Ale
Bear Republic Big Bear Stout
Real Ale Dunkel Roggen
Brooklyn Brown Ale
Real Ale Coffee Porter
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
Sam Adams Winter Lager
St. Arnold Amber (Houston)
St. Arnold Elissa IPA (Houston)
St. Arnold Elissa IPA Cask
Scrimshaw Pils
Bud Light
Live Oak Hefe Weizen
Southern Star Logger
Brooklyn Lager
Sam Adams Boston Lager
Dogfish Head 90 Minute
Southern Star Pale Ale
Fat Tire Amber Ale
Breckenridge 471
Ziegenbock
Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA
Real Ale Rio Blanco Pale Ale
Stone IPA
New Belgium Giddy Up
Anchor Steam
Sierra Nevada Harvest
Real Ale Full Moon Rye
from GERMANY
Spaten Optimator
Spaten Oktoberfest
Paulaner Oktoberfest
Paulaner 1634
Franziskaner Hefe-Weizen
Spaten Light
from ENGLAND
Newcastle Brown Ale
Young's Double Chocolate
Fuller's London Porter
Young's Oatmeal Stout
Old Speckled Hen
Fuller's ESB
Wells Bombardier
Boddington's Pub Draught
from BELGIUM
Maredsous #8
St. Bernardus Abt 12
Lindemans Framboise
Lindemans Pomme
Kwak
Chimay White
Mannekin Pis
Maredsous #10
Stella Artois
Hoegaarden
from IRELAND
Guinness Stout
Harp
from SCOTLAND
Belhaven Stout
Belhaven Scottish Ale
Tennent's Lager
from THE CZECH REPUBLIC
Czechvar
Pilsner Urquell
from HOLLAND
Amstel Light
Heineken
from MEXICO
Dos Equis Special Lager
Modelo Especial

In total, 66 beers. As with many modern beer bars, American beers take center-stage with Belgium also being a popular choice. Seeing "Holland" on the list only to be followed by Amstel Light and Heineken is always worth a chuckle, but if you're going to break it down by country, so be it.

Overall, the international selection, though diverse and extensive, doesn't offer up a ton of surprises. However, the 31 American beers on tap represent one of the most evenly selected groupings of styles and flavors that "What's On Tap?" has inspected. From dark stouts and coffee porters to IPAs of distinctly differing flavors and hoppiness, malty amber beers to pils, the U.S. selection really covers the gambit.

Looks like this Houston legend is still doing what they do best: Serving beer.

The Ginger Man Houston is located at 5607 Morningside Dr., Houston, TX. houston.gingermanpub.com.

[Photo Credit: gingermanpub.com]

Filed Under: What's On Tap?, Drink Recipes, Drinks
Tags: america, austin, beer, dallas, fort worth, ginger man, houston, new york city, speakin suds, texas, the ginger man

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

1-21-2009 @6:31PM Chris Wilkerson said... I've been to the Gingerman many times (in Houston). It is truly a nice place to go have a beer, shoot some [real] darts.

Whenever I meet people who like real beer. The Gingerman and Boondoggles (in Clearlake, TX, south east of Houston) are where it's at for beer selection by far.

Chris
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1-21-2009 @8:48PM squawky said... Add a second for Boondoggles (on NASA Road 1 in Seabrook, outside Clear Lake). They have a nice selection of draft beer (local and not), and some pretty good wood-fire pizzas. It used to be one of the first bars friends and I would hit during our yearly week-long
conference in Clear Lake.

Alas, not this year :(.

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