8th Wonder Brewery

While visiting Houston a few weekends ago, I wanted to meet with some friends on a Sunday afternoon.  Rebekah was practicing for a choir concert, so I had some time to kill.

I thought it would be fun to meet Isaac and Jessica in downtown Houston for a beer.  Wanting to find a brewery that was open on a Sunday afternoon, I used my newly-created Texas Craft Brewery List.  Within a few clicks, I had found a match.  8^th Wonder Brewery met all my requirements, mainly, a brewery open on a Sunday producing Texas Craft Beer.  While I came in with low expectations and knowing nothing about the brewery, I quickly found this place to be awesome!

If you love Houston, you will love this brewery.  If you don’t love Houston, you will still probably love this brewery.  But if you love Houston sports and Texas Craft Beer, you will be in heaven!

8^th Wonder Brewery takes its namesake from the most sacred structure in Houston, the Astrodome, aka the 8^th Wonder of the World.  While we now live in an age of mega stadiums, the Astrodome was the original.  When it opened in 1965, it was the first domed sports venue in the world.  Even though modern stadiums now dwarf this structure, the Dome is an important part of being a Houstonian.  If the structure is not enough by itself, it was also the home to the Houston Astros (Major League Baseball), the old Houston Oilers (National Football League) and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.  Let the memories flow…

One last side note: Houstonians are trying to keep the Dome from being torn down.  For now, the Astrodome is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, hopefully saving this historic building for future generations.

So, now that you are all versed on Astrodome lore, you can appreciate that this brewery did not choose its name carelessly.  Now, can a craft brewery live up to the reputation of the Astrodome?  In a word, Yes.

Let’s take a look at 8^th Wonder Brewery based on our Brewery Grading Scale.

Logistics:  5  The taproom at 8^th Wonder brewery is open every day of the week.  Every.  Single.  Day.  Well, that makes it easy to visit!  The brewery is open Monday to Friday from 3:00 to 10:00 PM, Saturday from 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM, and Sunday from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM.  Get your last call 30 minutes prior to the closing time.  The brewery, housed in a somewhat dome-shaped warehouse, feels like a taproom/sports bar while also reminding you that you are in a brewery.  The taproom occupies the middle third, with brewery operations on either side.

No reservations are required with the come and go atmosphere.  Simply show up, pay at the end of the bar, get your glass and tokens and then grab a drink from a bartender.  The brewery is conveniently situated in East downtown.  Free street parking is available nearby.

Atmosphere:  5  OK, so this may be a bit biased.  The afternoon we visited, the place was rocking!  Well, it was Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals, and the Rockets pulled out a miraculous series win over the LA Clippers.  Tension was high, and the uncontained excitement was infectious.  8^th Wonder loves being the go-to place to watch sports, especially the home teams.  However, even without a great game on the 4 flat screen TVs, there is plenty of Houston sports memorabilia covering the walls to keep you entertained.  Care to measure yourself against the life-sized poster of Rockets center Yao Ming?  Sure.  If you are feeling tired after not sizing up to the 7’4” giant, grab a seat in an original Astrodome seat.  That’s right, they have 12 awesome rainbow seats (yellow, orange, red and blue) from the Astrodome!  Out of instinct, I sat down and was transported to a Friday night baseball game in the 90’s rooting on the ‘Stros from the very top of the Dome in the cheap seats.  One restroom is available inside, with two port-a-johns outside.  If you are hungry, a food truck is normally serving up eats outside.  That Sunday, the Eatsie Boys truck served up wonderful-smelling food, and always feature 8^th Wonder’s own beer cheese!

Watching the Rockets Game

Value:  4  You have 3 options for beer.  Option 1:  For $15, snag a pint glass and three pints (16 ounces).  Option 2:  For $10, sample 3 beers from a plastic glass (12 ounces), or bring back your 8^th Wonder glass from a past visit and get 3 pints and no glass.  Option 3:   For $4, get one beer in a plastic glass.  Since I didn’t have a glass already, and I don’t drink craft beer from a plastic glass (whenever possible), I was left with Option 1.  While I am a beer snob, I did appreciate the options for less alcohol for less money.  While not overpriced, 8^th Wonder was a bit more expensive than other breweries I have visited recently, but cheaper than most bars.

Dome Faux’m – Throwback Cream Ale

Beer – Taste:  5  When visiting a new craft brewery, I always look for the one beer that truly sets them apart.  Two words, Rocket Fuel.  I immediately developed very strong feelings for this Vietnamese coffee porter, however, I held out judgement fearing that the taste might change for the worse as I continued drinking.  Nope.  Great to the last drop!  Thinking I was crazy, I turned to Isaac and Jessica for their take:  they both loved it!  Rocket Fuel is a home run (or slam dunk)!  This truly unique beer, full of malt flavor and very light on hops, perfectly balances the strong cold brew coffee with sweet notes from the added lactose (think condensed milk).  Isaac simply stated, “This tastes just like Vietnamese coffee!”  And all this flavor punch comes with a relatively low ABV (alcohol by volume) of 4.6%.  Yes please!  I’ll take three pints!  Not to be completely overshadowed, the other beers were good as well.  Isaac, being a hop-head, enjoyed the IPAs.

Beer – Variety:  4  8^th Wonder offered 8 different beers during my visit, including 5 year-round beers and 3 Imagination Series brews (limited releases).  Unfortunately, two of the beers I wanted to try were out.  However, with only three pints, there were plenty of other great beers to choose.  I had to try the Mission Control, part of the Imagination Series and only available at the brewery.

Tap Wall

Tour:  N/A Ahhhh…the only flaw in an otherwise exceptional brewery visit.  Currently, 8^th Wonder does not offer tours, but will offer them again in the future.  Right now, the brewery is partly under construction.  With the taproom open every day, it is remarkable that they brew enough beer with visitors always hanging out.  I hope to visit again when tours are offered, and update this information accordingly.  And if I have to drink another Rocket Fuel, then so be it!

Other Noteworthy Items:  I want to give a shout out to Oscar and Victor, two Houston locals that helped me feel right at home while watching the game.  They highly recommended the nearby Moon Tower Inn, which looks like a total dive and doesn’t have a website, so you know it’s good!  I didn’t have time to grab a bite to eat.  Next time.

To find a local Texas brewery around you or for your next trip, check our updated Texas Craft Brewery List.