Rahr

Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TX)
July 6, 2005
Section: Features
Edition: Tarrant
Page: E6

Rahr & Sons unleashes Ugly Pug

Barry Shlachter
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

If you like a stout but can't quite picture yourself drinking one in this North Texas heat, well, Rahr's Ugly Pug black lager might be the beer. This is a deceptively light beer — not light as in tasteless, low-calorie fizzy brews, but light in heft.

Walking into downtown Fort Worth's Flying Saucer bar and out of a 100-degree scorcher, I ordered up a pint of what is anything but ugly. This might just be Rahr & Sons Brewery's best suds to date.

Available this week in six-packs, Ugly Pug poured a very dark mahogany with a thick tawny layer that left an intricate lace about the glass. This German-style schwarzbier (black lager) was relatively crisp and almost smoky, with a pleasant malty aftertaste.

If you've shelved your Guinness or Murphy's stout for the season, Rahr's Ugly Pug might be a reasonable substitute for them, and it's a worthy alternative for Shiner Bock drinkers out there.

Brewery boss Fritz Rahr reports that visitors on his free Saturday brewery tours and tastings (1 to 3 p.m.) often hesitate initially when offered this forbiddingly dark beverage — but then insist on drinking only Ugly Pug.

Ugly Pug has been available on tap for months. Rahr blamed the delay in getting his alchemy into bottles first on slow movement by federal bureaucrats in approving the label, then on the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission's insistence on having the word "BEER" appear prominently on the bottle (were people going to mistake it for infant formula?).

The brewery says there's absolutely no difference between Ugly Pug in bottles and on tap.

Look for the beer with a scruffy, eyepatch-wearing pug dog on the label.

Where to buy it

Rahr Ugly Pug Black Lager, which is 4.9 percent alcohol by volume, is expected to retail for about $7 per six-pack. It should be available this week at Central Market, Majestic, Applejacks, Halls, Market Street and Kings Liquors. Some of the larger Kroger supermarkets in Tarrant County will be carrying the Rahr line soon.

The Rahr & Sons Brewery, at 701 Galveston Ave. at the corner of Leuda, just south of downtown Fort Worth, offers tours and tastings from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Online info: www.rahrbrewing.com