Rolling Into Houston’s Love Street, an Iconic Nightclub Turned Brew — Karbach’s Newest Beer is All About Summer

The bright and sunshiny days of summer are just around the corner, and Houston’s own Karbach Brewing Company has a new beer for it. Karbach is rolling out a new variation of its beloved Love Street Blonde brew dubbed Love Street Citrus.

The new brew is inspired by a 1960s-era psychedelic nightclub in downtown Houston called Love Street Light Circus Feel Good Machine (which was located in the Sunset Coffee Building at Allen’s Landing). Now, this Love Street beer is trying to bring people together through music, art and good times. Think easy drinking, easy living and a bolt of liquid sunshine.

The Karbach Brewing Co. team threw an event at the Sunset Coffee Building, the site of the old street Love Street nightclub, to launch this new. Karbach brewery educator Josh Lindsay guided a food and beer tasting, detailing the ingredients and flavors of the new beer.

Love Street Citrus is a wheat ale that uses flaked and malted wheat, a combo of hops and a unique citrus blend. With something of a mouthwatering twist.

“The unique thing about (the flaked and malted) wheat is that it adds protein, which leads to a fuller mouthfeel,” Lindsay says. The hops also help create the distinct flavor.

“We wanted to stay loyal to Love Street being a German-style so we’re using Calista, which is a new age hop from Germany,” Lindsay says. “It’s got this really bright citrusy note, so it’s kind of a no-brainer in putting it in a citrusy wheat beer. We’ve also got Centennial and Sultana from the United States, which is typically described as pineapple and tropical fruit. . .

“Which all comes together and is augmented by a unique blend of citrus created for Karbach.”

Lindsay recommends food pairings, including creamy goat cheese and citrus salad, chicken tikka masala and a mixed fruit tart. Beyond food, he recommends pairing Love Street Citrus with some sunshine.

“It’s really got all the refreshing qualities for a hot — I would normally say summer day — but we live in Houston,” he says. “So just a hot day.”