BAKFISH first microbrewery in Pearland
Over the last few years, there has been a lot of growth in the number of micro and craft breweries in the Houston area. Unfortunately for beer lovers living close to campus, most of those breweries can only be found within the downtown area. That is now old news with the first ever microbrewery that opened just last year in Pearland, Texas.
Co-owners and best friends Brian Allen and Kris Szecsy took notice of the opportunity to make their love for beer into a business and found a location for their brewery on the Pearland/Friendswood border to attempt to unite craft beer lovers closer to home. Their brewery, BAKFISH, opened March 14 of last year. They recently celebrated their anniversary and the overwhelming support they have had from the community.
“Beer is beer, but when you are able to create a brew that makes the person want to have a conversation about what flavors they are tasting, then you know you’ve done a good job,” Szesky said. That’s why I do this.”
The name “BAKFISH” combines the initials of the partners’ first names with a bit of history into Kris’s past career as a marine biologist. Brian has a background in business development, so he takes care of the marketing and social media. Kris, in addition to his former career as a marine biologist, was a chemist in the oil and gas industry, and he is bringing that knowledge to the brewing process.
BAKFISH is currently brewing on a 30-barrel system, with plenty of space to grow in the future. The serve their “core five” beers on tap, which consists of: All Y’all Golden Ale, I Tell You Wit, Circle Hook India Pale Ale (IPA), Defying Gravity (DIPA) and Goat Roper Brown Porter. In addition to the core five, they have found ways to test the market by creating seasonal brews and some experimental blends like, Framb Y’all, a light ale mixed with raspberries. They also teamed up with Fetching Lab based out of Alvin to create a new beer cleverly named, Barkfish.
BAKFISH’s success has been due to the immense support they have received from the local community. Some customers have come in weekly since the grand opening last year, like J.D. Dyks. He loved the concept and the beer so much that he became an investor in the company.
“The idea was genius because unless you go to a sports bar, you can’t get a good craft beer,” Dyks said.
He formed a friendship with the owners and actually helped brew Anniversary Ale, a Tripel Belgian-style beer.
Also, not unlike other breweries, BAKFISH has food options for guests to enjoy with their beers. They have collaborated with local food trucks to come every evening and on weekends. Some are based in the Pearland/Friendswood area, but others come from Houston. The food choices are varied with options like Pounder’s gourmet burgers to the popular Brazilian Churrasco’s amazing plantain dishes.
Allen and Szecsy own the acre and a half behind their facility, which allows them to rent out the space for wedding receptions or private parties. They also have a variety of events going on monthly that are worth mentioning. This month, they will continue to host their running club that allows participants to run a 5k and finish strong with a cold beer. April will also contribute to the first ever Beerster, an adult-only Easter egg hunt that requires a basket to participate and will have participants scavenging the grounds for eggs with tokens inside for free beer.
BAKFISH offers a kid-friendly and dog-friendly area, as well as board games to keep customers entertained. Aside from the food trucks, they also allow patrons to bring their own food or have it delivered.
“I love the atmosphere,” said Jarrett Appel, a BAKFISH customer. “It’s one of my favorite places I’ve ever been.”
BAKFISH beers are available in 24 retail stores and 80 bars in the Houston area.
