Katy Edition | September 2022

FIRST LOOK Project Halo Brewing New brewery celebrates diversity and community in Fulshear W hen husband and wife team Steve and Melissa Mendez set out to open Project

BY ASIA ARMOUR

beer; a lager avored with ube; a purple yam native to the Philippines; and an India pale ale. The Mendezes are of Mexican and Salvadoran descent. Originally from California, they also lived in the Pacic Northwest, and Steve was stationed for a time in Asia. Their Hispanic heritage as well as inuence from Southwest Asian cultures has inspired the depth of avors in Melissa’s brews, the design of the space and the inclusive environment

Husband and wife Steve and Melissa Mendez will hold a grand opening for Project Halo Brewing in October. (Photos by Asia Armour/Community Impact Newspaper)

Halo Brewing in Fulshear, they said they wanted to create a place that is inclusive and diverse. “When we opened, we made a point on our tap list to [lead] with female brewers,” Melissa said. Melissa integrates inclusivity into the brewery as a member of the Pink Boots Society Houston Chapter, a professional network that aims to assist and

Melissa Mendez, head brewer and co-owner of Project Halo Brewing, said glassware is especially signicant to the type of beer it holds for various reasons. Here are three dierent glasswares.

GLASSWARE MATTERS

THE SNIFTER Snifters are typically used for

stronger beers as the size and shape allow for amplied sensory elements, such as the taste and fragrance. In this glass, Melissa poured Mean Girlz, a California common with a caramel, coee and woody avor. THE TULIP A 10-ounce glass with a rounded bowl on a small stem, the tulip oers variety to sample multiple pours and helps to capture the aroma of the beer. In this glass, Melissa poured Mandatory Fun, an amber ale. THE LAGER This tall and thin 18-ounce glass is used to promote carbonation, attention to the beer’s color and maintains the beer’s foam head. In this glass is Piñata Party—a Pilsner classied as a light-color lager with a crisp nish and Melissa’s favorite type of beer. 2 3

“WHEN WE OPENED, WE MADE A POINT ON OUR TAP LIST TO LEAD WITH

inspire women and nonbinary individuals in the fermented and alcoholic beverage industry through education.

the team aims to create, they said. The couple said what is unique about Project Halo is its attention to

FEMALE BREWERS.” MELISSA MENDEZ, COOWNER

Steve runs the business and oper- ations side of Project Halo Brewing and has coined himself head janitor. Steve’s experience as a U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret helped create the name of their business and brand. Melissa was crafting a brew kettle of Pilsner in early September, which will be sold during the brewery's grand opening on Oct. 22. Project Halo Brewing plans to collaborate with multiple local vendors for its trunk-or-treat grand opening event, such as Marco’s Pizza and Dozier’s BBQ. Beers on tap—which will rotate depending on the season—will include a Vietnamese coee-infused

small details that make the place more amenable to the whole family, including children and pets. Piñatas hang from the rafters around the bar, which is painted pastel pink and green. The husband and wife have nested in Fulshear with their son since 2018 and are set to plant roots here for their lifetimes. It was important to them to have Project Halo be close to home and be a place to connect neighbors, they said. “[Our goal] is just to make it a communal place, a place where neighbors can come together and, regardless of whether they know each other or not, to just have a conversation,” Steve said.

Project Halo Brewing 6520 FM 359 S., Ste. 500, Fulshear 281-533-4071 www.projecthalobrewing.com Hours: Thu. 3-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. noon-10 p.m., Sun. noon-9 p.m.

N. FULSHEAR DR.

359

RODGERS RD.

KATY EDITION • SEPTEMBER 2022