USA, TX: Project Halo Brewing opening this summer in Fulshear

Steve and Melissa Mendez’s passion for their city is matched only by their passion for brewing beer. Now the couple have brought the two together in the form of Project Halo Brewing, a new brewery opening this summer in Fulshear, the Houston Chronicle reported on January 19.

The couple effuse almost as much pride over the Fulshear-Katy area as they do for the craft beers they’ll soon be offering.

Project Halo, located at 6520 F.M. 359 South, will offer lagers, pilsners, IPAs and a rotating tap of “experimental type” brews like Vietnamese coffees, sour Berliners or darker ales, Steve said.

The idea for Project Halo began when Steve was serving as a Special Forces Green Beret. His travels took him around the world, but the couple spent considerable time in the northwest.

“Craft beer has always kind of been a passion for us,” Steve said. “When I was in the military, that kind of took me around to several places, but one place where we spent a large majority of our time was in Washington State, and the craft beer scene was pretty mature there at the time.”

It didn’t take long for the pair to become passionate about craft beer. “We fell in love with the craft beer scene and really gravitated to a lot of the nuances behind it,” said Steve. “We decided to start trying it out and brewing with friends, and we went to a brew shop. And then from that point we both were pretty interested in the brewing process itself.”

As Steve was still active in his military service, Melissa took the reins as brewer, creating new recipes and perfecting the process. When Steve’s service ended, the couple began contemplating opening a brewery in earnest.

The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing economic instability put a damper on the couple’s plans, but as the economy recovered, so too, did the Mendez's hopes for opening a brewery in the city they love.

The result was Project Halo Brewing- a fusion of beer and the city of Fulshear. “The idea behind Project Halo as a brand is we want to be super hyper-local to the city of Fulshear,” Steve said. “We really fell in love with the area here in Fulshear, Cinco Ranch, Richmond and the surrounding cities, and we want to be able to share the beers that we like with our neighbors here.”

The Mendez’s hope that the brewery will serve as a gathering place for neighbors and families. “We want to make it a communal space where people can come, bring their kids, dogs and just hang out and have a good time and actually get to know their neighbors.”

While the Mendez’s are excited about opening their brewery, they hope future customers will come to the area now to experience everything the area has to offer.

“I would encourage people, especially people inside the loop who don’t know what’s out here, to take a day trip to the area,” Steve said. “Come out to Doziers (BBQ) in downtown Fulshear, and eat some amazing barbecue. Once we're open, come up and taste some of our beers and then drive up (F.M.) 359 as well. Go see Baa Baa Brewhouse up in Brookshire or No Label Brewing Co. in Katy. Come out and just get to know our area because we're pretty awesome.”

19 January, 2022