52 bars / 52 beers / 52 weeks

stay tuned...

2009-05-12T19:04:00.002-05:00

I've been swamped with work, but I've been keeping up on my projects. I'll have my last few weeks posted soon!

Here's a Great Lakes Brewing Co. Eliot Ness, a tasty amber ale from Clevo.

Little Woodrow's on the Drag / 512 IPA / Week #14

2009-04-15T15:46:00.004-05:00

About the beer: The 512 Brewing Company is a small brewery located here in Austin TX. I'm always down for supporting local businesses, breweries especially. The 512 IPA is an American IPA. Although most IPA's are known for their hoppy flavor the 512 IPA is surprisingly mellow in regards to the hops. You can taste hops but it's relatively subtle.

More noticeable is the fruit and citrus overtone with a distinct malty flavor. The 512 IPA has a very distinct dark coloring closer to an amber ale. Truth be told if I had tasted this without knowing what it was I'd be hard pressed to classify it as an IPA.

All in all it's a very tasty brew. I recommend it.

About the bar: This is Little Woodrow's fourth location. Its situated on campus near Guadalupe and 24th. Originally this was the legendary Texas Showdown Saloon, a very friendly, kinda dirty, local joint that had a whole slew of different types of characters; intellectuals, drunks, dope heads, frat rats, and sorostitutes. You can see the old Showdown sign in the background of the picture. The Showdown was used to shoot a scene from Tarantino's Death Proof (which was on the TV at the bar oddly enough).

Little Woodrow's tends to attract more jocky frat types and that's pretty much what was there along with a giggling gaggle of drunk middle eastern sorority girls (?).

They've cleaned the place up, but the ambience is still there which is cool. The bar is bigger and cleaner and they have a better selection of beers, but no booze. Parking is quite limited especially on busier nights. They have a patio which I imagine is dog-friendly, but I can't say for sure.

It's an OK place. The odd cast of characters being gone doesn't make the place quite as interesting as it used to be, but they have decent drink prices and Thursday night is 1/2 price all drinks which pretty much rocks no matter how you look at it.

Casino el Camino / PBR / week #13

2009-04-07T02:54:00.003-05:00

About the beer: Ah yes... PBR. What can you say about Pabst Blue Ribbon? It's cheap. It's American. It's a lager. It's tasty...

I've been drinking PBR for years and I love it. Before the hipsters discovered it it was the poor man's drink of choice at the Penguin Pub.

About the bar: Casino el Camino... There is no better place on earth as far as I'm concerned. This is the first bar I went to when I moved to Austin. The same bartenders work there now. That's what I love about Casino. It's my hometown bar. When SXSW comes around I can show up and be sure that the bartenders know I'm a local. The most awesome bartender is Mr. Lifto. How many of you can say that your bartender lifts things with his wiener?

Casino has the best burgers on the planet. Bar None. You NEED to eat here. The END.

Weeks 10, 11, & 12

2009-03-29T20:10:00.010-05:00

As promised I'm catching up. Here we go...

Uncle Billy's Brew & Que / Back 40 Blonde Ale /Week #10

About the beer: Back 40 Blonde Ale. This is a tasty middle of the road brew. It's a nice and refreshing, great for a hot day. Not too hoppy, just right. (Don't let the glass fool you, this isn't brewed by 512, more on that later...)

About the bar: Uncle Billy’s Brew & Que. While not technically a bar they brew their own beer and it’s pretty good. They have quite a few of their own beers on tap all of them quite tasty, The beers range from IPA's to porters to heffeweizens. They pretty much have a brew for everyone's taste. They also have some of the tastiest burgers ever. The burger meat is made from ground brisket and it's the juiciest damn burger I ever had (and the bacon is freaking awesome). I would venture to say that next to Casino el Camino this place has the best tasting burgers in Austin (a bold statement). They have a dog friendly patio which is always a plus in my book.

Billy's on Burnet / Blue Moon Belgian White / Week #11

About the beer: This is a super-flavorful Belgian style wheat ale. It's unfiltered so it appears a little cloudy which may put some people off. It's brewed with coriander and orange peel which gives it a slightly spicy and fruity taste. It's supposed to be garnished with an orange to fully bring out the flavor. I guess they didn't have any orange slices so mine came with a lemon and it was actually good. The orange adds a little too much sweetness for my taste, but the lemon is just right. This is another great beer on a hot day. Find out more about Blue Moon by clicking here.

About the bar: This is just your standard everyday bar. It's got your standard bar food and it also has quite a few vegetarian dishes. I hadn't gone there for awhile and since I was last there the beer selection has grown exponentially. They have 25 beers on tap and a lot of bottled beers as well. The crowd is diverse from rockers to jocks to hipsters. They also have a dog-friendly patio.

Rio Rita Lounge / Fireman's 4 Blonde Ale / Week #12

About the beer: Once again another good beer for the hot Texas weather (or wherever you may be). I'm a big fan of blonde ales and this is one of my favorites. Made by the Real Ale Brewing company (see week #7 for more Real Ale) this beer is slightly fruity with a citrusy undertone. The coolest part is that the beer is named for a local Austin BMX cruiser bike company. Anybody that supports BMX is tops in my book. Check out the Fireman's Texas Cruzer by clicking here.

About the bar: The Rio Rita is part coffee shop, part bar and all cool. It's a bit of a hipster place, but if you can ignore the ironic moustaches you'll be OK. I used to know all the bartenders, but they have moved on leaving a new crop. They seemed nice and helpful (which can be rare in hipster joints). The Rio Rita is the second establishment opened by Randall who also operates Beerland and the Shangri-La and formerly operated Austin's scuzziest punk rock dive bar, the long defunct Bates Motel. I'm all about supporting local businesses especially when they're owned by a friend. The beer selection is slim, but they do offer some good choices from your basic Lone Star to the high end Trois Pistoles. They also serve East Side Pies pizzas, definitely the best pizza in Austin which is another local business owned by another of my friends Noah. Once again we have a dog friendly patio with some interesting decorating (it's walled in by old time radiators, not car radiators, but the kind you find in old houses up north). Next time you're on the east side of Austin stop on in and get your caffeine fix or your beer buzz on. Oh yeah, they also have liquor...

stay tuned...

2009-03-24T18:08:00.002-05:00

I've been shooting my beer shots, but with SXSW I haven't had the time to write them up.

I'll get on it ASAP! I promise...

To tide you over here's an exclusive shot of Jane's Addiction at the Playboy "Rock the Bunny" Party in Austin TX for SXSW.

the Hole in the Wall / Austin Amber / Week #9

2009-03-04T01:21:00.004-06:00

Yeah, OK. I missed week #8. I was BUSY! I shot G. Love, the Jonas Brothers, & Slipknot all in one week. That's a pretty wide variety of stuff, not to mention A LOT of editing.

I usually start with the bar, but the beer is so freaking GOOD that I'm starting with that.

So...

About the beer: I'm here at week #9 with one GODDAMN fantastic beer. Austin's own Independence Breweing Company's Austin Amber Ale. Independence is a true local brewery. They've always been a part of the scene. When I worked for Obsolete Industries Amy was always there dropping off free kegs for our parties.

Independence Brewery has the best hand-crafted beer Austin has to offer. Austin Amber is slightly toasty with a nice mild citrus taste. It's just about perfect. It's not too dark, not too sweet, not too bitter, not too hoppy. It's a great blend of all things good. Just like Austin, it's perfect.

About the bar: Oh... the Hole in the Wall. When I first moved to Austin I was told about this bar. There were a lot of differing opinions. I heard "stay away from that place, it's full of coke-heads", I also heard, "the Hole has the best bands...".

Well, I lived real close to the Hole and I quickly became a regular and for a short time I actually worked there. I was the door guy for awhile when I had a broken leg. I couldn't work my regular job and Mike and Debbie let me work there for $30 and a 6 pack a night. The Hole was a great place then (back in the late '90s early ought's), but I'm not gonna lie. The Hole now is a different place.

The Hole in the Wall looks similar, but all of the old intellectuals are gone (the Hole is right across from the campus and attracted quite a few drunken intellectuals). For the most part the crowd is lame college kids and wannabe alt-country fuckers who never saw Courtney Love smoke crack with Lawrence (this is an old school Hole story in which I played a lead role, and NO, I didn't smoke any crack).

I recently moved back into my old neighborhood so the Hole is back on the radar. I went there tonight to do my beer shot. There was a band going on and being my usual cranky self I was skeptical. Well... I'll be dipped in shit! They were good. Damn good. I'm gonna do something here that I NEVER do. I'm gonna plug a band. A band I don't even KNOW. That should tell you something.

The band is called Clyde and Clem's Whiskey Business These guys are a kinda drunken bluegrass mess, with a sophistication that's similar to a crackhouse jazz quintet. It's a beautiful cacophany. Holy crap! I sound like a record reviewer!

Well, here's the deal. Tuesday Nights. Clyde and Clem's Whiskey Business. Be there. I will.

Stubb's BBQ / Real Ale Full Moon Pale Rye Ale / Week #7

2009-02-20T01:26:00.005-06:00

About the bar: Stubb's BBQ is an Austin icon. It's got some good BBQ and they have the biggest outdoor venue in the city. This is where most of the "big names" play. I've seen a lot of cool shows here Everyone from Willie Nelson to the Butthole Surfers have graced the stage of the Waller Creek Amphitheater. They also have a smaller inside stage where they mostly showcase local talent. In the past I've seen such bands as Sloppy Seconds and the Queers there, but those kind of shows are few and far between these days.

The tickets (and the food and beer) are kinda pricey. They don't have an extensive drink selection, but they do have all of the staples and a few local micros such as Real Ale and Independence.

Stubb's isn't the kind of place that's conducive to a "regular" crowd. It's more of a destination place. The crowd is going to differ depending on who's playing. All in all Stubb's serves its purpose as being Austin's only remaining outdoor venue (RIP Southpark Meadows).

About the beer: Real Ale is a small brewery right outside of Austin in Blanco. They produce some mighty fine beers. The Full Moon Pale Rye Ale is no exception. It's hoppy yet it retains a very mild aftertaste. It's the kind of pale ale that hoppy beer haters could enojy (if they bothered to try it).

It's got quite a complex taste with hints of spices that aren't overwhelming, just enough to add to the flavor without distracting. The color is a nice fiery caramel wth a nice head.

(This part is just for Ben. It's got a great mouthfeel. It's got a good amount of carbonation without feeling too sharp.)

Real Ale Full Moon Pale Rye Ale isn't the kind of beer I could drink all night, but it's a good beer to start the night off with.

Crown & Anchor Pub / Strongbow Cider / Week #6

2009-02-13T18:32:00.005-06:00

About the bar: This week I stopped at the Crown & Anchor Pub for an early Friday the 13th happy hour drink. This place is an Austin staple. It's located in the heart of the University of Texas campus on San Jacinto.

The Crown and Anchor doesn't have a whole bunch of draft beers, maybe 10 or so, but they're mostly good beers. They do however have a pretty huge selection of bottled beers form all over the world. They don't serve liquor which casues me to deduct some pints. Unlike some "beer bars", the C & A doesn't allow you to bring your own liquor. I got yelled at by Amy the door girl for swilling from my flask one night.

A big plus is that they have a huge outdoor patio and they are dog friendly. That's always a good deal for me and my doglets. Although the name sounds like it might be a "British Pub", it doesn't really have that overdone "pub" atmosphere that you often find.

The Crown & Anchor also serves up some pretty good bar grub. They've got good hamburgers and exceptionally tasty fries. My favorite is the chili cheese dog. It's messy and delicious.

The bartenders are all friendly and knowledgeable about most of the beers that they serve. The crowd is a good mix of mostly laid-back cool people. There's quite a few students, but it's not a "frat boy" and "sorositute" place. They've also got a couple of pool tables and you can shoot some darts if so desire.

This is a nice little place. One of my favorites in Austin. You won't find a bunch of hipsters or tourists here since the campus area isn't really downtown and is off the beaten path for most tourists. The Crown is one of Austin's best kept secrets. An A+ in my book.

About the beer: Alright, this technically isn't a beer. Strongbow is a hard cider made from fermented apple juice. This particular cider is brewed in England and has a nice dry flavor. It's a little sour but I like it like that. It tastes best served ice cold and it should be drunk fast because the warmer it gets the worse it tastes. The bartender informed me that a lot of the employees there prfer to drink it over ice. I haven't tried it, but it seems like it might be a good idea.

Barton Springs Saloon / Pacifico Clara / Week #5

2009-02-09T21:23:00.009-06:00

About the bar: This week we come from the Barton Springs Saloon. This is a little locally owned joint right on the the corner of South Lamar Blvd. and Barton Springs Rd. in what has become condo central.

This place claims to be a "watering hole with unique character and Austin style". Their website states "Located as we are in the heart of booming South Lamar, we are proud to be a part of the old-style, friendly Austin atmosphere that has made our city one of the best places to live in the country. We are happy to do our part to “Keep Austin Weird”!.

Well to be completely honest, this place tried way too hard to look "Austin-y" and missed the mark. It looks more like a Chili's or a TGI Friday's with miscellanea and bric-brac screwed up all over the walls and ceilings. The fact that the place was converted from an old service station doesn't even help it to be unique since Doc's did that a few years ago to much better effect.

The clientle on this Saturday night was mostly 21-23 year kids some of which were playing "quarters" (seriously?) and annoying me. The crowd was pretty low-rent and most of them looked as if they had just come in from Bastrop and were trying to be cool by hanging out in "downtown Austin". I had actually expected there to be a bunch of condo-dwellers hanging out so I was quite surprised.

I didn't get a chance to take a look at the jukebox, but the tunes that were being spewed out were of the typical trailer trash rock 'n roll type. Things like Puddle of Mudd, Saliva, and my own personal fave Nickelback. Yeah, it was pretty awesome.

On a brighter note, the Barton Springs Saloon offers daily drink specials, some of which are pretty damn good. Two that stuck out in my memory are:

Sunday Hair of the Dog
$2 Vodka drinks all day (Bloody Marys, Screwdrivers, etc.)
Mondays
$1 Lone Star Longnecks, all day

Honestly, despite the specials, I don't see myself hanging out here very often. The best thing about this place is that it's next to P. Terry's Burgers and you can bring food over from there. There's nothing like a good burger and fries with a one dollar Lone Star.

About the beer: Pacifico Clara is a pale lager brewed by the Cerveceria del Pacifico and is imported from Mazatlan Mexico. This is probably my favorite Mexican brew. It's slightly hoppy yet has a smooth finish with very little aftertaste. It's an all-around tasty beer that is especially good on a hot summer day. Some folks like to enjoy this beer with a lime, but I prefer to drink mine straight.

This beer is much better than Corona or Tecate so if you're not a fan of these Mexican beers don't be afraid to give Pacifico Clara a try.

the Ginger Man / Oskar Blues Old Chub Scottish Ale / week #4

2009-01-29T02:24:00.005-06:00

About the bar: The Ginger Man is a great bar with an amazing beer selection. I took a few shots here last year because I was sure that it would be gone by this time this year.

The property was bought by "speculators" and was slated to be a condo by this time. Fortunately for us the condo market is not "booming". The Ginger Man is still in it's old location. They are moving to the new location soon, but for the time being we still have the real deal.

The Ginger Man is a small chain of "American Pubs" based out of Houston with a few locations, one in Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, NYC, and Greenwich CT. It's a great little pub with a local flavor. I've been to all of the locations except for the CT spot and they're all super cool...

This one in particular (Austin) has a great staff but the problem is the location. The bar, in and of itself is cool, but being located in the warehouse district it tends to attract a crappy clientele. There are a lot of douche-bags hanging around. The bar staff is great, but the prices suck.

The sheer amount of beer makes this place worthwhile. If you want it, you got it. The atmosphere is great too. It's nice and warm just like a good pub should be.

About the beer: Oskar Blues Old Chub Scottish Ale. It's a very smooth drink. The first thing you notice is that it's exceedingly smokey, but it has a nice fruity finish. It's dry, but not too dry. A fantastically dry but rich beer with a fruity but dry flavor.

Bottom line: You should stop here before it's gone. It's going to be one of those places that people in Austin TALK about, but never have BEEN there.

Go there, right now. Don't be one of those people who wish they were there.

the Dog & Duck Pub / Guinness / week #3

2009-01-20T00:10:00.003-06:00

About the bar: This week I come to you from the Dog & Duck Pub at 17th and Guadalupe in Austin. The Dog and Duck is a locally owned quaint little British type pub. It has a nice ambiance and doesn't try too hard to look like a pub as you often find with chains like Fadó.

The Dog and Duck in Austin has a sister pub in London also called the Dog & Duck. While the Dog & Duck in London is owned by a brewery the one here in Austin is a freehouse meaning that they can serve beer from any brewery that they choose, unlike a tied house which can only serve beer from it's parent brewery.

The vibe is always pretty mellow and the crowd is mostly just regular type folks who enjoy good beer. You won't find a bunch of frat boys or sorostitutes even though it's located close to UT.

The Dog & Duck has a very ample beer selection with almost 40 beers on tap and about half as many in bottles. They usually have a different special each day of the week. They've got great food here as well. The fish and chips are by far the best Austin has to offer. They specialize in pub grub, so don't expect to eat healthy here, although I was surprised to find edamamé on the menu tonight (I ordered it and it was excellent).

They've got a decent jukebox and you can play some darts or shoot a game of pool if you like. Good times.

This is a great place to come and have a relaxing pint in an old British pub type of atmosphere. Wooden floors, a great mahogany bar and pub type couch seating add to the ambiance.

About the beer: Guinness is good for you. Indeed it is. Guinness is a fantastic Irish stout beer with a smooth creamy head and a decidedly mellow flavor.

Guinness, although it's a bit heavy, is actually quite light figuratively speaking. It contains less than 100 calories per pint and is only 4.3% alcohol. Much lighter than most domestic light beers believe it or not.

Guinness is carbonated with a mixture of nitrogen and CO2 giving it a less fizzy and biting demeanor which makes it go down smooth.

I love this stuff. My favorite beer to drink when the weather is cold.

the Cloak Room / Shiner Bock / week #2

2009-01-14T23:33:00.003-06:00

About the bar: The Cloak Room is a tiny little establishment just off of Guadalupe directly to the west of the Texas State Capitol. Situated in a basement (this is extremely rare in central Texas), this underground bunker is quite possibly the darkest bar I've ever been in.

This little known wood paneled nook is very tiny and has plenty of shadowy areas where one might make some sort of deals (NO, not drug deals). This smoky haven is a regular haunt for state representatives, senators, congressmen and their cohorts. Here you will see men of power consorting with their secretaries, interns, and legal aides who are usually dressed in what my friend Jenny termed "business-slutty".

It's quite common to hear such phrases as "chairman, what are you drinking", "has that referendum passed?", "Let's put it to a vote". Many laws have been pushed through over a glass of bourbon in this place.

At this point I must mention the bartender. She's an old bat of about 60 with a lion's mane of bleached out hair. She's spent so much time among these so-called "people of power" that she wrongly assumes that she too is privileged. If you look like I do she will treat you with disdain. We had 5 beers and the total came to $27 so I'm pretty sure she over-charges as well. She's a Grade A cooze.

The beer selection in the place is abysmal. Your standard domestic crap (Bud, Bud Light, Coors, etc...) and a paltry 2 imports (Guinness and Dos XX). The liquor selection isn't very fantastic either. Apparently the people that run the state don't have a very refined palate.

At any rate, it's an interesting place and I kind of like the place despite it's shortcomings and I've resolved to make it my regular hangout.

About the beer: Shiner Bock. From the Spoetzl brewery, once the oldest independent brewery in the heart of the Texas hill country, comes Shiner Bock, a German / Czech style beer.

Sounds good, doesn't it? It's not. Well, to be fair it's OK. It's a bit watered down to be called a Bock beer, but hey... this IS America. Shiner is a good beer to give grandma to get her started on "dark beers". It's got a nice nutty, malty flavor that is very easy to drink.

Shiner has been bought out by the Gambrinus Company, the importer of a lot of different brews (Pete's, Moosehead, Corona, etc...), but Shiner is still produced at the Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner TX by a small crew of about 50 people. Shiner TX is located about 90 miles south-east of Austin and has tours of the brewery. In the winter the tours run Mon. - Fri. at 11 a.m. and at 1:30 p.m.; and in the summer tours run at 10 & 11 a.m., 1:30 & 2:30 p.m

Dirty Bill's / Lone Star / Week #1

2009-01-07T00:50:00.002-06:00

Last year I started this project and for some reason I got sidetracked and never finished. This year I'm going to try again, but I'm going to change it up a bit.

Not only will I be taking a picture of a different beer in a different bar every week of the year, I will give a little info about the beer and a general synopsis of the bar itself.

This first shot was a Lone Star tallboy (of course) taken on the first day of the year 2009 at a little place called Dirty Bill's which is located just off of 6th street on Rio Grande in Austin TX.

About the bar: I'm not sure what the story is here. Apparently the place is owned by the person who owns Wahoo's which is a chain, but I can find no evidence that Dirty Bill's is a chain.

Anyhow the bar is based around Dirty Bill who is a globetrotting garden gnome that has met many famous folks. Dirty Bill's pictures with these people completely cover the walls of this joint. it's rather small but it's got a cool set-up.

The bartenders are good and the beer is cold and cheap. That's good. The jukebox sucks ass. It's one of those digital dealy-o's. Oftentimes someone will play some horrible pop or emo music that makes you want to die.

The clientele is hit or miss. You will run across quite a few BMXer's since the world famous 9th street trails are only a few blocks away and some riders work there. The crowd is usually a mix of cool people and douchebags (this is due to the yuppie area of town it's in). There is however an abundance of cute girls that frequent the place and quite a few of them are friendly (I've gotten a few digits).

About the beer: What can I say? It's Lone Star. The National beer of Texas. It's great when it's cold, nasty when it's warm. It's cheap and gives unbelievable hangovers. They serve it in 16 oz. cans. Hooray for that. Did I mention it's cheap?