Thursday we played at the Mucky Duck in Houston. This venue was the first show on the very first tour that I did with CGT almost 6 years ago. Those were some good times! The first couple of tours I shared a room with Tom Griesgraber, whom I should mention does not drink. Luckily enough for me, he tolerated it (sorry Tom). I remember being so nervous at that first show that I went straight to the bar and had several New Belgium Fat Tire's. We can't get New Belgium in Louisville, KY (where I live). So at that point in time it seemed like a treat, but maybe i'm too much of a snob now because the last thing I wanted to drink there last night was a Fat Tire.
The tap selection at the Mucky Duck is very nice. My first choice was a Stone Arrogant Bastard. It is a good beer, but i've had it plenty of times before and I was really wanting to try something new. With that said, the only beers there that I had never tried were from St. Arnold (yet another Texas brewery that was a nice surprise!) I had their Elissa IPA on Cask... Then I had another. Sometimes i'm partial to IPA's on cask because it usually mellows out their hops and takes away that nice bitter bite that I might be craving. Last night I wanted mellow and St. Arnold's IPA on cask was exactly that.
Earlier that day we drove to Houston from Austin. Not a bad drive (thank god, because we're doing it again in an hour). Before we left we filled our belly's with some of the best crepes that i've ever had from a cool little spot in Austin, Flip Happy Crepes. Some of you may even know this spot from their "Throwdown with Bobby Flay". In which they won with their signature "Cuban" crepe. I had that and the "sweet special" of the day (not a bad little breakfast). On Wednesday we went there as well and I tried the "Ham and Gruyere" and the "Peanut Butter Delight" (pictured above). If there is one thing I enjoy more than good beer, it's delicious crepes. Give me both and i'm in heaven!... Many thanks to Flip Happy simply for existing.
Since Wednesday was yet another day off in Austin, agroup of us had dinner at a cool place called Opal Divine's. It was "Texas beer night" so all beers from Texas were on special. I took advantage of that and tried all of the Live Oak Brewery's beers (Pilz, IPA, Primus and Big Bark). I liked the Pilz and Primus (their weizenbock). Another beer that I had that day was from "The Hand" Brewery in Norway. I had picked up a bottle of "Dobbel Dram" while we were in Atlanta. This was a very nice beer and similar to the Nogne O IPA (yet another Norwegian Brewery). I'm sure when you hear "Norway" you don't think about beer, but I do. I am more and more impressed with beers from there. I recommend either of these brewery's beers to everyone. They're not exactly easy to find, but certainly worth purchasing when you do come across them.
List for Wednesday and Thursday:
- Live Oak Pilz
- Live Oak IPA
- Live Oak Big Bark
- Live Oak Primus
- St. Arnold Elissa IPA (Cask)
- Boon Geuze (Why don't American's make Geuze?)
- Stone Arrogant Bastard
- Avery Fifteen (I can't get enough of this "funky" killer farmhouse ale)
- Brooklyn Brewery Local 1
- Haand Bryggeriet Dobbel Dram
- Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel Corne Du Diable (a yummy IPA from Montreal. This IS the best brewery in Canada!)
