Lawrence Brewers Guild

Thought I'd start a string for Texas pubs....

Hello all, just wanted to put my two cents in about a Brew Pub/Restaurant I visited this weekend in Austin, TX.

I went down this past weekend to watch TX manhandle Mizzou.

While I was there, some friends recommended a pub/restaurant named "NXNW" (North by Northwest)..

Here's what I experienced.....

First off...very nice envirnoment...reminds me alot of FreeState here in town.. Very clean...polite people....great wait staff...they were very eager to take your order...

Place was packed to the walls though with the rich and wealthy...there were Lotus's and Porches parked outside...

OK, So onto the beer....

Here's what I tried:

"PYJINGO PALE ALE" - GRADE: A
Dry Hopped Ale, very young beer almost sweet.
Has a great finish....apeared to be only slightly aged.... Medium body.

"DUCKABISH AMBER" - GRADE: C
Mild Amber Ale....Slightly watery and weak. Not much on the hops at all.
strong bitter after taste. Very young beer probably not aged at all.

"OKANOGAN BLACK ALE" - GRADE: B+
Very Dark Ale - Sort of a Hybrid Porter/Ale taste. Medium build and body
Medium hop flavor - Appears to be aged very well. Mild bitter tasting finish.

"BAVARIAN HEFE" - GRADE: A-
Unfiltered - Great Banana flavor. Awesome Finish - None of that typical weedy after taste. Not too heavy considering it's unfiltered. Appears to have been aged very well. I'm not a big Hefe fan, but this was very good.

"NORTHERN LIGHT" - GRADE: C-
Light Lager - Not much taste...very watery. Has a chemical after taste and finish. hardly any carbonation for such a light beer.. extremely young beer...not aged at all. pretty dark color for such a tasteless beer.
I didn't care for this at all....

"SEASONAL - GREEN MONSTER DOUBLE IPA" - GRADE: A
This was my favorite...I must have had 4 glasses of it...
Super Cascade hoppy Ale. Young beer but mild body and not over bitter.
Light tang finish. very smooth start..

There you all have it....I tried all of them and I wasn't dissapointed...I just didn't like the lager much....

The food was fantastic and I can't remember ever eating such tender Calamari...very good....

You all should check it out if ever in Austin....especially in the fall for the season brew....

That is all....

KP - Ken Peterson

Agreed overall with the NBNW brewpub in Austin. Went there late Jan 2009. I enjoyed the stout, and they had a bourbon barrel stout on tap too. Good also. We just ate appetisers, but all were great. Atmosphere-wise, it felt a little like a GB. It's out in the suburbs but easy to get to.
I'd recommend it.

For a great beer bar check out the Draught House. It's a must visit for me every time I go through Austin. They have a few brews of their own but for the most part have a great selection of hard to find beers on tap. They are just off the UT campus downtown and have a strong local crowd that make for good conversation. They serve some simple pizza, usually free, but aren't really a restaurant. FYI if you are passing through they don't open until 3 or 4 pm.