San Marcos, Tap Room: Tres Pistoles

The Tap Room
129 E Hopkins St # 120
San Marcos, TX 78666
(512) 392-9824

During my last visit I enjoyed a Tres Pistoles, brewed by Unibroue (Sapporro)
Chambly Canada.


A strong dark Belgian style ale re fermented in the bottle.
9% ABV
Dark color
Great after dinner drink or with a desert, sweet tones in the aftertaste. Brewed with a roasted malt.
Serve in a Trappist or tulip glass.
Large 75o ML bottle

Available in Austin: Yes

Homebrew: Cream Ale

Cream Ale

2 1/2 lbs 2 - Row
3/4 lb. Crystal 40L
1/4 lb. Carapils
45 minute soak in grain bag at 155 degrees.
4 1/2 lbs. Extract Pale Ale
1/2lb. Malto Dextrin
1 oz Willamette Hops for 60 minute boil.
1 oz Fuggle Hops for the last 5 minutes of 60 minute boil.

California V White Labs Pitch yeast.

Unfortunately I ran out of time when I started my new business and this batch of supplies had to be frozen or stored, probably degrading the value of the flavors. This deserves a re-do with fresh ingredients to really appreciate it. Beer still turned out to have a good flavor with good carbonation.

Notes: "Home brew: taste, after discussing it with another home brewer, we think the taste is coming from the plastic buckets. Glass will be the main fermenter until a larger setup is acquired.

San Francisco Oct 2006

While visiting San Francisco with my Wife, we stopped in the Fisherman's Warf for a snack at Aliotos and they had a few local beers on tap.

Bear Brewing
345 Healdsburg Avenue
Healdsburg, California, 95448, USA

Racer 5 Pale Ale.
2004 L.A. Commercial Brewing Competition, Silver Medal Winner; 2004 World Beer Cup, Silver Medal Winner; 2001 Real Ale Festival, San Diego, Gold Medal Winner; 2001 Real Ale Festival, Chicago, Gold Medal Winner; 1999 Great Amercian Beer Festival, Gold Medal Winner - og 1.070, ABV 7.0%, IBU 69. California State Fair Bronze Medal, 1997 Beerfest Invitational. - og 1.070, ABV 7.0%, IBU 69.

Not only is the brewer a fan of hops, but for somereason I thinnk he was a fan the classic comic show speed racer! That was the first thing I thought of when I saw the label. Enjoyable beer, if I remember correctly I had two.

Belgium Beer Tastings: Trappist Ales

The following beers were tasted in Belgium, the photos were added later.

Brouwerij Westmalle (Adbij der Trappisten van Westmalle)
Antwerpsesteenweg 496
Malle, 2390
Belgium
phone: +32 (0)33 12 92 22

Style: Trippel
9.5% ABV
Golden copper in color and a slight haze, with a thick head formed by tightly packed bubbles. Malt and fruit on the nose, hints of pepper. Very smooth for such a high alcohol content.
Available in Austin: Yes

Brasseire d'Orval
Abbaye de Notre-Dame d'Orval
Villers-devant-Orval, 6823
Belgium
phone: +32 (0)61 31 12 61

Belgian Pale Ale
6.9 % ABV

Hazy golden orange in color, thick foamy head. Slight sourness behind the malt taste but still well balanced.
Available in Austin: Yes

Chimay

Corsendonk

Belgium Trip Day # Liege, Deigne

We arrive in Deigne very late. This is a small village with narrow streets, there is a large block party going on when we arrive that lasts until early morning. The weekend we are staying here, the town is closed of and there is a large festival, craft booths and garage style setups along every road. All through the day ceremonies are taking place with announcements, people in costumes, all designed for fun. Chantal and her mother cruise the jewelry stalls and a few of the local cheese and specialty food vendors. I venture out looking for the booths that looks like they pulled it out of the garage or junk pile. Lots of bier glasses for various styles of beers, most are not in photographic condition but I pick up a small Trappist glass for tastings. I found a really cool chocolate mold that makes a full size pig that is about 6 inches long, I thought about coming back later for it, when I did it was gone. My mother always says when shopping in a foreign country"You see it, you want it, you buy it", because it will not be there later.

For lunch we sent our own dishes to a food vendor and he filled them up for us to take back to the cottage. We enjoyed a paella, some local bread and cheeses, the local water is supplied from a spring in the center of town. George would take two large bottles every morning and fill them from the spring for our drinking water.

Belgium Trip Day 5: Antwerp

Today we are back in Antwerp at our family's home, relaxing before the wedding. Tonight we will be dining at the Bernardin Restaurant with family, but today we are going bier and chocolate shopping!

Shopping List:

Rochefort Trappistes 6
Rochefort Trappistes 8
Rochefort Trappistes 10
Chimay, (Very Affordable)
Duvell
Orval
Westmalle Dubbel
and any other bier that catches my eye.

I notice the usual suspect in most grocery type stores, Duval, Chimay, Jupiler, Stella, Leffe and on. A large selection of the beer aisle changes in each region of Belgium, if you see a beer you want, go ahead and pick it up, good chance you might not find it again.

Dinner was great, beautiful outdoor setting in a courtyard in the shadow of the Saint James Church. After dinner, We drove to the main square in Antwerp and enjoyed drinks in an outdoor cafe, underneath the Cathedral of Our Lady. George pointed out that one tower is shorter than the other, he says the urban legend of the towers is that the tall one was funded by the people and the short one was funded by the government. There was some sort of festival going on so the square was full of people and lots of activity. With the Catherdral being closed the outside spotlights made an interestng back drop for a street performer posing as a statue. Tonight we will sleep well.











The seating for this establishment is in an outdoor courtyard, in the shadow of a cathedral, awesome setting.

Belgium Trip Day 3: Brugge

Day 3.

Chantal, Maria, Christine and I travel to Brugge, the Venice of Belgium. We try to find a spot closest to the canal, Christine decides its worth the risk of a parking ticket and we get a good spot. We stop in a local cafe for a quick bite, giving me ample time to sample a few pints before the canal tour.

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After the canal tour, we headed to La Grande Place for some shopping, sightseeing and working up a thirst. There are a number of cafes that line La Grand Place and you can expect to pay the tourist premium when you dine. We settled into one of the cafes, choosing a table by the square I settled into a nice Brugse Tripel and do some people watching.

Brugse Tripel
Brewed by Brouwerij Palm
Well rounded malt character, nice hop aroma.
Amber color.
Top Fermented. 9% ABV

We are pretty worn out from our constant travelling as well as it being unusually warm in Belgium.