Flights: Live Oak Brewing Co. in Austin, Texas

(Photo by Bo McMillan)

Undoubtedly, Austin is a destination—for its food, for its drink, for its music, and, naturally, for anyone who’s a fan of the Longhorns. Those flying into town thirsty, then, should be delighted by Live Oak Brewing Co. (1615 Crozier Lane, Del Valle), located just across Highway 71 from the airport. The interior and exterior are simple but spacious, with long communal tables in the former and outdoor wooden picnic tables (shaded by trees, thankfully) in the latter. Here, where classic German and Bohemian beers meet more esoteric, forgotten styles from Eastern Europe, you can grab a board game, stretch out your plane legs, and enjoy some of the easiest drinking beer in town.–Bo McMillan

Pilz*
4.7% | Czech-style Pilsner

A honey-colored pour. The taste is honeyed biscuit up front with light earthiness from the hops and a dry finish. Crisp and flavorful, the soft and smooth carbonation makes this pilsner a must-have for any enjoyable session.

Grodziskie 
3% | Grodziskie

A style indigenous to Poland, the grodziskie is a lighter smoked beer made with wheat malt. This iteration bears notes of Black Forest ham and a little smoked Muenster with an astringent finish, and is a pale yellow color reminiscent of champagne.

Berliner Weisse
3.2% | Berliner Weisse

Delicious and lemony, with that lemon acidity definitively present on the nose. The bite is clean, and the beer finishes with a rewarding bready bloom across the tongue. Second only to the pilsner on this flight.

Lichtenhainer
3.2% | Lichtenhainer

Essentially the halfway point between the brewery’s Grodziskie and its Berliner Weisse, the acidity in this beer provides a balance to the astringent smokiness of the former. The brewery describes it as having an “intriguing aroma,” and you will indeed keep sipping until it’s done in pursuit of defining that tasty, but mysterious, enigma.

*Order the full pint