Tour de Brew LNK - Braving The Heat Of Mid-May

Yesterday was the third Thursday of the month, which meant that it was time again for another awesome installment of the Tour de Brew LNK ride put on by the folks at Cycle Works and Moran's Liquor Works with special guest appearances this month by Nebraska Brewing Company, Ledbelly Contemporary American Pub and Tavern on the Square. When the Tour de Brew LNK rides first kicked off a few months ago had you bet me that the ride in mid-April was going to be warmer than the ride in mid-May I probably would have taken that bet and I would have lost. Last nights ride was actually a tad bit on the chilly side and of course I forgot my jacket at home.


As always the rides kick off with registration and free beer samples at the always awesome Moran's Liquor Works.


On tap were several tasty offerings from Nebraska Brewing Company, being a craft beer drinker I've had all of the ones they had available except the Melange a Trios Belgian style ale they just started making. I have to say it was pretty darn good but at $15 plus for a bottle it's not one you can drink all that often and still afford to put the rug rats through college... perhaps higher education is overrated.


In a when worlds collide type scenario, we have here a bearded brewer from Zipline (holding an offering from NBC) and a bearded brewer from Nebraska Brewing Company (likewise holding an offering from Zipline), the wisdom of the hops must lie within the tangled folicular structure of a bushy beard. Take note all you clean shaven brewer wannabes, the bigger the beard the more secret recipes there are stashed in that sucker.


Awesome Avengers Koozies at Cycle Works... we will assume he wasn't double fisting it and just "holding" that second beer for someone but with beer this awesome who can really blame him.



It looked a lot warmer than it was, the ride from Cycle Works down to Leadbelly's was a bit chilly and down right brisk on the ride back to Cycle Works later in the evening.



I was pretty excited when I heard that this months ride would include Leadbelly's, the food there is top notch and they obviously were prepared for us.


Finally ended the dry spell on winnings at Leadbelly's in a big way and won a ton of free swag and beer from Moran's Liquor Works, I think all told we ended up with a hat, two koozies, two sweet Tour de Brew LNK stickers, two free six packs of Nebraska Brew Company beer and the t-shirt. I guess when it rains it pours and tonight was my night.


Found a new home for one of the stickers before I even left Leadbelly's, even matches the orange theme I've got going on the bike.


You just never know what you're going to see when you are down in the Historic Haymarket and should be prepared for the unusual but a giant peanut mobile was not really something I expected to see.


Or this old school Klein Bad Attitude Race, was a sweet bike in it' hay day and still a pretty nice ride even today.


First time hitting up the Tavern on the Square, not a bad setting for a beer garden at all.


Fire pits right there in the beer garden, I told you it was a good setting and with the temps dropping the warmth from the fire was much appreciated.



Had another great turn out again for the ride, probably could have sat next to that fire, drinking beer for most of the night but all good things must come to an end and so did this night but not before there an abundant amount of good food was eaten, better beer was drank and great company was had... and we also helped to raise some coin for the Great Plains Trail Network so that they can keep us rolling in style through the Capitol City. If for some reason you haven't yet made it out to one of these Tour de Brew LNK rides I have no idea what you are waiting for, it certainly isn't a written invitation, like my pops used to say, because you've got that already several times over... no excuses people, get on your bike and come out. ALL the cool kids are doing it and they want you to come along too!