Washed Weekly: Lunch Beers, Industry, & The Perfect Austin Weekend
Washed Weekly: Lunch Beers, Industry, & The Perfect Austin Weekend
Male friendship is dying at an alarming rate.
Welcome to Washed Weekly — a weekly newsletter that will feature original columns, quick reads, exclusive product drops, and an offering of some of the best content we’ve created throughout the week that was. Read it, enjoy it, and pass it on to anyone you think will enjoy it, too. You can also check out the Washed network of podcasts.
It Turns Out “Industry” Is “Right Up My Alley”
by Dave
Why it took me so long to get into this show is beyond me. I believe at one point, I thought Industry was another wild depiction of the music industry. I probably should have watched the trailer when it was first recommended to me. I bet I was too busy watching Tulsa King or something, so you can give me a pass. Whenever someone says, “This show is right up your alley,” it’s a bit of a red flag. I’ve had some real turds recommended to me, so I keep my guard up at all times. But this time? I’ll be damned. They (Will and John Duda) were right. I’m not sure what that says about me.
Season 1 hit hard. I’ve never lived in London, and I’ve never worked at a bank, but as far as I can tell, it is authentic. Season 2 did not disappoint. Jesse Bloom was a game changer. A self-aware billionaire with a tasteful amount of douchebag. And 3? I was worried. Coming out of the gates, my initial thought was they bit off more than they could chew. Harper and Eric broke up, Rob is just getting shit on by Kip Harrington all day, but out of nowhere they gave the people what they wanted: more Rishi. Enough said.
Now that we’re through three seasons, I’d like to take stock of where everyone currently stands.
Harper- Just when you think she’s done, she outwits one of her well-tenured superiors and thrives. Her means are questionable at best and will eventually lead to a spectacular downfall, but her rise to power as a global elite will be legendary. Unlike Rishi, she won’t fly directly into the sun. That’s not her style. No, she’ll fly just close enough to distract her from a massive piece of space debris that she should have seen coming. I’m looking for her to tear down Madison Avenue within a year of returning to New York, though.
Eric- I’m more interested to see where Eric lands after Pierpoint than anyone else. This man has been institutionalized. He’s a company man through and through. An apex predator that will be relocated to a new habitat with nothing but baseball bat and a duffel bag filled with 20 million dollars. If he could just kill his ego, he and Harper could run the world. Maybe we’ll get a redemption arc that ends up with him getting back with his family, but my guess is he sits on the iron throne with the same void in his soul that he’s always had. Get the bag, though, Eric!
Rob- We’ve watched our blue collar lad grow from an unsustainably substance fueled little horndog to a young man who stumbled into an ayahuasca ceremony that changed his whole perspective on shit. Here’s to hoping he’ll thrive in the emerging medicinal psychedelic industry so he can finally remove his genitals from Yas’s right hand. Everyone’s pulling for you Rob! Seriously, I think you’re the only likable thing in this show. Please change the world with your cool new haircut.
Yas- Every time she does something terrible, you remember that her dad was easily the worst person on a show about big banks and give her a pass. In Season 3, she’s forced to make moves just to survive, burning Rob again* and marrying Henry Muck, the final boss of trust fund babies. I’m still not sure if she was ever good at her job, but I know she’ll be great at hosting English power players for tea and crumpets.
*after what he did for you in season 1??
Rishi- At some point during Season 2, I remember thinking, “I could use more Rishi.” But not like this. Not like this. His storyline hits like an Uncut Gems prologue, and I mean that in a “I never want to watch his bottle episode again” kind of way. We knew it wasn’t going to end well, but, uh, damn dude. What’s next for Rishi in 2024? I really don’t want to know.
In a post Pierpoint world, I don’t know how this show keeps up with its current trajectory. We’ve got main characters all over the place, and Industry is at its best when they’re all trapped in the same bubble of misery. Season 4 is gonna hit like Pierpoint Christmas party. Can’t wait.
Don’t Forget: The NYC Meet-Up is imminent.
8 days from today, the whole squad will be assembling at The Gem Saloon at 5 p.m. in New York City. If you can make it, we’d love to see you. If you can’t, spread the word to your NYC friends. Based on the early chatter, we foresee this being one of our biggest meet-ups yet so spirits are high.
It’s so close to Halloween that while costumes are required, they are encouraged. Will has already said that his favorite costume will receive some drinks on him if that moves the needle for you. It probably doesn’t but the offer stands nonetheless.
Excited to see everyone there.
My Retirement From Lunch Beers
by
I just had a lunch beer. Bill’s Oyster. Austin, Texas. Downtown.
You’re probably thinking to yourself, “Wow, Will normally paints a picture with his words and that first paragraph wasn’t even three sentences.” The reality of the situation is that it’s because I had the aforementioned lunch beer.
To pull back the curtain a bit, we were actually there for work. We have a partnership deal with Grey Goose vodka which meant we needed to shoot some in-restaurant content for them. Being that my old roommate started Bill’s Oyster, it only made sense that we’d go there to combine forces. Not only do they have one of the most underrated burgers in town, they’ve got a beautiful bar that makes you feel like it’s the 90s again. That’s a huge compliment.
Once filming had commenced, we sat down for an entire meal of food. A dozen oysters, a burger for Big Game Brett, and some grouper fingers for your absolute boy right here. And, of course, a Miller High Life because (1) They’re one of the few places in town that serves them and (2) it’s the champagne of beers.
I haven’t had a non-vacation lunch beer in about a year. Not only am I drinking around the house less in an effort to not feel tired around our children’s bedtime, but I’ve simply liked how I’ve felt when I do significant bouts of non-drinking.
Today changed that.
As I poured the beer into the chilled glass (a #NiceTouch, if you ask me), I had high hopes of returning to the office feeling bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. One sip, two sips, three sips, four. Paired perfectly with the oysters from Prince Edward Island. Even better with those from Tomales Bay. I even went as far to say that my High Life was the perfect partner for some oysties in that situation. Vibes, high. Concerns, low.
That is until we stepped foot out of our own little personal oasis that was the two spots at the end of the bar where we ate lunch. We began walking to the car and it hit me: “This beer may have not been a good idea.” The combination of not drinking much lately combined with the full-slate of content I had ahead of me, well, it began to weigh heavily. And this isn’t the first time it’s happened to me.
Long ago, I decided to forego lunch beers without going into a full-blown retirement. An Arnold Palmer here, a Coca-Cola there. Sure, my sugar intake took a huge blow but I at least wasn’t leaving mid-day lunches feeling sluggish. Obviously, hindsight is 20/20 but I officially began to regret not ordering a fresh-squeezed lemonade like the table of old ladies near us.
Am I proud of this retirement? No, absolutely not. Will I still enjoy mid-weekend lunch beers when I can nap during my son’s nap window? Yeah, obviously I’ll kick back a creamer or two with the lads. But at the ripe age of almost 38, I’ve found myself an an unfortunate fork in the road that’s throwing me for a loop.
As much as I want to indulge with everyone, I now sit at my desk feeling like I need to watch Al Pacino’s “Peace by Inches” speech in order to get fired up again. I could drink a mid-afternoon Celsius but I’m also not trying to stay up until midnight tonight. A real Sophie’s choice.
If I’ve learned anything in my journey into my late 30s, it’s this: male friendship is dying at an alarming rate, I can no longer go out two nights in a row, sprinting in any situation will leave me sore the next day, and lunch beers are more detrimental to me than anything. A sad state of affairs but another part of getting older is getting better and better about accepting hard truths. This is, understandably, one of the hardest.
If you see me out sipping a lemonade at a restaurant downtown, please, refrain from throwing judgment my way. I’d rather it be a beer too. If anything, have one for me while you still can.
Shop The Washed Store
Crewnecks, rope hats, dad caps, t-shirts, commemorative mousepads — anything and everything is available in the Washed Shop.
The Ideal Weekend In Austin For Traveling Football Fans
by
This weekend in Austin is a big one. Perhaps even one of the biggest weekends ever in our fair city? I might be forgetting something glaringly obvious but no other weekends are jumping out at me.
Friday:
F1 Sprint Qualifying at Circuit of the Americas
Sting performs at Circuit of the Americas
Saturday:
Sprint Race and Qualifying at Circuit of the Americas
Eminem performs at Circuit of the Americas
Georgia at Texas at DKR Texas Memorial Stadium
Sunday:
F1 race
Throw in 70 degrees and sunny thanks to a late arriving cool front and we’re talking about a great time to be alive in Austin, TX.
This thread on the Circling Back subreddit got me thinking about the perfect itinerary for this weekend. The person who started the thread is going to the F1 race instead of the football game, but he is looking “for the whole Austin experience” during his time here. I think subconsciously this column is inspired by the poor recommendations I found in the replies. Update: I just saw that Washed Media’s own Barrett Dudley posted some excellent advice in this thread.
For this exercise, we’ll focus on those who are here for the Texas-UGA game. Also for this exercise, we’ll assume you drink alcohol and that it will be a major player in your festivities this weekend. If you don’t drink, that’s great, but I’m sorry because I can't help you. We’ll assume a Friday afternoon arrival and a Sunday afternoon departure.
As someone who’s lived in this city longer than anyone reading this (almost 41 years), I’m somewhat knowledgeable on the subject. Below is my ideal weekend itinerary for football fans visiting Austin for a weekend.
Friday
On Wednesday’s Circling Back, I joked about how long the line will be Friday night for Matt’s El Rancho, the popular Mexican restaurant that famously doesn’t accept reservations. It’s long every Friday night, so this Friday should be next-level chaotic. Having said that…
Dinner at Matt’s El Rancho - If you arrive at 6:30 or later you’re going to be told by the hostess that the wait is three or more hours. Actually, you’ll have to wait in line at the hostess stand, the first of two waits, just to be told how long your wait is. It won’t take as long as they tell you, but be prepared for two plus hours. I suggest arriving before 6:00. Order a knockout martini at the bar and enjoy the scene before you get to sit down.
Black Sheep Lodge - It’s a beer joint just up the street from Mattle Ranchos. There’s a vibey outside deck and it will be popping Friday night.
If you need one more stop, keep going north on South Lamar for a stop at Gibson Street and grab a spooky cocktail.
Back to the hotel.
Saturday
Skip breakfast.
Terry Black’s for BBQ - You’ll wait in line here for a bit but the weather will be pristine so grab a beer from inside and hang out. The line moves fairly quickly. This might not be THE best barbecue in Austin, but it’s on tier one and you will love it. They’re known for the beef rib but you must order some brisket, too.
Go to Bouldin Acres for drinks - It’s a massive bar with a huge, turfed outside seating area with TVs everywhere. Sidenote: I have one of the course records on the Golden Tee machine there.
Little Woodrow’s for patio beers - Heading north toward the stadium, a good place to stop is West 6th Street. You’ll find a higher ratio of younger people here, if that’s your thing. Excellent patio and good bar. There will be a DJ but it’s not a super loud place. Good spot.
Exactly one (1) beer at Scholz Beer Garten - This place is a famous pre-UT game beer joint and close to 100% of the people at this bar will be going to the football game. Good place to get hyped for the game. From here, you can walk to the stadium.
Football game
Note for Saturday: Austin doesn’t have the best tailgating scene on account of the football stadium being situated in a major metropolitan area. For this reason, I didn’t include tailgating in this itinerary.
Sunday
Brunch at Café No Sé - Walk up and down South Congress to check out the shops and eat at this spot before heading out of town with your L.
Enjoy.
How you can support Washed Media:
Shop the Washed Media store
Subscribe to podcasts in the Washed Media network
Subscribe to our Patreon episodes via Spotify
Follow Washed on Instagram
Or, just subscribe here: