#divebar Archives - The Iowa Roadie

General January 28, 2023

The Blog about Nothing (except urine)

I enjoy a good gin and tonic. My husband disagrees. He equates my cocktail of choice to eating a pinecone. I equate his Coors Light to urine. Before I go any further, I would like to apologize to the Coors company. It is unfair of me to compare their malted beverage to urine when I have never actually consumed urine. Instead, it is an extremely aggressive metaphor expressing my dislike of ALL beers. Even Busch Light. I know. I know. With that one bold statement, I have provoked the entire beer drinking population of Iowa into a booze-infused rage. (Please don’t unfollow me yet.) But… I. Don’t. Like. Beer. I also don’t like well drinks. It’s a curse. Really. You Busch Latte fans will never understand. Happy Hour comes & you can buy $2 pints. You are able to drink all night on a $20 bill. Tangueray is NEVER discounted. …

General July 5, 2020

There’s Something About Tacos…Destination: Willow Run Lounge (Mason City)

There’s something about tacos. With ice cold beer. Or a margarita. Heck…tacos and ANY alcohol is a win. So when the Iowa Roadie and husband drove by the Willow Run Lounge in Mason City and saw a sign proclaiming “homemade tacos and ice cold beer all day & night,” there really was no decision to ponder. Homemade tacos and ice cold beer. All Day & Night. Seriously…which of you WOULDN’T brake for that? We pulled into the parking lot and found a spot between two vehicles bearing handicap license plates. I found this quite appropriate as the Iowa Roadie’s husband recently celebrated a milestone birthday and began receiving AARP invitations himself. (For the record, the Iowa Roadie’s husband is not pleased with this development. Mainly because this is proof that when someone asks for his ID, it is not to assess if he can legally drink, but instead to determine…

General June 10, 2020

Hit Me With Your Best Shot…Destination: Wooden Foot Saloon & Beach House (Waverly) with stops at The Outpost (Aredale) & Doc’s (Clarksville)

I miss the “good ol’ days.” You know…like three months ago. Three months ago, the only people wearing masks were either comic book characters, the Lone Ranger, or crazies from those Purge movies. Now, it seems, normal society shuns us if we aren’t wearing masks…and standing six feet apart…and armed with Lysol disinfectant spray. Thank goodness not everyone subscribes to the “new normal.” Thank goodness for bars. Before I begin, I want to be clear…This does NOT mean that Iowa bars and restaurants are ignoring the social distancing guidelines set forth by Governor Reynolds. In each of the bars recently visited by the Iowa Roadie, seating was limited to every other table. Yet, somehow, it felt like the “old normal.” A world in which problems are conquered by cheap alcohol and fried food. We begin our latest Iowa Roadie adventure with a quick stop at The Outpost in Aredale, population…

#dive bar March 29, 2020

Spreading Some Dive Bar Love… Destination: Nowhere

Forget water. I recently stocked up on alcohol. I figure if I get quarantined with my family, I need more than water to help me survive. I recently purchased two bottles of Crown Peach…which may be Very Important Currency if I need to trade for toilet paper. I also purchased some “Cheap Ass Beer” (manufactured in Minnesota) for my husband, as well as cucumber vodka for $10.99 (I may never drink it, but I saved $15!) and Hy Vee’s “customer choice” Amsterdam coconut vodka. (Impulse buy.) In all honesty, I tend to go a little bonkers in the liquor store. I have BOTTLES of alcohol that sit unopened on a shelf in our basement. (That is because I drink leftover $4 Aldi’s Christmas wine, and my husband drinks “Cheap Ass Beer.”) We rarely make mixed drinks at home, because that’s what Iowa Roadie adventures are for. It’s far more fun…