Pint Night

 Pint Night by Leslie Suazo 

Every Tuesday, around 3:00 pm, Juan sends the group a picture of a new post on Instagram by @Lucky Lou's unveiling to us the pint of the night. Juan is either excited about the design on the glass or intrigued by the mystery flavor. One time the beer was cookie dough flavored, how about that? 

Lucky Lou’s is the name of the bar that hosts Pint Night. Located on Fry Street Lucky’s is a local bar in Denton, Texas. It’s one of the 8 total bars in our college strip. 

The outside of Lucky Lou’s has a front patio with various colorful tables and chairs. There are long tables, tall tables, short tables, and an assortment of tables. There’s a gigantic Jenga set. There’s a food truck. Sometimes there’s a live performance. Other times it’s just us swaying to the music ringing from the speakers. 

The inside is dim and southern, filled with random knick-knacks. I can tell the owner is into sports and has a good sense of humor. The walls hold various signs of beer and Texan teams. There are a couple of pool tables, stools, and a few booths near the back.  There are chalkboards with people’s signatures. Photos of visitors decorate what could be empty space. It feels like the kind of a bar that’s in an indie film. It feels like Texas. 

Juan and I began going to Pint Night every Tuesday at the beginning of Summer 2023 (although we had been frequent visitors before that). It’s a small event that I look forward to every week. 

Not because I like alcohol, I don’t that much. 

It’s not because I get to keep the glass and have a mystery beer all for the price of five bucks.

It’s not even the social justification of attending Pint Night that signifies the life of a true college kid. 

I think I like Lucky’s because we are greeted by a familiar face. There’s comfort in consistency. I like the head nod of the usual employees. I like the glowing green sign that reflects on my friends when they smile. I like the rustic feeling. I like bumping into my classmates. I like recapping the weekend with my friends. I like planning the next weekend. I like talking about mundane things. I like the bartenders. I like to simply sit outside and listen to the chatter. I like experiencing the night with everyone. 

Most of all, I like the small moments I experience here that will one day be nothing but nostalgia. 

As I wrap up my last semester and move out of Denton to continue my journey, I have to say, I’m going to miss this place. It’s truly something special. A landmark for the year I was 21. 

I’m a college kid and I don’t know a thing right now, but I do know that 20 years from now I’m going to remember that glowing green sign shining on all my friends as they smile. 

-Suazo