Thirsty Penguin owner Brent Cloyd comes from a background in commercial real estate and software development, but he has always had a love for Louisiana flair. Frequently traveling to the bayou state, Cloyd drew inspiration to open up a beer barn with frozen daiquiris and brews to go.
The context
Thirsty Penguin officially opened four years ago, selling frozen drinks, draft beer, seltzers, jello shots and nonalcoholic beverages.
The stars aligned for the concept while Cloyd was renovating Thirsty Penguin’s current location—Gov. Greg Abbott declared that to-go alcohol was permanently permitted. The Liberty Hill curbside cocktail stop sold roughly 300 gallons of rum in the first weekend.
“We had to shut down for two more weeks after that because we didn’t expect it to be as crazy as it was,” Cloyd said.
It’s 5 o’clock somewhere
The beverage depot crafts several of its offerings from scratch, including the Texas Cola—a Coke-and-bourbon flavor—and sugar-free prickly pear.
Named after The University of Texas at Austin’s beloved mascot, Cloyd’s favorite flavor, the Bevo, features a combination of pina colada and orange crush, creating a dreamsicle flavor profile.
Thirsty Penguin rotates flavors monthly, so there is always a new product for customers to taste.
A family affair
In addition to frozen drinks and jello shots, Thirsty Penguin also sells Slush Puppies as a nonalcoholic option for kids. The beer barn and daiquiri place sells between 300 and 400 Slush Puppies on Saturdays, Cloyd said.
The beverage depot features alcoholic frozen drinks and jello shots, as well as nonalcoholic Slush Puppies. (Katlynn Fox/Community Impact)Other nonalcoholic options include the brewed-in-house sweet tea. Thirsty Penguin also offers free pup cups for dogs.
“It’s cool because the wife can get her daiquiri, the husband can get a 32-oz of beer, the kids can get their Slush Puppies and the dog gets his pup cup,” Cloyd said. “So it gets everyone taken care of.”
Another detail
On the patio, Thirsty Penguin patrons can get their drinks to go and enjoy them outdoors, along with an on-site food truck, Taqueria Mi Ranchito Jaimes. Thirsty Penguin also hosts live music outdoors every few weeks and bingo three times a year.
Thirsty Penguin features patio space for patrons to enjoy to-go beverages. Bites are also available from the on-site food truck Taqueria Mi Ranchito Jaimes. (Katlynn Fox/Community Impact)Cloyd is a Liberty Hill resident and owns three Thirsty Penguin locations, with one in his hometown, Burnet, and Lampasas. A common misconception that people have is that Thirsty Penguin is a franchise, Cloyd said.
“We’re … really pushing [people to] support local even if it’s not us,” Cloyd said. “This last year it was hard on everybody.”
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