Whether you're on the hunt for a patriotic drink during the holiday weekend or branching out to try a new happy hour, Austin is overflowing with new bar and booze happenings in July.
Here are some Independence Day parties, new cocktail menus, pop-ups, and more to help Austinites find their next favorite hidden gem cocktail spot this month.
Fourth of July deals and events
There's no shortage of things to do around Austin for the holiday weekend. Here are some quick, booze-focused highlights:
- Austin Proper Hotel: Enjoy festive red, white, and blue frozen margaritas at La Piscina on July 4 with other patriotic specials and live DJs from 6-10 pm. Book via OpenTable.
- Codependent Cocktails + Coffee: The "Codependent Cookout" from noon to 9 pm on July 4 features $3 Lone Star and Michelob Ultra beers; The Firecracker featured cocktail, a clarified margarita made with Lost Explorer Blanco Tequila, lime, Italicus, and grapefruit cordial; Lost Explorer tequila tastings; giveaways and more.
- Hotel Magdalena: On-site restaurant Summer on Music Lane will have a Dr. Pepper Old Fashioned and a strawberry lemon spritz; the poolside Mag Bar will have red, white, and blue Jell-O shots and a watermelon lemon-rita.
- St. Elmo Brewing Co.: This brewery is celebrating with a BOGO deal. Buy any three to-go 4- or 6-packs of beer, hop water, or THC beverages, get the fourth free at both taprooms only July 3 and 4.
- Suerte: July 4 "lucky hour" features $12 signature cocktails, $2 off draft beers and glasses of wine, 25 percent off bottles of wine, and 50 percent off any pour of mezcal, tequila, or destilado. Book via OpenTable.
Pop-ups
The Roosevelt Room's sister space, The Eleanor, has undergone its summer transformation into a pirate-themed pop-up bar called Shipwreck'd, operating until August 30. The seasonal pop-up offers inventive cocktails inspired by life at sea, creative "sippers and shooters," large-format drinks, non-alcoholic beverages, and themed "tankards, treasures, and trinkets" for guests to purchase and take home. A daily happy hour will be held from 3-6 pm, where guests who purchase any Shipwreck'd cocktail will receive a complimentary shot. Visitors that arrive in a full pirate costume — not just an eye patch — will receive 10 percent off all food and beverages. Shipwreck'd is open from 3 pm to midnight Sundays through Wednesdays and 3 pm to 2 am Thursdays through Saturdays.
New cocktail menus and happy hours
Jupiter Supper Club, a multi-level restaurant, bar, and live music venue in downtown Austin, has launched a new weekday happy hour that combines classics-focused cocktails, elegant small dishes that emphasize plant ingredients and fish, and gentle live music. The Weekday Unwind is hosted in the Clock Bar Tuesdays through Fridays from 5-7 pm. All happy hour dishes are between $8-$14, cocktails are $13, and wines by the glass and bottle are 30 percent off. More on the new happy hour here.
East Sixth Street speakeasy Midnight Cowboy has unveiled its new menu, called Midnight Hour, with an entirely refreshed lineup of experimental cocktails (and mocktails) that evoke the passage of time. The new menu also promises interactive elements as part of a guest's visit, such as Polaroid photo garnishes and disposable cameras to play with.
Events and parties
We recently featured Still Austin's frozen Cold Fashioned in a roundup of fun frozen cocktails around town. Now the whiskey distillery is celebrating its drink of the summer with an official kick-off party on Saturday, July 11. The first 100 attendees will receive a shiny golden cup to commemorate their induction into the "Cold Fashioned Club" — a membership that gets you one Cold Fashioned for $1 every day until October 1. Visitors who don't get a cup can still enjoy $1 Cold Fashioneds all day long, plus free corn dogs, live music, and more.
Meanwhile Brewing Co. will host its fifth annual fundraiser benefiting the Austin Firefighter Relief and Outreach Fund (AFROF) on Friday, July 10. The brewery's Beyond the Call event will feature live music, free two-stepping lessons, a silent auction and raffle, food truck specials, and more. The event also celebrates the release of Meanwhile's new "Too Easy" pineapple pale ale, which will be available on draft all day and in to-go cans (with proceeds benefiting AFROF). A $10 door cover starts at 6 pm with all proceeds going to AFROF.