Lustre Pearl Returns

Lustre Pearl shines on with announcement of 2 new locations

There were plenty of tears shed into beers when Lustre Pearl, the little bar that turned sleepy Rainey Street into an nightlife destination, shuttered its doors on March 30 to make way for condos.

But since bidding farewell to the old location with a crawfish boil — and a performance by owner Bridget Dunlap as Stevie Nicks — plans have been underway to bring the Pearl of Rainey Street back with not one, but two new locations.

According to Eater Austin, Dunlap has plans to open a new Lustre Pearl at 94 Rainey St., across from the original location and next door to Bar 96, which is part of the family of bars and restaurants under the Dunlap ATX umbrella. Furthermore, the "Queen of Rainey Street" says plans are underway to move the original Lustre Pearl to East Austin, noting that the team is still in the process of finalizing a lease.

Owner Bridget Dunlap says she's not setting a definite opening date, but hopes to have both locations open in time for SXSW 2015.

So how can Dunlap reopen the original Lustre Pearl in a completely different neighborhood? The bar's official Facebook page offers a look at the process of deconstructing the original bungalow before it's transferred to the new location.

In an interview with CultureMap, Dunlap says she's not setting a definite opening date, but hopes to have both locations open in time for SXSW 2015.

As for names, Dunlap says that also hasn't been finalized. "94 Rainey St. will definitely be called 'Lustre Pearl,' but as for East Austin I've gone everywhere from 'Lustre Pearl East' to 'Ophelia Blue.'" Ophelia Blue, we should note, is a name Dunlap also mentioned in conjunction with her second restaurant project, a yet-to-open Italian restaurant slated for East Sixth Street.

And why dpes she want to save the old house on Rainey? Dunlap tells CultureMap that it's hard to explain.

"I just have a real love for that house. I've tried to talk myself out of it before and I've walked away from other businesses before, but that place just gets to me. It was built in 1895 and the developers will just take it down," she says.

"We could become homogenous like Houston, but it's now a vicious cycle. What you start quietly will become the next big thing and you become the victim of your own success. I know that change is inevitable and that I don't own that street, but I at least think that we should keep what we can."

Lustre Pearl announces two new locations.

Austin Photo Set: News_Adrienne Breaux_Bridget Dunlap_July 2011_Lustre Pearl

Photo by Bill Baker

Lustre Pearl announces two new locations.

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Refill, revere, rejoice

Austin distiller refills Kentucky Bourbon bottles for $1 in UT gameday stunt

Photo courtesy of Still Austin Whiskey Co.

Still Austin is filling up empty Kentucky Bourbon bottles and adding its own label in a display of Texas dominance.

Cheap bourbon isn't usually something people line up for, but in this case they know it's good. Still Austin Whiskey Co., a favorite Austin distiller, is offering $1 refills of its own Cask Strength Bourbon on empty Kentucky Bourbon bottles on November 23.

The promotion celebrates the Texas Longhorns vs. Kentucky Wildcats football match the same day. This is a highly anticipated game because the two teams have only been matched up once, back in 1951. Kentucky coach Mike Stoops reportedly also upped the ante by saying the Longhorns have "no weaknesses."

Essentially, this is a parallel challenge by Still Austin: Replace your Kentucky Bourbon with our Texas spirit and watch the Lone Star State win again.

"Why would I ever taint your bourbon with dried up Kentucky juice[?]" asked a (frankly, terrifying) customer on Instagram.

There is a misconception that bourbon has to be made in Kentucky. The Kentucky Distillers’ Association itself points out that, "According to the 1964 Congressional Resolution, in order to have “Bourbon” on the label it must be made in the United States of America and meet all other federal “standards of identity” for Bourbon."

Still Austin CEO and co-founder Chris Seals is setting the record straight with a little snark, inviting both fans and "skeptics" to stop by to take advantage of the deal.

“We’re deeply grateful to Kentucky for inventing the stuff, but after 200 years of the same old bourbon, people want something new,” said Seals in a press release.“The idea that great bourbon can only come from Kentucky is a myth based on decades of misinformation. We’re inviting everyone still holding onto this old guard notion to ‘Kentucky Fill Up’ to experience the difference for themselves.”

The product he's chosen to represent the brand, the Cask Strength Bourbon, is described as "a deeper more 'metal' version of our beloved straight bourbon." It's 116 proof (58 percent ABV) and has won double gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition twice, in 2022 and 2023.

Still Austin will only refill 500 bottles. Here are the rules: The bottles have to be 750 milliliters, clean, intact (with the original cap on hand), and they must have originally contained bourbon from a Kentucky Distillery. There are two time slots for refilling at 9 am and 11:30 am. Patrons can get tickets ahead of time at stillaustin.com.

In addition to the fill-ups, Still Austin will host a watch party starting at 2:30 pm. More Texas-Kentucky crossover will include Frozen Texas Julep cocktails, Texas fried chicken, and an armadillo derby race. There will also be exclusive merch and giveaways. Still Austin is the official corporate partner of Texas Athletics.

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Fans of Austin sports and Austin food and drinks can now score tickets to The Tailgate, CultureMap's all-out party devoted to everyone’s favorite way to get in the gameday spirit. The event, presented by Verizon, goes down from 6-9 pm December 12 at Distribution Hall. Find out more about it here.

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