Shutter report
Pioneering East Austin craft cocktail bar reportedly shutters after 7 years

One of the pioneers of Austin’s craft cocktail scene appears to have shuttered. Social media reports are indicating that the Austin location of Weather Up closed on June 2.
Although CultureMap reached out to several people associated with the bar, no requests were returned at press time. The location is still listed on the main Weather Up site, but the official Facebook page is no longer active.
A visit to the property on June 3, however, revealed that the bar was in the process of being gutted. The patio furniture had been removed from the backyard, and glassware appeared to be in the process of being packed up.
Weather Up first came to the east side in 2012, the third location of a concept originally opened by Katherine Weatherup in Brooklyn in 2008. With a dedicated ice program and intriguing spirit selection, the Austin outpost helped usher in a new age of craft cocktail culture locally.
In 2013, Kristine Kitrell — a veteran of Jeffreys, the El Chile Group, and now-shuttered concepts Mulberry and Stortini — took over the kitchen as executive chef and later managing partner, replacing former on-site food truck Tapas Bravas. Weather Up soon became as popular for its cuisine as its cocktails, especially during Sunday brunch.
The reason for the shutter is unknown. A November real estate listing showed the entire block at 1.27-acre lot at 1808 E. Cesar Chavez St. for sale, but it is unclear if the property has been purchased.
CultureMap will update this article as more information becomes available.