Freedom and Fine Spirits

7 locally crafted cocktails to celebrate the Fourth of July

The Fourth of July is a day to celebrate backyard barbecues, patriotic traditions and fine spirits. Like any American holiday, it's a wonderful feeling to kick back, enjoy the day off and let someone else do the work for a change — especially when it comes to making a drink.

We all know a great Fourth of July cocktail when we see one. They come in towering, skinny glasses, saturated in red, white and blue syrups with corny-but-adorable toothpick flags. A few Austin bars and restaurants have incorporated special Fourth of July cocktails into their menus to celebrate both independence and the right to boozy libations. Here are some patriotic concoctions worth checking out.

Drink.Well. Drink.Well. is featuring a chalkboard special called the New England Smash ($9). The drink is made with American rye whiskey, seasonal mixed berries, fresh lemon juice, vanilla syrup and Bittermens Spiced Cranberry Bitters.

Flat Top Burger Shop. Flat Top has crafted a rouge libation entitled Sweet Sparkler ($8). The popular burger joint received its TABC license just a few weeks ago, but is already mixing and mastering a selection of boozy drinks for Austinites to check out. "This drink was something that we came up with after many attempts at a 'patriotic cocktail,'" Flat Top manager Neil Rubenstein says. "A little girl came into the restaurant with blue pop rocks one day, and that sparked an idea that eventually turned into the Sweet Sparkler."

The Flat Top drink is made with vodka, cranberry juice, lemonade, triple sec, lime juice and Tropical Blue Pop Rocks that line the rim of the glass.

Z'Tejas.Z'Tejas is featuring a vibrant watermelon libation called My Summer Crush ($7.95). "The My Summer Crush is a perfect summertime cocktail; it uses fresh watermelon, which in my opinion represents one of the best summer flavors. And with the tequila, lime and citrus and ginger liqueurs, you have a great cocktail for sipping on a patio," says Melanie Moore, bartender at Z'Tejas. The drink is made with 1800 Reposado Tequila, Cointreau, Domaine de Canton, lime juice, fresh watermelon and black sea salt.

For all those watching their waistlines, fear not: The drink has no added sugars or artificial flavors, so it's under 250 calories.

Mettle.Bridget Dunlap's new East Side restaurant Mettle has cleverly created the Spicy Cherry Lemonade ($10) – a blend of habanero-infused Tito's vodka and fresh lemonade with a splash of cherry bitters. "What's more American than a freshly squeezed lemonade? We wanted to make the perfect 'patio-sipper' to hold onto while barbecuing in the yard or sitting by the pool," Mike McMillan, bar manager, says.

The Bonneville. For the Fourth of July, The Bonneville has put together a rather unconventional beverage: the Peach and Blackberry Cobbler. "Peaches, to me, mean summertime, and the ones that we're getting from Fredericksburg are delicious. The combination of Firestone & Robertson TXBlended Whiskey really works. It's exactly what you want to be drinking at your Fourth of July barbecue," says Chris Dalaku, bar manager of The Bonneville.

The drink is made with Firestone & Robertson TX Blended Whiskey, Fredericksburg peaches, local blackberries, a raw sugar cube and Licor 43.

Searsucker. Searsucker is debuting a historical drink on behalf of all the independence festivities called Austin’s American Pie. The cocktail is made with rye whisky, rum, cream, apple cider and fresh cinnamon. The genesis behind the drink goes something like this: During the signing of The Declaration of Independence it is said that several barrels of alcohol were consumed, consisting of rye whisky (because it was the cheapest grain in local counties ) and rum (because it was easy to import from the islands).

Moreover, the Declaration was signed in Pennsylvania, where several local farms produced cream, apple cider and cinnamon at the time. All of these ingredients are featured in Searsucker's Fourth of July cocktail.

Salty Sow.Salty Sow’s Blue Sow ($8) is anything but traditional. The drink's base is Tito’s Vodka, but is finished off with a blue cheese-stuffed pickled okra. No, we're not kidding...

Please enjoy your Fourth of July and special libations, but do so responsibly.

Flat Top Burger Shop's Sweet Sparkler.

Photo courtesy of Flat Top Burger Shop

Flat Top Burger Shop's Sweet Sparkler.

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Back to the Plow

Homey Austin jam and bake shop closing and returning to farmers market

Confituras/Instagram

Confituras Little Kitchen is closing its brick-and-mortar store, but feeling optimistic about the future.

A famers market find is returning to its natural environment after six years in a brick-and-mortar location. Confituras Little Kitchen, which specializes in locally sourced preserves, is closing its jam and biscuit shop after service on Sunday, December 22. However, it will continue selling goods at the Barton Creek Farmers Market and via retailers.

Confituras announced the change in a newsletter to its customers in December. The letter called the news "bittersweet."

"Although the brick and mortar will no longer be, the good news is that this will be a fresh new start for us – we are bursting with energy and creativity at the thought of being back out in the community where it all started for confituras," it said.

The kitchen is closing because the lease is up, and the team has decided to "give up the chase." The newsletter emphasized the ups-and-downs of business over the past several years — ones that were chaotic for just about any business, let alone a small, fairly niche food operation.

"So much has happened since we decided to open a brick + mortar – a wonderful kickstarter fundraiser, THE PANDEMIC, the AFTER-EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC, and an ever growing city," the letter says. "We tried so very hard but never really got our footing. We know we are not alone, many small business are in the same boat. We renewed our lease during the pandemic because we were hopeful we could make it work - the changing times had other ideas."

Finally, it shared how customers could keep enjoying Confituras creations:

The Barton Creek Farmers Market is open at 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy. every Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm.
A list on confituras.net compiles retailers including Royal Blue Grocery, Farmhouse Delivery, and Antonelli's Cheese Shop.
Jam share and Table22 subscription customers will have more instructions coming soon about picking up their goods in January at the same space, 2129 Goodrich Ave.
Customers may also reach out to inquire about continuing to order meals directly.

The kitchen also hosted frequent events and workshops, but the letter did not address this aspect of the business.

A shorter message shared on Instagram has inspired 63 comments so far, five days later. Customers eulogized the shop for its community feel and providing a sense of regularity during the height of the pandemic thanks to weekend pick-ups.