This one burns

Favorite Austin barbecue joint goes up in smoke amid West Campus redevelopment

Freedmen's is moving out of its historic building at the end of the month.

Photo courtesy of Freedmen's

After a quiet few weeks, this summer’s wave of restaurant closures is rearing its head again. On August 14, campus area barbecue joint Freedmen’s announced that it is closing at the end of the month.

Opened in December 2012, the restaurant was one of the new-school restaurants that helped launch Austin as a barbecue destination, regularly landing on lists like Texas Monthly’s Top 50 Barbecue Joints in Texas. With an encyclopedic whiskey selection, it also became a popular watering hole.

Luckily for fans, the eatery’s smoked meats will live on. A company rep tells CultureMap that owner Cuatro Kowalski will be devoting his efforts to a new concept — tentatively called Four Stones — that will be an evolution of the concept. The rep did not reveal the location, as lease negotiations are still being finalized.

The move comes as rapid development continues to encroach on the block around the historic building at 2402 San Gabriel St. In June, adjacent bar Tap 24 decided to not renew its liquor license because of an impending sale of its lot.

Plans filed with the City of Austin show that the lot will be the site of a new apartment building from limited liability company AMS Retail Two — the construction of which would have eliminated Freedmen’s parking and complicated day-to-day operations.

However, the 1860s building where Freedmen’s is located — which formerly housed a grocery store and one of the first black-owned publishing houses in the nation — will be spared. The building is registered as a historical landmark with the city, and the apartments will be built in a U-shape to prevent demolition.

Freedmen’s last day of business will be August 31, but fans of its smoked meat shouldn’t despair. Until the build-out of Four Stones is complete, the team will be operating out of a commissary kitchen to make sure you can get your brisket fix through a catering operation.

closings

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.

whiskey university of texas longhorns