Chef Arrest

Uchi chef Philip Speer found unconscious in ditch and arrested for DWI after rollover crash

Philip Speer, Uchi's director of culinary operations and head chef of the recently opened St. Philip, has been arrested for DWI. The famed chef was found unconscious in a ditch by a KVUE photojournalist in the early morning hours of October 10. Police say Speer allegedly rolled his car near the intersection of Cameron Road and East Anderson Lane. The crash reportedly ignited a natural gas leak which was quickly contained by members of the Austin Fire Department.

Following a 911 call that came in around 2:15 am on Friday morning, eyewitnesses reported seeing the driver of an overturned Mazda sedan flee the scene on foot. According to an arrest affidavit first obtained by the Austin American-Statesman, Speer was found nearby laying face down in the grass. According to the arresting officer, Speer's clothing was "disarranged and soiled," and he "smelled strongly of alcoholic beverage."

Though he refused a field sobriety test, Speer told arresting officers that he had consumed three drinks at a Fifth Street bar and that he was "drunk." Though KVUE originally captured the video of Speer in handcuffs and still clad in his St. Philip chef jacket, Eater Austin was the first outlet to positively identify the chef. Speer was taken away by ambulance and later booked into the Travis County jail.

According to Travis County arrest records, Speer was booked around 6 am on Friday, October 10 for "Driving While Intoxicated 3rd or more." He was also charged with leaving the scene of a collision. According the arrest affidavit, Speer was previously been convicted for DWI in 1999, 2005 and 2007.

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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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