The Cocktail Chronicles

Cuddle up to this Austin bartender's strong and smooth cocktail

Simple, yet mysterious.

Courtesy photo

Simple, yet with a hint of mystery, the classic old fashioned gets an extra kick thanks to bartender Chelsey Salisbury's choice of bourbon: the 95-proof Old Forester Statesman.

The powerful liquor is so smooth, though, that it practically cuddles you as you drink.

Watch the video and then get a kick — and a cuddle — of your own with the recipe below.

Statesman Old Fashioned
Yields 1 drink

Ingredients
2 ounces Old Forester Statesman Bourbon Whiskey
3 dashes angostura bitters
1 orange peel
1 bar spoonful of luxardo cherry juice
1 sugar cube
Luxardo cherries

Place the orange peel, sugar cube, and bitters in a large mixing glass and muddle.

Top the mixture with ice and add the whisky and cherry juice. Stir well.

Strain the mixture over a large-format ice cube in the cocktail glass, and add a luxardo cherry.

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Old Forester Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky, 43-50% Alc. by Volume, Brown-Forman Distillers Company, Louisville, KY.

PLEASE SIP OLD FORESTER RESPONSIBLY.

OLD FORESTER is a registered trademark. ©2016 Brown-Forman Distillers. All rights reserved.

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Free Week, Discounted Bites

7 Red River bars and eateries cook up deals for free winter music fest

The Tiarras at Vaquero Taquero

Photo by Jay Ybarra

The Tiarras enjoying a bite from Vaquero Taquero.

Austin's Red River Street is first and foremost a musical destination, but plenty of casual restaurants and bars get in on the fun. Seven of them are participating in Free Week, a donation-based festival featuring all-local bands on January 3 and 4, with special food and beverage deals.

The major music festivals Austin has become famous for can be expensive and even unintentionally repel locals who prefer accessibility to flashiness. Free Week and its summer sister festival Hot Summer Nights are the antidotes. More than 70 bands have been included in the first wave of Free Week 2025 lineup announcements, including Being Dead, Chancla Fight Club, and The Tiarras.

Attendees can enter any number of shows for a one-time donation to the Red River Cultural District, which refers both to the surrounding area and a collaborative group that supports businesses and musicians on that stretch of road. As the name implies, people can attend completely for free, but the purpose of the festival is to drum up business for musicians and venues during a relatively slow season.

Restaurants are participating by offering the following deals:

Central District Brewing: $5 Kayaker’s Kolsch, $9 Cardamom Paloma
Hoboken Pie: $2.99 Cheese & Pepperoni Slices
Marinara Miracles: $10 Meatball Hero
Marlow: 20% off for anyone who mentions Free Week
Pelons Tex Mex: Two tacos and one draft beer for $10
Stubb's BBQ: 10% off for anyone who mentions Free Week
Vaquero Taquero: 25% Birria Quesadillas or Birria Ramen

Anyone can stop by and take advantage of these deals, whether or not they've picked up a "ticket" to the festival.

“This festival, we are partnering with beloved Red River restaurants and bars for a true community celebration that brings together the best of Austin's food, drink, and musical talent," said interim executive director of the Red River Cultural District Nicole Klepadlo. "The District has some food gems from BBQ, to original Tex Mex, to Italian and more. We can’t think of a better way to kick off the new year than supporting great local Austin businesses and seeing great local music."

Fans who RSVP online with a $10 donation will be entered into to a giveaway for a chance to win a pair of Homie Badges for expedited entry, plus 2 tickets to any 2025 Mohawk show (festivals excluded), 2 tickets to one choice of certain 2025 Stubb's concerts, and 2 tickets to one choice of certain 2025 Chess Club concerts.

Check out the full lineup from CultureMap's previous coverage here. We'll update it when the second wave of announcements comes.

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