On the house

Homey Austin wine bar makes grand return in new location

House Wine is popping the cork on its new location.

Photo courtesy of House Wine

The house is the important part of “house wine” — trusting just anyone with beverage selections gives some Austinites hives. Fans of the well-liked, but somewhat under-the-radar bar House Wine have surely been missing that guidance during its temporary closure, but it’s about to return.

A grand opening party is taking place Friday, September 27, at its new location, at 1711 S. 1st St.

Located in the Barton Springs area (408 Josephine St.) for 16 years, this homey wine bar was a cozy hideaway known for its laid-back atmosphere and cheery, boho decor.

Although much — but not all — of its charm came from the physical space, things were uprooted by the death of the building’s landlord in late May 2024.

After that, things moved quickly; they found a new building on South First Street, a similarly homey venue that once housed Art for the People Gallery. According to posts on Instagram, the team installed a second bathroom, painted, installed a serving bar, and has largely shifted the new space to mirror the old location's former glory.

Actually, the new location might be an improvement on the design, although many of the same colors, furniture, and other signature decor remain. There was a soft opening in mid-June, but House Wine wasn’t quite ready for a full public opening yet.

House Wine, Austin wine bar Wine bottles mark the spot at the new South First location.Photo courtesy of House Wine

Along with looking the same, much of the programming also carries over. There will still be regular weeknight programming, wine classes led by sommeliers, and a commitment to “smaller producers and minimal intervention wines.”

Founder Kerry White, even more an asset than the beautiful space, according to some guests, will also be sticking around.

There’s also a big silver lining for people mourning the loss of the popular Aviary Wine + Kitchen on South Lamar, which unexpectedly closed in August. At least three team members will be involved in the new location: Chef Zakk Pollard has created a menu including a continuation of the former location’s charcuterie program, and Blaire Beasley and Justin Jacobson are both in management positions.

House Wine, Austin wine bar It’s like House Wine never even closed.Photo courtesy of House Wine

The grand opening, marking the beginning of House Wine’s official tenure at its new location, will be held from 3-11 pm on September 27. There will be complimentary bubbles, plus a “curated” food and wine menu, according to a release. A post on Instagram extends the Friday event through the whole weekend: 3-11 pm on Saturday, and 3-10 pm on Sunday.

From House Wine’s website, more hours are coming soon.

openings bars wine

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