Liquor on Lamar

Longtime Austin staple Twin Liquors opens new store on North Lamar

Twin Liquors says the new store has a "boutique feel."

Photo courtesy of Twin Liquors

An Austin institution for wines and spirits has added a notable new location. Twin Liquors is now open in the Central Market Shopping Center at 4001 N. Lamar Blvd., which is operated by H-E-B.

Twin Liquors is a family-owned retailer that first opened in 1937 and has been involved in the community ever since. There are now dozens of locations in Austin, and a dense presence in San Antonio and Houston, several in Dallas-Fort Worth, and some solo locations as far away as Lubbock. The brand opened five stores in the past year and three are opening soon in San Antonio and Pflugerville.

“This location is incredibly special to us,” said co-owner Margaret Jabour in a press release. “Central Market has long been a destination for Austin, and we’re proud to bring a thoughtfully curated Twin Liquors experience to such a beloved space. It’s a natural synergy between our brands and a celebration of our shared Texas heritage.”

The release calls the store a “jewel box” to emphasize its "boutique feel" compared to bigger Twin Liquors locations. Shoppers can expect careful curation to make use of the space, and they'll find tequila, mezcal, wine, gin, whiskey, and more on the shelves.

Shoppers are invited to celebrate the store opening at a variety of special events, including a grand opening ribbon cutting with tastings and "swag" on April 28. Also coming up this month are a social with Aperol and Campari and a tasting for showing off local spirits. Events are listed on an online calendar. (The new location is listed as Twin Liquors - Central Park, and it's the last on the drop-down list.)

“We’re excited to welcome the community to celebrate this special milestone with us,” said co-owner David Jabour, Margaret's brother and vice chair of the Austin Chamber of Commerce, which will be hosting the ribbon cutting. “This location represents not only our continued growth, but also our deep roots in Austin and our long-standing relationship with Central Market. It’s a meaningful moment for our team, and we look forward to sharing it with our customers and neighbors."

Store hours across locations are Mondays through Saturdays from 10 am to 9 pm, with delivery hours from 11 am to 8 pm.

openings liquor store spirits wine h-e-b central market

News You Can Eat

A lauded Denver restaurant and free tacos move into Austin food news

Photo courtesy of Alteño Austin

The langosta al chileatole at Alteño Austin has some dramatic plating.

This week in Austin food, we're talking about everything from the most casual tacos — including two chances to snack for free — to a chic new restaurant by way of Colorado. Finish it off with some old-fashioned sweets at Kilwin's, a Midwest favorite.

Openings and closings

Johnny and Kasie Curiel of the Colorado-based Fonda Fina Hospitality are bringing their signature Mexican restaurant to 1 Hotel Austin (96 Red River St.) this summer. Alteño Austin presents familial culinary traditions from Jalisco by way of Johnny's father. Menu items so far include pan de elote with huitlacoche butter, pollo a las brasas, huachinango zarandeado (live fire red snapper), and langosta al chileatole (lobster in thick soup). Curiel and Alteño's Denver flagship have garnered praise from the Michelin Guide, the James Beard Foundation, and Esquire Magazine, making this a very notable arrival.

The new restaurant will be earthy, with lots of plants.Rendering courtesy of Alteño Austin

Super Chilango, a food truck concept by Paul Sedillo, is starting its residency at Blue Owl Brewing (2400 E. Cesar Chavez St. #300) on May 5, Cinco de Mayo. To celebrate, Super Chilango will give away 1,000 free tacos, starting at 3 pm. There's no sign-up; just show up and get a taco. So far, there are only three menu items on display: suadero, carne asada, and carnitas. Sorry, vegetarians.

Midwest chocolate and ice cream shop Kilwins, known for its open kitchen and old-fashioned confectionery, has officially arrived in Austin almost year after it was announced. Austinites can find it at EastVillage, a new development in North Austin, at 3500 E. Parmer Ln., Ste. 3120. This is just the first for the franchise, with more locations to come.

kilwins chocolate Chocolates from Kilwins. Kilwins

Other news and notes

Texas Hill Country Wineries, a nonprofit that organizes several "passports" to help wine-lovers check new destinations off their list, is launching its first Summer Season Pass, the longest it's ever offered. From June 1 to August 31, visitors can bring their passport to more than 35 wineries at their own pace, where it'll get them complimentary tastings at up to four restaurants per day. If they choose to buy three bottles, the passport helps with that too, offering a 10 percent on the total purchase.

Austin's tiny and cool restaurant and wine bar Apt 115 is undergoing some renovations coinciding with its eighth anniversary. When it's done, there will be separate spaces for the wine bar and dining room, plus new menus by Chef Joshua van den Berg for à la carte offerings, a tasting experience, and the bar. Guests can still stop by while renovations are underway, and the final reveal will happen in early summer, a press release says.

Torchy's Tacos is celebrating its 20th anniversary at the Still Austin distillery (440 E. St. Elmo Rd., Ste. F) on April 24. Guests will be the first to try the Hill Country Sour, a collaborative cocktail combining “The Musician” Straight Bourbon Whiskey from Still Austin, lime juice, simple syrup, and sangria from Torchy’s. A frozen version will be exclusive to the event; after that, the non-frozen version will be available at Torchy's restaurants in Austin. Guests will also get a free taco — Chicken Fajita or Green Chile Pork — while supplies last, and one guest will win two tickets to see Maren Morris at ACL Live on April 30.

news you can eat openings wine cocktails tacos dessert ice cream chocolate