where to drink in austin

Try a 'Beergarita' + 7 more tips on where to drink in Austin

The World's Best Beergarita is a beer-forward take on a frozen margarita.

Photo courtesy of Vacancy Brewing

It's almost fall, y'all, and Austin is buzzing with news about its many fun cocktail bars, breweries, and distilleries, which can make it hard keep up with the lively bar scene. No pumpkin spiced lattes here, but there are plenty of local establishments serving up autumn-themed caffeinated drinks.

Here are eight openings, events, and new releases to help Austinites find their next favorite hangout spot or hidden gem cocktail in September.

Openings

There’s a new Prohibition-inspired bar in town: The team behind Austin’s venerated Elephant Room and Parker Jazz Club will open Nica on 4th, an "elevated cocktail lounge with a Prohibition-era jazz bar atmosphere," on Thursday, September 18, next to Parker Jazz Club. Operating hours haven’t been nailed down yet, but the bar will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Victory Lap recently expanded its footprint with a second location that debuted on Rainey Street on August 30. The classic sports bar is known as an Longhorn “away-game hub” that draws in more than a thousand burnt orange fans every weekend for its early tailgate opportunities and game day celebrations.

Events

South Austin brewery Meanwhile Brewing Co. is honoring Hispanic Heritage Month with a celebration on Sunday, September 14, featuring a local vendor market, food and drink specials, and live music all day long. For every Darlin’ Lager sold during the day, the brewery will donate $1 to Latino nonprofit MAS Cultura.

Traveling whisky tasting tour The WhiskyX is swinging by Distribution Hall on Thursday, September 18, with food, music, and more than 60 premium spirits to compare. Attendees can sample a variety of bourbon, whiskey, and other niche specialties, check out the CAO cigar lounge, or perhaps get a complimentary onsite haircut or beard trim. Tickets ($75 for general admission and $125 for VIP) are available now via Tixr. VIP entry begins at 6 pm, and GA entry begins at 7 pm.

Local bourbon-maker Still Austin Whiskey Co. is celebrating eight wonderful years in the Texas capital city with a week-long bash starting Tuesday, September 23, and running through Saturday, September 27. While there aren't any official details yet, Still Austin's event calendar reveals that 80s tribute band Hair Metal Giants will perform on Wednesday, a free late-night comedy show is scheduled for Thursday, and Fleetwood Mac tribute band Crystal Visions will perform Friday. The festivities will wrap up with an anniversary party Saturday.

The Ruby Hotel and Bar in Round Rock (400 Fannin Ave.) is hosting a special exhibition debuting on September 24 and running through October 29. Austin-based painter Linda Chido's solo exhibition, The Lemon Project, features 10 still-life paintings created with handmade rag paper and oil paint depicting the yellow citrus as "a symbol of curiosity, alchemy, and beauty in the everyday." Chido will be selling a recipe book that pairs every painting with a cocktail; those 10 drinks won't be available at the bar, but the Ruby is donating $1 from every sale of its featured October cocktail to Art Spark Texas, an organization that Chido works with that supports artists with disabilities. [This article has been updated to reflect that the pairings are recipes, and not available at the bar.]

New releases

Vacancy Brewing and Cosmic Coffee + Beer Garden have released their newest collaboration, called "The World’s Best Beergarita." The new beverage is a low-ABV frozen margarita that combines the Vacancy Classic American Lager, a house-made “super agave” syrup, and fresh lime juice. Try it with an (optional) swirl of chamoy and a salt or Tajín rim for an extra punch. The World's Best Beergarita can be found at Cosmic Pickle, Cosmic Saltillo, and the Vacancy Brewing taproom.

Folks who missed out on Meanwhile Brewing’s Lagers and Literature event can still try its new beer release in collaboration with the Austin Public Library. The new brew, a 4.8 percent ABV coffee cream ale called Bookworm, is available on draft or in cans in the taproom.

bars cocktails where to drink austin openings

News You Can Eat

A new Japanese ritual and a Tex-Mex eatery open in Austin food news

Photo courtesy of Kappo Kappo

Like the other restaurants at the Austin Proper Hotel, Kappo Kappo goes for elegant presentation.

Austin is a pretty straightforward place, but its food scene runs on fusions and collabs. Whether that's French-prepared Japanese food, a classic take on Tex-Mex, or ice cream and wine, Austin restaurants are doing it all this week.

Openings and closings

A new hotel restaurant at the Austin Proper breaks the mold with an unexpected offering: Japanese cuisine made with French technique, prepared tableside. Open as of November 28, Kappo Kappo (named after the cooking style) is now serving 11-course meals featuring wagyu beef, seafood, and desserts. It's all thanks to twin chefs Haru and Gohei Kishi, who see ritual as an important part of the experience. Kappo Kappo is located at 600 W. 2nd St. Operating hours are 6-9 pm Tuesdays through Thursdays, and 5-11 pm Fridays and Saturdays.

After the fall of Z'Tejas Avery Ranch, the last location for the longtime chain, a new restaurant is now open in its place (14900 Avery Ranch Blvd. B100). The Tex-Mex theme lives on at Blue Agave, a restaurant and bar serving an expansive menu featuring burritos and chimichangas, enchiladas, fajitas, tacos, combo platters, and more. On the beverage side, guests can expect signature margaritas and other cocktails, tequila flights, wine, beer, and nonalcoholic drinks. Blue Agave is open for daily dinner, weekday lunch and happy hour, and weekend brunch. Hours are 11 am to 10 pm Mondays through Thursdays, 11 am to 11 pm Fridays, 9 am to 11 pm Saturdays, and 9 am to 9 pm Sundays.

Get ready for a lot of buzzy place names: California-based Nashville hot chicken chain Angry Chickz is expanding to 25 new franchise locations in Texas and New Mexico, including at least one in Austin. That would bring the chain to 58 locations in total. No address has been shared for the Austin spot, but all of them are expected to open in 2026.

Angry Chickz dishes A very saturated look at spicy chicken and sides.Photo courtesy of Angry Chickz

Other news and notes

The Austin chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier is seeking applications for scholarships and grants to women in hospitality, food, and beverage industries from now through January 18. Last year's awards totaled $50,000 to 14 women. More information at ldeiaustin.org.

Shokunin, a new concept by the group behind Sushi By Scratch, has thrown a bone to diners who can't seem to get a seat at the 20-seat bar. Now, there's a waitlist that shows how long it should take for seats to become available. It's not a surprise that Shokunin was flooded with customers, considering that the idea was to open a more accessible alternative to its fancy, hard-to-book sister restaurant. The waitlist will open with the restaurant at 5 pm, and tables will be held for 10 minutes after guests are notified.

South African wine bar Cape Bottle Room is hosting a sweet pairing pop-up December 9, matching up wines and ice cream flights by Chef Jack Fanelli of the original Driftwood Golf & Ranch Club. Flavors and pairings are a surprise, but a photo teaser shows a hefty topping. Tickets ($54 including a 20 percent service gratuity) are available at capebottleroom.com.

Cape Bottle Room Jack Fanelli ice cream pop-up Cape Bottle Room is pairing ice creams and wines December 9.Photo by Jack Fanelli

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