The sun is high in the Austin sky, and the summer heat is in full swing. But for locals, August is a month of excitement and anticipation, as the city officially enters its “Season of the Spritz” – a time when the hottest refreshing cocktail of the season is always on the menu. Austin’s Craft Cocktail Scene
Austin is renowned for its thriving craft cocktail scene, with numerous bars, breweries, and distilleries competing for the top spot. With so many options, it can be overwhelming to keep up with the latest happenings in the city’s nightlife. To help Austinites find their next favorite hangout spot or hidden gem cocktail, here are nine events, happy hours, and new releases to watch out for in August.
- Revenge Bar
- Postino’s second Austin location
- Konbini, a sushi and cocktail pop-up bar
- Zilker Brewing Co.’s new collaborative beer releases
- Uptown Sports Club’s revamped happy hour and new martinis
- Calivence Wine Tasting Bar & Bistro, a new wine bar and restaurant
- Austin Pride’s Spritz Sprint bar crawl
- Horseshoe Bay Resort’s Beer by the Bay Festival
- Desert Door Texas Sotol’s Tiki Week and new tropical cocktails
A Taste of Zilker Brewing Co. Zilker Brewing Co. has been making waves in the Austin beer scene with its new collaborative beer releases. The brewery has partnered with local businesses, breweries, and artists to create four limited-edition cans, each inspired by the spirit of Austin.
| Beer Release | Description | Collaboration |
|---|---|---|
| Primos | A Mexican-style lager | Inspired by the spirit of Austin |
| Crispy Corp | A pilsner in collaboration with Hold Out Brewing | Created with the spirit of Austin |
| Lizard Juice | A fruited Imperial kettle sour developed with local artist Cara Jackson | Inspired by the spirit of Austin |
| Sunny Spokes Hop Water | A tropical Hop Water created alongside Fairdale Bikes | Collaboration with Fairdale Bikes |
Uptown Sports Club’s Revamped Happy Hour
East Austin hangout spot Uptown Sports Club recently revamped its happy hour, taking place from 2-6 pm. The new happy hour menu features two new martinis: The Mar-TEA-ni and the Kind-a Big Dill-tini. Each martini is $10, and the restaurant has also launched its new “Beertuni” menu pairing classic beers with briny bites for $5.50 each. “We wanted to offer a more extensive happy hour menu that caters to a variety of tastes,” said Uptown Sports Club general manager, Sarah Taylor. “We’re excited to introduce our new Beertuni menu, which allows our guests to enjoy a beer paired with a bite, and our new martini menu, featuring unique flavors and ingredients.”
Calivence Wine Tasting Bar & Bistro
A new wine bar and restaurant is debuting in downtown Fredericksburg: Calivence Wine Tasting Bar & Bistro. The bistro will offer handcrafted sake cocktails and flights that pair pours with Texas-sourced “petite entrées.” Following its official debut, the bistro will be open daily from 11 am to 9 pm. “We’re thrilled to bring a new wine bar and restaurant concept to Fredericksburg,” said Calivence Wine Tasting Bar & Bistro owner, James McElhaney. “Our goal is to provide a unique and intimate wine tasting experience, with a focus on Texas wines and craft cocktails.”
Austin Pride’s Spritz Sprint Bar Crawl
Austin Pride is hosting a month-long bar crawl called the Spritz Sprint. Locals can pick up a challenge card and collect stickers for ordering a signature spritz cocktail at eight participating hangouts. The cards must be completed by 10 pm on September 3 to claim a Spritz Sprint Swag Bag and a raffle entry for the grand prizes. “We’re excited to partner with New Waterloo hospitality group to host the Spritz Sprint bar crawl,” said Austin Pride executive director, Mark Davis. “It’s a fun way for our community to come together and support a great cause – and, of course, enjoy some amazing cocktails.”
Horseshoe Bay Resort’s Beer by the Bay Festival
Horseshoe Bay Resort’s 12th annual Beer by the Bay Festival is returning August 8-9 for two nights of country music, beer tastings, and gourmet meals. The festival will feature performances by Kody West, Jason Boland and The Stragglers, and Tracy Byrd. “We’re excited to bring back the Beer by the Bay Festival for another year,” said Horseshoe Bay Resort general manager, Jeff Boley. “It’s a fun event that brings together great music, great beer, and great food – and we can’t wait to see our guests enjoy it.”
Desert Door Texas Sotol’s Tiki Week
Desert Door Texas Sotol is celebrating Tiki Week from August 14-17 with a new lineup of tropical-inspired cocktails. The distillery will also feature fresh oysters from Little Moon, available for purchase at a special price. Attendees can RSVP for free via Eventbrite. “We’re excited to celebrate Tiki Week with our guests,” said Desert Door Texas Sotol owner, Josh Aarons. “We’ll be offering unique and delicious cocktails, and we can’t wait to share them with our fans.”
Austin Food and Wine Foundation’s Rosé Tasting Class
The Austin Food and Wine Foundation will host a rosé tasting class on Wednesday, August 20, as part of the organization’s Imbibe wine education series. The Rosé All Day! experience will be led by Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group wine director Ali Schmidt, and will include specialty bites from Mediterranean restaurant Ezov. “We’re thrilled to partner with the Austin Food and Wine Foundation to host this rosé tasting class,” said Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group wine director, Ali Schmidt. “It’s a fun and educational experience that will allow our guests to learn about the art of rosé and enjoy some amazing wines.”
The Spritz Sprint Swag Bag
The Spritz Sprint Swag Bag will be awarded to the first person to complete the challenge card by 10 pm on September 3. The bag will include a selection of exclusive items, including a limited-edition t-shirt, a bottle of Desert Door Texas Sotol, and a raffle entry for the grand prizes. “We’re excited to give away this amazing swag bag to the first person to complete the challenge card,” said New Waterloo hospitality group owner, Ryan Moyer. “It’s a fun way to reward our guests for participating in the Spritz Sprint bar crawl.”
The Spritz Sprint Bar Crawl Rules
To participate in the Spritz Sprint bar crawl, guests must pick up a challenge card from one of the participating bars. Each bar will have a unique spritz cocktail on their menu, and guests must order and collect stickers for each one. The challenge card must be completed by 10 pm on September 3 to claim the Spritz Sprint Swag Bag and a raffle entry for the grand prizes. “We want to make sure our guests have a fun and safe experience,” said New Waterloo hospitality group owner, Ryan Moyer. “So we’ve created a set of rules that will ensure everyone has a great time, and can still participate in the challenge.”
Awards at Vista Brewing
Driftwood-based beermakers Vista Brewing recently took home two national awards at the U.S. Open Beer Competition. The brewery’s farmhouse-style ale Le Saison won gold in the competition’s French and Belgian Saison category, and the strawberry barrel-aged sour ale Daydreamer won gold in the Barrel-Aged Fruited Sour category. Both brews can be found at the Driftwood taproom and at various Central Texas grocery and liquor stores.
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