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Sibling bars East Austin spot Drinks Lounge and South Austin’s Little Drinks Lounge are opening a third bar down in the southeast area this month. Drinks Backyard is opening in the Pilot Knobs Acres neighborhood at 6328 South US-183 Highway on Tuesday, September 26.
Drinks Backyard’s cocktail menu will include some familiar drinks from its sibling bars. Expect margaritas (like the spicy one with a ghost pepper-infused tequila) and spritzes (such as the Backyard Spritz with choice of Aperol, limoncello, Campari, or St. Germain). There are a bunch of frozen cocktails, including an espresso martini, the Lava Flow (with rum, passionfruit, coconut, and lime), and a mezcal paloma. That’s all alongside nonalcoholic coktails, local beers, and coffee courtesy of Austin Roasting Company and cold brew.
For food, barbecue food truck Smokin’ Brew-B-Q is parked on the grounds. It’ll serve items like barbecue plates with beer can chicken, brisket, and sliced turkey, as well as tacos, mac and cheese, burgers, sandwiches, and more.. Additional food trucks will be added later on.
This new bar took over what had been the Pilot Knob Liquor Store. The revamped space keeps the 1970s aesthetic with an indoor bar and outdoor patio. In the works is a more expansion outdoor area with stage, lounge seating with covers, and a television for sports and movies. There’s a pool table, a patio swing, and the bar will play records.
Co-owners Sara Lupa and Tim Lupa of Drinks Lounge/Little Drinks teamed up with longtime (since 2015) team bartender Ceci Menchu, who is now a co-owner in Drinks Backyard. The Lupas wanted to open this bar because they have lived in South Austin for a long time. “We wanted to create a fun and inviting space that felt like home for the community we’ve lived in for much of our time here,” Sara shares via a press release.
The Lupas opened Drinks Lounge on East Cesar Chavez in 2014. They opened South Congress bar Velouria in 2019, and then turned that space into Little Drinks in 2021.
Drinks Backyard’s hours are from noon to 2 a.m. daily. It’s also only open to people 21 years and older for now.
