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Austin Cheap Cocktails: Where To Drink Up

Pay less for more booze

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Making a drink
| Keep Smiling Photography/Shutterstock

Drinking is very important to Austin. What’s even more important than that is drinking on the cheap. Sure, there are many happy hours throughout the city, but sometimes, you don’t want to stick to a schedule. You just want to get out of the house and sip on a drink that won’t cost $12 a glass.

With that in mind, here is guide to Austin’s best cheap bars offer budget cocktails and well liquors. Look for dive bars like Barfly’, margaritas from Amaya’s Taco Village, juice cocktails from Cheer Up Charlie’s, and others. This update includes pitcher drinks from Shakespeare's Pub.

For more cheap drinks, seek out Austin’s best happy hours and dive bars. And then for other boozing needs, there are essential and hot new cocktail bars, craft beer destinations, and spots with great wine lists.

Everything below is listed in an unranked order. Missing an essential cheap boozing spot? Let Eater know through the tipline, comments, or over on the forum.

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Barfly's

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The bad decisions dive bar offers select well drinks for $2.50.

Cheer Up Charlie's

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Healthy cocktails can be found at Cheer Up Charlies, where the juice-based drinks range from the Vegan Yeti with coconut milk, vodka, and kahlua, to the Golden Ticket with kombucha, whiskey, ginger and lavender.

Cheer Up Charlie's/Official

The White Horse

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It’s not a honky tonk without cheap beers, whiskeys on tap, and a lot of dancing, of which there are a-plenty during White Horse’s late business hours.

Mugshots

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Just a stone’s throw from the crazed mess of Sixth Street is dive bar Mugshots. Drink specials and cheap beers are all under $5.

The Side Bar

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Expect reliable cheapness at Side Bar, where well drinks and domestic beer are always $3 every day.

Hideout Pub

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The far north Austin bar offers $3 well drinks and very boozy Long Island Iced Teas for $5.50.

Violet Crown Social Club

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The delicious frozen Iron Whip is only $4, plus cheaper bottled and draft beers and well drinks. Drink up while waiting for pies from Via 313’s trailer outside.

The Liberty

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House drinks are very low-priced, so you’ll have money leftover for East Side King’s Poor Qui’s Buns from the back

Shangri-La

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Bask in Shangri-La’s big backyard or cozy up in the indoor bar, armed with cheap drinks. Who knows? Maybe Bill Murray will pop up again.

Shangri-La/Official

Amaya's Taco Village

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The Tex Mex restaurant serves up excellent margaritas for just $4.50, either frozen or on the rocks, which means you’ll need at least two.

Casino South Side Lounge

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Casino El Camino southern sister Casino South Side doesn’t have burgers, but it does have well drinks for $3.50 and better ones for $4.50.

Casino South Side/Official

Shakespeare's Pub

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If you must drink on Dirty Sixth on a dime, indulge in the $5 pitchers of liquor and mixed drinks. Really.

Barfly's

The bad decisions dive bar offers select well drinks for $2.50.

Cheer Up Charlie's

Healthy cocktails can be found at Cheer Up Charlies, where the juice-based drinks range from the Vegan Yeti with coconut milk, vodka, and kahlua, to the Golden Ticket with kombucha, whiskey, ginger and lavender.

Cheer Up Charlie's/Official

The White Horse

It’s not a honky tonk without cheap beers, whiskeys on tap, and a lot of dancing, of which there are a-plenty during White Horse’s late business hours.

Mugshots

Just a stone’s throw from the crazed mess of Sixth Street is dive bar Mugshots. Drink specials and cheap beers are all under $5.

The Side Bar

Expect reliable cheapness at Side Bar, where well drinks and domestic beer are always $3 every day.

Hideout Pub

The far north Austin bar offers $3 well drinks and very boozy Long Island Iced Teas for $5.50.

Violet Crown Social Club

The delicious frozen Iron Whip is only $4, plus cheaper bottled and draft beers and well drinks. Drink up while waiting for pies from Via 313’s trailer outside.

The Liberty

House drinks are very low-priced, so you’ll have money leftover for East Side King’s Poor Qui’s Buns from the back

Shangri-La

Bask in Shangri-La’s big backyard or cozy up in the indoor bar, armed with cheap drinks. Who knows? Maybe Bill Murray will pop up again.

Shangri-La/Official

Amaya's Taco Village

The Tex Mex restaurant serves up excellent margaritas for just $4.50, either frozen or on the rocks, which means you’ll need at least two.

Casino South Side Lounge

Casino El Camino southern sister Casino South Side doesn’t have burgers, but it does have well drinks for $3.50 and better ones for $4.50.

Casino South Side/Official

Shakespeare's Pub

If you must drink on Dirty Sixth on a dime, indulge in the $5 pitchers of liquor and mixed drinks. Really.

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