Austin Cheap Cocktails: Where To Drink Up

Pay less for more booze

by Nadia Chaudhury Updated Feb 10, 2017, 3:12pm CST

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Making a drink

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by Nadia Chaudhury Updated Feb 10, 2017, 3:12pm CST

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.

Barfly's

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

5420 Airport Blvd, Austin, TX 78751

(512) 452-6455

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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.

900 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701

(512) 431-2133

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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.

500 Comal St, Austin, TX 78702

(512) 553-6756

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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.

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407 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78701

(512) 236-0008

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The Side Bar

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

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602 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78701

(512) 322-0697

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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.

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12164 N MO Pac Expy, Austin, TX 78758

(512) 821-9093

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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.