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A cocktail from Subterra.
Subterra

The 11 Hottest New Cocktail Destinations in Austin Right Now

Where to drink right now this March

by Nadia Chaudhury Updated
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A cocktail from Subterra.
| Subterra
by Nadia Chaudhury Updated

Welcome to the latest installment of Eater Austin’s cocktail heatmap, a map of the hottest, buzziest boozing destinations around town. This means the latest bars in town, hot new restaurants offering serious cocktail games, or even older spots mixing it up with a new bar program, all under a year old.

Local bars and restaurants have really stepped up their games to create the best cocktails right now. This March update includes Cedar Park entertainment venue Spare Birdie, coffee shop and bar Progress, and downtown basement bar Subterra Agave Bar.

For the city’s must-hit essential cocktail bars, Eater has it covered elsewhere, along with the best all-around bars and restaurant bars. And then there are guides to other specific drinks, like refreshing frozen drinks, those other Austin cocktail staples margaritas and Mexican martinis, craft beer, wine, happy hours, bloody marys, and mimosas.

Did Eater miss a recent spot or restaurant with an amazing cocktail program? Show it some love via email.

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Spare Birdie

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Cedar Park’s newest entertainment destination in late January includes bowling, pool tables, darts, virtual golf, a restaurant, and yes, a bar. There are multiple areas, some with different menus, but the drinks remain fun, from the tropical Old Fashioneds made with bananas to the tiki-ish Uncle Greg’s Party with rum. There are indoor and outdoor areas.

1400 Discovery Blvd, Cedar Park, TX 78613
(737) 587-3330
(737) 587-3330

Also featured in:

Tweedy's Bar

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A bunch of Austin bar people from Kinda Tropical, Hotel Vegas, and Yellow Jacket Social Club, took over the former Spider House Cafe space, turning it into this new campus bar in November. This means plenty of cocktails, draft cocktails, and more. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

2908 Fruth St, Austin, TX 78705
(512) 568-9093
(512) 568-9093

Progress Coffee + Beer

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The Austin coffee roasting company returns with a new cafe and bar in Cherrywood in February. Along with caffeine, there are cocktails like espresso martinis (duh) and smoked Old Fashioneds. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

3421 N Interstate Hwy 35, Austin, TX 78722
(281) 723-3285
(281) 723-3285

Skinny’s Off Track

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The team behind Higher Ground opened a new Central East Austin bar in October with neighborhood spot Skinny’s Off Track. The bartop will serve up whiskeys, beers, and cocktails, including the Orange Cooler drink made with Sunkist soda. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

1806 E 12th St, Austin, TX 78702

Wiggle Room

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West Sixth’s latest is this new bar from Ranch 616 in November. There are West Texas vibes, which means cocktails like the iconic Ranch Water among others. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

612 Nueces St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 243-6468
(512) 243-6468

Las Bis

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San Antonio chef Steve McHugh opened not one but two Austin spots this February technically within the new downtown hotel Hyatt Centric Congress Avenue Austin. Along with the restaurant Luminaire, there’s the rooftop bar Las Bis, which offers an array of fun cocktails, many with fortified wines such as the Sir Eel with sherry, bourbon, amaro, two types of bitters, and a fennel liqueur. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in spaces.

721 Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701
(737) 257-1234
(737) 257-1234

Also featured in:

Subterra Agave Bar

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Part of the massive multi-story revamped Latin-American restaurant Ember in downtown Austin’s Seaholm district is this basement bar, open as of early February. The menu takes its cues from its sibling above, which means cocktails with Latin American flavors such as a cold brew cocktail with tequila, martinis with tequila and celery, and the Mai Tai with avocado and cachaca. There are indoor dine-in services.

Inside Ember Kitchen, 800 W Cesar Chavez St Ste PP110, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 291-6846
(512) 291-6846

Bosses Office

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The Jacoby’s team turned its former pizzeria into this new bar earlier this December. There are classic cocktails, beers, and wines in what’s meant to be a speakeasy-ish space. There are indoor dine-in areas.

3223 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 422-9776
(512) 422-9776

Standard Proof Whiskey Co- Austin

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The Nashville-based whiskey distillery opened its second-ever tasting room right in downtown Austin this February. There are flights of its whiskeys available, which range from straight rye to rye infused with other flavors such as ginger or pecan. Then there are many whiskey cocktails.

51 Rainey St Unit 140A, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 220-2318
(512) 220-2318

Masa y Más

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The new Mexican restaurant in Zilker offers a nice selection of related cocktails, ranging from the carajilo, a hot boozy coffee drink to a paloma made with Jarritos and tequila to, yes, margaritas. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

1817 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 354-1655
(512) 354-1655

Also featured in:

Lulu’s

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The new far-south Austin bar takes its cues from Mexico City and its neighborhood by offering boozy aguas frescas and other cocktails starting in October. There are indoor and outdoor areas.

10402 Menchaca Rd suite 3, Austin, TX 78748
https://www.lulusaustin.com/drinks
https://www.lulusaustin.com/drinks

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Spare Birdie

1400 Discovery Blvd, Cedar Park, TX 78613

Cedar Park’s newest entertainment destination in late January includes bowling, pool tables, darts, virtual golf, a restaurant, and yes, a bar. There are multiple areas, some with different menus, but the drinks remain fun, from the tropical Old Fashioneds made with bananas to the tiki-ish Uncle Greg’s Party with rum. There are indoor and outdoor areas.

1400 Discovery Blvd, Cedar Park, TX 78613
(737) 587-3330
(737) 587-3330

Tweedy's Bar

2908 Fruth St, Austin, TX 78705

A bunch of Austin bar people from Kinda Tropical, Hotel Vegas, and Yellow Jacket Social Club, took over the former Spider House Cafe space, turning it into this new campus bar in November. This means plenty of cocktails, draft cocktails, and more. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

2908 Fruth St, Austin, TX 78705
(512) 568-9093
(512) 568-9093

Progress Coffee + Beer

3421 N Interstate Hwy 35, Austin, TX 78722

The Austin coffee roasting company returns with a new cafe and bar in Cherrywood in February. Along with caffeine, there are cocktails like espresso martinis (duh) and smoked Old Fashioneds. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

3421 N Interstate Hwy 35, Austin, TX 78722
(281) 723-3285
(281) 723-3285

Skinny’s Off Track

1806 E 12th St, Austin, TX 78702

The team behind Higher Ground opened a new Central East Austin bar in October with neighborhood spot Skinny’s Off Track. The bartop will serve up whiskeys, beers, and cocktails, including the Orange Cooler drink made with Sunkist soda. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

1806 E 12th St, Austin, TX 78702

Wiggle Room

612 Nueces St, Austin, TX 78701

West Sixth’s latest is this new bar from Ranch 616 in November. There are West Texas vibes, which means cocktails like the iconic Ranch Water among others. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

612 Nueces St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 243-6468
(512) 243-6468

Las Bis

721 Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701

San Antonio chef Steve McHugh opened not one but two Austin spots this February technically within the new downtown hotel Hyatt Centric Congress Avenue Austin. Along with the restaurant Luminaire, there’s the rooftop bar Las Bis, which offers an array of fun cocktails, many with fortified wines such as the Sir Eel with sherry, bourbon, amaro, two types of bitters, and a fennel liqueur. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in spaces.

721 Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701
(737) 257-1234
(737) 257-1234

Subterra Agave Bar

Inside Ember Kitchen, 800 W Cesar Chavez St Ste PP110, Austin, TX 78701

Part of the massive multi-story revamped Latin-American restaurant Ember in downtown Austin’s Seaholm district is this basement bar, open as of early February. The menu takes its cues from its sibling above, which means cocktails with Latin American flavors such as a cold brew cocktail with tequila, martinis with tequila and celery, and the Mai Tai with avocado and cachaca. There are indoor dine-in services.

Inside Ember Kitchen, 800 W Cesar Chavez St Ste PP110, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 291-6846
(512) 291-6846

Bosses Office

3223 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702

The Jacoby’s team turned its former pizzeria into this new bar earlier this December. There are classic cocktails, beers, and wines in what’s meant to be a speakeasy-ish space. There are indoor dine-in areas.

3223 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 422-9776
(512) 422-9776

Standard Proof Whiskey Co- Austin

51 Rainey St Unit 140A, Austin, TX 78701

The Nashville-based whiskey distillery opened its second-ever tasting room right in downtown Austin this February. There are flights of its whiskeys available, which range from straight rye to rye infused with other flavors such as ginger or pecan. Then there are many whiskey cocktails.

51 Rainey St Unit 140A, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 220-2318
(512) 220-2318

Masa y Más

1817 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704

The new Mexican restaurant in Zilker offers a nice selection of related cocktails, ranging from the carajilo, a hot boozy coffee drink to a paloma made with Jarritos and tequila to, yes, margaritas. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

1817 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 354-1655
(512) 354-1655

Lulu’s

10402 Menchaca Rd suite 3, Austin, TX 78748

The new far-south Austin bar takes its cues from Mexico City and its neighborhood by offering boozy aguas frescas and other cocktails starting in October. There are indoor and outdoor areas.

10402 Menchaca Rd suite 3, Austin, TX 78748
https://www.lulusaustin.com/drinks
https://www.lulusaustin.com/drinks

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