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A red cocktail with orange slices and green mint leaves and ice.
A cocktail from Subterra.
Subterra

The 11 Hottest New Cocktail Destinations in Austin Right Now

Where to drink right now this March

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A cocktail from Subterra.
| Subterra

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Spare Birdie

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.

Tweedy's Bar

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.

Progress Coffee + Beer

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.

Skinny’s Off Track

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.

Wiggle Room

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.

Las Bis

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.

Subterra Agave Bar

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.

Bosses Office

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.

Standard Proof Whiskey Co- Austin

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.

Masa y Más

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.

Lulu’s

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.

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