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Sabbatical Spirits

4.5 (33 reviews)
Closed 4:00 pm - 1:00 am (Next day)

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Menu
Brandi J.

I was drawn to the establishment by the Yelp reviews. I was excited to try a speakeasy that was so close. The experience was underwhelming. When we entered there were two bartenders behind the bar and they were making drinks. They did not look up to acknowledge us or say anything. We sat ourselves and began looking at the menu. After deciding what we wanted, we waited about 10 more minutes and still no eye contact. I thought it was because they were busy making drinks. However as soon as they finished the drinks they were making the disappeared to the back. After they returned, I went to the bar to order. The female who took the order wasn't friendly at all. The drinks came out and were decent but by this time, the unwelcoming mood was set. I went to the bar to order a second drink and coquito was on the board, so I ordered it. As soon as the male bartender made the drink, he erased coquito from the menu. I found this strange because I didn't know if that meant it was no longer available if it wanted a 2nd glass. After about 45 mins, the female bartender comes to the dining floor to begin wiping down and clearing tables. She's racing through the dining room area so quickly, it made us and diners around us look at our watches to make sure it wasn't closing time. Overall, this was not a positive experience. The service was not good. We felt uncomfortable and unwelcome the entire time we were there.

Inside
Sam J.

What a great find!! Sabbatical Spirits is a craft cocktails bar featuring whiskey drinks and also has a whole other side that is more beer-forward. In addition, there is a food component present somewhere in between (or a part of?) the two. We decided to give the food a try and order drinks on the cocktail side. I enjoyed an Old-Fashioned inspired by one of their staff (they have several variations); my wife ordered a rum cocktail for the Tiki glass. Both came out well-crafted and very good. The food was also very good - the boudin balls and wings were delicious! A happy compliment to our drinks. An interesting idea that Sabbatical showcases is their "Graduate Studies Program" in cocktails, which basically "schools" you on different liquors and cocktails. How it works: you come in, try cocktails and keep track of your 'progress' (200 cocktails and 100 pours gets you your diploma- a certificate and your photo on the wall) in a journal. There is a special selection of liquors that only those 'enrolled' in the program have access to. These select liquors are sold to you "at cost," meaning they are a bargain for you and the bar basically breaks even serving it to you. As you slowly add drinks to your journal log, you'll find that you have amassed a diverse selection of liquors and hopefully have a very rich sense of what you do and don't like in a cocktail. To join it is $35 and you do get a t-shirt along with the journal. I personally think it's a very creative idea and I would like to be back to enjoy their cocktails, their ambiance and a great overall bar experience. Definitely give them a try!

St. Patrick's Day Drink (left) Midori Sour (right)
Jacquelyn C.

A friend introduced me to this place on St. Patrick's Day and they definitely didn't disappoint. The bartenders were super sweet and made great drinks. I also love the vibe of this place--especially the ceilings and floor-to-ceiling liquor selection. My friends and I will be returning!

Bar
Richard Z.

Had a cocktail called Going Out West. Very good! This is a very nice bar, small & cozy. It's connected to the Hop Scholar Ale House, so whichever side you're on doesn't matter which side you order on. Decor in both is nice. Chill vibe in the Sabbatical side or the Ale side. The bartender is super nice.

Follow the signs...
Leila R.

What a fantastic little whiskey "speakeasy"-esque find! This place is connected to Hop Scholar (just follow the signs) and it a literal whiskey/whisky mecca! They have an entire apothecarian wall (complete w/ladder) to satisfy any whiskey novice to enthusiast! Their selection is just epic and borders on biblical...I discovered so many new and delightful bourbons alone! They offer half and full pours and their pricing is very competitive, especially compared to other whiskey bars I've frequented around the state and country. The staff here is beyond excellent! Knowledgeable, engaging, and can chat about everything and anything whiskey. They are thoroughly versed in all of their offerings and can make excellent selections based on tastes and interests. They not only do neat pours (they also have droppers to cut your pours accordingly, as any whiskey bar worth their ware should), but make an excellent assortment of cocktails. I was so impressed and instantly in love with this place! I cannot wait to come back next time I am in town!

Menu

First time there and we loved it! The Tom Collins was perfect and refreshing. Happy hour all day on Tuesdays. To enter, go into hop scotch then head to the back and to the left.

Whiskeys
Dalia H.

The drinks were amazing. This really is a hidden gem. We took an Uber only to try this place out. We had Eddie making our old fashions and they were amazing.

Yeah I got the tiki cup cause I CAN.
Veronica J.

Bar tenders are always helpful/friendly. It's cool to have a whiskey section attached to a beer place. Hop Scholar always has a good selection of beers but If you're not interested in that just go to the back and check out their cocktail/whiskey selection. It's a win win situation.

a wall of liquor bottles
Paul G.

Love this hidden gem. Great selection and weekly deals. The bartenders know their stuff! I often come here for the hard to find, top shelf whiskeys and bourbons. Best Rye Manhattan and Old Fashion in the Woodlands. It has a speak easy vibe and requires you to walk through the Hop Scholar Ale House to get into the bar.

Hannah H.

Whether you are whisky curious or serious, Sabbatical Spirits offers a personalized experience for every palate. First, the fine spirit selection is unrivaled on this side of town. It is seriously spectacular - don't expect to find any energy drink mixers here. Matt and Jessie are extremely knowledgeable, wicked smart bartenders and have taken the time to build some really complex and interesting cocktails. My go-to is the Glo-Po Chico, a refreshing cocktail of turmeric-infused Citadelle gin, lime and Topo Chico built in the bottle. I enjoy blindly picking a bourbon off the wall. This is the most impressive part of the experience because the bottle is presented in front of you and the bartenders will inform you of its age, creator and place of origin, while you sip in awe. Also of note, this is the only bar that I am comfortable going to alone. There is an unspoken understanding that patrons are expected to be tolerant and respectful here. Sabbatical is truly an escape from the bro and woo-girl inundated bar scene.

Kimchi Fries
Camie B.

Great vibes at this place! There's plenty of seating at the front bar area & also at the back bar area. The food was delish, I had the 12 lemon pepper wings & kimchi fries! The egg on top was, Omg! so good! & the drinks were on point too! I had the lemon drops w/salt & a shot of the peanut butter & jelly I believe! (Delish). Everyone I noticed was friendly. We had a great time all around. Would definitely return!

Order a .. Something Basic, plz.. Delicious..

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3 years ago

Good drinks and vibe. Their Old Fashioned was decent and lemon drop very good. Give it a try during happy hour.

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7 years ago

Pretty good place for nice spirits. Good bartenders and nice atmosphere. Wife was disappointed because they don't carry vodka.

Business owner information

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Todd H.

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Todd H.

Thanks for coming in and reviewing us. Cheers

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7 years ago

Hidden Gem! The staff is super knowledgeable and can recommend the best cocktail for you!

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Ask the Community - Sabbatical Spirits

I had to research because humans have lost the art of communication...it appears this place is INSIDE hop scholar and is an annex building off to the side...with a sign leading you into it. Wow.…

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Review Highlights - Sabbatical Spirits

This place is connected to Hop Scholar (just follow the signs) and it a literal whiskey/whisky mecca!

Mentioned in 5 reviews

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Great food as always!!! This is the first time I took my German shepherd with me "Daisy". The staff…read moreand kitchen were kind and made chicken breast for her as well. The music is always good as well!!!

I was actually really excited to try this place after a recommendation from my supervisor, who…read morementioned they had great crawfish and good deals. It's also conveniently close to home, so it seemed like a win. We went for happy hour on a Friday around 5:45 PM. It's seat-yourself, so we chose a table near the bar. Our waitress (whose name we later learned was Marissa) approached us and immediately asked, "Do y'all know what you want to drink?"--no greeting, no menu, no mention of specials, and no acknowledgment that it might be our first time there. The issue was... we didn't even have menus yet. We told her we weren't ready, and she walked off. After a few minutes of finally getting a look at the menu, we still hadn't been told anything about happy hour. My fiancé ended up going to the bar just to take photos of the beer options. When Marissa returned and asked again about drinks, I explained we had to go to the bar and try to figure out the specials. She simply said "okay" and walked away again. To be honest, the service from her felt rude and uninterested. She seemed rushed and even tapped her fingers on the table at one point while taking our order. Despite us mentioning it was our first time, there was no effort to walk us through the menu or highlight anything. What made it more confusing was that she appeared friendly and engaged with other tables--so I'm not sure what the disconnect was with us. We're always kind and respectful to wait staff, but the lack of basic hospitality made it hard to enjoy the experience. As for the food--unfortunately, it didn't make up for it. The crawfish were bland, and the "dipping sauce" tasted like straight hot sauce. The extras (corn, potatoes, sausage) were minimal--basically one of each, cut in half. The Parmesan wings were also underwhelming, tasting like bland Alfredo sauce with Parmesan on top, though they were at least fried well. There was a shift change, and the other waitresses we interacted with were fine--that's actually how we found out our original server's name. Overall, this was a disappointing first experience. Between the service and the food, it just wasn't worth the time or money. I really wanted to like this place, but unfortunately, I wouldn't return.

Sabbatical Spirits - cocktailbars - Updated May 2026

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