If you are a whiskey drinker, you will find a fine collection of bottles here…read more Or rather - you will find a very very fine collection of scotches here. There are some highly interesting bourbons as well. The selection of ryes is thin. If you read Whiskey Advocate (which I have been known to do), the rye curating will give you no thrills. The selection of Irish is thin as well - but no blame on that point. The population of upscale Irishes is just not that large, once you pass some over-rated cliches like Redbreast. * * * Seven Grand however is not an abstract name. That is how much you will pay in order to drink here. The prices for two ounces of many of those beverages will make the eyes pop out of your head sideways and go running out the front door. In more than a few cases, two drinks here will cost you close to what you would pay for a full bottle purchased at a liquor store. Now to be sure - bar drinking is expensive. That kind of percentage markup is not unheard of in the industry. But when you move up the price range for the raw material, The absolute amount of money you are overpaying to have that drink goes up astronomically. I will pay big for a peak experience I will remember for the rest of my life. (See my review of Craft Omakase.) I will not pay big for a random experiment with a bottle that could be wonderful and could be overrated. It is more economical to just buy the bottle. If the experiment works, I get a free month of legendary drinking. To my mind, bottle testing at Seven Grand just doesn't make sense.

Met up with a friend for happy hour. Upon entering, I was immediately greeted by the bartender,…read moreKyle. He told me about the happy hour specials and also informed me that it was free pool night (on Mondays). I'm not a huge fan of whiskey, but I've found that whiskey bars tend to have amazing craft cocktails. I browsed the HH menu and noticed a Whiskey Sour. I actually like a Clarified Whiskey Sour and was curious to see how it compared. The Whiskey Sour wasn't bad, but it wasn't as good as the Clarified Sour that I've had at Reserve 101 in Houston. Kyle told me they're working on some clarified cocktails. I also ordered a Boulevardier (which isn't on the HH menu). Kyle admitted that he had never made one. He quickly looked up the ingredients and made one for me and it wasn't bad! I've only had this cocktail one other time before so I didn't have much to compare it to, but I did enjoy it. They have a small cigar menu. Cigars can be smoked outside on the patio (which is shared with Las Perlas and Caña Rum Bar). I liked the laid back feel between the pool tables and the rustic decor (it felt like I was in a lodge). Though I'm not a big whiskey drinker, I did enjoy the cocktails as well as the ambiance.

We have been trying to come here for a couple years now. We finally made it! We only had about 45…read moreminutes to hang out before they closed but it was a great time. This is a unique venue in that it's a bit off the beaten path near driftwood, up in a hilly area. GPS guided us there just fine. The distillery is attached to a church and wedding venue, and the wizard academy (which our friend attended for his whiskey sommelier certification). I think the distillery is their own separate business and entity but the property all seems like one thing. The bartender said crowded barrel isn't run or connected to the wizard academy but they are friendly given the shared love of whiskey. At the whiskey academy, so somewhere on the property, is the wizard's whiskey vault. Now that's a room I'd like to get into. But, I'm not trying to be a whiskey Somme, so I'll likely never see it in person. We had a few cocktails and couple of straight pours. If we had come earlier in the day, I would have done a flight in addition, to get more tastes. Come with at least an hour to spend here. I enjoyed the Anejo agave (tequila) spirit and we bought a bottle of the Snake Wood Whiskey. This is a fun and uniquely flavored whiskey. It's a bourbon finished with Brazilian Amburana Oak which lends an interesting cinnamon like taste. But it's not cinnamon, it's like reminiscent of baking spices. Very tasty. The staff were friendly and happy to chat about whiskey. We enjoyed our time there, wish we had been able to spend just a little bit longer but such is life :)

Great people, great spirits, great times! Worth the visit, spend a whole day! If just for a chill…read moreday, or a major event like a wedding!

These are moments I think why do I live in San Antonio ( and often work in Austin ) when I can just…read morelive here and enjoy great restaurants, bars and weird gothic haunts like this with weird dark goth decor, a scent of palo santo , superb music, a great crowd and amazing drinks! College me would have lived here !! Enjoyed a French 75, my husband enjoyed a smoked Old Fashioned and it was a great place to grab a drink prior to seeing Springsteen at the Moody seated amongst candles , a weird alter of sorts while enjoying some Stevie Wonder as is playing now though some weird NIN or Type O might have been more appropriate

I went to Whisler's and had one of the worst bar experiences I've ever had…read more I had one drink. I was completely sober for all intents and purposes. The bartender claimed I was drunk and cut me off anyway. I was at the bar talking to a girl while waiting to get a drink (the wait was long because the service is very slow, despite the bar not being very busy at all). She was clearly into me, and the bartender kept jumping in trying to talk to her too (instead of doing his job making drinks). He was doing all sorts of things to try and flirt with her and make her laugh: pulling out and showing her buckets of pre mixed cocktails, running and sliding under the bar, etc. She was engaging with both of us , and right in the middle of that, I get cut off out of nowhere. No explanation other than claiming I looked drunk, which I very clearly wasn't. It felt very clear what was going on--he wanted me out of the way. I left and asked the bouncer on my way out if I seemed drunk. This was literally two minutes later. He said no, not at all, and asked me why I would even ask that. I then told him exactly what happened and asked him to let the owner or whoever was in charge know about this extremely unprofessional conduct so they can discipline the bartender. His response was that the bartender has discretion to cut anyone off, and let me know the bartender is supposedly married so he couldn't have been flirting with any of the customers. Well, sounds like his logic is flawed--not only COULD he flirt with his customers, he WAS, and was therefore cheating. I hope his wife finds out. This is perfectly representative of Austin customer service lately and not normal in other places. I was in Tampa for an entire month earlier this year and this would've been unthinkable there. I'm not coming back.

What a lovely spot on 4th! This whiskey bar has some very strong drinks! My friend ordered an…read moreespresso martini which he said was pretty good. I had the Lavender Bee which was perfection! I usually just need one to start out or finish off the night. Service was very friendly on a Friday night and the place was very crowded. Such a great vibe! It's very moody and dimly lit perfect place to meet friends or a date. The music was okay mostly EDM which did not mesh with the chillness of the place. Parking can be difficult on 4th. I parked in the 405 Colorado garage which is very cheap (5 hrs for $10)

If you are looking for a cool basement to escape some of the heat, it's here cause we don't have…read morethese in much other places. Overall a nice small bar with nice cocktails. No beer on tap. Good place to stop by for a drink and on to the next downtown. Bring extra friends to use them as chairs cause they can be limited.

Wandered into Still Austin during a trip to The Yard…read more We sampled some Whiskey and since it was hot out, our server recommended that we try the frozen old fashioned. It was better than we could have imagined and very strong. The maraschino cherry was delicious. The covered patio was great. Although, all the seating is barstool height. The outdoor fans were welcome on the hot day.

Still Austin Whiskey is top quality and probably some of the best whiskey you can get in Austin…read more This compliment is coming from both a friend of mine who really enjoys whiskey and from me, even though I don't drink as much. The quality and taste are truly top-tier. When we go with a group of friends, we like to order a flight so everyone can try different flavors. The whiskey is strong, but still very smooth and tasty. They also have a limited edition release called Nancy's Pick at the beginning of every month, and it usually sells out within a few days. That alone tells you how popular it is. We like bringing friends here when they visit Austin, and it's also a great place to grab a bottle or two as souvenirs when traveling out of state to visit family or friends. Good whiskey, good vibe, and super friendly staff. Definitely worth checking out.

Came here with a large 25 person group all from out of town and it exceeded expectations. Our…read morewaitress McKenna was super sweet and gave great recommendations. Since we ordered basically one of everything - here are our recommendations. Appetizers GET THIS: 1. Corn dog shrimp (think shrimp tempura) - light, flavorful, crunchy YUM 2. Cathead biscuits NOT THAT: 1. Street corn queso dip not a favorite for our table. The cheese tasted thick and plastic like... Velveeta vibes... not much flavor Meals GET THIS: 1. Hangar Steak 2. Creole shrimp & grits 3. Chicken fried steak Not that: 1. Horseradish crusted salmon - I didn't try it but the two people who ordered at our table were disappointed and wished they would've gotten one of the above Desserts GET THIS: 1. Bread pudding was delicious! Not overly sweet & the added white chocolate gives it that dazzle dazzle 2. Chocolate Espresso Brownie - perfection NOT THAT: 1. Banana cream pudding. This was a no for the table because it was over the top sweet (I think because of the added butterscotch) 2. Peanut Butter Mousse Pie super super thick & sweet. Didn't taste much other than PB - it was like eating a giant spoonful of it and trying to swallow.

We had a group here for dinner and were excited to try it, due to reviews. The ambience is lively,…read moreloud, and buzzy. Looked super fun. Service was good, no issues there. Friendly staff overall. The food fell flat for almost all of us. The salads were fresh and good. However, the ribs were below average. Cornbread was stale and not tasty. Biscuits tasted more like firm bread and not at all flaky/soft. That seemed weird to all of us. Chicken fried steak was soggy and not crispy. Drinks were ok. Not quite sure why the food was subpar, but there were 10 of us who all agreed we wouldn't return for food. There is a swanky little cozy speakeasy in the basement that may be good? We didn't try that.

This place is what I would call a hidden gem. Service is good. They don't over charge for beers and…read morethe bar food is actually good. There's also cheese curds in the menu now! It's a spot to go to in a downtown adjacent area. Definite place to come back to.

Once the kitchen closed at the Rosewood Social Club, we went over to Nickel City for some food…read more Fortunately, most bars in Austin don't require a cover charge. My Yelp friend struck up an energetic conversation about Australia and New Zealand with two out of town guests. It turns out Nickel City is considered a must-do activity when visiting Austin, and I've even seen it listed as a tourist attraction. My friend's boyfriend and I talked about various Texas cities, the bar itself, and details about East Austin. The bartender was making faces at the fur baby, causing its ears to perk up...there seems to be a playful love-hate dynamic between them, especially since the bartender gave the pet some treats. Although the bar was busy, it wasn't too loud; it was easy to hear people talk without any trouble. I've now experienced Nickel City both during the day and at night.

For my birthday we wanted to experience Kinfolk and we loved the intimacy of the experience! Cam…read moreand Blake were very informative and helped us make great choices for the evening. I love beautifully crafted cocktails and the cocktails here did not disappoint. We enjoyed our time and the atmosphere and will definitely be back for another visit!

Very cool vibes! Apparently they carry over 900 bottles and sitting at the communal table (which I…read moredid) allow you to see most of them. It was quite fun to be at the table and have conversations with various strangers. However, there are small tables you can sit at as well. I think this place is reservation only. It is below a very good restaurant. Didn't really try their food, but definitely a good selection of liquor!

The group chats were accurate about WR. I'm so impressed by this cute little local joint!…read more We sat on the patio and it was perfect weather. What a gorgeous ambiance. I went for happy hour with another couple but missed it by 30 mins... our wait staff, Mason was very accommodating and attentive. My party shred an app and our sides. My husband and I shared the chicken fried steak, definitely large enough for two. we were all satisfied with the portions and food! Collectively we had: Brisket nachos- must order! Chicken fried steak x2 Creamed corn/spinach Bacon wrapped shrimp -VERY good. Has a hint of horseradish Banana pudding...you must like artificial banana flavors to enjoy this one. Brownie sundae -basic. We each had 2 drinks. The frozen old fashioneds are great! I like the etched ice cubes for non frozen cocktail. Cute little touch. The total was ~$250. Which is very reasonable for 4.

My husband and I returned to Whiskey Ridge for lunch. We drove up, parked, and walked in. We waited…read morefor a few minutes before a friendly host came to greet us and seat us. The restaurant has a lot of seating inside, at the bar, and outside. It has a really nice view of the hill country. After being seated we waited awhile and enjoyed conversation and the view. Our waiter was very busy but came over and introduced himself while apologizing and saying that he would return to take our drink order and bring menus. When he returned we ordered our waters. He eventually brought us our drinks and took our order. Despite the delay our waiter was very friendly, checked in on us regularly, and did a really good job the entire time. We decided to share a few items. We ordered the Wagyu Brisket Nachos which comes with brisket, cheese, jalapenos, refried beans, topped with pico de gallo. The nachos were tasty. The chips were thick and able to hold the ingredients. They had a little too much pico but all of the combined ingredients were good. We also shared creamed corn and spinach. This was delicious. The corn had pieces of cobbed corn and spinach spread throughout. This is one of my favorite creamed corn because of the taste and texture. My husband ordered the Texas Peach which is a handheld sandwich that comes with fried chicken, horseradish jam, pickles, and slaw. He enjoyed it. I tried it and we agreed that the chicken was the star of this dish. It was a good size with a crispy exterior and tender interior. I ordered the Whiskey Ridge Steak Burger cooked Medium which is a handheld burger that has grilled meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles. This burger was delicious. It was cooked perfectly and you could taste the grill in the meat. The other ingredients added some taste and texture. Overall Whiskey Ridge was a great place to visit. The outdoor atmosphere and scenery is beautiful. The service was great and the food was delicious.

One of the most attractive performing spaces in Austin…read more If they happen to be booking music that you like, you are made in the shade. * The club is on three levels. The Ground Floor: A larger than usual performance space. Larger than usual because it takes up the entire footprint of the building with no space set aside for seating. If you want to dance or they are packing them in SRO, the square footage is there. Okay - it is not as big as the Concourse Project which has an entire South-of the-Airport Industrial Warehouse to work with. But for downtown, it is huge. * The Mezzanine - This is one place to go if you want to sit down. The space is divided between a) a set of large leather chairs with a pool table in the middle. The pool table area is on an open balcony that lets you hear or even watch the bands from on high. There is a bench with stools right on the balcony edge for semi-comfortable listening to the band below. If I am listening to the music, I will take the leather chairs rather than a stool. Ever try boogie-ing on a stool? Ever get transported to a higher place by the mystic beauty of what you are hearing on a stool? Slapstick moments await. However, it is hard to argue with a leather chair for big time listening. b) the Mezzanine bar with and a bunch of chairs and benches near a bowling alley. ?!?!? on the Bowling Alley. The Great Lebowski never had it so good. If you push the matter, the bar might even be able to make you a White Russian. * The Roof - which has one of the nicest and most comfortable roof sitting areas in Austin. There are places with nicer roof views, but not very many places with as much seating and as much comfortable seating. And yes there is a music stage if management decides they want to mix things up soundwise. Mostly though, this is a perfect place to rest your tootsies if standing listening to bands has become too much for you. It is also the perfect safety place if the band downstairs stinks so much, you need two floors of real estate between you and the abomination on stage. * I can't speak for the quality of the bar. I was here for a German government sponsored SXSW showcase - in this case of all Berlin DJs. Berlin DJs are up there with Ibiza DJs for being the best that electronic dance music has to offer. (That night however, an unknown Austin girl filled in for a missing act - and held her own with the best of Berlin. Suxxy Puxxy. Keep your eyes out for her if you like to dance.) The German government was offering free drinks as part of the motivation for you to come in to German Haus and hear free music. No exotic hard to get German beverages but I was pleased to take the normal stuff they were offering. So how good the bar is or how good the musicians they book are are TBD. * * * I generally find the Mohawk is a hard standard to beat ... So it is hard to get me to shift to other clubs. Still the space offered by the Speakeasy is extremely appealing. It would not take much for me to make an excuse to come back.

I've been to speakeasy a dozen times and it's funny how each visit can be completely different…read morebased on the band, event or even floor that you're on. This last visit we were on the main floor watching the live band and the vocalist was SO good. I think they went by the Souvenirs. There were good vibes and lots of dancing and singing. We tried a few drinks but my favorite was the hill country cooler. If you like sweet drinks, this one is for you. It was sweet tea vodka and peach in a cute mason jar with a peach gummy.