#37: B.D. Riley's

The Bar

B.D. Riley's. 204 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701

Visited 2/11/17 @ 10:30pm.

The Drink

Powers whiskey shot. $7.25.

Forgive me for seeing the world of whiskey through Jameson-colored glasses, but even though I've seen Powers plenty of times before, I can't actually remember the last time I drank it. It is part of the Pernod Ricard family (along with Jameson, actually), and it's not as famous as its sibling for a reason: when consumed in shot form it's one of the whiskeys that's not shy about what it is. I started out this project thinking that shots might be a fun occasional alternative to whatever beers or cocktails I was given, but I'm now distinctly less fond of them. When I say I want a drink, for $7 I should get an actual drink.

The Crew

Vince, Ben, Aaron, Travis, Rome, James, Cat, Geoff, Elijah.

Notes

There's a lot to say about the "Irish pub" as an institution, a particular bar experience that partakes of the spirit of the Emerald Isle yet can be reconstituted at will in stranger climes. I can't claim any special expertise with the "Irish" part of that, even though I'm one of the 40 million Americans with vague Irish heritage. I have visited the mother country, though (it was lovely, thank you for asking). And since all of my experiences with bars come after the pint is served rather than before, all I can do is judge a bar's atmosphere based on the highly subjective metrics of how it makes me feel at the time. As for the craic, that legendary Irish term for good times, leave that to me and my friends.

On their website, they brag that parts of this building were shipped from Ireland, which I imagine is not an uncommon claim. Part of the wall is Austin-original, however, of an 1875 vintage. Inside they support the very Irish-American teams of Notre Dame and the Patriots, which makes me wonder what they did for the UT-Notre Dame games in 2015 and 2016. A house divided will not stand! In this town, I expect to see burnt orange wherever I go.