#90: Rhino Room

The Bar

Rhino Room. 1012 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702

Visited 7/14/17 @ 10:30pm.

UPDATE: Rhino Room has closed.

The Drink

Cucumis sativus. Cucumber vodka, St. Germain, lime, syrup. $10.

Before you ask, the name cucumis sativus has nothing to do with weed whatsoever; it's simply the Linnean designation for the humble cucumber, that surprisingly useful household gourd. Now that you know, you shouldn't be surprised that this tastes overwhelmingly of cucumber, which I liked and found very refreshing: a perfect summer cocktail. I don't think I've talked about flavored vodkas before. In general I'm all for them. Vodka isn't like scotch or bourbon, where the whole point is to taste the complex favors that the distillation/aging process has bestowed. Vodka itself should be tasteless, a blank canvas on which the drink artisan can use their palette of ancillary flavors, and the more appealing that blend, the better. I don't think it's possible to go wrong with cucumber, particularly in this heat, and the combination of the elderberry in the St. Germain with the citrus of the lime and the sweetness of the syrup worked out great. A+ would drink again, unless any of their other cocktails tempted me first.

The Crew

Kyle, Rome, Aaron, Davis.

Notes

Rhino Room has been around for about two years, replacing Pete's and El Matador. I didn't ever go to either of those bars, but I would absolutely return to Rhino Room. The ground floor level is a little cramped, in that subtle but unmistakable manner that lends a sense of exclusivity to most places which serve a lot of craft cocktails. If the definition of architecture is the articulation of space to produce an aesthetic experience, then get ready to be articulated shoulder to shoulder at the bar, since the place was pretty hopping on Friday nights. After we had had all the crowding we could stand (literally, since all the tables were occupied), we went upstairs to sit on their tree-lined patio and relax. Next to us there was a Connect Four board that a couple who looked like they were together were using. Connect Four is a solved game, but it's always a lot of fun to watch drunk people in relationships play competitive games against each other, in case there's any drama. Nothing happened, but it was a fun eavesdropping experience. I bet this place lends itself well to interesting experiences.