#94: Licha's Cantina

The Bar

Licha's Cantina. 1306 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702

Visited 7/21/17 @ 11pm.

The Drink

Mexican 76. ​Código Rosa tequila, grapefruit juice, Pamplemousse La Croix, brut rose. $11.

The name of this drink is an obvious riff on the French 75, even though at heart it's basically a Paloma. Its ingredients likewise match closely, mutatis mutandis. As it turns out, tequila and grapefruit is an excellent substitution for gin and lemon, even if in my heart, tequila will never replace my beloved gin. I've had a number of tequila and grapefruit quasi-Palomas so far on this journey and I have to say that they have all been quite good. Interestingly, Licha's website lists a different tequila in this cocktail, Casamigos reposado, than what was on their menu, but I'm not sure I would have really noticed the difference, as the tequila mostly took a backseat to the grapefruit flavors. I don't know the exact reasons why La Croix is any more popular than any other brand of sparkling water (branding aside), but as long as you avoid any tedious thinkpieces about it, it's a welcome addition to just about any drink. A great choice by the bartender.

The Crew

Jeff, Lisa, Aaron, Alexis, Chris.

Notes

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Despite the large Hispanic population in Austin, who are in general amply provisioned with places to drink, Licha's is one of exactly two places on Sixth Street which brand themselves a cantina, and given that Flamingo Cantina is really a reggae bar, Licha's is probably the only place that actually deserves the name. The most famous cantina these days is probably from Star Wars, but once upon a time they were very different than the fruity margarita-heavy generic Tex-Mex variety that On the Border exemplifies. I'm always interested in how bars separate themselves into genres like dive bar, Irish bar, karaoke bar, tiki bar, etc, so it's worth noting that while cantinas were originally a sort of refuge for rich guys hiding from their wives, they have gradually evolved the way of most exclusive institutions and morphed into family-friendly establishments with only the menu remaining to link them to their pasts. Licha's in particular hangs on to its heritage with an extensive list of high end tequilas and interior Mexican food, so even if you're just in for a single drink like us, there's still some autenticidad to sample. We spent some time enjoying the interior, which is fairly luxe, but we hung around outside for most of our visit to enjoy the patio, which is fairly spacious, with a large number of patterned tables. Had it not been for our mission, we might have stayed for another round.