#191: IYKYK

The Bar

IYKYK. 1221 E 6th St., Austin, TX 78702

Visited 7/28/2023 @ 9pm.

The Drink

Pineau colada. Cognac, white Pineau de Charentes, pineapple, coconut + lemon. $14.

My personal gold standard for Sixth Street frozen drinks remains the Iron Whip at Violet Crown for its unbeatable combination of taste, strength, and price, but this was pretty good in its own right, avoiding the twin hazards of sickly sweetness and harsh alcohol bite that many lesser establishments frequently fall victim to when assembling their own frozen drinks while still being decently strong, although it is not as conveniently priced due to its fancier ingredients. An obvious pun on the trusty piña colada, the drink gets its booze from Pineau de Charentes, an aged fortified admixture of young cognac and unfermented grape juice, AKA must, that's a bit strong than ordinary wine. They used the white variant (which typically has notes of "honey, plum and cinnamon"), as well as coconut, which you often see used in frozen drinks since it's very sweet (although this one was not). Interestingly, this appears to be a standard cocktail, but most versions include some form of strawberry syrup, which this one did not. Then again none of those versions were frozen or premade, so perhaps they figured that they could get away without it here. An acceptable summer rooftop frozen cocktail.

The Crew

Ishani, Elijah, Aaron, Cristy (not pictured), Louis (not pictured).

Notes

I would have preferred the name of this bar to have been a reference to Biggie or Pynchon, but instead it's an awkwardly winking reference to the fact that this bar is nominally a "speakeasy", that most misused of bar descriptors. An unhidden speakeasy is the "planned unplanned encore" of bars, a term that's been functionally meaningless for nearly a full hundred years and yet the glamour of the word is so strong that its appeal endures even though a modern speakeasy has essentially nothing in common with its ancestor. IYKYK is a perfect example of how a term can become its exact opposite; rather than a dingy collection of potentially lethal bathtub gins crammed into someone's basement, it's a rooftop bar with plenty of lounging space, a small DJ area/concert stage, and an excellent view of Sixth Street out towards downtown. And rather than being restricted to "those who know", we weren't even able to visit it last weekend since it was too crowded with tourists (they have a waitlist to manage demand). But, in fairness, IYKYK offers such a good rooftop experience that if it becomes the new type species for speakeasies, I wouldn't mind. I promise I will stop complaining about speakeasies someday.

#190: Bar Mischief

The Bar

Bar Mischief. 1221 E 6th St., Austin, TX 78702

Visited 7/21/2023 @ 10:30pm.

The Drink

Tom Kha. Gray Whale gin, Tito's vodka, Nigori sake, mushroom, lemongrass, lime, coconut cream foam. $16.

This was delicious, one of the tastiest cocktails I've had in a while on this trip. I had to press our server for a bit with the "what drink would you say best represents the bar?" question and the "no, please, I want what you recommend" followup until I finally cornered him into getting me this incredible drink off of the Originals section of their cocktail menu. Just like the name implies, it tastes almost exactly like tom kha except that it's a drink instead of a soup. Gray Whale gin is one those extremely eco-conscious California products, a "gin for good" that reserves a portion of its revenues for whale-focused charities (and see here for an interesting discussion of the contract distillation market). Tito's vodka of course needs no introduction to an Austinite; I did not ask which of the many nigori (AKA cloudy) sakes they use, but of course I hope it's the excellent Texas Sake, also from Austin. What really made this drink was the preparation and the finish; all the minor ingredients adding up to make a spectacular cocktail that almost had me ordering another one immediately after this one was done. Many times on this blog I have occasion to ponder why exactly it is that I'm paying so much for fancy booze in a cup; this is one of those cocktails that fully justifies its price. Here's a video by its creator talking about how good it is, and he's absolutely right!

The Crew

Aaron, Rome, Geoff.

Notes

The second of the three Inn Cahoots bars, this one had a bit of a waiting list due to it being opening day, but it was worth the wait. Every often you find a bar that really LOOKS like a bar, and this was one of them. I had just come back from a trip to NYC so I was reminded of The Campbell in terms of it being a destination bar, although this has its own distinct identity apart from the shared design elements of Art Deco (still the greatest architectural style). It has a great ornate interior, with well-crafted ceilings, cathedral-like liquor cabinets, elaborate chandeliers, and intricate artistic lighting. Jorge, the owner/operator, stopped by to chat with us for a while, and we talked about what he was trying to do with the bar, his drink passions, and where Bar Mischief fit in under the broader umbrella of the venue. He was a really nice guy and knew his stuff; one of those guys who has opinions about the history of cocktails, which is of course what you want out of a bar owner. Out of the three Inn Cahoots bars, I would rank this highest in terms of what a nice space it is; it just has that vibe that makes you want to stay and drink expensive cocktails for longer than you should. 

#189: Austin Garden & Studio

The Bar

Austin Garden & Studio. 1221 E 6th St., Austin, TX 78702

Visited 7/21/2023 @ 10pm.

The Drink

Sunburnt Cowboy. Hornitos blanco tequila, aloe, cucumber, lime, spicy salt. $12.

I will confess that I don't have much to say about this drink; it was a strong and competent tequila cocktail. Hornitos is one of the classic well tequilas you see around; as such it doesn't have a spectacular reputation, although of course in a cocktail like this the tequila isn't meant to be savored as such. There's apparently no relation to the venerable local restaurant Cafe Hornitos. I didn't regret this drink but it just didn't make much of an impression on me, which means that if you're looking for a passable tequila cocktail, this is worth a look. 

The Crew

Aaron, Rome, Geoff, Jacob.

Notes

I've mentioned once or twice before how nice it is that so many of the new hotels on East Sixth have multiple bars. The different concepts allow experimentation with business models, clientele, and all the other aspects of the bar experience, with the added benefit for the owners that if patrons want a change of scene, it's very easy to simply funnel them to one of the other bars in the same building. Inn Cahoots wisely follows that model, and Austin Garden & Studio was the first of two of their three bars that we were able to visit the week of their opening (the "speakeasy" was too crowded), after having to wait about 30 minutes due to the usual opening night crowds. It's divided into two sub-bars: the divey indoor Studio bar that reminds me a great deal of Shangri-La down the street, and the spacious outdoor Garden bar with food trucks and TVs. The Studio bar has an interesting history (the building it's in was the site of Austin's first Spanish-language radio station KMXX, which itself has an interesting history); in its current form on opening night it was loud, with a DJ and a dance floor. We felt that the Garden bar was more conducive to chatting, so we headed outside. We were impressed by the fancy couches on one side of the Studio, where we watched the USA vs Vietnam Women's World Cup game, and the extensive beer garden and live music section on the other side. To get back and forth you pass under these cool LED arches, which I mention because it seems like every aspect of this bar has been carefully thought-out, and the arches were one of those little touches that made this a neat experience. We unfortunately weren't able to stay too long though; on to Bar Mischief!