#195: Daydreamer

The Bar

Daydreamer. 1708 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702

Visited 11/3/2023 @ 9pm.

The Drink

Gemini Rising. Tromba tequila, Union mezcal, passion fruit, almond, lemon, cherry. $12.

According to market research, the average price of a cocktail in Q2 2023 was $12.50. Now that we're well into the era where a $12 cocktail counts as reasonably priced, it's worth reflecting on what you get for your money. I discovered Tromba tequila, one of Canada's finest, at Second Bar, and while I don't think I've ever had Union mezcal before (it's evidently a common cocktail mezcal under the Diageo umbrella), it was a good addition here along with the fruit ingredients. I'm mostly unhappy about the amount of ice here. The glass is cute, and I'm sure the straw is a big hit on Instagram, but a little ice goes a long way, and I prefer to drink at my leisure without having to worry about the Sonic-sized quantity of ice melting and diluting it too quickly. This drink is fine and I would recommend it (although Rome got a Gin Fizz which I preferred), but this volume of ice just looks bad to me. 

If you're curious about the drink's name, it's an astrology thing. According to the astrophysics journal Cosmo, having Gemini as your rising sign is good news:

Gemini is one of the most dynamic and inviting Rising signs a person can have. As a mutable sign (meaning their sign falls in the middle of a season and they're particularly adaptable and flexible), Gemini Risings have the ability to change their appearance, attitude, and aptitude to best adapt to those around them. And as an air sign, Gemini Risings are naturally intellectual and quick-witted. Leading with a curious and excitable front, Gemini Risings have the gift of gab and will talk your ear off if you let them!

Interestingly, a Gemini Rising is the counterpart of a Sagittarius Rising, which according to a calculator I found, I am. Returning to Cosmo, we learn:

These cosmic archers are natural jokesters who bring so much joy to any room they walk into. Having Sagittarius energy does make them a bit overwhelming and rather blunt—which can be considered a strength if you like outspoken honesty. At best, Sagittarius Risings are people who value the truth. They may not realize this about themselves, but they can be rather gossipy as a means to attain information. They don't like being in the dark, which makes them feel inferior and uncertain. And if they're proved incorrect, they're enveloped by extreme embarrassment. You don’t want to be on the receiving end of a Sagittarius Rising's bad mood. They need to be in the know, so make sure you help them out.

Where's my cocktail?

 

The Crew

Rome, Aaron.

Notes

Daydreamer is the newest member of the same bar family as High Noon & Kitty Cohen's, two other excellent East Austin bars, with plenty of other connections to the broader Austin nightlife scene as well. I am a big fan of the "upscale house with giant backyard patio" bar template that you see so much of around town, and Daydreamer does it well. The repurpose house bar model is tailor-made for sitting and talking, and to that end they have multiple different sections: seating out front that's shielded from the noise of the street, small tables in the wings to the sides of the bar, and an excellent patio out back with an Allday pizza trailer, which is a nearly impossible amenity to resist. It could not have been a more pleasant contrast to Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, which we had just left, and it was easy to sit back under the sheltering sky and savor how nice the Austin bar experience can be at its peak.