#197: The Statesman

The Bar

The Statesman. 710 B W 6th Street, Austin, TX 78701

Visited 5/3/2024 @ 8:30pm.

The Drink

Dos osos, one cave. Por Osos vodka, brandied berry jam, lemon. $17.

The name of this drink, which our bartender selected from the specialty menu, is apparently a reference to the 2 Bears, 1 Cave podcast, which I'd never heard of. Evidently the two titular gentlemen have a vodka, which claims to be distilled in Texas even though the hosts seem to be based in the LA comedy scene. Despite the ursine name, the drink is not particularly fierce or strong-tasting or any adjective that might remind you of bears; there's just a vaguely fruit and citrus taste (so at least the vodka is appropriately tasteless). I can't think of anything to say about this drink other than it's essentially a fancier, more expensive, completely competent vodka soda that's light on the carbonation. 

A drink that might have made an impression on me was the one they had on their dessert menu: a "Forty Dollar Espresso Martini" which had gold listed as one of the ingredients. I did not feel like dropping $40, but if you want to impress your friends, that might be one to order.

The Crew

Aaron, Elijah, Rome.

Notes

Far be it from me to tell a bar what to name themselves, but I have to say that "The Statesman" is not exactly a choice optimized for SEO in this town, even if our newspaper has been gradually dwindling down to a shell of its former self for years. In January The Statesman replaced Valhalla eSports Lounge, which had closed last June. It's a supper club, which Austin has had plenty of for a while, though not typically on this stretch of West Sixth, so it has high-end food to accompany the high-end drinks. The new ownership has drastically altered the interior from its former gamer-friendly state to match the new menu, attempting to evoke the atmosphere of, to quote their website, "a sanctum of gastronomic and social alchemy where the finest flavors meet the art of conversation, each meal transforms into an event – a place where stories intertwine, alliances are formed, and futures are shaped, all under the veil of utmost discretion and exemplary service." I didn't form any new alliances (maybe I should have ordered the fried mozzarella), but I did enjoy the new decor, which looks a lot classier - nice art, leather booths, exposed brick, brass lounge accents - basically a Prohibition speakeasy sort of setup, except much better-lit.