Rarely do we get to combine our love of all things booze with our love of literature, but this week, dreams do come true. The Texas Book Festival is hosting its second annual Literary Libations Week starting today, August 14, and continuing through August 18, with over 15 cocktail bars in Austin (plus more in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio) offering literary-themed cocktails to benefit the festival and the annual Lit Crawl Austin. Tipsy book nerds, unite.
“Last year's celebration of books and cocktails was a huge success,” said Julie Wernersbach, literary director of the Texas Book Festival. “We're grateful for the generosity of the many fine bars and Texas readers who raise a glass in support of keeping Lit Crawl Austin free and open to the public.”
The participating bars have crafted inventive cocktails derived from both classic and new novels, like Eberly's Beatrix Potter and Nightcap's The Full Monty. Check out the full list of Austin bars and their bookish beverages below:
Olamaie – The Long Goodbye, made with Highborn Texas Gin, Amaro Nonino, lime Peychaud’s Bitters.
Native Hostel – Jack Burden, made with Del Maguey Crema de Mescal, Campari, Dolen sweet vermouth, dry vermouth and bitters.
Kemuri Tatsu-Ya – Little Reatta, made with Oaxacan rum, blackstrap rum, house pecan syrup, lime, Amargo Vallet (Mexican Angostura-based amaro).
Eberly – Beatrix Potter, made with Beefeater Gin, Pimm’s, carrot juice, lime juice, chamomile syrup, pinch of salt and muddled basil.
Sophia’s – Redrum Daiquiri, made with strawberry syrup, lime juice, Brugal Rum, and garnished with kiwi Jell-O shot stuffed strawberry and fresh mint sprig with Peychaud’s Bitters for color and topped with ginger beer.
Dogwood Rock Rose – A Cocktail of Two Cities, made with Bombay Sapphire London Dry Gin, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, fresh lemon juice, grapefruit bitters and champagne.
Weather Up – Tictocq, made with gin, fresh lemon juice, Maraschino liqueur, crème de violette and a Maraschino cherry garnish.
Barrel O’ Fun – The Last Citrus Show, made with TX Whiskey, fresh grapefruit juice, RC Cola syrup and soda water, served over crushed ice with grapefruit zest.
Backbeat – Stockades Sling, made with 3/4 oz. Plantation Original Dark Rum, Laird’s Straight Apple Brandy, Fernet-Branca, lime juice, cinnamon-infused Liber & Co. Gum Syrup (or a housemade rich cinnamon syrup), Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters and Fever-Tree Ginger Beer.
Nightcap – The Full Monty, made with vodka, Lillet Blanc, lemon juice, cucumber juice and garnished with thinly sliced cucumbers.
Lustre Pearl East – Huckleberry Gin, made with gin, lychee, lime and bubbles.
Clive – A Grog’s Purpose, made with Hamilton Demerara Rum, Bird Dog Small Batch Bourbon, lemon juice, grapefruit juice, honey syrup, St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram, and garnished with a cherry-lemon wheel spike or mint sprig.
The Wheel – Rye and PunishMint, made with Rittenhouse Rye, honey simple syrup, lime juice, mint leaves, topped with a splash of ginger beer and garnished with a mint sprig.
Searsucker – Margarita Atwood, made with strawberry jalapeno tequila, lime and agave.
Juliet – Gone with the Gin, made with gin, lemon juice, framboise liqueur, Licor 43 and grapefruit bitters.
Whisler’s – A Happy Place, made with Sotol, Yellow Chartreuse, blue Curaçao, honey syrup, lemon juice, salt, Topo Chico and garnished with a lemon twist.
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