Right when you think that Austin has plenty of craft cocktail selections to quench your thirst after work, a new one comes along that looks absolutely bananas. This week, two restaurants are launching brand new cocktail programs, and we're pretty sure you'll need to try both.
Award-winning Thai restaurant Sway is now serving liquor in addition to their usual beer, wine and sake lineup, and they've designed a cocktail program to perfectly complement their food. “Developing each cocktail was an exercise in flavor balance and celebrating the distinct flavors of Thailand,” says Mandi Nelson, beverage director of New Waterloo. “They can hold up to the heat of Sway’s cuisine without getting lost or be overpowering.” Drinks, which range from $8 to $12, include the Bangkok 75 (gin, secret garden tea, lemon, sparkling wine), Lotus Margarita (tequila, combier, tamarind, lime salt) and To Magnolia City with Love (rum, lychee, fresh orange, cherry; proceeds benefit Hurricane Harvey Relief).
Another Austin standby has launched its first craft cocktail menu—The Local Post, a neighborhood sports bar on Burnet Road. The pub is best known for its beer selection, but this is the first time craft cocktails have been offered. Try the Local Lady with vodka, mint and cucumbers; the Orange Blossom with gin, house-made orange syrup, St-Germain and lemon juice; or the Japaloma, a Lunazul tequila-based cocktail with lime juice, grapefruit soda, simple syrup and sliced jalapeños.
Sure, you probably have a happy hour favorite. But change is good—and so is a refreshing rum and lychee libation.