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For the fifth destination on my Austin speakeasy tour, I visited DuMont’s Down Low in the Warehouse District. Be warned: you may miss the entrance if you aren’t looking for it. But once you make your way down the dark stairs off West Fourth Street and into this basement bar, you’ll be glad you made the effort.
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I tend to crave sweet things more often than I should, but I’m also constantly on the lookout for healthy food or drink options to balance out my diet. Luckily, there are plenty of choices here in Austin.
One of my newest health adventures involved a trip to Jugo, where I enjoyed a fresh juice and food item. Not only was the juice delicious, but all of the ingredients were sourced locally. Being healthy while supporting local businesses? That’s a combination I can’t pass up.
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Next stop on Jonas’ quest to shed light on the underworld that is Austin’s speakeasy scene: Firehouse Lounge. As my Austin’s Speakeasy Secrets series continues, I’m noticing some similarities among my subjects.
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Summer is right around the corner and people are hitting Austin lakes and trails daily. Whether you prefer exploring Austin on land or water, hydration is vital to staying outdoors and healthy. So grab some of these local canned beverages to keep you hydrated, while you get all outdoorsy and stuff!
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If you’ve been in Austin for more than 24 hours, chances are you’ve encountered JuiceLand. With 24 locations here, it’s like a huge family that continues to grow to other cities. New, curious customers wander in on the daily, as they follow the scent trails of fresh fruits and veggies.
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Mocktails. The mere mention of the word conjures up images of boring nights at the bar sipping cranberry-splashed tonic water, while your friends knock back whiskey, gin, and beer. Three years ago, when my wife was pregnant, we were literally laughed out of bars and restaurants for uttering the word. Those were dark times.
But now, there’s a revolution brewing. Many of Austin’s finest drinkeries and eateries are no longer embarrassed of the non-alcoholic cocktail. In fact, they’re treating mocktails with the respect and craft given to their boozy counterparts.
So whether you’re ditching alcohol for health, lifestyle, or recovery reasons, here are 10 local spots to snag outrageous mocktails in Austin.
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The rapidly developing east side of Austin is filled with just about everything you want in plain sight. Well, almost everything. In the case of Milonga Room, you have a speakeasy that resides underneath Buenos Aires Cafe, which is anything but in plain sight.
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Do you ever go on a wine-buying mission and find yourself standing in front of the shelves, frozen with indecision? In these moments, the options are usually to phone a friend, decide based on the appeal of the label, or just turn around, defeated by the despair of indecision. Note: The Austinot does not recommend this last approach.
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I heard about a speakeasy called Here Nor There in passing. The entrance was hidden. You needed to make a reservation on an app to get in. You could become a member for an annual fee. They served some of the best drinks in Austin and I had to visit because it was “an experience.”
For my second article spotlighting Austin’s best speakeasies, I visited Here Nor There downtown, to separate fact from fiction and see what the experience entailed.
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Guest article by Ken Pishna
When Christian Cryder left Montana behind to open a brewery on East Sixth Street in Austin, he wanted to build a community around four key ingredients: coffee, beer, tacos, and joy.
Lazarus Brewing Company was born on Christmas Eve in 2016. With a talented head brewer, one of Austin’s finest Street-Mex food truck chefs, and a veteran coffee roaster; the beer, food, and coffee were givens.
The question was whether Lazarus could rise up and give new life to the Bike Texas building, and iconic Cool Store, as a brewery with plans to be more than a place to grab a cold one.
Stained glass connects the main tap room to the barrel room
It’s no small secret Cryder was a pastor in Montana and continues to minister in Austin. The colors of Cryder’s background are woven throughout Lazarus Brewing. There are beers named “40 Days and 40 Nights” and “First Noël,” and a stained glass image in the ceiling connecting the main tap room to the barrel room. Yet Cryder never wanted to blend the church into the brewery. He wanted to foster a communal space where people could gather and find the joy in life.
“There’s something good about the brewing scene, what it does for people, what it does for community,” the Austin entrepreneur shared with me. And that’s something Lazarus embraces.
From day one, it has been an open and inviting space, welcoming families, including their four-legged members, with a cozy tap room space. Much of it was handcrafted by Cryder and his family, and the space opens through vast garage doors onto a beautiful patio and courtyard. The courtyard is furnished with large picnic tables that invite people to sit down with neighbors, friends, and strangers alike.
Since opening in 2016, Lazarus Brewing has revamped the Cool Store, but Cryder didn’t want to dismantle the history of the community landmark. Paying homage to the Cool Store, Cryder only gave the facade a face lift, leaving Bob Marley serenading us on Chicon Street. The inside has been converted into a multi-purpose space that houses a wild fermentation/sour facility, barrel-aging room, and event space.
Christian Cryder, owner of Lazarus Brewing, preserved the Bob Marley mural from 6th Street Cool Store, which closed in early 2016
➡️ Keep reading: Lazarus Brewing Company Comes to East Side With Pints, Pups, and Tacos
Lazarus serves coffee seven days a week
All the while, Lazarus has managed to maintain the cozy coffee house feel up front, where coffee roasted on site by Cryder’s wife Marilyn is served beginning at 7 a.m. during the week, and 10 a.m. on weekends. There is a full espresso bar and the caramel leather sofa remains in the cozy nook inside the main entrance.
Lazarus creates an inviting, comfortable space to relax with friends
The gourmet Street Mex menu ranges from breakfast to lunch to dinner, so you can’t think of Lazarus as just a brewery.
It’s easy enough to drop in with friends for a cup of coffee and breakfast taco to get the day started. Or come by any time of the day to jump on the free Wifi and get some work done, sipping a cup of hand-crafted Joe, or an adult beverage or two.
Lazarus recently released wild fermentations and barrel-aged beers
For all its offerings, Lazarus also remains steadfast as a great example of craft beer. Head brewer Matt Couch has built a strong set of base beers when you want something tried and true, but has also developed an assortment sure to please even the finickiest craft beer aficionado. (Of which I’m one and, yes, I was pleased.) Couch’s latest offerings include the aforementioned wild fermentations and barrel-aged beers.
All that Lazarus offers by way of creature comforts equals exactly what Cryder intended. He has created a place to sit, relax, converse with friends and strangers, and find the joy in life.
1902 E. 6th St. — Website
@theAustinot wants to know:
Which breweries in Austin make you feel at home?
Ken Pishna travels around the country interviewing interesting craft brewers and sharing their stories through “Living A Stout Life.” Watch his conversation with Christian Cryder on YouTube.
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