A Drink Lover’s Guide to Austin’s Craft Beverage Scene

If we had to describe the booze scene in Austin with a single image, we’d go with this one: a packed, sunny patio and a vast sea of blue jeans and sleeve tattoos — plus glass after glass of the most inventive beers, wines and cocktails you’ve ever tasted.

Suffice it to say, the craft drinks scene here is decidedly unfussy, experimental and ambitious. The city is home to high-quality distilleries and cideries, as well as wineries and breweries.

Whether you’re an IPA aficionado, a pinot noir snob or a fancy whiskey fan, you’ve got plenty of options for getting your drink on in Austin.

RELATED: Hungry? This is Your Definitive List of Austin’s Top Tacos

Whiskey

Don’t let Austin’s abundance of craft beer and artisanal cocktails distract you from sampling some homegrown spirits. The city’s first urban whiskey distillery, Still Austin Whiskey Co., is conveniently located in The Yard, a collection of cool hangouts that includes food trucks, music venues, shops and more.

Still Austin offers an impressive selection of both whiskey and gin, all of which are lovingly handcrafted using Texas-grown grains. But billed as a “warm summer stroll through a citrus orchard,” the Daydreamer Whiskey is a must-sip.

Vodka

On the outskirts of Austin lies the ever-popular Deep Eddy Vodka Distillery, whose small-batch offerings come in a dizzying array of flavors, like cranberry, ruby red grapefruit, orange, sweet tea and more.

Deep Eddy is the perfect day-drinking spot — stop by the tasting room, take a tour and enjoy specialty cocktails on the sun-drenched patio.

Gin

Small and unassuming from the outside, Revolution Spirits is brimming with delectable drinks on the inside. A true gin-lover’s paradise, Revolution makes admirably complex gins, as well as experimental liqueurs.

Their year-round lineup includes the Austin Reserve Gin and the Amico Amaro, an earthy, bitter digestif (in the vein of Aperol or Campari) whose dark-pink hue is due to ingredients like cranberry and hibiscus.

Don’t leave without taste-testing the coffee- and fruit-forward liqueurs: The Chocolate Cafecito, made from local Cuvée Coffee beans and cacao nibs from SRSLY Chocolate, is a worth-it sweet treat.

Wine

In the mood for a velvety glass of red or refreshing rosé? You’re in luck: Austin and the nearby Hill Country are replete with world-class wineries.

The Austin Winery sets the bar for urban Texas wineries thanks to their ultra-knowledgeable staff of sommelier nerds and wide variety of pours, plus inspired food pairings from famed local cheese shop Antonelli’s.

And Duchman Family Winery is a gem of a winery that sits just southwest of Austin and specializes in Italian varietals such as Montepulciano and aglianico — you’ll have trouble leaving this picturesque spot with its lush, sprawling lawn and Tuscan-villa-style gardens.

Cider

On any given hot, summery day in Austin, the cider flows just as freely as beer, cocktails or rosé. The classic Argus Cidery was one of the first producers of hard cider in Texas, and they’re still going strong with their unique, elegant ciders — check out the tasting room on Saturdays and Sundays, from noon to 6 p.m.

Beer

There’s no shortage of excellent breweries in Austin, that’s for certain. For a deep dive into what Austin’s craft beer scene is all about, a visit to Austin Beerworks is in order — get a flight of the four core beers.

For an unprecedented third year in a row, The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co. (ABGB, as it’s known to locals) deservedly snatched up the “Large Brewpub of the Year” award at the Great American Beer Festival. The vibe here is laid-back, industrial and oh, so Austin.

And if you’re up for an Instagrammable, out-of-town adventure, Jester King Brewery is a sour beer oasis near Dripping Springs that’s nestled on the scenic grounds of an old farmhouse. When the inevitable hunger pang strikes after all that beer tasting, be sure to order a yummy wood-fired pizza.