Where to Drink in Austin: The Roosevelt Room Facelift and 8 Other Tips

Austin is constantly buzzing with news about its many fun cocktail bars, breweries, and distilleries, which can make it difficult to keep up with the city’s vibrant nightlife.

When the weather gets as hot as it does in our beloved city during the summer, what matters most isn’t the ambiance of a bar, but rather the refreshing taste of the drinks. Luckily for those looking for a little cool, we’ve rounded up the nine most refreshing happy hours, new cocktail menus, and other announcements to help Austinites find their next favorite hidden gem.

Openings and moves

Austin’s favorite cocktail bar, the Roosevelt Room is getting a ‘much-needed facelift’ and temporarily moving its daily operations to its adjacent event spaceThe Eleanor through Sunday, July 14. But don’t worry, Eleanor’s all-new 30-drink menu brings the same level of innovation and creativity you’ve come to expect from this award-winning cocktail space. Once the Roosevelt Room reopens on Friday, July 12, Eleanor will be open every week from Thursday to Sunday, depending on its event schedule.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Progress Coffee Owners embark on a relaxed adventure new poolside bar in East Austin, nicknamed The Cabana Club. The “full community club” is set to open later this summer, and Austinites will find it nestled at 5012 E. Seventh St., next to Holiday, Wanderlust Wine Co. and Hi Sign Brewing — a laid-back trio that bodes well for upcoming holiday vibes.

New happy hours, cocktail menus and drink specials

The recently openedBOA Steakhouse launched his new happy hour weekdays from 4 to 6 p.m. in the bar and lounge areas. Select red, white and sparkling wines are $9 each, and $10 happy hour cocktails include “Gloria’s Margarita” (blanco tequila, lime, lemon, orange liqueur, agave); “Summertime Key Lime” (vanilla vodka, lime, almond liqueur); “BOA Smash” (bourbon, mixed berries, mint, lemon); and more.

If you’re looking for the most refreshing frozen drink in Austin, LeRoy and Lewis Frozen Big Red Sangria is hard to beat. alcoholic frozen cocktail is described as a “new take” on a quintessential barbecue drink. Thirsty Austinites can grab a chilled Big Red sangria in a commemorative mug for $9 during the restaurant’s happy hour on Wednesdays or Thursdays from 3 to 6 p.m.

American-Italian restaurant The White House breathes new life into happy hour with its new reverse happy hour Wednesday through Sunday from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. The late-night happy hour menu features discounted food options as well as $10 Aperol spritzes and gin martinis, $9 wines by the glass, and specialty cocktails like the “Rum Punch” (Plantation 3 Stars craft rum, seasonal fruit, soda), the “Techno Viking” (vodka, house yerba mate soda), and more.