Step Into the Wild, Wild World of Fermentation at This Festival
Taking place May 14–15, the Wild World Festival sets up in Austin to showcase natural wines, kombucha, and other “science fair” drinks.
Libations
Your guide to Texas bars, cocktail recipes, distilleries, wineries, breweries and more
Libations
April 25, 2022
For Beer That Tastes Like Texas, Go “Farm to Glass”
These six Hill Country breweries use sustainable practices and ingredients grown on-site (or very nearby) for brews and food that capture Texas’s terroir.
Society
April 1, 2022
Dallas Is Without a Leather Bar. What’s a Guy on a Leash to Do?
The Eagle, a gathering place for kinksters and activists for 25 years, closed in 2020. Now, the local leather community has an uncertain future.
Libations
March 22, 2022
Recipe: West Texas Smash
Seeking to make a refreshing cocktail, Amarillo bartender Tiffany Reagan turned to an unorthodox ingredient growing in her garden.
Style & Design
March 3, 2022
The 76-Year-Old Party Boy With 1,500 Cocktail Shakers
When not on display at the Dallas Museum of Art, Walter Erwin’s beloved collection lives in a custom-built addition to his home.
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February 14, 2022
What to Drink Now: The Best New Texas Beers, Wines, and Spirits
Even during the worst of times, Texas keeps producing top-flight beverages.
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January 11, 2022
Three Texas Brands Pay Homage to the Spirits of the Desert
These iterations of tequila, pechuga, and sotol—all made from desert plants found in Texas and Mexico—are indicative of the trans-border spirit.
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January 5, 2022
Troy Aikman’s Light Beer, Eight, Is Available Only in Texas
We cracked open a cold one with the former Cowboy to learn about his latest business venture, a beer aimed at the calorie conscious.
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December 9, 2021
Recipe: The World’s Easiest Winter Cocktail
The one caveat? You have to use fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice, or fear the wrath of your local tiki expert.
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November 29, 2021
A Whiskey Drinker’s Guide to the Craft Distilleries of Dallas–Fort Worth
The Metroplex is in the midst of an artisanal spirits boom, with 35 distilleries slinging locally made booze. Visit now—before the secret gets out and the lines get long.
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November 19, 2021
Escape to the Tropics at Austin’s Tiki Tatsu-Ya
Indulge in over-the-top cocktails like the Skeleton Cruise, which comes in a boat with dry ice and activates bar-wide light and sound effects.
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November 12, 2021
Hey, Old Pal
This Lockhart newcomer offers classic cocktails and excellent food.
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October 27, 2021
Free-spirited: Why More Bartenders Are Mixing Cocktails Minus the Booze
Tucked somewhere between the wine list and the dessert menu, Texans are more likely than ever to find—and order—no-gronis, no-jitos, and other alcohol-free drinks.
Tacos
October 26, 2021
Urban South’s “Combo Plate” Beers Are a Drinkable Ode to Houston Tex-Mex
Don’t worry: there’s not actually taco meat brewed in.
Libations
October 22, 2021
Everything We Know About Elon Musk’s Tesla Beer
The billionaire announced the launch of Cybertruck-inspired "Giga Beer," and a Texas brewery may or may not be planning to sell it.
Recipes
October 12, 2021
Recipe: Pecan Old-fashioned
A Denton bartender created this take on a classic to appease his bourbon-loving grandmother, Joyce, with the fall flavors of salted pecan, orange, and chocolate.
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September 17, 2021
Dry Creek Cafe, an Old-school Dive Bar on Lake Austin, Is Closing After 68 Years
You’ve got until October 31 to stop by for a cold one.
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September 17, 2021
Tejano-Led Breweries Are Serving Up a Tex-Mex Craft Beer Revolution
With beer that reflects their heritage, new makers are winning awards—and winning over folks new to craft brews.
Best Thing In Texas
August 20, 2021
A Wine-Obsessed Austinite Wins the Viral Vineyard Job of a Lifetime
With an Elle Woods–inspired application video, Lindsay Perry bested the competition for a paid position living, learning, and drinking on a California winery.
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August 19, 2021
A Beer Drinker’s Guide to the Fort Worth Ale Trail
The fifteen-stop craft brewery tour makes for a weekend to remember, if one can remember it.
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August 13, 2021
‘Texas Whiskey’ Is a Fanatic’s Guide to the Good Stuff
Nico Martini's tome is part industry profile, part tasting notebook, and 100 percent—or 200-proof—Texas whiskey boosterism.
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August 11, 2021
Five Canned Ranch Waters Worthy of Texan Coolers
We tried ten brands to determine which ones most resemble the actual cocktail.
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July 20, 2021
Recipe: This Berry-Based Cocktail Is Summer in a Glass
Meet the Under the Texan Sun, a crisp, refreshing nod to the season.
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July 14, 2021
Recipe: Lime Agua Fresca
This cooling, rejuvenating summer drink is made up of four ingredients that you already have at home: water, lime juice, ice, and sugar.
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June 25, 2021
Shiner Prickly Pear Is the Unofficial Beer of Hot Vax Summer and Beyond
This perfect Texan beer deserves a permanent spot on the shelf.
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June 23, 2021
9 Texas Gins to Drink Now
These standout bottles make the most of what Texas has to offer, including local ingredients like pecan and lavender.
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June 17, 2021
A Hot and Thirsty Texan’s Guide to the Most Refreshing Shapes of Ice
When ERCOT doesn't want you to turn your thermostat below 82, frozen water is all you have.
Recipes
June 8, 2021
Recipe: A Spicy Spring Cocktail With West Texas Roots
The Desert Plant & Pepper appears as soft and alluring as a glass of pink lemonade, but prepare your palate for a punch.
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June 4, 2021
The Funky, Floral Rise of Orange Wine in Texas
This versatile wine is catching on, and at least one sommelier considers it to be the best pairing for Texas barbecue.
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June 2, 2021
A Drunk Cook Is a Bad Look: 19 Low- and No-Alcohol Beers to Drink While Barbecuing
We implore you to stay sober enough to properly barbecue your brisket.
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May 27, 2021
Garden Party! Three Cocktails Inspired by the Backyard Garden
Grab those Texas tomatoes off the vine and get to sippin’.
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May 20, 2021
Smoked Beer and Whiskey Are Now Brewing in Texas
The entrepreneurs behind TexMalt, a Fort Worth–based malt processor, are the only purveyors of smoked malt in the state—for now.
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May 19, 2021
13 Texas Rosés to Sip All Summer Long
Our sunbaked soils are ideal for this pink libation. Here are favorites, including traditional styles and a few on-trend variations, from a recent blind tasting.
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May 17, 2021
Three Breweries That Take Their Barbecue Seriously
Craft smoked meats and craft beers come together beautifully at these San Antonio, Garland, and Corpus Christi joints.
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May 17, 2021
The History of the Paloma, Summer’s Simplest Cocktail
At its core, a paloma is just tequila and Squirt, but you wouldn't know that from the elaborate iterations on Texas bar menus.
Books
April 23, 2021
Texas Monthly Recommends: A Lesser-Known Larry McMurtry Book
‘Walter Benjamin at the Dairy Queen’ offers a glimpse at the author’s life in Archer City. Plus: a boxed wine club and food pop-ups in Houston and Austin.
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April 20, 2021
The Best To-Go Cocktails in Austin
It’s a tough job, but we managed to scour the city for the most mood-lifting, summery cocktails in town.
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April 12, 2021
How to Make a Frozen Margarita
Can your blender hack it?
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April 12, 2021
Fifty Years Ago a Texan Changed Happy Hour Forever
Here’s to Mariano Martinez, the inventor of the world’s first frozen margarita machine.
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March 31, 2021
8 Wineries That Do Texas Spring Right
It’s that special (albeit short-lived) time of year when bright splashes of wildflowers begin popping up in the least expected places, and we welcome the shining sun rather than curse its existence. It’s spring in Texas, a season we vow each year to relish fully while it lasts. Pair the
Libations
March 31, 2021
Breweries Used to Be Just Places to Drink a Beer. Now They’re Community Spaces.
It's not unlike the function British pubs have always had. Plus: twelve of our favorites across Texas.
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February 16, 2021
What to Drink Now: The Best New Texas Beers, Wines, and Spirits
Pair that takeout meal with one of our favorite new Texas releases.
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February 16, 2021
The Best To-Go Dishes (and Drinks!) at the Newest Restaurants in Texas
For the 20th edition of Where to Eat Now, we’ve compiled some of our favorite takeout options from places that opened in 2020.
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January 21, 2021
Stoutin’ Around: Ten Hearty Texas Beers to Cure Your Winter Doldrums
Come over to the dark side.
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January 20, 2021
The Best To-Go Cocktails in San Antonio
Support your favorite bars by getting takeout tipples.
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January 15, 2021
5 Bottles of Celebrity Booze Worthy of Any Texan’s Bar Cart
Plus, the best pop culture pairings for Travis Scott’s spiked seltzer, Matthew McConaughey’s bourbon, and more.
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December 30, 2020
9 Sparkling Texas Drinks for Saying Good Riddance to 2020
Toast the long-awaited end to this year with any of these sparkling Texas wines, ciders, and even a ready-made cocktail.
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December 18, 2020
The Best Things We Learned to Do at Home in Texas This Year
Try your hand at gardening, stargazing, mixing the world’s easiest cocktail, and much more with this handy guide.
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December 18, 2020
The Texas Beers That Helped Us Get Through 2020
We raise a glass to some of our favorites.
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December 15, 2020
My Favorite Tex-Mex and Mexican Bites of 2020
From the classic (Matamoros-style tacos) to the adventurous (birria wontons, anyone?), these are the best dishes I sampled this year.