Hey, Austin — we've got another reason to feel good about our bar scene. Esquire just dropped their picks for the 14 best bars in the entire country heading into 2026, and yep, one of our own made the cut.
A local cocktail lounge earned a coveted spot on the national magazine's annual roundup, putting Austin in some seriously elite drinking company. Esquire doesn't hand these out like drink tickets at a company happy hour — this list is curated, competitive, and frankly a big deal for any establishment that lands on it.
Look, anyone who's spent time bouncing around Austin's cocktail scene already knows we punch way above our weight class when it comes to craft drinks. The city has been quietly building a reputation for inventive mixology for years now, and it's genuinely satisfying to see the national spotlight finally catching up to what locals have known for a while.
We'll spare you the hard sell — if you haven't already checked out the Austin spots pushing the cocktail game forward, now's a pretty good time to start. And if you have been a regular, well, you've apparently got great taste. Literally.
Keep an eye on the full Esquire list if you want the details on which lounge took the honors. Either way, this is a good week to go treat yourself to something shaken or stirred and feel a little smug about living here. Cheers, ATX.