The Windsor Park neighborhood bar is new and yet it feels like a true-and-true easy bar with fun cocktails and beers since April. This makes sense given the pedigree of the team involved. Drinks includes the bright neon green Melon Baller with gin, Midori, and green tea; the smooth-drinking Little Red Corvette with Aperol, blood orange vodka, and sparkling wine; and the sippable Smoking Jacket with American and Scottish whiskeys and chile liqueur. The actually-good food menu doesn’t hurt too. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas. 

And then from the team behind upstairs hella dive bar Barfly’s comes this also-easygoing neighborhood bar in North Loop, also since April. The space is comfortable, the cocktails are straightforward and good — think draft Old Fashioneds, not-too-dry martinis, and that iconic frozen Orange Whip (yes, it’s the same one from one of its sibling bars, the Violet Crown). Also the food is great — a really fun American Chinese menu from on-site restaurant Yellow Ranger. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

The new Cherrywood cocktail bar is the anchor of a multi-business space since April. Headed by founder Charles Ferraro — who also runs Hotel Vegas and wine bar LoLo — the bar serves up classic cocktails inside and agave-based drinks outside. There’s even an espresso martini made with on-site truck Fleet’s cold brew and aguas frescas from also-on-site truck La Santa Barbacha. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

This swimming pool bar within a downtown Austin hotel comes from the co-owner of Nickel City, so you know the drinks are going to be good. The bar, which opened in June, serves up very pool-appropriate cocktails like frozens, punches, and nonalcoholic concoctions. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Downtown Austin is booming with new cocktail bars, and this one is a speakeasy-ish space through a sandwich shop, both run by the Lobos Hospitality group and opened in April. On deck are cocktails as well as tableside services. Reservations can be booked online; there are indoor dine-in services.

Laotian food truck Sek-sē•Füd•Kō grew into a full-on restaurant out in far east Austin in April, courtesy of chef and owner Bob Somsith. Alongside the revamped, newer, and expanded food menu, there are first-time cocktails. The drinks take a similar approach as the food, think Laotian American flavors in cocktails such as the Muang Royale with Japanese whisky, mango liqueur, and vermouth; or the Mak Mo Cooler with rum, watermelon, and a Thai basil syrup. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

It’s patio season and this newly opened alfresco bar is a must visit since it opened in April. The East Austin spot was created by the folks behind Nickel City and Murray Tavern and is focused on fizzy, carbonated cocktails made with sotol, tequila, mezcal, and rum. It’s all heavy on influence from the Caribbean, including the food menu. There are outdoor dine-in areas.

The solid menu of classic cocktails at this Italian-ish restaurant in East Austin, which opened in April, is worth a visit all on its own. Try on-tap cocktails including the aperol spritz, paloma, and old fashioned. There are whole sections dedicated to negronis, martinis, margaritas, and tiki drinks with flavor profiles that are all over the map. And there’s a promising section of “new Italian” drinks — updated takes on classic ideas. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

The Hyde Park Italian cafe expanded into South Austin in June. This means its casual Italian cocktail menu is now available on the southern side of the river, which means Negroni takes, spritzes, and espresso drinks. There are indoor dine-in services.

East Riverside got this new Mexican seafood restaurant from the Gabby’s Group in May, complete with drinks. Similar to sibling spot Seareinas, expect lots of agave-based cocktails like margaritas and palomas, along with tequilas and mezcals. There are indoor dine-in services.

The team behind New American restaurant District Kitchen and seafood restaurant Keepers turned its shared lobby space in far south Austin into a cocktail bar in May. On deck’s classic and house cocktails, like dirty martinis and drinks made with coconut-washed gunpowdr gin or mezcal mixed with a cucumber-tarragon soda. There are also Iranian-ish snacks. There are indoor dine-in services.