End of Silence

Men’s Health has ranked Austin as the seventh drunkest city in America.

Seventh? Come on people, we need to drink more.

Here’s how they ranked the cities. We didn’t rank in the top ten on any of the criteria, so it must’ve been a cumulative effect. I suspect that having a large university and being in Texas helps us the most.

At least Texas has 3 cities in the top ten: Austin, San Antonio and Lubbock. San Antonio beat us out of sixth by only one point. Colorado scored two cities in the top three with Denver scoring first and Colorado Springs taking third, another city with a large university.

Austinist points out that Mohawk has topped Esquire’s list of best bars in America. Other local bars mentioned in the list are Mean Eyed Cat, Donn’s Depot, and Ginnys Little Longhorn. The lists are generated by users submitting a location and then voting on it, so it only takes a few zealous fans and some high ratings to get on to the list. That probably explains the weird results.

I’ve been to Donn’s Depot a few times. It’s a bit quirky and has an old Austin feel, but unless you’re into swing dancing, there’s not much to recommend it. I’ve been meaning to get over to Mean Eyed Cat since it opened, but still haven’t made it over there. I’ve never set foot in Ginny’s Little Longhorn. Isn’t that the one with chicken shit bingo or is that the Poodle Dog? I always confuse the two. I’m still partial to La La’s Little Nugget when I’m in that neighborhood. Mohawk seems pretty cool. I’ve seen some great live photos from the patio, but have yet to experience a live show there other than a Rock N Romp during SXSW last year, which isn’t a good show on which to base an opinion.

That being said, I 100% agree with their other two Texas choices: La Tuna in San Antonio and Inwood Lounge in Dallas.

The Esquire list coincides with another list involving bars: APD’s annual list of most frequently mentioned bars during drunk driving arrests. None of the bars on Esquire’s list show up on APDs list. In fact, I don’t frequent any of the bars listed on APDs list either. My theory is that these places are where the amateurs hang out. Dallas Nightclub, the perennial list-topper is still on the list, but far below the number of arrests of Oilcan Harry’s. Between that and Rain, it looks like APD was targeting gay clubs in 2007. Bars west of Congress are more frequently mentioned than their eastern brethren.

The local beer blogs are atwitter since Ft. Worth-based chain Flying Saucer opened up its first location in Austin last night in the Triangle near 47th and Lamar (see allowing development there brought us more beer!).

I’ve been to their location in Dallas and it was one of the only places that I could tolerate (other than the Gingerman location there). That being said, if you’re used to Draught House, Gingerman or Dog & Duck, you’re going to feel a little out of place at Flying Saucer. It definitely has more of a Dallas feel to it (I know Ft. Worth is like Dallas’s neglected little brother, but still). I don’t want to rip on the place since any place that offers up a good variety of beers is ok in my book.

I’ve been meaning to check out Mandola’s for months. Now that there are two destinations in The Triangle (does anyone else hear Twilight Zone music when they refer to that development?), I’m going to have to make a stop.

Image from Flying Saucer’s web site