Bubbles & Bourbon is located inside a 1920 home in the thriving East Pearl District. Credit: Instagram / Bubbles & Bourbon
For Ian Smith, co-founder of new north-of-downtown bar Bubbles & Bourbon, finding the right property was key to him launching the nightspot — and that property was a two-story home built in 1920.
Tucked inside that former residence at 1417 Austin St., Bubbles & Bourbon will celebrate its soft opening this Thursday. The eclectic beverage concept is the latest to join the East Pearl District, also home to favorites The Modernist and Three Star Bar.
Smith said he and founding partners Akil Robinson and Chip Ingram (The Roo Pub, The Angry Elephant, Broadway 50-50) were inspired by Austin’s well-known Rainey Street district, where revelers belly up to cozy bars, many of them in converted residential properties.
“You know, how they’d renovate old houses and craft them into beloved cocktail lounges and watering holes?” Smith said. “We were aiming for a similar vibe with the house Bubbles & Bourbon is in.”
As the name indicates, Bubbles & Bourbon will have boozy options on both ends of the spectrum and cater to both cocktail and spirits aficionados.
“We’ll have prosecco, craft cocktails, classic cocktails and a selection of bourbons,” Smith said.
Bubbles & Bourbon doesn’t serve food at present, but Smith hopes to add bites to the menu once the business hits its stride. Until then, food within walking distance include Fried Hard, the Memphis-style fried chicken concept tucked inside Three Star Bar.
“We’re aiming to make this more than just a neighborhood bar — we’re trying to make it a neighborhood staple,” Smith added.
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This article appears in Sep. 18-Oct. 1.