Mezcalería Tobalá Adds Another Layer to East Austin

An upstairs with a history

Whisler's at 1816 East Sixth Street contains more than one story. The bar's own history traces the building through its earlier use and its years as Rabbit's Lounge, opened by Rosalio “Rabbit” Duran in 1969.

That account describes the lounge's connection to Chicano political organizing and an upstairs campaign office. The upstairs is now home to Mezcalería Tobalá. Knowing that sequence gives an evening here a sense of place beyond the drinks menu.

Sometimes the most useful thing to read before a drink is the building's history.

Sources: 1

Read past the label

Tobalá's published bottle pages make room for details such as producer, agave, location, distillation and batch size. Those are useful categories for a conversation with the bartender, even when a particular bottle is no longer available.

Instead of asking only for a familiar brand, ask which producer the team would like to introduce and why. A comparison focused on one detail can help you notice what you enjoy without turning a visit into a test of expertise.

Sources: 2

Plan for the upstairs

Before heading over

• Confirm Tobalá's own opening hours; do not assume they match the downstairs bar.
• Ask about the current bottle selection and serving sizes.
• Use the published producer details as questions, not promises of inventory.
• Allow time to explore the building's story as well as the glass.

For an Austin-rooted journal, this combination of local history and attention to Mexican spirits is a particularly worthwhile thread to follow.

Sources: 12