Austin 2018: Drinking with Don Quixote

plinko · #1 Posted **May 10, 2022, 7:08 AM**

A little muzak:

• Video Link

As I mentioned in my Dallas thread, I spent a weekend roaming Texas with a friend in search of good whiskey. After a Sunday morning hungover I-35 drive and lunch in Waco, we ventured to someplace that I struggle to describe, a sommelier school near Austin.

180420-0423 AUS 001 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

The campus of this place was apparently developed by some rich guy totally into all sorts of curious things. He runs something called the Wizard Academy, which seems to be some sort of commune / business school. Located in this odd campus 20 miles southwest of Austin is a distillery called the Austin Whiskey Vault, a place to go learn about how it’s made, the various types, and oh…trying numerous varieties! It’s all at the top of this odd looking tower.

180420-0423 AUS 002 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

You can see the city in the distance from the top:

180420-0423 AUS 003 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

Within the tower are numerous, and I do mean numerous references to Don Quixote, apparently a hero of some sort to the owner:

180420-0423 AUS 004 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 005 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 006 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

Suddenly you find yourself venturing behind a bookcase…

180420-0423 AUS 007 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

A quick side note: This place does very well in terms of how it markets to their customers. Why would two 41 year old married guys want to spend 3-4 hours learning about whiskey from a 22 year old girlie with a great ass and a Texas drawl? We didn’t know that’s what we were getting. We left and looked at each other and said ‘What the fuck was that?’. We also had ZERO complaints about said experience.

180420-0423 AUS 008 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

And into the vault we go…

180420-0423 AUS 009 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

So much to choose from…

180420-0423 AUS 010 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

Two pretty toasted happy guys…

180420-0423 AUS 011 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

Relax, sit back, enjoy it all…

180420-0423 AUS 012 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

There’s even a roof deck to enjoy…

180420-0423 AUS 013 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

Just an average Sunday consumption?

180420-0423 AUS 014 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

After all that, we need food!

180420-0423 AUS 015 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

Pick an animal…or two…or three…

180420-0423 AUS 016 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

Fuck yeah!

180420-0423 AUS 017 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

Oh yeah, Austin…

180420-0423 AUS 018 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 019 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 020 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 021 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

We go in search of good live music…

180420-0423 AUS 022 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

And end up searching in the dark for a statue…

180420-0423 AUS 023 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 024 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

Found him!

180420-0423 AUS 025 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

Finishing up the night on the hotel roof…

180420-0423 AUS 026 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

My friend had to jet home, but I had a few hours before I had to catch my ride back to the coast…

180420-0423 AUS 027 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

Just a few shots from breakfast on the rooftop…

180420-0423 AUS 028 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 029 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 030 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 031 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 032 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 033 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 034 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 035 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 036 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 037 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 038 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 039 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 040 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

The 35…

180420-0423 AUS 041 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

It’s accessible!

180420-0423 AUS 042 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 043 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 044 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 045 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 046 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 047 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 048 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

Let’s go exploring…

180420-0423 AUS 049 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 050 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 051 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 052 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 053 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 054 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 055 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 056 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 057 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 058 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 059 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 060 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

Pink granite. It’s lovely in person…

180420-0423 AUS 061 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 062 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 063 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 064 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 065 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 066 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 067 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 068 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 069 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

Not sure I understand the offset Jenga design craze…

180420-0423 AUS 070 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 071 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 072 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

I’d love to know more about this building…it’s beautiful…

180420-0423 AUS 073 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 074 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

The last time I had been in Austin, this building was the newest tower on the skyline…now it’s like 30th tallest…

180420-0423 AUS 075 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 076 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 077 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

I don’t know why, but I have always liked the W façade…

180420-0423 AUS 078 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 079 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 080 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 081 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 082 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 083 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

I like this building…

180420-0423 AUS 084 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

Not as sure about this one…

180420-0423 AUS 085 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 086 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 087 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

Dencity…

180420-0423 AUS 088 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

Nice…

180420-0423 AUS 089 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

Neat trick…

180420-0423 AUS 090 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

I’ve seen this bridge in a bunch of commercials recently…

180420-0423 AUS 091 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 092 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 093 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 094 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 095 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

mmm…concrete…

180420-0423 AUS 096 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 097 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

Last time I was in Austin in 2002, nothing in this picture existed except the capitol building in the distance and the power plant…

180420-0423 AUS 098 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 099 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 100 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 101 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 102 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 103 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 104 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 105 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 106 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 107 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 108 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 109 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

Probably my favorite picture in the set…

180420-0423 AUS 110 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 111 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 112 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 113 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 114 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

mmm…infrastructure…

180420-0423 AUS 115 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 116 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 117 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 118 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 119 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 120 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 121 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 122 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 123 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 124 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 125 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 126 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

24 hours of fun…

180420-0423 AUS 127 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

I know these are from 2018, and that there have been like 6-8 huge towers completed since then, but I figured I would share. The change over the past 20 years in Austin is absolutely staggering…

plinko · #2 Posted **May 10, 2022, 7:10 AM**

180420-0423 AUS 128 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

180420-0423 AUS 129 by Michael Stroh, on Flickr

Murphy de la Sucre · #3 Posted **May 10, 2022, 7:32 AM**

Love lifestyle-oriented tour with some kind of theme(s). As a Cognac lover, any good chance to find some spots in there?

Whiskey always prevails over Cognac, market-wise.

Evo5Boise · #4 Posted **May 10, 2022, 2:33 PM**

Nice photos and tour! Austin's skyline is definitely growing and getting some great density. I'm not sure about the Independent though. It's definitely not my favorite tower.

EastSideHBG · #5 Posted **May 10, 2022, 2:45 PM**

Wonderful!

Coldrsx · #6 Posted **May 10, 2022, 8:15 PM**

Nice tour of an enjoyable town.

the pope · #7 Posted **May 12, 2022, 8:50 PM**

this tour don't quit.

KevinFromTexas · #8 Posted **May 13, 2022, 3:45 AM**

Ah, 2018, back when the skyline and other things were a little more...quaint.

ATXboom · #9 Posted **May 13, 2022, 6:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Ah, 2018, back when the skyline and other things were a little more...quaint.

LOL... that's so long ago I don't recognize the city.

Buckeye Native 001 · #10 Posted **May 15, 2022, 1:06 AM**

It's amazing how the Frost Tower went from Austin's tallest to being overshadowed by multiple new towers the last two decades.

KevinFromTexas · #11 Posted **May 15, 2022, 5:27 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buckeye Native 001

It's amazing how the Frost Tower went from Austin's tallest to being overshadowed by multiple new towers the last two decades.

It used to tower over everything. The crown starts at around 415 feet, which is 14 feet higher than the previous tallest - One American Center's roof. So the crown on Frost really was the peak on the skyline. And the skyline was considerably less dense back then so it stood out anyway. Now there are a lot of places where the tower doesn't show up and even the crown disappears some of the time. The best view is still from the east along I-35 and farther east, and along South Congress coming into downtown. And along I-35 northeast of downtown. From a lot of the other angles, though, it disappears completely sometimes.

geomorph · #12 Posted **May 23, 2022, 6:01 AM**

Thank you for the unique tasting tour adventure, and the numerous detail shots from the rooftop!