Austin, TX
Still Austin promotes Texas Bourbon with ‘fill-up’ event – The Spirits Business
A flash marketing manoeuvre by Still Austin over the weekend allowed patrons to fill empty bottles of Kentucky Bourbon for $1.
In an effort to dispel the misconception that all Bourbon has to come from Kentucky – or, as some joke, ‘all good Bourbon’ – Still Austin Whiskey Co held its first ‘Kentucky Fill Up Day’ on Saturday 23 November. Limited to 500 customers, those who arrived with an empty bottle of Kentucky Bourbon would be allowed to fill it up with a bottle of Still Austin Cask Strength for US$1.
“Great Bourbon can come from anywhere, and we specifically think that really great Bourbon comes from Texas and from Still Austin,” director of marketing Katie Crenshaw said.
The event started to come together when staff members saw that the University of Texas was playing the University of Kentucky for the first time in more than 70 years. Still Austin has partnered with the University of Texas football programme and wanted to capitalise on the opportunity to let the two states battle in other fields as well.
“We definitely wanted to make a little bit of noise,” Crenshaw said. “Kind of say: ‘Hey, we’re going to go beat Kentucky twice in a day.’”
Tickets sold out in less than a minute. Crenshaw says all 500 people showed up “with bells on” arriving in two shifts with various empty bottles, a Pappy Van Winkle included. The distillery did have to adjust its plans last minute, learning they weren’t legally allowed to fill up another brand’s bottle. Crenshaw pivoted and purchased 500 motor fuel funnels, giving attendees a fill up-kit to take home that included a bottle of Cask Strength, a funnel, and a sheet of stickers to decorate their bottles with.
“It ended up working out to our benefit, even more so than we had anticipated,” Crenshaw said, noting that giving people the means to fill their own bottles up has given the event a longer tail on social media. “The content we’ve seen of other people filling those bottles with our juice has been really, really fantastic.”
Crenshaw noted the excitement from the distillery staff and everybody in attendance. They had a number of people visiting from Kentucky for the football game, and some who were able to try Still Austin for the first time.
“Nobody’s ever done anything like this and it truly, in a lot of ways, went off without a hitch,” she said. “We were able to keep that excitement high, even though people were waiting in line for 45 minutes to come in and get their bottle decorated, and get their juice.”
A bottle of Still Austin Cask Strength Bourbon costs US$60, putting the distillery’s potential loss in revenue at US$29,500 with 500 bottles representing roughly two to three barrels of whiskey. Still, Crenshaw said the event did exactly what they hoped it would.
“To us, this wasn’t a loss at all. Even though we did put a couple of barrels into the world with that low price point, I think that the return on it has been tremendous,” she said. “It definitely accomplished the goal of making a statement, of telling a compelling story around Texas Bourbon and how good it can be.”
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AUSTIN, Texas – Central Texans gather to celebrate Juneteenth or “Freedom Day” on June 19 and commemorate the end of slavery.
What you can do:
The Greater East Austin Youth Association (GEAYA) is hosting the Central Texas Juneteenth Parade and Festival today (6/19).
It’s free and taking place at Rosewood Park in East Austin located at 2300 Rosewood Ave.
The schedule for the events is as follows:
- ACME Juneteenth FunRun – 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
- Juneteenth Historical Parade – 10 AM – 12 PM
- Park Celebration and Fireworks – 12 PM – 9:45 PM
Other events
On June 20, the Carver Kickback: Juneteenth Edition will be taking place 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural, and Genealogy Center located at 1165 Angelina Street.
It will be a day of celebration and remembrance and there will be BBQ plates and music as well as vendors and hands-on activations.
The backstory:
Juneteenth commemorates the end of formal slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, and more than one month following the end of the American Civil War.
Colloquially known as “The Black 4th of July,” Juneteenth marks the beginning of an African American journey to carve a new place in society for free people to shape identities independent of racial caricature, eradicate slave culture, promote ethnic pride, and create economic prosperity.
The Source: Information from City of Austin and Greater East Austin Youth Association and reporting by Jessica Rivera.
Juneteenth celebrations are happening across the city this weekend. The events will mark the 161st anniversary of the day Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay to announce that more than 250,000 enslaved people in Texas were free. The announcement on June 19, 1865, came more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. June 19 — known as Juneteenth — became a federal holiday in 2021.
From historical bike rides to Austin’s annual parade, here are seven events taking place in Austin.
Annual Juneteenth FunRun, June 19
The city of Austin’s African American Cultural and Heritage Facility will host a fun run starting at 8:30 a.m. on Friday at East Martin Luther King Jr. Street and Leona Street, and concluding at Hargrave Street near the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex. Participants will have one hour to complete the course. The route is the same as the parade through the African American Historical Cultural District that will start later that morning. Runners and walkers of all ages and levels can participate.
Central Texas Juneteenth Parade & Festival, June 19
The annual Juneteenth parade will take place Friday and begin at 10 a.m. at East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Leona Street and will travel down to Chicon Street before turning on Rosewood Avenue. The parade will feature floats, live music and performers.
A Very Juneteenth Comedy Jam, June 19
The Velveeta Room, Austin’s longest-running comedy club, will have shows highlighting Black voices Friday night at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. The 18+ event will feature comedians like Freddy Do Less and Roderick McDaniel. Tickets for both shows are around $23.
Sistas Walk And Talk: Juneteenth Edition, June 20
Texas Sistas Society will host a 3-mile walk and talk Saturday at 515 S. Pleasant Valley Road starting at 7:45 a.m. Texas Sistas Society is an Austin-based community created for Black women and women of color. Attendees are encouraged to wear Juneteenth colors: red, yellow, green or black, and to RSVP ahead of time.
The Carver Kickback: Juneteenth Edition, June 20
The George Washington Carver Museum in Austin is dedicated to creating a “space where the global contributions of all Black people are celebrated.” The museum is hosting a free celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday with barbecue plates, live music, vendors and activities for all ages.
Black Auteur Film Festival, June 20
The Black Auteur Film Festival, a nonprofit dedicated to uplifting Black filmmakers in Texas, is hosting its third annual film festival to showcase short films directed by Black Texans at AFS Cinema on Saturday. One filmmaker will win the $1,000 “Best of Fest” award, and attendees can enter a raffle for a chance to win Austin Film Society memberships and movie tickets. The festival runs from 2 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $14.
Juneteenth Social Ride, June 21
Black History Bike Ride, an Austin nonprofit teaching people about the city’s Black history through cycling, is hosting its seventh annual Juneteenth ride starting at the Haskell House on Saturday at 10 a.m. Austin-based historian Harrison Eppright will serve as the ride’s guide. Registration is required for all attendees. The event is free, but donations are encouraged.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Data analyst Corey Yeung created the ATX Running Guide to help runners find community across Central Texas. What started as a personal project has become one of Austin’s most comprehensive running resources.
Looking for a Run Club? There’s a Map for That
When Corey Yeung moved to Austin three years ago, he had a simple question:
“How many run clubs are actually out there?” The answer wasn’t easy to find. While several websites listed local groups, Yeung felt none offered a complete picture. So, he decided to build one himself. What started as a spreadsheet evolved into ATX Running Guide, a website and social media platform that helps runners discover clubs throughout the Austin area.
“The list would be more useful if it were a map and search tool,” Yeung said. “The Instagram page was simply a way to communicate those free resources to the community.”
Today, the guide covers running groups from San Marcos to Hutto and serves as a one-stop resource for runners looking to connect. In this episode of KXAN’S Plus Simple Health, Corey Yeung walks us through everything you need to know about the 200-plus running clubs in Austin.
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