Find Firehouse’s permanent cocktails listed above the bar–you can’t go wrong. Drinks at Firehouse LoungeĪ post shared by Firehouse Hostel & Lounge on at 4:26pm PDTĪs with any speakeasy, the quality of the cocktail matters. I love when this rapidly changing city shows pride in its immense history. Upon a closer look, you’ll notice firehouse-related motifs and homage to the long history of the building. “It’s fun that we get to balance the speakeasy element with the fact that it’s a party on the weekends,” Neuenschwander said to me. From the furniture to the wallpaper to the candle-lit aesthetic, this place screams 1920s Prohibition-era speakeasy. Once inside the bar, you’ll immediately feel the speakeasy vibe. Just because the music has changed, doesn’t mean the decor has shifted dramatically since those early days. These days, there are DJs on the weekend and live music on Thursdays, with various events sprinkled in on the other weekdays. “We decided you can have a cocktail in a speakeasy setting, while listening to the Beastie Boys,” Neuenschwander said. The music was turned up a bit, and a different atmosphere emerged. Eventually, Firehouse Lounge made it known that drinks should be ordered at the bar. Yet, that changed gradually and organically in the first couple years. “The music at first was what you would expect,” Neuenschwander told me. There was jazz music, table service, and an all around chill vibe. When Neuenschwander started the bar seven years ago, it had a speakeasy vibe through and through. And as Neuenschwander said, “That started the ‘do you know about this bar?’ element.” Firehouse Lounge Interior Vibe Firehouse Lounge satisfies all customers The current Firehouse Lounge exit continued to serve as entrance and exit for at least a year, before they decided to make the bookcase a separate entrance to the bar. Let’s get back to the entry, as that’s probably the first way a fellow Austinite would refer to it: “You know Firehouse Lounge? The speakeasy with the sliding bookcase?”Īccording to Neuenschwander, it was initially built as a practical way to get between the bar and hostel. Entrance to the SpeakeasyĪ post shared by Firehouse Hostel & Lounge on at 3:37pm PST The bar then took a month to redecorate and establish a cocktail menu, reopening full-time in April 2012.įirehouse Lounge has been going strong for over seven years now, and the business and offerings have only increased. As Austin bars are wont to do, Firehouse Lounge rushed to open in time for the SXSW crowd. Paul Neuenschwander, the current manager, has been operating the bar since its genesis in March 2012. Constructed around the same time as The Driskill Hotel in 1885, the building has gone through various iterations and uses. This is the oldest standing former firehouse in Austin, hence the name. The hostel holds about 70 people, and visitors to both the hostel and bar are part of Austin history. History of Firehouse Lounge Firehouse Lounge manager, Paul Neuenschwanderįor clarity’s sake, Firehouse Lounge is on the ground floor of a real hostel with real rooms. Located at 605 Brazos Street, directly across the street from Here Nor There, this speakeasy is a regular drink spot for me. But wait…is that just a bookshelf? Slide it over to the side, and the bookshelf and wall disappear. Wait, this is a speakeasy series, not a hostel series, right? Yes, but let me explain.Īs you walk toward Firehouse Hostel’s reception desk, you’ll notice a bookshelf. Nowhere are these observations more apparent than on this next stop, Firehouse Hostel. Finally, just as you’d find at your neighborhood dive bar, friendliness permeates all interactions. As my Austin’s Speakeasy Secrets series continues, I’m noticing some similarities among my subjects.įor example, the term “speakeasy” is not necessarily synonymous with uppity in our great city, nor are these bars secretive in the sense of exclusivity. Next stop on Jonas’ quest to shed light on the underworld that is Austin’s speakeasy scene: Firehouse Lounge. Firehouse Lounge, located inside Firehouse Hostel in downtown Austin
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