XL BARS

5 places you wouldn't think to drink

I Luv Video, Waterloo Records, Alamo Ritz, Whole Foods and even Bird's Barbershop have some kind of alcohol some (if not all) of the time

By Dina Guidubaldi
SPECIAL TO THE AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Thursday, August 14, 2008

Many great things are born out of bad things: The sleek new Batman movies evolved from the overwrought Tim Burton ones, wine originally came from a bunch of rotten fruit and the Jazz Age grew out of Prohibition. In fact, Prohibition, which lasted in America from 1920 to 1933, spawned so many glorious backlashes that we should be thankful for it. "The Great Gatsby" wouldn't have been written without it, speakeasies — those clever establishments full of secret codes and hidden doors and bribable policemen — wouldn't have been nearly so exciting and flappers would never have been so bare-armed and brazen. To this day, we can see the effects of Prohibition's aftermath all around Austin, where cocktails flow determinedly like Sculpture Falls after a heavy rain, and where we're almost as accepting of our excessive drinking habits as they are in Europe. Almost.

Bird's Barbershop on Lamar

2110B S. Lamar Blvd., 442-8800

www.birdsbarbershop.com

9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday

Of course, the main reason to go to Bird's is for a haircut. Elle magazine named Bird's one of the top salons in America (see, one "O" away from top saloon in America), and while they allow walk-in appointments, there's usually a cluster of eager customers leafing through magazines and fiddling with their split ends. However, the wait is worth it, namely because they'll give you beer just for sitting there. Choose between cans of Lone Star or Steam Engine Lager and enjoy a game of foosball. Or just listen to the music — which jumps from Operation Ivy to Dolly Parton like it's normal — and look deep into the disco ball to decide whether to break down and get a mohawk (their specialty).

Waterloo Records

600-A N. Lamar Blvd., 474-2500

www.waterloorecords.com

10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday

In an age of CD burning and music downloading, we're right to worry about the fate of record shops. When Waterloo opened in 1982, the words "syncing an iPod" would have seemed like Cold War terminology, and tapes were sold in those excessively plastic lockable cases that bring to mind images of chastity belts. Nowadays, Waterloo has to somehow cater to a bunch of misanthropic hipsters who would like nothing better than to sit at home, downloading iTunes and secretly crying along to the new Coldplay album all by their lonesomes. How to get these potential customers out of the house? Easy: serve beer during in-store performances (check the Web site for the schedule). The in-stores themselves aren't unique to Waterloo and Austin, but pair your favorite free live acts with a couple kegs of free beer and watch the skinny-jeans set come slinking in.

Whole Foods Market

525 N. Lamar Blvd., 476-1206

www.wholefoodsmarket.com

8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily

Though it might be hard to imagine, stuck here in our safe haven, many places in the world don't have a Whole Foods Market. Many places in the world don't care to eat organic, and many places in the world don't have the time or money to worry about sustainability. Most people in the world think raw food is what they feed their livestock, and most people in the world would rather eat a Big Mac than a nice pesticide-free-grass-fed steak. Fortunately for us, we don't have to think about those people, and how the choices they make affect us and vice versa, because not only do we have an 80,000-square-foot Whole Foods in that oblivious world, but our Whole Foods serves alcohol as well. No big deal, you think? Go anywhere else and try to order a sake at the supermarket. Go ahead and try to get a couple beers to take onto the roof. Be my guest and try to sit down anywhere else and drink French wine while you shop for Greek yogurt. And have fun getting arrested.

I Luv Video

4803 Airport Blvd., 450-1966

www.iluvvideo.com

10 a.m. to midnight daily

2915 Guadalupe St., 236-0759

10 a.m. to 3 a.m. daily

Because video stores are likely going the way of record stores (see discussion of Waterloo Records) thanks to Netflix and TiVo, they're having to come up with new ways to keep customers happy (see discussion of Waterloo Records). In addition to free kegs on Tuesdays at both locations, I Luv Video (that's how it's spelled, the cute little bunny way, instead of the literate adult way) has an impressive selection of movies arranged in various ingenious sections, many of which come with snarky, typed-up and taped-on recommendations. And, also unlike Netflix, I Luv Video is right there when you need something right now. In addition to Tuesdays, where you can stroll around with cups of beer alongside other customers who are also taking a mysteriously long time deciding on movie rentals, every third Thursday is half-off late fee day — such a specific, difficult-to-remember date you almost feel like they're trying to train you not to be such a slacker. Good luck, I Luv.

The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at the Ritz

320 E. Sixth St., 476-1320

www.drafthouse.com

Hours vary, depending on show times

While listing the Alamo here feels a little like cheating because it's so obvious, it's important to take the time to realize that most cities simply don't have a movie theater that serves alcohol. Maybe they have a little art house place that serves wine in the lobby, but not one that shows current blockbuster movies. Maybe they serve real authentic popcorn, but not gourmet themed meals to go along with what you're watching. Maybe they serve Budweiser, but not a whole slew of microbrews on draft and in buckets. Maybe they have milkshakes, but not Guinness milkshakes.

I realized how lucky we are recently when two friends of mine, sisters who live in San Francisco, told me they were going out for the younger one's birthday. I asked where and they said "To this cool new movie theater that serves wine and beer."

"Ooh, that sounds fun," I said automatically, then I thought: Wait a minute. We have that already. We've had that forever. We've had that so long that I can't even step foot into a normal movie theater anymore. And with the Ritz now serving everything from signature Alamojitos to bottles of prosecco, we shouldn't have to make pleasant small talk with our friends in other cities who are stuck with lame theaters anymore.