Austin City Limits Music Festival serving cocktails in GA this year for first time ever

Matthew Odam, Austin American-Statesman
·4 min read

Austin City Limits Music Festival fans always drink in the tunes at the Tito’s Handmade Vodka stage during the annual music festival in Zilker Park. This year they’ll be able to do so with a cold Tito’s in hand.

For the first time ever, general admission bars throughout the park will be serving cocktails during the two-weekend festival. The move was in response to fan feedback, according to an ACL Festival representative. Here's what to know about new drinks, including mocktails, new bars and a new sweets area planned for the two weekends of ACL Fest at Zilker Park:

Poke bowls, a tiki bar, mocktails and cocktails

The cocktail menu has not yet been released, but a representative said festgoers can expect drinks made with Aguasol and Don Julio tequilas, Crown Royal and Johnnie Walker whiskeys, Diplomatico Rum, Hendricks Gin, and, of course, Tito’s Vodka.

Austin City Limits Festival attendees will be able to order cocktails made with Tito's Handmade Vodka, a regular at festivals like the Austin Food & Wine Festival (shown here), along with several other liquors for the first time.
Austin City Limits Festival attendees will be able to order cocktails made with Tito's Handmade Vodka, a regular at festivals like the Austin Food & Wine Festival (shown here), along with several other liquors for the first time.

Cocktails will be found at bars around the park, and there also will be two alcohol-specific activations. Tropical cocktails will be served with poke bowls from local shop Poke-Poke at the new Barton Beach Club Tiki Bar, where Guests will be able to take home a tiki mug as keepsake from the activation located near the Barton Springs stage.

And Tex-Mex restaurant El Patio, owned by a family group that includes C3 Presents co-founder Chatles Attal, will be whisking people away to El Patioville. The activation will include a food truck on the east side of Rock Island serving nachos and chips and dips and a margarita bar pouring El Patio’s signature margaritas made with Aquasol Tequila.

Those not interested in imbibing will also find a new bar to wet their whistle, as Bar None, located inside the ACL Market, will serve an assortment of mocktails and non-alcoholic drinks from a menu created by Austin beverage consultant/barman Robert Björn Taylor.

ACL Sweets: a whole new area just for desserts

The new look also extends to the dining options. Those looking to satisfy their sweet tooth will find all of the dessert options at the festival in one location: ACL Sweets. The newly branded set up will be near the T-Mobile Stage and Austin Kiddie Limits. Vendors include ACL Fest veterans Amy’s Ice Creams, GoodPop, Bananarchy, Sno-Beach, Tiff's Treats and Tiny Pies joined by newcomers Candy Cloud World, Holla Mode, JP’s Pancake Company, Mister Softee, and Picole.

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What's new at ACL Eats

The traditional ACL Eats set up, with rows of vendors stationed on both north and south sides of the fest grounds, will feature about 40 food vendors. ACL Fest first-timers Brotherton’s Barbecue, Cuantos Tacos, Hawk’s Hot Chicken, Huckleberry, RedFin Seafood Kitchen, Salt & Time, Shake Shack, Show Me Pizza, Steamies Dumplings and Underdog will join a group of regulars that includes Austin’s Pizza, Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Burro Grilled Cheese and JuiceLand.

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The market is bigger, too

The dry goods market known as the ACL Market is doubling in size and will include 26 vendors under a tented dome powered by renewable energy, with a roster of makers and artisans that includes first-time festers American Drifter, Easy Street Prints and Gem Bones.

The ACL Eats area of the park will feature food from about 40 vendors, including newcomers Huckleberry and veterans like Micklethwait Craft Meats.
The ACL Eats area of the park will feature food from about 40 vendors, including newcomers Huckleberry and veterans like Micklethwait Craft Meats.

When is ACL Fest?

ACL Festival takes place October 6-8 and 13-15 at Zilker Park. Individual general admission tickets for the first Sunday and second Friday and Sunday, along with some VIP and Platinum packages, are available at aclfestival.com/tickets.

The full list of ACL Eats vendors

  • Austin's Pizza

  • Blenders & Bowls

  • Brotherton's Barbecue

  • Burro Grilled Cheese

  • Chi'Lantro

  • Come And Take It Fresh Squeezed

  • Cuantos Tacos

  • East Side King

  • Flyrite Chicken

  • Four Brothers Venezuelan Kitchen

  • Happy Chicks

  • Hawk's Hot Chicken

  • Homie Fries

  • Huckleberry

  • JuiceLand

  • Kababeque

  • Koko's Bavarian

  • Lambas Indian Kitchen

  • Lonesome Dove Western Bistro

  • Mama Fried

  • Micklethwait Barbecue

  • mmmpanadas

  • Nacho Dady & Tenders

  • Nervous Charlie's

  • Pelons Tex Mex

  • RedFin Seafood Kitchen

  • Salt & Time

  • Shake Shack

  • Shawarma Point

  • Show Me Pizza

  • Skull & Cakebones

  • Southside Flying Pizza

  • Steamies Dumplings

  • Taco Bronco

  • The Cavalier Party & Tots

  • The Original Black's Barbecue

  • Underdog

  • Wholly Cow Burgers

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: ACL Festival 2023 to include cocktails, mocktails and new dessert area