WATERWAYS THE INSIDER’S LIFESTYLE GUIDE TO WEST AUSTIN
Festive Fall Flavors DELICIOUS APPS FOR AUTUMN
Taking it SLO
SIP AND SWALLOW IN CALIFORNIA’S SLO COUNTY
Sip, Sip Away THE TEXAS WINE COUNTRY
Cocktail Culture COMFORTING SPIRITS FOR FALL SIPPING
CONTENTS
36
ENTERTAINING 8 / FESTIVE FALL FLAVORS
LIQUID ASSETS 12 / STORING WINE UNTIL IT’S TIME
COCKTAIL CULTURE 18 / THE TRUE SPIRIT OF TEXAS 22 / A NEW RANCH WATER POURS INTO TOWN 26 / TRUE “HOUSE WINE” HAS ARRIVED 30 / SIP, SIP AWAY
IN GOOD SPIRITS 34 / RAISE THE BAR
ESCAPES 36 / TAKE IT SLO
STYLE FILE 40 / FABULOUS FALL FINDS
MINDFULNESS
26
34 18
8
30
18
WATERWAYS THE INSIDER’S LIFESTYLE GUIDE TO WEST AUSTIN
Festive Fall Flavors DELICIOUS APPS FOR AUTUMN
Taking it SLO SIP AND SWALLOW IN CALIFORNIA’S SLO COUNTY
Sip, Sip Away THE TEXAS WINE COUNTRY
ON THE COVER: Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue isn’t just a saying
for blushing brides. Desert Door Distillery has borrowed a centuries old Sotol, given it new life, a Driftwood home and a beautiful blue bottle. To top it off, the distillery team created a recipe for Waterways readers to enjoy with family and friends all season long….and beyond! 4 WATERWAYS | October 2021
Cocktail Culture COMFORTING SPIRITS FOR FALL SIPPING
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: PHOTOGRAPHY BY ACACIA PRODUCTIONS; HEATHER GALLAGHER; COURTESY OF DESERT DOOR DISTILLERY; COURTESY OF REPUBLIC; COURTESY OF BOXT WINES
46 / ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE
Jaime Carson’s dedication to the skincare needs of her clients has improved the quality of their skin and recover from a wide variety of problems, including sun damage, signs of aging, teen acne, hyperpigmentation, and skin pollution. In addition, Jamie works with them to improve their overall health and peace of mind. In her new Austin location, she is bringing 15 years of skincare expertise and the invigorating energy of New York City to the community of Austin and beyond.
Now Accepting Appointments In Our Beautiful Rollingwood Skincare Studio
Transform Your Skin NYC’s Upper East Side Beauty Secret has now moved to Austin! Jaime Carson’s Oxylight® and Custom Facial Treatments will help revitalize your complexion and leave you looking younger.
FALL SPECIALS • 10% discount on a package of 3 Oxylight Red Carpet Facials • Back to School Special for Mom’s: 50% off any full facial of your choosing with the purchase of an Acne Balancing Facial for your teen or tween • 10% discount off a custom designed 6 pack of facials specifically for Brides
CARSONSKIN.COM | ADMIN@CARSONSKIN.COM | 512-675-4721
ENTERTAINING
intense the flavor. Gorgonzola aged longer than three months features a strong, sharp flavor, while Manchego’s flavor profile ranges from fruity to nutty to sweet to tangy, depending on its age. Both cheeses pair well with mild meats. To contrast spicy meats, look to creamy, buttery cheeses such as Brie, Camembert, Gorgonzola (aged less than three months), Edam, Havarti, Gruyère or Munster. For more savory options to fill out your board, try adding a combination of any of these ingredients: • Green, Niçoise or Kalamata olives • Cornichons • Cherry tomatoes • Marcona almonds • Pistachios • Marmalades • Artichoke hearts • Cucumbers • Crackers and baguette slices Seeking something sweeter? Mix and match the following: • Strawberries • Blackberries • Raspberries • Grapes • Figs • Dried apricots • Apple and orange slices • Walnuts • Hazelnuts • Dark chocolate chunks Truly, you’re only limited by your imagination and the amount of space on your board. 10 WATERWAYS | October 2021
Whether your soirees are spontaneous or planned, you will surely rather be part of the party than cooking in the kitchen.
A new day is dawning. INTRODUCING SAFE, INNOVATIVE SENIOR LIVING COMING SOON TO BEE CAVE. Longleaf Bee Cave is breaking new ground when it comes to health and wellbeing. Our new
assisted living and memory care community is implementing the latest safeguards in design and engineering, including but not limited to, disinfectant UV lighting, ionic air filtration for HVAC systems and anti-microbial surfaces to prevent viral spread. Using sophisticated safety innovations, fresh design concepts and forwardthinking philosophies, Longleaf is built upon the idea of turning corners, not cutting them.
For seniors and their loved ones looking for a community that values the
highest levels of service, care, safety, comfort and style, Longleaf is here.
Limited-time pre-opening Founder’s Club savings and benefits now available. Call 512-722-7020 to schedule an appointment at our newly opened Information Center or visit LongleafBeeCave.com.
3936 South FM 620 Road • Austin, Texas 78738 • LongleafBeeCave.com BEE CAVE
ASSISTED LIVING • MEMORY CARE • SHORT-TERM STAYS
POURS
into Town
Ten-percent alcohol, 100-percent blue agave bliss By Cindy Brzostowski
22 WATERWAYS | October 2021
countless ways, and for Royce Itschner, Adam Love and Dub Sutherland—the cofounders of Epic Western Cocktail Co.—it gave them the time they needed to think… about ranch water. During gatherings with family and friends, Itschner, Love and Sutherland took on the role of bartenders, fulfilling requests for their version of the ranch water cocktail: two shots of 100-percent Blue Agave Tequila, real lime, mineral water and a dash of salt. During one drink-making session in 2019, they wondered why there wasn’t a ready-to-drink product on the market that tasted like theirs. After speaking with a friend in the spirits industry, they learned that if they wanted to produce canned ranch water with pure tequila, not mixto (tequila made with sugars rather than agave), it would need to be distilled, canned and packaged in Mexico and then exported to the U.S. to be ready for store shelves. With that in mind, they put the idea on the back burner. Then, the pandemic hit, and they had a lot more time to figure out the logistics and make some calls. Eventually, they found a family-owned distillery in Jalisco, Mexico, that >>
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KNOX KRONENBERG
A NEW Ranch Water
When the pandemic hit, it changed people’s lives in
We specialize in Honeycomb Shades • Window Shading • Roller Shades • Natural Shades • Dual Shades • Wood/Faux Blinds • Aluminum Blinds • Exterior Patio Shades • Motorization • Faux Iron Grilles
SCHEDULE YOUR COMPLIMENTARY IN-HOME CONSULTATION | 512-426-0761
Made in the Shade is family-owned and operated by Kelli and Matt Houston, who seek to serve others by fulfilling their window covering needs.
WE BRING THE SHOWROOM TO YOU | mitsaustin.com
BOXT WINE CLUB OFFERS A SMARTER WAY TO SIP AT HOME By Jamie Twitchel
26 WATERWAYS | October 2021
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF BOXT WINE
TRUE ‘HOUSE WINE’ HAS ARRIVED
Strolling through the wine section at the supermarket, these questions may have popped into your head: “Is that bottle too big?” “Do I want a red or a white?” “Will I like it?” Such questions ultimately lead to the biggest one: “I just want a good glass of wine. Why is that so hard?” It’s a problem BOXT Wine aims to solve as founder Sarah Puil asked herself these same questions as she tasted her way through the wines of Napa Valley and the world. It was at the cafés in Europe that the answer began to form. “At the cafés, you order a carafe of the house wine, and it always tastes good,” Puil says. “It’s normal to order house wine there as they’re less worried about social stigma and more focused on taste.” It was an experience she wanted to bring back to the States—the experience of always knowing you’ll be drinking a great glass of wine. But where does one start?
BOXT Begins From the outset, Puil knew that whatever wine she might create wouldn’t be going into bottles. “Common sense rules my life,” she says, “and to me, boxed wine is a smarter way to drink wine.” It’s hard to argue otherwise considering that each box of BOXT holds the equivalent of four wine bottles. Once opened, the contents stay fresh for up to 6 weeks. As a bonus, the box is made from eco-friendly compostable wood and the packing peanuts used in shipping are made of cornstarch. Because boxed wine doesn’t have a great reputation, Puil understood it was imperative that BOXT should be premium in every part of the consumer’s experience. To that end, the packaging is simple and clean, yet aesthetically pleasing. Whether it’s in the refrigerator or on the kitchen counter, it doesn’t distract the eye and never looks out of place. Then there is the wine itself. Puil emphasizes that she didn’t choose seven types of wine to offer; she chose seven taste profiles. Profiles 1, 2 and 3 are whites, profiles 4, 5 and 6 are reds, and profile 9 is a rosé. Wait…what about 7 and 8? Profiles 7 and 8 have yet to make their debut, but when they do, wine #7 will be a white and wine #8 will be a red. Each profile comes with a description of the taste you can expect from the wine. Words like “crisp,” “buttery,” “sweet” and “bold” proliferate, chosen for their accuracy and universal comprehension. “We source our wine against these taste profiles,” Puil says. “When we’re in sourcing
cycles, I sample 2,500 to 2,700 different wines so that year over year, you’ll find yourself saying, ‘This meets what I expect of a 4.’ We’re great at consistency.”
Premium except the price To Puil, all the pretty packaging and profiles in the world mean nothing if the wine doesn’t taste good. But premium wines don’t come cheap, so she had to figure out how to offer great wine at a great price. By offering BOXT directly to consumers and cutting out distributors and retailers, Puil was able to direct the savings into the quality of the wine. “Each box of BOXT [priced at $70-$89 depending on your subscriber status] holds four bottles of wine valued at $30 to $45 each, but you’re getting it for the equivalent of $18.50 a bottle.” While members may be buying wine, that isn’t all they’re getting. Members of the BOXT family also get perks like access to a member concierge. With a simple text, the concierge can change their wine profile, pause the delivery or send the delivery elsewhere—perhaps as a gift to a family member or to the hotel you booked so it’s waiting for you at your vacation destination. You can even cancel your subscription. “It’s a no-hassle situation,” Puil says. “If you don’t want it, we don’t want to force it on you.” With every BOXT delivery to your doorstep, a full experience awaits. That’s because in every package, Puil has a letter enclosed that features what she calls “wine-utainment.” This might be a profile-specific Spotify playlist or reading list, craft projects (such as turning your empty box into a birdhouse or a planter with all the necessary instructions and components included) or recipes (such as instructions on how to turn your rosé into frosé). “All these things help tell our story and help you understand the wine a little more because our senses work together,” Puil says. “These are my wine babies, and they should conjure up an emotion. Our mission is to be your house wine. For that to happen, our wine has to be like a friend—an old faithful friend— that you need to get to know.” The idea of “getting to know” what you like is an overarching theme. Even though Puil has years of experience >>
October 2021 | WATERWAYS 27