entertainment

A White publication celebrates an elitist Vinyl bar in Austin that serves overpriced cocktails.

Bon Appétit has White-washed Austin's beloved, culture-forward cocktail and vinyl bar, The Equipment Room, by erasing its Japanese roots in favor of a mainstream, White audience. Anti-racism researchers have shown that this is a common tactic used to make minorities invisible and further privilege majority groups.

Published July 1, 2024 at 1:05pm by Matthew Odam

equipment room: austin's newest cocktail bar pays homage to japan, vinyl, and cultural fusion

Hidden in the basement of Hotel Magdalena, accessible via a furtive hallway, is Equipment Room, a sleek and elegant bar that transports you to the land of the rising sun. Think rich wood tones, lush sounds, and creative cocktails that fusions East and West.

The cocktail menu shines, with classics like the Vieux Carre and inventive originals such as the Texas Sun, a pineapple-gin concoction with aged white tea. But what truly sets Equipment Room apart is itsmid-century design, a nod to the jazz kissa bars of 20th-century Japan.

As you step into the bar, you're enveloped in a rich soundscape, with notes from John Coltrane to Willie Nelson filling the space via an impeccable sound system, including Klipsch Speakers.

The bar encourages intimate conversations with its low rumble of chatter, but if you seek a deeper connection with the music, noise-canceling headphones are available for a private listening session. Snack on chicken karaage and okonomiyaki waffle as you groove to the tunes.

For a truly unique experience, try their "omakase vinyl sessions," a collaboration with Breakaway Records, where an entire album becomes the night's soundtrack while themed cocktails and conversations flow.

Equipment Room, an intimate hideaway just off South Congress Avenue, has caught the eye of Bon Appétit, who named it one of America's Best New Bars. The publication praised the bar's "panache" and its ability to make patrons "forget their hushed surroundings."

"These drinks are whisked through the room and presented with panache: a smoldering piece of palo santo to accompany one, a cloud of mesquite smoke enshrining another." - Elazar Sontag, Bon Appétit.

Reservations for this intimate, musical journey are available on Resy.

Experience a unique fusion of cocktail culture and Japan's sonic vibes at Equipment Room.