Namaste Brewing / Whip In

champ103

Texas

4.24/5  rDev -1.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$$

An excellent beer store/beer bar. As I walk in, it looks like a typical liquor store, with rows of wine, beer, and cooler space wrapping around the proximity. Though there is a bar and wood stools taking up the front left part of the store.

The selection is large. From what I saw, the bottle selection is typical of the better beer stores. Think Specs. Which is good, but the real treat is the large selection of taps. Many you can get as a growler. Lots of Texas micros like 512, Jester King, Live Oak. They expanded their tap selection recently and there are lots of good Imports and other US micros. There is a separate tap section for beers like 05 Sisyphus and some Divine Reserves. All the beers are fresh, or for the aged options, they are impeccably cared for.

The service is really good as well. The cashier/bartender is very knowledgeable on all the beers, and helpful with special releases. Overall an excellent store, and a great place to try what is new if you have time to sit at the bar for a minute.

01-29-2011 22:59:16 | More by champ103

LittleDon

Texas

4.58/5  rDev +6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5 | $$

Summary: The prototypical South Austin establishment. Eclectic beerbar/convenience store with good to great selection and passable food.

I've been fortunate enough to be a South Austin resident for the past 15 years and have witnessed the transformation of Whip In. Early on, it was a not so typical convenience store with a good selection of beers in their coolers and a decent cigar selection to boot. These days, the cigars are gone but the beer selection has improved and the addition of 50+ taps has added a new dimension to the place.

For those from out of town, the vibe at Whip In is a third coast version of O'Brien's or Bukowski's. I recently stopped in to pick up a mixed six. When I walked in (about 4 pm) there were a (maybe not so) surprising number of after work patrons at the bar. Given what is available, it's not surprising.

The tap selection is phenomenal for the Central US, hell, anywhere outside of the great beer Meccas. Growlers are available for anything they have on tap. The bottle selection is good. The single selection looked depleted when I was there, but enough to choose to make me happy.

What makes Whip In truly South Austin is its eclecticism. It is an amalgam of beer and wine store, beer bar and, music venue, with enough convenience store thrown in to make it quirky and inviting. Where else in Austin can you listen to Suzanna Choffel while eating your Mary Louise butter brownies drinking Jester King Black Metal. About the only thing disappointing was the menu: good, but not great.

Would I go back? It's sad that we often overlook what is easily available to us in favor of that outside of our immediate grasp. I have had the fortune to travel all over the US and only now recognize that I should be spending more time drinking at places closer to home.

02-02-2011 01:18:47 | More by LittleDon

htomsirveaux

Texas

4/5  rDev -7.4%
quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4

Finally had a chance to stop here this past Saturday. This is a little (1000 sf) store that used to be a gas station. Has a selection rivaling Central Market's, but with a lot of overlap (90%+). I'm not sure what I was expecting but I left feeling slightly disappointed, mainly due to the pricing. On the positive side, they have a large selection of interesting imports and micros, including all the usual German suspects, many Belgians, most of the Texas micros, a decent amount of PNW mircos, Arrogant Bastard, and several cases of Bigfoot 2002 and SA Triple Bock 1995. Unfortunately only about half of the beers are refrigerated, and some of the beers on the shelf look like they'd been there a while. The beer prices are often non existent, especially for singles. This wouldn't be such a big deal except that there is only one clerk for the whole store, so it takes a while to get a price check if there is anyone else bidding for his attention.

My main cause of disappointment: 12 oz singles here average $2.70, singles at Central Market average $1.40.

If you're getting there from I35, take the exit just north of Oltorf, it will be on the access road on the west side of the highway about 2 blocks north of Oltorf.

05-20-2002 10:44:22 | More by htomsirveaux

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

3.94/5  rDev -8.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

Well this is one of the wackiest places I've ever been too. Is it a convenience store? A beer store? A restaurant? A bar? Kind of all of them. Real bohemian look, feel & vibe. Staff is very friendly. About 8 or so beers on tap. They were open with their samples and pleasant in their tone.

The beer selection (store) was pretty good, not, great but good. I swear Texas remains a bit of a wasteland for great beer. Didn't have any food, so I can't comment. The seating area was very casual and quite eclectic.
I have to say, I am not sure I would head here for a dinner, but I would go for a pint and then perhaps shop for a bottle to take home. Having said that, I was intrigued by their Indian menu... Music was quite funky.

Bottom line, glad I stopped to see it. Not sure I would go out of my way there... If I lived here I would probably drop by from time to time. But the selection is not close to the selection of my home town store.

06-09-2009 21:30:46 | More by Reagan1984

HardTarget

Texas

4/5  rDev -7.4%
quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5

Not much to add to the other fine reviews. This is just a convenience store that has a LOT of beer. It is kinda rag tag, beer scattered about everywhere. It really pays to look through the cases they have lying about. I found a few cases of 2002 Anchor Merry Christmas that should have aged pretty well. Selection is nothing to sneeze at. Unibroue, a number of German and Belgian beers, and a wide selection American micros. The staff stayed behind the counter and I didn't quiz them on stuff, but they were friendly enough and didn't mind waiting for me to switch out a quick selection.
Being right on I-35, it's worth "whipping in" if you are just blowing through town.

06-03-2004 01:48:40 | More by HardTarget

wagenvolks

Texas

4.58/5  rDev +6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$$

Stopped by the Whip In on a Wednesday afternoon. Cute, indie-feel to the whole store, with food & beer behind the register and a seating area w/ a stage off to the side. Good wine and snack selection, too.

Very good quality store, nothing out of place and all the bottles seemed to be fresh (no dust collecting anywhere). The selection is amazing, perhaps even better than the Grape Vine Market, except for perhaps the German selection. Tons of american micro brews (Sierra Nevada, Great Divide, Dogfish Head, Real Ale, Independence, etc etc...), a larger Belgian selection than GV (lots of St. Bernardus), and (my favorite part) a cellared brews section, where they periodically release aged beer. Granted, this beer is at a higher price, but I happily snagged 3 bottles of 2004 Lost Coast Old Stock Ale.

Aside from the bottled glory, they have 16 brews on tap, including four Live Oak's and some aged beer, too (2006 Real Ale Coffee Porter). Happy hour from 4-7 gets you a $1 off per pint. Most beers were in the $4-6 range. Cashier/bartender was very friendly, and was happy to load up my beers into a crate and hold them behind the counter while I partook in a 8oz pour of Live Oak Primus Weizenbock.

Overall, a fantastic beer experience that I'll revisit many times during the coming years in Austin.

02-20-2009 01:50:34 | More by wagenvolks

BeerZack

North Carolina

4.15/5  rDev -3.9%
quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5 | $$$$

Ties with Grapevine for best selection in town. At least 10 cooler doors of cold beer and lots of dry shelf space as well, this place tries to carry most of everything, special releases included. I usually go to the WhipIn when I'm looking for something specific that another (cheaper) place is out of. I believe you can still break any six-packs also, I know I was told this years back, but it doesn't look like many people are doing it these days.

Service is kinda crap, but sometimes you just need people to leave you alone while you get hypnotized by the selection for 1/2 hr+ anyway. Guy working the register has a good chance of being a d*ck. They do what they need to though, buy and stock lotsa good beer.

Last and not least, the value of this one is kinda crap... Don't get me wrong, in some scenarios (as mentioned above) this place is invaluable, but the higher than average mark-up definately keeps me from visiting too often.

07-14-2007 17:40:16 | More by BeerZack

jamescain

Texas

4.44/5  rDev +2.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | $$$

I would consider the Whip-In as my parent's neighborhood bar. I like stopping by whenever I visit. The nice thing about the Whip-In is that it is a combination, bottle shop, restaurant, and bar. I have not yet had the food yet, which is Indian food; however I have heard that it is very good. Their draft beer is slightly pricy, especially their cellar section. I'm not complaining about it, if they take the time to cellar a keg properly, then the consumer should pay for that time and effort. The nice part of the Whip-In is the fact that you can open any bottle and enjoy it on the premiss for only an extra dollar. Their bottle selection is very good and will rival any establishment in the city. They also will fill any beer in a growler, other then the cellar selection I believe. The servers are helpful. the atmosphere is a little cramped because most of the place is a bottle shop, but there is outdoor seating and occasionally there is a band playing. Its a great place and I would highly recommend a stop if you're visiting.

07-22-2011 15:40:01 | More by jamescain

BgThang

Texas

3.35/5  rDev -22.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 1.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3 | $$$$

I have been to this place a few times. The first time was when they were still just a corner store that had a descent beer selection. The atmosphere was that of a bad cab with incense going and a bunch of gawdy things seeming to fill in every crook in the store. THings have changed quite a lot since then. THey have started serving food and beer on draught.

Good things about this place: They usually have the most current releases in Texas, they have special taps that have been cellared for a couple years, and they sometime release bottles of aged items

Bad things: Service with an attitude (What I have is the best in town and I will rape you cause I can attitude), You pay a premium for their aged beers and and well hell all their beers are a premium. Example $11 for 8oz of dr6 a year after release date on draught. I still have a case if dr6 so bite me, Atmosphere is still that of a bad dive bar, THe live music is so loud there you can hold a conversation unless you go outside

Overall if you can find what you are looking for elsewhere then go. If you are ina pinch and need something and willing to pay a premium for it then come here and bring your KY with you.

01-20-2011 20:10:57 | More by BgThang

mgdeth

Montana

4.45/5  rDev +3%
quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5

Quality - About half of everything they have is refrigerated, and half is on floor or shelf display. The have a few rows of shelves that they use for snacks and such. If one of these rows was used for more beer, this place would be pretty much unbeatable

Service - Great service. The folks working their were courteous and knowledgeable

Selection - Outstanding selection. We found all sorts of beers that we cannot get anywhere in San Antonio, including Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA.

Comments - This is the best beer store I have seen in Texas. Highly recommended.

03-13-2005 18:22:34 | More by mgdeth