Austin Labor Day Guide: Deals, Events, Cocktail Recipes

AUSTIN, TX — Labor Day is this Monday, Sept. 2, with many of us being given the day off to observe the holiday. You can stay on the couch all day watching movies if that's your thing, but events and deals abound on that day for those wanting to do that whole carpe diem thing.

We've gotten word of some of these Labor Day happenings, and wanted to share them with you:

Labor Day Weekend Deals

Cuvée Coffee

Free shipping on online orders $39 or more using code “OMAR”

This Labor Day, Cuvée Coffee is honoring everyone’s favorite construction guy and coffee lover, @justaconstructionguy—and all laborers—with a special discount code. Excluding wholesale orders, online shoppers are invited to caffeinate their Labor Day weekend with Cuvée starting Saturday, August 31 at 12:01 a.m. through Monday, September 2 at 11:59 p.m. by entering Omar’s name at check out. The discount applies to the entire website.

Lick Honest Ice Creams

Last chance to try Lick’s CBD ice cream

Our hearts are melting -- this weekend is the last chance guests can sample Lick’s limited-time vegan flavor, Cashew Brownie Dough (CBD). The flavor features chunks of special brownies and toasted cashews in creamy coconut ice cream(contains tree nuts & 7.5mg Restart CBD per small serving).

Perry’s Steakhouse

Sip sip hooray with Cabernet

Join Perry’s Steakhouse on Friday, Aug. 30 for National Cabernet Day. Guests can enjoy a standard bottle of Perry’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon for $40 (regularly $80) with the purchase of two lunch of dinner entrees. The Perry’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon special will be available during lunch and dinner.

This Labor Day, after a weekend of fun in the sun, cool down with the refreshing and vibrant flavors of Thai brunch at Sway. All three Sway locations will be serving brunch instead of lunch on Monday (9/2) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Happy hour and dinner service will resume as normal afterwards.

Awarded Best Brunch 2019 by Austin Monthly, Sway will be serving its signature Thai take on brunch classics, including:

• The French Toast: toasted rice + mango bread custard, caramelized banana, salted maple rum sauce, toasted white sesame seed, coconut cream.
• Fried chicken + Waffle: thai basil waffle, togarashi fried chicken, thai herb butter, tamarind + ginger maple syrup, pickled fresno.
• Chia seed bowl: chia coconut pudding, puffed rice granola, seasonal fruits
• Hibiscus + grapefruit mimosa & spicy Bloody Mary.

Thai tres leches popsicle at Sway. Photo by Sarah Karney.

East Austin Hotel

The folks at the East Austin Hotel are revving up for Labor Day to help residents enjoy the weekend. To wit:

• Saturday, August 31 | Kick off college football season at The Upside
  • Football season is upon us, so why not enjoy the game in an elevated way—literally and figuratively—at The Upside rooftop bar & lounge within the new East Austin Hotel. The first game of the season this Saturday, Aug. 31, will kick off East Austin Hotel’s college football watch party series featuring a livestream of the LA Tech game projected on The Upside’s outdoor patio. Wear your burnt orange, sip on refreshing craft cocktails & local brews, and snack on delicious eats while cheering for your Texas Longhorns!

The Upside outdoor patio at East Austin Hotel. Courtesy image.

• Sunday, September 1 | Dive in for the final Summer Swell pool party w/ Back to School specials!
  • Before we say goodbye to summer, East Austin Hotel is closing its final Summer Well pool party series with a bang! Featuring Back to School specials, enjoy $10 Summer Swell ticket prices (originally $30) and $5 burgers and hot dogs from 2-6 p.m. on Sunday, September 1. Other Summer Swell specials include $5 apps, a refreshing cocktail special, live music, and other fun surprises.
  • Link to tickets (for adults 21+)

Summer Swell cocktails at East Austin Hotel. Courtesy image.

HYATT REGENCY LOST PINES RESORT & SPA

Perhaps getting away from it all is your way to mark Labor Day. If so, you might consider a last-minute Labor Day staycation to Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa. Located right outside Austin, the resort has announced several activities and events for the holiday weekend.

Courtesy image.

On Saturday, the resort will host an event with Thirsty Planet Brewing Company, the producers of the popular Thirsty Goat American-style amber ale. At the event, guests will be able to visit with Willie and Waylon, two of the resort’s goats while enjoying a pint of Thirsty Goat Beer.

Throughout the weekend, the resort will provide a fun-filled experience for the entire family with a magic show, a family movie night, a lazy river rubber duck race at the on-site Crooked River Water Park, an ultimate frisbee course, and much more.

If the above isn't enough to convince you to go, we got three words: Nigerian dwarf goats. These adorable creatures live on the grounds at the resort. Nigerian dwarf goats, people!

Courtesy image.

SUMMER COCKTAILS FROM KETEL ONE

The good folks at Ketel know the way to a journalist's heart in providing recipes you can make at home. They've even taken the time to plot out our weekend: "The ideal Labor Day cocktail should be seasonal and refreshing which is why Ketel One Vodka is sharing 4 Bloody Mary’s for each stage of your Labor Day celebration," officials wrote. Then, a suggested Labor Day weekend chronology:

• To start the day go with a classic, the Ketel One Bloody Mary is a crowd pleaser and won #1 vodka for a Bloody Mary by Drinks International’s 50 Best Bars Annual Report, 2016.
• With lunch, try pairing Ketel One Vodka’s Southwest Bloody Mary with BBQ favorites.
• While kicking back by the pool, the Green Mary is perfectly light and refreshing.
• For dessert, the Ketel One Tropical Bloody Mary introduces a bit of pineapple juice for the yummiest savory-sweet snack.

"I wanted to reach out and share some dog days of summer cocktails that are the perfect drinks to mix up this last summer month, and of course to go out with a bang in September," an official added in an email. "I've included some of our favorites below." Sigh. Here are those recipes:

Ketel One Green Mary

• 1 oz Ketel One Family-Made Vodka
• 3.5 oz freshly juiced equal parts of celery and cucumber
• .5 oz freshly squeezed lime
• 1 pinch of rock salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg and dried chili flakes
• Add all ingredients to the glass, stir well, add ice.
• Garnish with a salted cucumber slice

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BOTANICAL SPRITZ
Net Carbs: 0 grams

• 1 1/2 ounces Ketel One Botanical Cucumber & Mint Vodka (can also substitute other flavors Grapefruit & Rose or Peach & Orange Blossom)
• 3 ounces Fever Tree Club Soda
• ice
• cucumber slices, to garnish
• mint sprigs, to garnish

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Ketel One Beetroot Mary

• 35ml Ketel One Vodka
• 100ml beetroot juice
• 20ml freshly squeezed lemon
• Pinch of rock salt, pepper and chilli
• Small teaspoon horseradish
• 1 star anise
• 2 cardamom pods

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Ketel One Spring Garden

• 45ml Ketel One Vodka
• 10ml sugar syrup
• 20ml fresh lemon
• 65ml fresh pressed apple juice
• 3 fresh raspberries 8 fresh mint leaves

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Sumac Salty Dog – served in a stemmed glass

• 2 oz Ketel One Botanical Grapefruit & Rose
• 2 oz fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
• 2 oz fever tree club soda

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Editor's note: Merchants, it's not too late to have your events or deals included in this guide. Email antonio.cantu@patch.com, and we'll labor through together in adding your entries.