Same listening room. Same whisper policy. New cocktail bar.
Monks Jazz Club, located at 310 E. St. Elmo Road, recently opened an in-house bar featuring signature cocktails, classic liquors, natural wines and bottled beers. Organizers had operated out of East Austin for eight years before opening the new location at the Yard in the St. Elmo Arts District on Aug. 1.
“We got busy enough and got a big enough reputation to where it felt appropriate to put the money together to open a cocktail bar,” Monks Jazz Club owner Collin Shook told the American-Statesman.
Monks’ bar service is run by bar manager Nick Chambers, and the four signature cocktails were curated by Leila Sunier, who oversees creative programming and operations. The $15 specialty drink menu includes the “Oaxacanite” (mezcal, tequila, lime juice, agave and bitters); “The Last Saint” (gin, génépi, St-Germain and lime juice); and “Don’t Forget the Struggle…” (mezcal, amaro and amontillado sherry).
The “Whisper Not” (bourbon, Cointreau, lemon juice, maple syrup and a lemon wheel) is named after a 1956 jazz standard by Benny Golson. The bar also features classic cocktails, including a Negroni, old fashioned, margarita, martini and Manhattan.
“We are no longer a BYOB event space. There can be no alcohol in or out, but we have a full menu of beer, wine and cocktails,” Shook said. “Some people still try to bring wine (into the club) to pay a corkage fee, but we just ask them to take it back to their car.”
Many of Monks’ shows are livestreamed using high-production cinema cameras for its Patreon audience, with monthly subscriptions starting at $10. Monks also sells livestream tickets for individual shows, giving viewers access through a private link on their personal devices.
“Jazz in Austin has always been associated with downtown, especially with Elephant Room, Parker Jazz Club and Nica,” Shook said.
He likes being part of a thriving new district.
“We hope to be a strong part of the community for many years to come,” he said.