The Informed Drinker: FINO
Location: 2905 San Gabriel Street
Phone: (512) 474-2905
Cost: $$$ ($=Under $10; $$=$11-30, $$$=$31-60, $$$$=$60+, avg cost per person including 1 drink, tax, and tip.)
Website: www.astiaustin.com/fino
The Informed Drinker is Austinist's new cocktail column. Each week, the city's bartenders tell us what to drink when. If you haven't already, check out last week's inaugural column on East Side Show Room.
When it comes to Austin business establishments, FINO is kind of like the Meryl Streep of bars. What praise hasn't already been lavished? What can FINO not do? A stellar brunch. A cunning cocktail menu. Nice waiters, even. It speaks to FINO's spotless reputation that we willingly let Bill Norris, resident mixologist, use us as guinea pigs on the weekends for his divine cocktail inventions.
Which isn’t to say that some of those inventions aren’t a tad off-the-wall.
“Apparently, Austin isn't ready for a dark rum, avocado and black pepper cocktail,” Norris concedes. “I devote the weekend specials to experiments, and if they work, they'll usually make it to the regular menu. This one…not so much.”
The inspiration came from a traditional Portuguese dessert containing the same ingredients—a rum-soaked avocado, topped with black pepper—and this alone should give you a little bit of insight into Norris' cocktail-mixing sensibilities. No, he's not an Anthony Bourdain No Reservations-type; he is, however, attracted to intellectual exercises, be they in drink form or not. It makes sense, given that Norris has already had roughly three careers in his young life.
“I grew up with a political father in New Jersey, and worked in politics myself for two years during the ‘90s,” says Norris. “But I eventually learned that politics wasn’t exactly the best fit for me.”
Instead, he became a creative writer. And a pretty good one, too. Norris left the political scene for Sarah Lawrence's creative writing program, and finished his MFA in 1998. During grad school and various teaching posts in the years following, Norris picked up part-time bartender shifts to make ends meet. “I always had my toe in the restaurant and bar business, if anything so I wouldn’t go broke as a teacher,” says Norris.
In between teaching and drink-slinging, Norris wrote his first novel: Snapshots, which released in 2001 from Riverhead Press to buzzy reviews. Like many a creative soul, Norris eventually found his way to Austin in 2004 for a brief visit—a visit going on five years.
“When I officially moved here, I dropped off an application at Asti, even though they weren't hiring,” says Norris. “But the [owners Emmett and Lisa Fox] called me and told me they were opening FINO. I got hired as a bartender, and in a few months, moved up to bar manager.”
That was in 2005. Today, Norris is something of a local libations legend. He competes in global bartending contests (like the 2008 Cocktail World Cup Final in Queenstown, New Zealand), has opened up his own cocktail catering outfit (Custom Libations), and brazenly tosses ingredients like egg whites and honey vodka into his FINO infusions. We asked him to share some cocktail selections from his native bar home with The Informed Drinker.
You’re an adventurous soul - mixing drinks with rum and avocado, moving down to Austin just because it felt right. What should a FINO guest order if they’re looking for adventure?
“Definitely the Java Punch,” says Norris. Made with Batavia Arak - a distilled Indonesian spirit of sugarcane and fermented rice - along with a maraschino cherry liqueur, lemon, orange, and bitters, the Java Punch is “unlike anything anyone has ever tasted before - including me,” says Norris.
Say you’re trying to impress someone at FINO. What then?
“The Cedar Fever,” says Norris. “It’s got Hayman’s Old Tom Gin, Zirbenz Stone Pine liqueur, St. Germaine Elderflower liqueur, a bitters mist on top and a flaming lemon peel.” Besides the fact that it arrives a-lit, your companions will also be impressed that you ordered Norris’ personal favorite.
FINO’s got that breezy, treehouse-like balcony - what should we order on a Friday afternoon, to slip into weekend mode?
“The Ginger Apricot Daquiri. Definitely,” says Norris. “This is light, easy drinking. But with a clean finish and still not too sweet. It’s got four year Flor de Cana rum, Canton Ginger liqueur, Orchard Apricot liqueur and fresh lime juice.” Which sounds very much like a vacation you can drink.
