Five liquor-slingin' finalists are gearing up to win the 5th Annual Austin Cocktail Throwdown on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The finalists represent the Alamo Drafthouse, Ranch 616, the Hyatt Regency, Hilton Garden Inn and The Driskill, and will compete to earn the sole bragging rights to serving the 2008 Official Drink of Austin. Threadgill's World Headquarters hosts this free event which will feature $2 Tito's and $2 Shiner Bock. There will also be music by The Greyhounds and a chance to sample the winning drink. It's all for a good cause, too - the show benefits the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians....

Ryan Bingham's roadhouse inspired, whiskey and Pall Mall flavored brand of country grit has earned him praise well beyond the Texas borders. Rolling Stone, the BBC, Pop Matters and oodles of other publications have lauded his major label debut, Mescalito, and recent performances on The Tonight Show and Late Night with Conan O'Brien have helped secure his name as a near-household utterance (at least for those folks keeping up with true Southern alt-country). Fans of Joe Ely, Steve Earle, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore rave about the youngster, just 26 years old, who sounds like an equally grizzled Tom Waits bloated on Lone Star and road stand barbecue. The music draws on influences in bayou blues, old school country, bluegrass and good old fashioned rock'n'roll. ...

To shake up the sometimes stuffy image of wine festivals, local organizers of the Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival have added some late night events to this year's slate of tastings. To kick off the festivities, Threadgill's will host Austin Uncorked & Acoustic on Thursday, April 10th at 9pm. The key ideas are these: an outdoor setting, live music, a casual atmosphere, and great Texas food and drink. ...