Brass Poppy at Hotel Van Zandt Offers a Stylish Rainey Street Retreat with Reinvented Disco-Era Cocktails
Savor expertly crafted cocktails and elevated small bites at this new upscale lounge in Austin
We tip our hats to Michelin-noted Hotel Van Zandt for Brass Poppy, a swanky new cocktail lounge tucked into the lobby like a refuge from the hustle and bustle of the historic Rainey Street district. The chic space offers luscious, shareable plates created by Geraldine’s Executive Chef Sergio Ledesma and fantastic craft cocktails from a team led by Curtis Janto, formerly of Equipment Room and the Roosevelt Room. A nearly all-Texas-made beer selection adds home team representation while international vintners populate the wine menu, making it a worthy destination for the well-heeled looking to see and be seen in Austin’s newest haunts.
With much to toot their horns about, Hotel Van Zandt featured Big Wy’s Brass Band to mark a hoot of an opening celebration beneath gleaming brass instrument chandeliers and smoked mirrors, details chosen by MARKZEFF Architecture and Interior Design. The bites and booze, however, will be our top reasons to return.
Rediscovering disco-era cocktails with a modern twist
Essentially cheap thrills in their heyday, cocktails from the “Dark Ages” of mixology populate the Brass Poppy menu, but find luxurious new life under the direction of Lead Bartender Curtis Janto. These disco-era libations “were basic cocktails that had a lot of sugar in them,” said Janto. Meant to be quick-mixed and thrown back without much ado, 1970s refreshments like the Rusty Nail, Amaretto Sour and Harvey Wallbanger apparently languished with the 1980s Fuzzy Navel (and many others) in a derided category of inelegant party drinks. But passing them up at Brass Poppy would be a big mistake. Huge. With craft techniques, those same beverages are worth lingering over.
Consider elements like the beeswax-rested Johnnie Walker Black in the delicious Rusty Nail, one in which Janto said, “I take the scotch and let it rest two weeks in beeswax, so it adds a honey note without sweetness.” With fresh and housemade ingredients included in nearly every recipe, Janto represents the craft revolution with pride. While you contemplate the two types of wash denoted on the menu, try the rich layer cake of a Grasshopper, with a measured sweetness and contrast of textures created by “house-made crème de menthe, creme de cacao and branca menta, topped with Macadamia Whip,” (Spoiler alert: It’s not green!) or the clear yet creamy Milk-Washed Harvey Wallbanger.
Lauded Executive Chef Sergio Ledesma currently helms Van Zandt’s upscale fourth-floor dining room with a flair for innovative, creative twists on every plate. At Brass Poppy, his deft hand is no less well applied. For the lounge, Ledesma unites French, Japanese and Spanish flavors into his satisfying array of repeat-visit-inducing nourishment. Not shying from whimsy and challenge, he poses exciting plates like the Cookies and Milk which unites a Dutch chocolate chip cookie with foie gras mousse. The imaginative Box of Rocks bears assorted passion fruit–and sesame, in the case of the large “rock”–truffles and chocolate-covered nuts served as a Zen garden complete with tiny wooden rake and sandy bed of comforting cereal (we won’t tell you which one).
Chef Ledesma’s artful bites
“Chocolate and passionfruit are my favorite flavors,” said Chef Ledesma. “The fresh tanginess of the passionfruit with the rich, dense chocolate creates a perfect harmony.” The Chef told us large amounts of R&D went into choosing complementary flavors and textures to present. When we visited, a pink flourish of cotton candy perched like a cloud over a chocolate saguaro cactus.
Other highlights emphasized by the team include “Bluefin Tuna Sashimi with dashi crémeux, crispy chili oil and fermented gooseberry,” as well as “a savory French Onion Layer Dip with piquillo pepper, hardboiled egg, steakhouse chips, and trout roe topped with osetra amber caviar.” Try the intense Iberico Bites of wonderfully oily, soft, and thin Spanish ham on ciabatta con tomate with finely minced serrano chili escabeche.
A supremely welcoming, kind, and humble presence in person, Ledesma pointed to Austin’s culinary luminaries when asked to credit inspirations. “The Austin food scene has significantly elevated its game in recent years, offering a diverse range of cuisines and showcasing incredible talent, from the exceptional Philip Speer, Tyson Cole, and Edgar Rico to name a few,” he said. “This competitive landscape continues to push me to improve my skills and test boundaries with my menu. While my specialty remains deeply rooted in Mexican-inspired cuisine, I’m excited to see a more cosmopolitan approach emerging.”
Cheers to that. Reservations are available but not required at Brass Poppy. Learn more about their menu and offerings on their website.
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