Beverage Manager at Still Austin Whiskey Co – Austin, Texas

About Still Austin Whiskey Co

Still Austin is the first true grain-to-glass distillery to open in Austin since the end of Prohibition and one of the fastest-growing craft whiskey brands in the United States. As we expand into the Still Austin Quarter (SAQ)—a hospitality-forward campus featuring a restaurant, lounge, café, welcome center, retail experiences, and event spaces—we are building a best-in-class hospitality program rooted in craft, care, and community.

About the Role

The Beverage Manager owns the strategy, execution, and day-to-day excellence of all beverage programs across the SAQ (restaurant, lounge, café, events, and retail-facing experiences). This role ensures beverages are not just served, but curated, profitable, on-brand, and delivered with exceptional hospitality.

This is both a creative and operational leadership role. The Beverage Manager is responsible for building a distinctive, scalable beverage program while developing high-performing bar teams, ensuring financial discipline, and delivering memorable guest experiences.

This role partners closely with Hospitality Leadership, Operations, Events, Marketing, and Compliance to ensure beverage programs elevate the Still Austin brand, drive revenue, and create experiences guests return for.

What You'll Do

To be successful in this role, the Beverage Manager will:

· Build a beverage program that is recognized as a signature element of the SAQ experience.

· Balance creativity with consistency, profitability, and operational scalability.

· Develop, coach, and retain a high-performing beverage team and leadership bench.

· Establish strong systems for quality, cost control, training, and execution.

· Serve as a visible culture carrier and hospitality leader behind the bar.

· Operate with ownership, creativity, and composure in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Beverage Program Strategy & Development

• Design, develop, and maintain all beverage menus, including cocktails, spirits, beer, wine, non-alcoholic, and café offerings.
• Ensure intentional and creative integration of Still Austin whiskey into cocktails, flights, tastings, and storytelling.
• Lead seasonal menu development, limited-time offerings, and innovation initiatives.
• Maintain alignment with Still Austin’s brand, quality standards, and guest experience goals.

Outcome: A distinctive, on-brand beverage experience guests remember and return for.

Financial Performance & Controls

• Own beverage P&L performance, including cost of goods (COGS), pricing strategy, and margin optimization.
• Develop and manage inventory systems, par levels, ordering processes, and variance controls.
• Identify and implement strategies to reduce waste, shrink, and inefficiencies while maintaining quality.
• Support forecasting, budgeting, and reporting in partnership with Hospitality and Finance leadership.

Outcome: Profitable, disciplined beverage operations that scale with volume.

Operational Excellence

• Establish and maintain beverage SOPs, including prep standards, recipes, service standards, glassware, garnishes, and presentation.
• Ensure consistency across shifts, service spaces, and events.
• Partner with Operations on equipment selection, layout design, workflow optimization, and R&M needs.
• Support floor execution and service flow during high-volume and high-profile moments.

Outcome: Smooth, high-quality service execution even during peak demand.

Team Leadership & Training

• Lead training programs for bartenders, barbacks, café staff, and beverage leads covering product knowledge, technique, and hospitality execution.
• Coach and develop bar leadership and high-potential talent.
• Support hiring, onboarding, scheduling collaboration, and performance feedback for beverage roles.
• Build a culture of accountability, craftsmanship, safety, and pride behind the bar.

Outcome: Confident, knowledgeable teams who elevate the guest experience.

Guest Experience & Hospitality

• Set the tone for exceptional, intentional hospitality behind the bar.
• Ensure consistency in guest interaction, storytelling, service recovery, and brand representation.
• Collaborate closely with FOH leadership to align service standards and guest flow.

Outcome: Guests feel welcomed, cared for, and excited to return.

Events & Special Programming

• Design and execute beverage experiences for private events, brand activations, releases, tastings, and community programming.
• Partner with Events and Marketing teams to develop beverage-forward moments that enhance revenue and brand presence.
• Support off-site and high-visibility activations as needed.

Outcome: Beverage programming enhances both revenue performance and brand impact.

Compliance & Safety

• Ensure all beverage operations comply with TABC requirements and internal safety standards.
• Partner with the Compliance Manager on audits, training, documentation, and continuous improvement.
• Model and enforce responsible alcohol service practices.

Outcome: Strong compliance culture with zero surprises.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Proven experience leading beverage programs in craft cocktail, spirits, or high-volume hospitality environments.
• Advanced technical beverage knowledge (batching, clarification, infusions, fat-washing, low/no programs, menu engineering).
• Demonstrated success managing beverage financials, COGS, inventory, and margin performance.
• Strong people leadership skills, including hiring, coaching, training, and performance management.
• Ability to lead creatively while executing operationally.
• Availability to work evenings, weekends, and special events.

Preferred Qualifications

• Well-known or well-regarded within the craft cocktail, bar, or spirits community.
• Experience launching or scaling beverage programs or hospitality concepts.
• Background in experiential, craft beverage, or destination hospitality environments.

Certifications

• Current TABC Certification (or ability to obtain).
• Texas Food Handler’s Certification (or ability to obtain).