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Fundraising for Talarico Since Primary Surpasses Cornyn, Paxton

James Talarico, the Democratic candidate in the U.S. Senate race, has raised $10 million from donors and a political action committee since the March primary election, outpacing incumbent John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in fundraising. [The New York Times]

What You Don’t Know About Austin’s Trees

Austin’s tree canopy is something to be proud of — if you don’t zoom in. The disparities between East Austin and West Austin extend up to the trees. [City Cast Austin 🎧]

Airport Tops Best Food List

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is ranked second in Food&Wine magazine’s Top 10 U.S. Airports for Food and Drink list. The magazine highlighted the airport’s use of local restaurants that define Austin’s food scene. [Food&Wine]

Infowars Acquired by The Onion

Infowars, an online show run by Austin conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, has been acquired by The Onion. The satirical outlet plans to take over the Infowars show and share profits with families of the Sandy Hook massacre, who Jones owes $1.5 billion in liability. [KUT]

Something very special is coming to Central Texas this weekend. Zwanze Day, a biennial, global celebration of the traditional Belgian gueuze and lambic beer styles put on by Belgium's Cantillon Brewing, is making its Central Texas debut.

Zwanze Day, which is on Saturday, is at once a little nod to the importance of Belgian gueuze and lambic beers, and also a bit of fun. “Zwanze” is the local Brussels term for sarcastic humor. Cantillon is releasing a special experimental beer that playfully riffs on their classic styles, limiting its availability to a small selection of hand-picked locations worldwide where the beers will be tapped at the same time (2 p.m. for us) for maximum dramatic effect.

Just an hour west of Austin, Nice N Easy bar in Johnson City is one of the participating locations for the 17th annual Zwanze Day. The event runs noon to midnight and tickets are $46. The day will include a vinyl DJ, themed cocktails, food pop-ups, and other treats.

Nestled into a beautifully restored 19th century building just off Johnson City square, Nice N Easy is the brainchild of couples Garret Crowell and Adrienne Ballou and Matt and Margot Piper, who met through previous roles at Jester King Brewery. The bar opened in 2021 after two years of renovations.

The team took great care in creating a drinking space with a “desert-adjacent” aesthetic, highlighting original details like handmade terra cotta architectural brick from D’Hanis Brick & Tile Company in San Antonio and thin brick from Texas-based Elgin Butler. Bullet holes from the building’s rough-and-ready history remain visible.

Nice N Easy’s emphasis on slow, relaxed quality has built up a steady following of locals, visitors, and savvy Austinites happy to make the trip out of town for their expertly curated drinks list, including Matt Piper’s bewitching bespoke cocktails and beers and wines from Crowell’s Yokefellow Beer and Ballou’s Lightsome Wines. As a true barperson’s bar exuding unfussed quality, Nice N Easy is a natural fit for Zwanze Day, one of the most famous and highly curated events in international beer.