Lala's Little Nugget retains kitschy charm after ownership change

And the kitschy holiday decor? Moreland and his partners took it up a notch, he said, adding a Santa Claus sculpture with his sleigh as well as additional adornments throughout the bar.

“There’s a tackiness to [the Christmas decorations] that just works,” he said.

The new owners added seven beer taps, which rotate seasonally among Texas craft brewers, such as Austin Beerworks, Karbach, and Friends and Allies Brewing. The spirit selection has increased from about 25 to 80, about 40 of which are whiskey, Moreland said.

Its seasonal cocktail menu features holiday classics such as egg nog from November to January. Lala’s hosts a Half Christmas event on June 25, when customers are invited to wear their ugly Christmas sweaters.

Moreland said he and his fellow owners were keen to maintain the bar’s ambience and character.

“Being open 40 years means you’re doing something right,” he said. “There are only a handful of bars that have been doing this [in Austin] since the 1970s.”