Debbie Mylius is a native Texan from the small town of Yoakum. South Austin has been her home for many years, but she’s also had the good fortune to live in Catalonia, a northeastern region of Spain, and the tiny Caribbean island of Utila, located off the northern coast of Honduras. Having a passion for travel has led her on extended backpacking journeys to many parts of the globe.
During the 90's, when Austin was still just a college town with a vibrant music scene, Debbie worked at locally owned Waterloo Records and Ego’s Bar. Having had the pleasure to work for a few successful entrepreneurs along the way gave her the opportunity to learn from some inventive and wise individuals. These experiences helped her tap into her own entrepreneurial spirit which led her to embark upon a few business endeavors . The first was a restaurant/ music venue on South Congress in the early 2000's. Next, she invested ten years in a boutique hotel catering to scuba divers on the island of Utila. Most recently and currently, she launched Proof Liquor & Deli in Buda. Now, partnering up with longtime friend, Phil Harding, she is bringing the concept of spirits, boutique wines, craft beers and a market, featuring locally made culinary delights, to South Austin.
Shortly after moving back from her ten year stint as an island girl, Debbie met Chris Blumentritt, her beau of 11 years. They share a passion for travel, hiking, music, dancing and South Austin living! They reside in the '45 with their fuzzy feline friends - Sparky and The Duchess ,and their pup, Bindi. Debbie and Chris saw an opportunity to address a couple of needs on their home turf, and these ideas have finally come to fruition. Debbie is President/Chief Instigator of Old School & Chris is the proprietor of Cannon Coffee, located directly next door.
Debbie’s favorite Old School offerings: Bourbons, dark rums, rosé wines, & Spanish reds. Talk to my biz partner Phil about beer!
Phil Harding, Old School Liquor & Market’s V.P. and self-proclaimed Beer Enthusiast, was born in Epping, England. Epping is the town that’s at the Northern end of London Underground’s Central Line, so when people ask him where he’s from, he usually says London.Phil’s affection for ales started decades before he was born. You could even say it’s in his blood. In post-World War I Germany, his Granddad, Harry Harding, met a young fraulein with whom he opened a pub in Cologne. In the early 1930’s the family moved to London where Harry ran three pubs, including The Thomas A. Beckett pub on the Old Kent Road, famous for the boxing gym above it and for being David Bowie’s drinking spot (where Ziggy Stardust was written). Many years later, with a brother and a niece running pubs and another brother working in beer distribution, Phil is taking his rightful place in the field as co-owner of a liquor store in Austin, Texas!
Prior to ending up in Texas, Phil travelled extensively for business purposes. His very first international business trip was to DRY Kuwait, where a Beer Enthusiast cannot drink beer. In 1997, Phil made a pivotal connection while visiting Ego’s bar in Austin. Upon hearing a young bartender, Debbie Mylius, mention she was journeying to England, he scribbled down a handful of contacts on a beer napkin and a lifelong friendship was quickly established. Phil made his fortuitous move to Austin in 1999, while the craft beer revolution was still in its infancy. A few years later, he and Debbie, along with 5 other friends partnered to build and open their own scuba dive resort in the Bay Islands of Honduras. In 2009 he met his future sweetheart, Jenna Cox, while watching soccer matches at a local pub. Their shared passion for football, music, tasty food and beer bonded them immediately, and they subsequently started a family with their adopted furry felines, Dylan and Bestie, from Austin Pets Alive.
Fast forward to 2019, and Phil, business partner Debbie, better half Jenna and good friend Mel are teaming up to create Old School Liquor & Market in South Austin- the serendipitous end product of years of travel, strong relationships, entrepreneurial endeavors and of course, the love of beer!
Ms. Jenna Cox is gonna spice things up at Old School Liquor and Market! Originally from Ardmore, OK, Jenna made her way to A-town after her graduation from college in 2004. She spent 12 years as a Sales rep at Austin Screen Printing, but has always had a love of music, travel and cooking. She played the saxophone in her earlier years and has toyed with picking it back up again, but coming from a long line of cooks and foodies, it’s the spice of life that gets her juices flowing.
Jenna is a world traveler, Bali, Rome, Belize, London and Barbados just to name a few. She enjoys sampling the cuisine, learning the local culinary techniques and bringing back the flavors of each of those cultures in her signature spice blends. She is looking forward to sharing her inspiration and creations with our O. S. customers and steering them toward the libations that will enhance their culinary experience.
Jenna and her partner in crime, Phil Harding, are the proud parents of two fabulous felines, Dylan and Bestie, who they adopted from Austin Pets Alive. Jenna and Phil are avid supporters and promoters of local businesses, musicians and the whole Austin lifestyle! Whether they are catching a game at Woodrow’s or enjoying a few rounds at Butler Pitch and Putt, they strive to live life to the fullest, taking in all the nature and night life this awesome town has to offer.
