Drink Dogma Is Back!

I know; I’ve been a bad blogger. It’s not my fault though. You see, uhm, this thing called Anvil Bar & Refuge happened and everything else in my life stopped happening for a while. I’ve stopped telling people that I own a bar; instead I tell them that a bar owns me. Nevertheless, I am resisting and fighting the good fight. Maybe this blog can be an uncommon Phoenix in the blogosphere. I know that most bloggers inevitably lose the battle of life versus online content production, but I am not going to let this happen to Drink Dogma. I put way too much work into this blog to let it fall by the wayside, and too many people have supported this site for it to be this inactive. I have managed to become an avid user of Twitter, so if you dig the blue bird, be sure to look me up at Twitter.com/Bobby_Heugel. But, Drink Dogma has been resurrected; so be ready – my unfiltered opinions about cocktails and drinking are back!

Moreover, I just spoke about the value of blogs in helping to promote bars at Tales of the Cocktail this year; so I definitely need to put my keyboard where my mouth is. After recommending to so many people the value of blogging while standing alongside the likes of Paul Clarke, it would be a dreadful shame to not devote more time to engaging people through blogging about cocktails. Additionally, if you pick up the most recent issue of Nightclub and Bar Magazine (or check it out online here), you can read about how Anvil Bar & Refuge’s existence occurred predominantly because I chose to start this blog over three years ago. So, in short, I am a blogger again and that is not going to change. Learning the differences between bar-owner, bar-manager, and bar-tender since Anvil’s opening has my mind spinning; so be ready – I’ve got lots to discuss.

In time I will get to these topics, but I thought I would start by giving an update about what’s going on in Houston. Drink Dogma has always been inspired by the work that I do as a professional bartender, and I think it is important to this blog to update what I am working on currently so that it provides a context for further discussions. So, read on if you’re interested; otherwise stay tuned. I’ve got a jigger rant coming soon…

ANVIL BAR & REFUGE

Anvil Bar & Refuge has been opened for over six months now, and things are going extremely well. The global cocktail community, local food and cocktail enthusiasts, and our friends and regulars have been so overwhelmingly supportive that it nearly makes me blush at the thought – and to be clear about how much this means to me, I’ve never blushed in my entire life - never. Most recently we’ve received several recent local recognitions from the Houston Press’ Best Of Houston Issue and My Table Magazine awarded based on public votes. I would like to thank everyone who voted for our bar and showed overwhelming support for us among all the wonderful bars in Houston. To be singled out repeatedly and recognized by so many is extremely encouraging and the driving force behind our success.

I have created an Events and News page tabbed at the top of this blog for those interested in keeping up with promotional activities and developments at Anvil. Be sure to check it out and read about the additional of cask beer, our upcoming Halloween Tiki party, “The List” of 100 classics we think everyone should try at least once before they die, our seasonal menus, and other developments.

OTHER COCKTAIL PROJECTS

In addition to the cocktail action at Anvil, I have taken on consulting projects with Voice, one of Houston’s best restaurants located in Hotel Icon in downtown. Voice’s new cocktail menu will debut soon, and I will be shaking drinks at a cocktail dinner next Wednesday, October 28^th at 7:00. You can still get tickets by calling Voice and making a reservation for the five course dinner with cocktails, which at $75.00 a person is a steal. The Voice cocktail menu will emphasize classics and provide an option for the downtown worker that desires a well-crafted simple drink after a day’s business.

I am also working on the cocktail menu for the new Heights restaurant Stella Sola. Stella Sola is a dynamite collaboration between Brian Caswell and Bill Floyd of Reef and Little Bigs in Houston and Jason Gould, formerly of Gravitas. Stella Sola is a blend of Texas culture and ingredients inspired by Northern Italian culinary perspectives. Constructing a menu around this combination of Texan and Italian flavors has been one of the most enjoyable cocktail projects I have undertaken because of my Texan roots and adoration for Italian cocktails and ingredients. Look for Stella Sola to open soon with amazing food from some of Houston best food minds and what I think will be a great cocktail menu.

Others restaurants in Houston have expressed an interest in improving their cocktail programs and reconciling their fresh approaches to food with their cocktails. So, in short, Voice and Stella Sola are just the beginning. Houston is changing, and I am going to make sure that fresh ingredients and well-made drinks are a common element of the Houston restaurant and bar scene.

TRAVEL AND OTHER BARS

In other new, I recently traveled to New York briefly and visited some of the world’s great cocktail bars. I plan to visit Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco soon as well. But, I am most excited about my upcoming trip to South Africa in late January and earl February. I will be blogging about all of my traveling and searches for great cocktails and bars as they occur.

Anyway, for those of you who read this post, thanks for not deleting me from your readers or for following me on Twitter and clicking the link over to this post from my feed. It feels good to be back.