Houston: A Cocktail Desert; Where’s An Oasis?

Beavers
2310 Decatur
Houston, TX 77007
Important Note:

I wrote this post when I was bartending at another bar in Houston, struggling to get some creative and quality-focused drinks behind the bar. I have moved on now, and I work at Beavers, where we do everything that I discuss on this site. If you want a great cocktail, go there and let me or Dave make you something. I know that you will enjoy it; our staff is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the art of making drinks. I am very excited to be a part of what Houston should have had long ago. We make all the classics the way they should be made and craft new cocktails in the old fashion style using fresh ingredients, homemade products, and exceptional spirits. Come see us and have the best drinks in the city:

My Previous Comments on the Houston Bar Scene:

I have returned to my home city of Houston after a six-year hiatus only to find that I might just be living in the worst city in the country for finding a decent cocktail. I’m serious; I have lived and been to cities only 1/50^th the size of Houston that have better bar options (my standard for better is obvious determined by drink quality). To be fair, I haven’t been to every bar, but I am slowly working through my options with educated screenings and recommendations by experienced bar-goers. I have found a few decent places to get a drink, but the city overall has proven to be void of any understanding of cocktail culture.

Houston’s bar scene problems are numerous, but here are the best reasons why you won’t be able to find a decent drink without a guide or some serious failures first.

There is no real bar scene. Houston has always struggled to assemble any nightlife, but over the last decade, a few spots throughout the city have hosted modest collections of drink establishments, including Midtown, Rice Village, and the newest hotspot, Washington. The problem with all of these places is that they have never achieved any elevated level of success. While maintaining interest for some time, bars in these areas rarely achieve any permanent status, and those that have are certainly not known for their drinks. It is pretty simple: No Bar Scene = No Good Drinks.

There is no mass transit system. If you didn’t know, Harris County has the highest DUI rates in the nation. There is no comparison, and the primary reason is that there is no widely accessible means of transportation in the city. Sure, there are cab companies, a light rail, and buses, but between the safety concerns of using these options during bar hours and their lack of availability hoping to find a safe way home after a night of drinking is extremely difficult. While designated drivers are a great way to go, this can limit people’s options tremendously. But really, this wouldn’t be as big of a problem as it is if it wasn’t for…

Urban sprawl. Houston has to be the most spread out city in the nation without any purpose. At least L.A. can claim population and the union of previously established cities, but Houston really has no excuse other than I guess we just like our space. I keep thinking that at some point people will get tired of driving two hours to get to work and start looking inside the city again, but most of the growth, despite some gentrification continues to push the city outward. What does this mean for bars? There just aren’t as many people actually living inside the city who would go to would be quality bars. Unlike other cities that have cocktail scenes that thrive off of local residents, Houston bars fight competitively for locals and are forced to try and motivate individuals to come in from the suburbs despite being able to offer a safe way home.

Conservatives don’t like good drinks. Houston, or the portion of Houston that can be found spending money on a nightlife, is mostly conservative. I am sure some red staters out there somewhere enjoy a good drink, but speaking strictly from apparent patterns, cities that have great cocktail scenes are full of liberals who enjoy the arts, a sophisticated nightlife, and are more willing to accept unconventional venues, which in Houston, would definitely mean a bar that focuses on drinks.

The failing restaurant standard. Houston has some wonderful restaurants and the culinary creativity in Houston seems to be exponentially increasing all the time. Unfortunately, despite the growing focus on quality food, few places seem willing to extend their culinary ideologies into the bar. Bars seem to exist simply as requirement for restaurants and not something that can add to the guest experience. In many cities, local cocktails revolutions have been sparked by restaurant interest to elevate standards of the bar to that of their food. Most Houston restaurants have yet to realize the benefits of this strategy.

Cheapskate bar owners. I love wine bars just as much as the next guy, but can we please get one of these bars to mix a drink? Some of the wine bars in Houston are great venues, and some even have good wines too. Sadly, because of tax laws in the state of Texas, alcohol serving licenses for wine and beer only bars are significantly cheaper than those that serve liquor. Please, somebody spend a little bit extra and start making some drinks!

Few enthusiasts. Even if the bar scene stinks, and even if restaurant managers don’t care, and even if few people are willing to drive, I am still shocked by how few people I can find that actually care about the drinks they make. I have yet to meet a single bartender that has ever offered me anything original, surprisingly classic, or talked to me about the drink they just made for me. I did meet a guy the other day that knows how to make an Aviation, but he wasn’t behind the bar and told me that the place he works at doesn’t make good drinks either. No surprise there.

Uhm, I haven’t found an investor yet. I am not trying to be arrogant here, but I am going to run a successful bar in Houston one day that serves great drinks. Trying to meet people like yourself in a new city can be difficult, especially one as large as Houston, when there is nobody to turn to who understands the cocktail focused bar. However, I am keeping the faith that somebody out there is looking to invest in an educated, experienced individual with a record of success. When that day comes, Houston will never be the same! Until then, I will continue to be the enduring optimist hard at work.

Despite all of these shortcomings, there are some good bars in the city. I don’t want to talk too much about my bar because that is where I work, and I hope you think I can make you a good drink. Here are the best three places I have found:

3. A+ (The Alden Hotel).

1117 Prairie Street
Houston, TX 77002

This hotel bar is paired with 17, an excellent restaurant. Decent selection, know how to make a good classic, and a nice interior make this a good option.

2. Volcano

2349 Bissonnet St
Houston, TX 77005

Volcano is a bar that was formerly a house, and is located on the corner of Bissonet and Morningside (right down the street from Rice Village, so you know I go there). They have a good list of 12 cocktails and make all drinks with fresh squeezed juice. The focus on quality for their house drinks is really a notch above the rest.

1. T’afia

3701 Travis St.
Houston, TX 77002

This is where you have to go if you want to be impressed. This is one of the best restaurants in the city, and they make outstanding drinks. Their original ratafias are amazing, and the bar, while small, is well stocked with great classic bottles. If I had to tell you to go to one bar outside of my own, it would be here.

 

Additional Note: I had a very positive experience at Absinthe last week, and I will definitely be going back. They have started to focus more on classics like Sazeracs recently and they (obviously) have some Lucid on hand. Plus, I really like the space.

Absinthe
609 Richmond Ave
Houston, TX 77006

Well, there you have it, some glimmers of hope in an otherwise desolate place for finding drinks. I have heard of some other potential spots, but have yet visit them and will be doing so soon. I will let you know what I think and if I find any other good places to go. If you would like to come to Beavers when I am bartending, send me an e-mail and I let you know when I am working. Hopefully, I can make you a good drink in a city that has yet to raise their drinking standards. Just ask for Bobby.