#Anvil houston professional

Co-owner Bobby Heugel named James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional (2011).

Co-owner Bobby Heugel named Rising Star Mixologist by (2011).

Named one of the 100 Best Places to Drink in the South by Imbibe magazine (2011).

Listed on Travel + Leisure's list of America's Best Cocktail Bars (2011).

Named one of the 50 Best Southern Bars by Garden and Gun magazine (2012).

James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Bar Service (2012).

Included on Esquire's list of the Best Bars in America 2012.

Included on Southern Living's list of the South's Best Bars (2013).

Named James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Bar Program (2013).

The beer list is rounded out with an interesting selection of domestic and imported bottles.įor more on one of Anvil's founders, click here. They also do well when left to their own devices, as proven with signature original cocktails like the Brave-a mash-up of mezcal, sotol, amaro, curacao and bitters – or the Secret of Monkey Island, a tiki-style cocktail.įor the beer aficionados, Anvil offers a baker’s dozen of hand-selected craft beers in keg and cask, including hard-to-score brews from local and regional micro-breweries, each drawn through custom-regulated pressure valves to ensure it’s served exactly as the brewer intended. The guys are well-versed in the art of mixology and can turn out just about anything. The end product is an inviting space and atmosphere that appeals to clients of all ages.Ĭraving something obscure to drink? Fear not, if your favorite libation isn’t on the menu. The bar is a converted 1950s-era Firestone tire store, which they revamped using recycled materials, vintage fixtures and found items. The décor and atmosphere? Modern industrial, with a laid back Texan vibe.

They’ll be happy to explain why the egg white that’s dropped into the shaker is the classic preparation of any good “Fizz” cocktail, as well as the history of the bourbon they’re pouring or the story behind a drink’s origin.

Have a question about the adventuresome menu of classic and modern cocktails? Just ask your bartender. Opened in 2009 by managing partners Bobby Heugel and Kevin Floyd, Anvil was named one of the “Top Ten Best New Cocktail Bars in America” by Bon Appétit magazine and was included in GQ magazines 2010 list “25 Best Cocktail Bars in America.” The bar also gets kudos for presentation, serving up perfectly-prepared concoctions in vintage glassware scored from several local thrift stores, and its hand-selected craft brews. Set on the eclectic Westheimer Curve, the biz is known for its top-shelf sips made with hand-pressed juices, house-made bitters, simple syrups, ginger beer and herbal infusions. Find her on Instagram.It didn’t take long for Anvil Bar & Refuge to make an impression on the Houston nightlife scene. Hilary Deutsch is editorial assistant at the James Beard Foundation. 'Unlike bourbon, which is overbearingly bold and expressive, many unpeated Scotches are subtle with flavors ranging from delicate fruits to floral elements.' This robust cocktail allows the single-malt Scotch to shine through, while pear brandy and almond extract soften and round out the flavors-the perfect escape from the woes of the work week. 'My goal was to showcase Scotch in a way that reminded people of how delicate the spirit can be, explained Tommy Ho, the drink's creator. And what better way to accomplish such a feat than with a libation from a 2015 semifinalist for our Outstanding Bar Program award? The kind folks at Houston's Anvil Bar and Refuge, the city's first bar to wholly devote itself to classic cocktails, have offered up their recipe for the Minch's Lure, a clean tippler that highlights Scotch in all its glory. As the weekend nears, we often find ourselves lusting after a quick dive into the boozy embrace of a perfectly crafted cocktail.