rack 'em!

Houston's best female bartenders shake up this killer cocktail competition

The region's best female bartenders will get a chance to show off their shaking, stirring, and mixing skills at Speed Rack, the all-female bartending competition, which is going down on Monday, January 28.

Founded in 2011, Speed Rack tours the country, giving up-and-coming bartenders a chance to show off their behind-the-bar talents, as well as provide them an opportunity to network with other female bartenders from other regions. It has also raised over $850,000 for breast cancer prevention, treatment and awareness.

This year, 100 percent of ticket sales will be donated to charities that support this research. “We’re very passionate about the number of different charities that we support in cities across the U.S., not to mention around the world, as we continue to grow, and are excited to be so close to our longtime goal of $1 million raised for charity” says co-founder Lynnette Marrero in a statement.

This organization doesn't just stick to the States. Last year, the Rack traveled to Canada for a third season, as well as made its debut in Australia. “Going into our eighth year of Speed Rack, we’re so excited to continue growing this community across the globe,” says co-founder Ivy Mix. “What started out as an idea to give female bartenders a space to thrive in a male-dominated industry has grown into this incredible network, where women from around the world are able to connect and support each other both in and out of the industry, and that’s something we’re really proud to be a part of.”

As for this upcoming competition, 25 bartenders from across the South Central region are scheduled to battle it out, vying for one of the eight positions that will move on to nationals, taking place in Chicago next May. There are three representing H-Town: Sarah Davies of Tiny Boxwoods, Zulco Rodriguez of Anvil Bar & Refuge and Sarah Troxell of Nobie's. The libations will be judged by Tales of the Cocktail executive director Caroline Nabors Rosen, Underbelly Hospitality owner/chef Chris Shepherd, Julep owner Alba Huerta and The Suffers lead vocalist Kam Franklin.

This event will most likely be a blast for all who attend, from the bartenders who'll be front-and-center to the spectators who'll be taking in the entertainment as well as punch provided by the event’s sponsors and bites from local eateries.

But the founders want people to remember that this is still for a good cause. Says Marrero, "The competition is always exciting, and we love seeing the hard work and creativity behind the bar from the Speed Rack competitors every year, but at the end of the day our mission is to spread awareness and support research to ultimately end this disease that so many of us have been touched by in one way or another.”

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Speed Rack's South Central Competition gets shaking on Monday, January 28, at The Houston Event Venue, 3118 Harrisburg Blvd. 6 pm-10 pm. Tickets are $25 ($30 at the door). For more information, visit the official site.

Chris Shepherd will serve as judge.

Photo by Julie Soefer

Chris Shepherd will serve as judge.

drinks charity cocktails fundraisers

Movie Review

An all-star cast delivers clever laughs in new comedy The Invite

Photo courtesy of A24

Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz, and Edward Norton in The Invite.

Once upon a time, well before scandal embroiled him, Woody Allen made great comedies aimed at adults. That type of film — which is different from the raunchy, R-rated comedies of the 21st century — has fallen out of favor in Hollywood, but as the new film The Invite proves, when done well it can be as funny as anything else out there.

Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela (Olivia Wilde) are an unhappily married couple living in San Francisco. As we meet them, Joe has arrived home to Angela preparing for a visit from their upstairs neighbors, Hawk (Edward Norton) and Piña (Penélope Cruz), who have moved in relatively recently. Their impending arrival starts a new round of arguing between Joe and Angela, something they can barely contain once the other couple comes to their door.

What proceeds is a getting-to-know-you process that is mostly awkward as Joe and Angela continue sniping at each other while Hawk and Piña put in their two cents in a much calmer manner. A sticking point between the two couples — the loud sex Hawk and Piña have on an almost nightly basis — turns the film on its head with an unexpected invitation.

Directed by Wilde and written by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, the film is a fast-paced chamber piece that takes place almost entirely in Joe and Angela’s apartment. Wilde, the writers, and the actors speed the story along not with action but through almost non-stop dialogue that often has the characters overlapping each other’s lines. The rapidity of the speech fuels the humor of the situation and establishes the differing personalities of each person.

Sex is very much top of mind for each of the characters for most of the film, but the filmmakers approach the topic in such a way that it never feels salacious. Each of the characters is a rational adult who can talk about sex in a mature manner while also acknowledging their unique feelings on the matter. And it’s the discoveries each of them makes along the way that brings about the most comedy.

But, like any comedy for adults, the film also has a dramatic tilt to it, and Wilde edges the story back-and-forth between the two tones extremely well. Joe and Angela fighting is played for laughs at times, but the sadness of their relationship comes through loud and clear. Hawk and Piña are much more intimate with each other, but the funniness of their openness is juxtaposed with a depth that arises through their conversations.

In the 2020s, Rogen has managed to make the transition from goofy stoner to stoner with real acting chops. In a stacked cast, he is the one who sells every moment the best. That’s not to say that Wilde, Norton, and Cruz don’t measure up, though; each of them inhabits their respective roles magnificently. The four actors play off each other as if they had been working together for years.

While The Invite will likely play better to those who have experience with long term relationships, its insights — and occasional bawdiness — make it a comedy that can be appreciated universally. With four actors at the top of their games and a razor-sharp script made even better by some well-done improv, it proves that you don’t need to go low to get great laughs.

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The Invite is now playing in theaters.

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