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    Booze and Boobies

    Anvil's Alba Huerta crowned Miss Speed Rack Houston — even the "Simon Cowell ofcocktail judges" can't hold her down

    Caroline Gallay
    Jan 23, 2012 | 4:42 pm
    • Photo by Caroline Gallay

    Where most Houston office workers and paper pushers dreaded their year-end performance reviews, drink slangers in H-Town had a different sort of evaluation to look forward to: Speed Rack Houston, a national cocktail competition that pits female bartenders against one another in a test of time and accuracy.

    More than a dozen of Houston's best lady bartenders competed, each going head-to-head to impress judges David Alan (best known as the Tipsy Texan), Lillet ambassador Amanda Pumarejo Boccato, LA mixologist Chris Bostick and famed NYC cocktail scholar Audrey Saunders (who made Anvil's Alba Huerta cry, but we'll get to that later).

    In each round, each bartender made four different drinks — one for each judge — as quickly and accurately as possible. After the judges reviewed the drinks, time penalties of five to 30 seconds were added at the judges' discretion. If the judge gave a bartender a "0," that was the best possible score.

    Judge Audrey Saunders called a garnish offensive at one point and, in the best quote of the evening, declared one cocktail, an Alaska, to be "a fat fucking chartreuse bomb."

    If the atmosphere of the event was party-centric, with complimentary cocktails from more than 15 sponsors and passed shots of Becherovka appearing occasionally, the attitudes of the judges were anything but. Feedback was serious, specific, and sometimes harsh.

    Saunders, dubbed by the Tweeting crowd as "the Simon Cowell of cocktail judges" told the first two contestants, Liberty Station's Lindsey Ann and Double Trouble's Lainey Cullom, to go back to school; she wouldn't hire either of them. She called a garnish offensive at one point and, in the best quote of the evening, declared one cocktail, an Alaska, to be "a fat fucking chartreuse bomb."

    But many of the cocktail nerds in the crowd — and there were many, including Linda Salinas, Bobby Heugel, Alex Gregg, Chris Shepherd and many, many more — found the feedback to be spot-on, if snide.

    As the bracket trudged inward for five long, looong hours, the semi-final saw two Anvil bartenders pitted against one another when Huerta and Ornella Ashcraft competed to advance. Ultimately, though, it came down to Lindsey Ann and Huerta, who also helped organize the event, with Huerta taking home the title of Miss Speed Rack Houston and $500 toward planning her trip to NYC in May to compete in the finals.

    The grand prize winner of that event will be dubbed Miss Speed Rack USA and get an all-inclusive trip for two to Paris, including a course at the Cointreau Bartender Academie.

    But it wasn't just the fastest bartender that left a winner; proceeds from the event went to breast cancer charities.

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    Drop it like it's hot

    Houston farmers market adds new indoor pickleball court with food and cocktails

    Brianna Griff
    Jun 18, 2025 | 1:00 pm
    Drop Shots HTX indoor pickleball courts
    Photo by Abante Photography
    Drop Shots HTX celebrates its grand opening this Saturday, June 21.

    Pickleball isn’t going anywhere — the racquet sport continues to score with Houstonians. The newest player on the city’s crowded court, Drop Shots HTX, stands out for one big reason: it’s entirely indoors.

    Drop Shots HTX indoor pickleball courts
      

    Photo by Abante Photography

    Drop Shots HTX celebrates its grand opening this Saturday, June 21.

    Opening June 21, Drop Shots HTX is the brainchild of hospitality veterans Roveen Abante (Conservatory Galleria, Duchess), Chase Lovullo (Conservatory Galleria), and Shawn Outlaw.

    “We didn’t just want to open a bar,” co-founder Roveen Abante said in a statement. “We built a space where people connect, whether they’re playing or not. There’s something for everyone here.”

    Drop Shots HTX is marking its grand opening on June 21 from 12-11 pm, offering all-day open play for $5 along with $5 food and drink specials. Live DJs and giveaways will add to the experience.

    Patrons can soak up the A/C while slapping balls across one of the six professional-grade indoor courts. Off the court, guests can engage in friendly competitions of skee-ball, ping pong, arcade basketball, and cornhole in the second-floor lounge. Nine screens make up one wall in the mezzanine, ideal for catching the latest game, or can be expanded into one 195-inch television.

    Clutch City Kitchen will keep the players' appetite at bay with pizzas, sandwiches, and acai bowls. For hydration, an indoor/outdoor full bar will have 10 signature pickleball-themed cocktails, mocktails, and fresh juices crafted from local fruits and veggies.

    “Some venues lean into serious competition, we lean into fun,” added co-founder Shawn Outlaw. “We’re the only indoor pickleball facility inside the Loop with a full bar, kitchen, lounge, and patio. But more than that, we’re the only one that feels like your new favorite neighborhood hangout, even if you never touch a paddle.”

    Events like Glow-in-the-Dark Fridays, Tacos and Tequila Saturdays, and Pancakes and Pickball mornings add a twist to the typical pickleball match. Bring the kids—the venue is family-friendly until 10pm.

    “We created Drop Shots HTX because we fell in love with a game that brings generations together,” Outlaw said. “From our 10-year-olds to our 65-year-old parents, pickleball is for everyone. And so is this space.”

    Drop Shots HTX is located at 2520 Airline Drive, Building A, Suite 100. It’s open Monday through Thursday from 12-11pm, Friday from 12 pm-12 am, and Saturday and Sunday from 11 am-11 pm.

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