To prove to mom I'm not a fool

Hay Merchant & Underbelly are close to opening — and other cocktail schoolrevelations from Bobby Heugel

Photo via The Hay Merchant/Facebook
Bobby Heugel, left, and Kevin Floyd
Photo by © 2011 Debora Smail | realityphotography.net
Cheers!
Photo by Caroline Gallay

At Anvil Bar and Refuge's monthly cocktail class on Saturday, publican-turned-professor Bobby Heugel revealed some hints about hotly anticipated joint venture Underbelly/Hay Merchant before delving into coursework.

Here it is: Hay Merchant (the craft beer bar) is expected to open between Feb. 9 and Feb. 13, or a week or so after the parking lot — which will contain 75 self-park spaces — is complete. Heugel stressed that "complete" means complete with painted parking spaces, signs and the whole kit and kaboodle. Underbelly (the new restaurant from chef Chris Shepherd of Catalan fame), Heugel says, should open two to three weeks after Hay Merchant.

(This all meshes with news last week that Montrose-area residents saw Live Oak kegs being carried inside, augmented now by a few more that partner Kevin Floyd picked up mid-class.)

Of his longtime friendship with Floyd, Heugel told guests, "When we opened Anvil, Kevin said 'I'll do the cocktail thing with you if you do the beer thing with me someday,' so in keeping with that promise, we're opening Hay Merchant."

For those of you who've never attended on of Anvil's cocktail courses, which nearly always sell out, here's a thought: Do.

Ours examined "Brandies of the World," including Grappa, Pisco, Slivovitz, Calvados, Cognac and Armangac. For three hours and $55, participants enjoyed eight samples of brandies from around the globe and three cocktails that spotlighted them — a Sazerac, Cancion del Alma (a delicious cocktail Heugel borrowed from Brick and Mortar's Misty Kalkofen) and a Sidecar.

Through it all you'll hear compelling historical anecdotes — like the one about the French bear trader who immigrated to New York before getting amnesia and becoming disfigured in World War I, only to finally reunite with his decades-waiting wife and ultimately invent Armagnac — and one liners, like Heugels' commanding observation that "those of you who think you don't like Grappa need to man up."

The next class, taught by bar manager and newly crowned Miss Speed Rack Houston Alba Huerta, will be on Feb. 25 and examine Liqueurs and Cordials.

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cheers to that

Texas bourbon named one of 2024's top 10 whiskies

Still Austin Whiskey Co. Red Corn Bourbon Whiskey

Still Austin Whiskey Co./Facebook

Now if only we could snag a bottle...as a Christmas gift, of course.

Three cheers for Still Austin Whiskey Co.! The distillery's Bottled in Bond Red Corn Bourbon Whiskey was recognized as one of Whisky Advocate'sTop 20 Most Exciting Whiskies of 2024.

Every year, Whisky Advocate's expert panelists rank hundreds of whiskies based on their quality, availability, value for the price, and "X-factor," meaning an excitement-inducing component like a unique flavor or an innovative idea. An international panel also reviews contenders through several blind taste tests without knowing each whisky's producer, origin, age, or price.

The magazine ranked Still Austin's five-year Red Corn Bourbon No. 7 on the list with a prestigious score of 94 points. The Red Corn whiskey, which was released in June 2024, has mash bill consisting of 36 percent Jimmy Red corn, 34 percent white corn, 25 percent rye, and 5 percent barley.

According to panelist Shane English, tasting notes start big and bold with cracked pepper, dusty leather, and cocktail cherries, before moving on to a palate of chile pepper, caramel, and buttery cornbread.

"Each sip is electric — the pepper gives this whiskey a zing balanced by poundcake and glazed doughnuts," English said. "Charred oak fades to chocolate, coffee, and pecan pie on the finish."

Still Austin had the only Texas product on the list, which was fitting given the brand's recent boasting that it could match any Kentucky Bourbon. As a game day stunt when the Texas Longhorns played the Kentucky Wildcats in November, Still Austin refilled empty Kentucky Bourbon bottles with its own Cask Strength Bourbon for just $1.

When the brand isn't playfully antagonizing Kentucky fans, its Red Corn Bourbon sells for a retail price of $85 per 750-milliliter bottle, falling nearly in the middle of the price category out of all 20 bourbons on the list, with eight others priced for less.

For additional context, none of the top five bourbons fall under a $100 price tag. In fact, the most expensive bottle on the 2024 list is the Angel's Envy 2023 Cask Strength Port Wine Barrel Finished Bourbon, which ranked No. 12 and retails for $230 per bottle.

"Our top 20 whiskies represent a curated collection that deserves your attention. Each whisky on the list stands out for its superb taste, representing the pinnacle of a year filled with remarkable tastings," said executive editor David Fleming in a release. "This list features whiskies offering exceptional value, leaders in their respective styles, and superbly made expressions that are well worth seeking out."

Whiskey Advocate's 2024 Whiskey of the Year is Laphroaig Elements 2.0 Cask Strength Scotch Single Malt, which earned 95 points and retails for $165 a bottle.

whiskey bourbon distilleries awards lists