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    Best Summer Cocktails

    Best new summer cocktails: Houston bars create innovative ways to beat the heat with cool drinks

    Eric Sandler
    May 25, 2015 | 11:45 am
    Best new summer cocktails: Houston bars create innovative ways to beat the heat with cool drinks
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    Houston's recent wave of heat, humidity and spontaneous afternoon thunderstorms isn't the only evidence of summer's arrival. Some of Houston's newest bars are greeting the season with new menus. Purely out of an altruistic desire to better educate CultureMap readers, I present the following options as the best of my recent drinking expeditions.

     
     

      After all, cocktails should be a solution to the heat. 

     
     

    In general, summer cocktails are a little lighter and a little sweeter than those served during other times of year. Rather than challenge patrons with bitter flavors or super boozy concoctions, the goal is to utilize fresh fruit and herbal accents to deliver refreshment. After all, cocktails should be a solution to the heat.

     

     Weights + Measures: Judith's Pho Cup
    It seems as though the Midtown bar/restaurant/bakery is benefiting from its proximity to Vietnamese restaurant Thien An. Named after its creator, Weights + Measures bar manager Judith Piotrowski, the Pho Cup is a gin-based cocktail that combines Thai basil, cilantro, muddled cucumber, "aromatized pho syrup" and a housemade Sriracha sauce for a drink that's bright and fresh-tasting with just enough heat to keep things interesting. Unlike the Pho-King Champ at Dallas cocktail bar Midnight Rambler, the pho cup doesn't including beef broth, which means its even vegetarian friendly. Just be sure to enunciate clearly when ordering — wouldn't want to offend any nearby patrons with an inadvertent obscenity.

     

     La Grange: Watermelon Fresca
    ​An agua fresca is an excellent source of refreshment on a hot summer's day, but, when the sun goes down, people want something with a little more zing. Enter the watermelon fresca at new Montrose hotspot La Grange, which combines the traditional watermelon juice, simple syrup and lemon juice with tequila and Aperol. Although it sounds like a drink that could be overwhelmingly sweet, the vegetals notes from the the watermelon rind and the aperol keep things balanced enough that the drink is truly refreshing. Perhaps it will even spawn a frozen variation.

     

     Johnny's Gold Brick: Boilermaker
    Admittedly, a shot and a beer doesn't scream summer, but I've been drinking more than my fair share of them over the course of many visits to the Treadsack Group's "bar ass bar" in the former Boom Boom Room. Instead of just being a bar and a shot of straight liquor, the Johnny's boilermaker is an Old Fashioned shot made with cult favorite Mellow Gold whiskey; similar to a tequila shot, it's "dressed" with a sugar/salt rim and an orange wedge. Chase it with the included Lone Star. As one of the house cocktails at Johnny's, it's only $8 — a price that almost makes it thrifty.

     

     Houston Watch Company: Blackberry shrub
    Generally, the focus at this month-old bar in the Bayou Lofts on Franklin Street is well-executed classic cocktails, but a seasonal, housemade shrub is always on the menu. When Houston Watch Company opened, the shrub used strawberries, but, with those already mostly come and gone from area farms, blackberries have taken over. The shrub is served with gin, lemon and ginger beer for a refreshing combination of sweet and tart. Co-owner Eric Bogle is already planning the next version that will use Texas peaches, which is sure to keep patrons coming back all summer.

     

     Lillo & Ella: Subtly Scotch
    Currently celebrating its first anniversary, this Asian-inspired restaurant in Shady Acres from Roost chef/owner Kevin Naderi delivers an intriguing cocktail menu as well as creative cuisine. This cocktail blends Scotch with blanc vermouth, mole bitters and lemon; it's sweet and a little smoky with just enough acid to balance the flavors. Surprisingly, Naderi recommends pairing it with the restaurant's Nutella pie with Cloud 10 banana ice cream; everyone's favorite chocolate hazelnut spread finds a fitting complement in the mole bitters.

     

     The Boulevardier: The Drastic Drip
    Although ice chef Hope Clarke only completed her move to Houston last week, she's already making an impression at The Boulevardier. In addition to crystal clear, hand cut ice spheres, Clarke is also working with the staff at the stylish cocktail bar on a summer cocktail menu. The drastic drip combines Old Grand-Dad bourbon with Campari, muddled grapefruit and coconut nectar; it's sweet, but also has some bitter elements that make it way too easy to finish quickly.

     

     Spare Key: Unlock the States
    On Sunday, this cocktail oasis in the middle of the Midtown party scene rolled out its summer menu of 51 drinks inspired by bar manager Chris Frankel's visits to every state and Washington, D.C. While it would be needlessly wordy to list them all, Frankel provided this description for Massachusett's representative, the Periodista: "a Daiquiri-like rum and apricot brandy cocktail of Cuban origin, which is readily available throughout Boston cocktail bars, but remains largely unknown outside the city." The margarita represents Texas, of course. Anyone who samples all 51 cocktails get a book containing the recipes for every drink, but collectors may only travel to two states per day.

     

     Honorable Mention: Public Services Wine & Whisky, Half-off wine
    Admittedly, this promotion at downtown bar Public Services doesn't have anything to do with cocktails, but it's too good a deal not to share. Throughout the month of May, all bottles of wine are half-off during happy hour, which is every day (including Saturday) from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Having recently met a friend there and split a bottle that would have normally been $75 for $20 each, I'm consider it one of the better affordable luxuries currently available to wine enthusiasts. The promotion has proven so popular that the bar is considering extending it throughout the summer, so rush over there and encourage it to do so.

    Watermelon Fresca at La Grange.

    La Grange watermelon fresca cocktail
      
    Photo by Linda Salinas
    Watermelon Fresca at La Grange.
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    HRW Menu Day 2025

    10 eateries participating in Houston Restaurant Weeks for the first time

    Eric Sandler
    Jul 15, 2025 | 12:22 pm
    Kitchen Rumors restaurant lobster dumplings
    Photo by Chris Furia
    These lobster dumplings are available as a supplement at Kitchen Rumors.

    One of the most eagerly anticipated days of the year for people who love Houston restaurants has arrived. Houston Restaurant Weeks has released the first wave of menus for its 2025 event.

    Held from August 1 until Labor Day (Monday, September 1), the charity dining event recruits as many as 400 Houston restaurants to serve two, three, or four-course, prix-fixe menus at set prices — $25 for lunch and brunch and $39 or $55 for dinner. HRW organizer The Cleverley Stone Foundation collects a $1 donation for every $25 menu sold, $3 for every $39 menu sold, and $5 for every $55 menu sold. It uses that money to make a substantial donation to the Houston Food Bank — just over $2 million from the 2024 event alone and over $22 million in the event’s 22-year history.

    Prior to her death in 2020, HRW founder Cleverley Stone described the event as a “win-win-win.” That is, a win for the restaurants who turned the traditionally slow month of August into a busy time. A win for diners who got good deals on meals at some of the city’s top restaurants. And a win for the Houston Food Bank, which turns every dollar raised into three meals for Houstonians in need.

    Now under the direction of her daughter, Katie Stone Cappuccio, Houston Restaurant Weeks maintains its status as the city’s premier charity dining event. Participating restaurants include all four restaurants in Bludorn Hospitality — Bludorn, Navy Blue, Bar Bludorn, and Perseid — all four of James Beard Award winner Hugo Ortega’s restaurants — Hugo’s, Caracol, Xochi, and Urbe — and two of the five Houston restaurants that hold one Michelin star — BCN and Le Jardinier.

    For diners, one of the most exciting aspects of the event is the opportunity to try a new restaurant with the certainty of a fixed price (plus beverages, tax, and tip). Towards that end, CultureMap has compiled a list of many of the first-time participants to help guide people’s selections. Diners are encouraged to keep checking the HRW website, because more establishments will be added between now and August 1.

    Bar Bludorn
    Aaron Bludorn’s Memorial-area tavern is serving a three-course, $55 dinner menu. Starter choices consist of shrimp tartine, chilled corn soup, or arugula salad with watermelon. For an entree, select ricotta gnocchi, branzino, or pork loin. Finish with blueberry cake, chocolate mousse, or ice cream.

    Barbacana
    Chef Christian Hernandez’s downtown restaurant that celebrates Houston’s diversity will serve both a two-course lunch and a three-course, $55 dinner. Choices include jicama salad, wagyu carpaccio, mushroom donburi, and grilled vermillion snapper. Supplements include octopus with mole poblano and a Texas wagyu Denver cut steak.

    Derby
    Located at a storage facility for collector cars, this restaurant is serving a three-course, $39 dinner menu. Choices include bacon with maple glaze and cayenne, apple walnut salad, fried green tomatoes, blackened chicken pasta, and a wagyu burger.

    Doko
    Part of Duckstache Hospitality (Handies Douzo, Aiko, etc.), this sushi restaurant in Autry Park is serving a four-course, $55 menu. Start with scallop aquachile, scallop ceviche, or a tomato salad. Choices for the second and third course include yakitori-style skewers with proteins such as short rib, chicken meatball, and wagyu ribeye as well as one of three sushi rolls — wagyu beef, avocado, or fried shrimp. Finish with one of three desserts.

    Kitchen Rumors
    This inventive, Indian-inspired restaurant from the team behind acclaimed Woodlands restaurants Amrina is serving a three-course, $55 menu. The first course offers five regular choices and two supplements, including lamb keema infladita, blue cheese chicken kebabs, scallop ceviche, and lobster dumplings. Choose from seven different entrees such as pan fried paneer, goat biryani, prawn curry, and bison short rib nihari.

    Maven Coffee & Cocktails
    This neighborhood restaurant that touts Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr as one of its owners will serve a four-course, $55 menu. Choices include a gazpacho shooter, bread and butter, “Caesar cups,” deviled eggs, steak au poivre, spicy rigatoni pasta, and a cheeseburger.

    Okto
    Part of Sof Hospitality (Doris Metropolitan, Hamsa), this Mediterranean restaurant in the Montrose Collective mixed-use development is serving a two-course brunch and a three-course, $55 dinner. At brunch, look for dishes such as ricotta toast, frena bread with pistacchio butter, beet-cured lox, and shakshuka. At dinner, the choices include hamachi tartare, octopus carpaccio, squid ink linguini with crab, and steak frites.

    Perseid
    Bludorn Hospitality’s French restaurant at the Hotel Saint Augustine is serving both a two-course lunch and a three-course, $55 dinner. Both menus include options such as white gazpacho, smoked salmon dip, tomato risotto, and the signature chicken paillard with fingerling potatoes and arugula salad. Dinner adds three desserts, including a chocolate entremet with salted caramel and coffee ice cream.

    Pizzana
    The Los Angeles-based, neo-Neopolitan pizzeria is serving a three-course, $39 menu that includes one of three pizzas — margherita, pepperoni, or the signature cacio e pepe — paired with a choice of three salads and three desserts. We recommend the little gem Caesar and the tiramisu, but that’s entirely up to you.

    Solarium
    Lance McCullers’ pickle ball bar in Midtown is also participating in HRW with a two-course brunch and a three-course, $39 dinner. Both meals include choices such as a chicken skewer with jalapeno-dill yogurt, Caesar salad, and cheeseburger. Brunch adds breakfast options such as pancakes or an egg sandwich, while dinner adds chicken tenders, a pulled pork sandwich, and choice of dessert.

    Kitchen Rumors restaurant lobster dumplings
      

    Photo by Chris Furia

    These lobster dumplings are available as a supplement at Kitchen Rumors.

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