Going Dutch

Anvil's Bobby Heugel lobbies for genever: Here's to head butting Houston with400 years of history

The Bols Genever bottle draws inspiration from old genever jugs.
Photo by Caroline Gallay
The classic kopstootje set-up. Drinkers bend at the waist to slurp off a sip ofgenever from the tulip glass, then follow it with a sip of pilsner — in thiscase Saint Arnold Lawnmower.
Photo by Caroline Gallay
A tulip glass is filled past the brim with Bols Genever as part of thetraditional Dutch kopstootje, or "head butt."
Photo by Caroline Gallay

When Anvil Bar & Refuge opened its doors early on a weekday to host a launch event for Bols Genever, it didn't mess around.

Anvil owner/founder/bartender/barback Bobby Heugel had been lobbying on genever's behalf for some time, and both he and brand ambassador Jacob Grier wanted to make sure that attendees got the full first impression. So, they mixed up seven cocktails in two hours.

Genever is its own liquor category — something I was entirely unfamiliar with prior to the event. The Dutch-created predecessor to gin, genever is a malt wine-based spirit flavored with juniper and other botanicals including ginger, aniseed and hops. It's best understood as existing somewhere between whiskey and gin; if gin is flavored vodka, then genever is flavored whiskey.

Grier says genever outsells vodka six to one in Holland, and as one of the original spirits spotlighted in Jerry Thomas' 1862 mixology bible The Bartender's Guide: How to Mix Drinks, it's easy to see why classic cocktail bars are excited to have genever on-hand to recreate original iterations of such cocktails as the Holland House and the Collins.

Coincidentally, it was the Collins that topped our list of genever-based cocktails, although a genever-based take on the Dark 'N Stormy with black Cruzan rum and ginger beer was also stellar. But the highlight for pure showmanship was the kopstootje, or "little head butt," a traditional Dutch style of enjoying genever that involves an overflowing tulip glass of pure genever, a small glass of pilsner and an awkward bend at the waist so as not to spill. It's the sight of a long line of drinkers bending daintily over the bar to slurp a shot out of a tulip glass that gives the method its name.

You can find Bols Genever, one of the few and highest-quality brands available in the United States, on the shelf at Anvil and at Spec's for $27.87 for 750 mL or $35.79 for a liter.

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keep rolling

Hot Houston hand roll spot is first restaurant at new EaDo development

Handies Douzo Facebook

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Houstonians with a seemingly unlimited appetite for sushi hand rolls will soon have another destination to satisfy their cravings. Handies Douzo will open its next location in East Blocks, an adaptive reuse project in EaDo.

On track to open in late 2026 or early 2027 at 1107 Hutchins Street, the EaDo location will be Handies Douzo’s fifth, joining the original in the Heights as well as restaurants in Montrose, Spring Branch, and an upcoming outpost in Uptown’s new Central Park Post Oak development. Like those siblings, it will serve Handies’ familiar menu of hand rolls (temaki), crudos, and sashimi that’s overseen by founding chefs and co-owners Daniel Lee and Patrick Pham. The 2,000-square-foot space will feature Handies’ familiar U-shaped counter seating.

Handies is known for wrapping its rolls in crispy seaweed that gives each bite a distinct crunch. The well-executed dishes and affordable prices helped Handies earn a nomination for Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year in the 2026 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards.

"We've been very intentional about where we grow, and East Blocks immediately stood out," Pham and Lee said in a statement. "There's an authenticity to EaDo and a strong sense of community that aligns with our brand. We're excited to be part of a project focused on creating an energetic, walkable destination."

1107 Hutchins rendering Handies will occupy 2,000 square feet at 1107 Hutchins.Courtesy of Pagewood

1107 Hutchins and the nearby 2202 Dallas — each of which are 15,000 square feet — represent phase one of local real estate firm Pagewood’s plans to East Blocks. First announced in 2023, plans call for renovating warehouses into a walkable district of shops, restaurants, offices, and green space. Gensler is leading architecture and design for the project, with landscape architecture by SWA.

"East Blocks reflects a long-term belief in EaDo and the kind of place it’s becoming," said Mat Volz, Managing Principal of PAGEWOOD. "As the project has evolved, our commitment to that vision has only strengthened. Breaking ground on Phase 1 is an exciting step forward, particularly as this neighborhood prepares to welcome the world. With the FIFA Fan Festival taking place just steps from East Blocks and bringing thousands of visitors daily to EaDo, we see this project playing a meaningful role in that energy and in the long-term evolution of the district."

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