Bottoms Up!

Where the cool flappers drink: It's garter belts and St. Germain at Houston'snew Capitol

CultureMap's Bottoms Up team hit the scene in downtown Houston with a visit to the newly opened The Capitol at St. Germain, located at the intersection of Main and Capitol. The landmark building dates back to 1913 and has a distinctly flapper vibe, right down to the garter belts the bartenders sport on their arms.

Originally S.H. Kress & Co., a five and dime store, the building was converted to loft residences by Randall Davis at the start of the millennium.

With the building restored to its original grandeur, expect to see live music performances on the weekends, with weekday entertainment ramping up. We took note of the recently announced happy hour specials (of course!). Available from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. on Mondays, enjoy $6 selected wines, St. Germain cocktails and shared bites plus $3.50 domestic beers. Tuesdays take advantage of $3 well drinks and selected wines; Wednesdays stop by for $2.50 domestic beer and $4 imported beer, and Thursdays hit the bar for $3 classic martinis.

St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur is the focus at The Capitol, both at the bar and in the kitchen; you will find it in several of the specialty cocktails and incorporated into the shared plates. We sampled tasty bites including the ménage a fois (pan seared and local fruit compote and torchon with Hot Damn candied shallots and foie sphere) and tri colored truffle chips with white truffle and parmesan cheese.

We also tasted several of The Capitol’s cool signature cocktails. Our pick? The East End Cooler. It is a refreshing blend of gin, St. Germain and muddled strawberries — a sweet sensation balanced nicely by the lime juice and served in the bar's signature St. Germain glassware.

With a little help from our friends — mixologist Michelle and our guest martini shaker, Studio Communications' Stuart Rosenberg — we made our own East End Coolers. The recipe is below. Cheers!

You'll need:

1 ½ oz. Hendrick's Gin
¾ oz. fresh lemon juice
¾ oz. St. Germain
¼ oz. Simple syrup
½ strawberry, muddled

Shake and serve over ice in tall glass.

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

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