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    Drink Up

    Make spirits bright this year with premium gifts made for festive sipping

    CultureMap Create
    Dec 20, 2021 | 12:30 pm

    'Tis that special time of the year, when you can ensure your loved ones can cheers with the best. And with all the holiday spirit in the air, what better gift to bring to family and friends than a bottle of premium liquor?

    Help make spirits bright this season with these suggestions:

    Bacardi Reserva Ocho | Shop here
    Aged a minimum of eight years under the Caribbean sun, this Puerto Rican rum boasts warming notes of butterscotch, nutmeg, and dried apricots.

    The rum's uncompromising quality rivals that of cognacs and older scotches, and is enjoyable on its own, on the rocks, or in a delicious Old Fashioned.

    Grey Goose vodka | Shop here
    Those who fill your life with joy deserve nothing but the finest: the finest French winter wheat from Picardie and the finest limestone-filtered spring water, all distilled only once to honor the flavors of these exquisite ingredients.

    From the pop of the cork, you can give the gift of Grey Goose vodka knowing that every element is created and crafted in France to the highest standard.

    And what better way to showcase the aroma and flavor than with vodka's most iconic cocktail, the Grey Goose vodka martini?

    Simply add 2.5 oz of Grey Goose vodka, 0.5 oz of extra dry vermouth, and a dash of orange bitters to a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir deliberately, and strain into a chilled martini cocktail glass. Finish by adding a twist of fresh lemon. Vive le Martini!

    Bombay Sapphire | Shop here
    Unwrap the festivities with a Bombay and tonic, the ultimate expression of the quintessentially classic cocktail.

    Orris root and Angelica bring Bombay Sapphire its floral earthiness and enhance the bright, fresh flavors of citrus and juniper. Brilliantly straightforward and satisfying, this drink is always welcome at the party.

    Cazadores tequila | Shop here
    Cazadores Blanco starts in the agave fields, using 100-percent Blue Weber agave from the highland region of Jalisco. The agaves have a minimum maturity of six years to ensure high sugar content and excellent quality.

    After a seven-day double fermentation process and two rounds of distillation, Cazadores Blanco is immediately filtered and bottled. The result? A tequila in its purest form, without aging, for intensity and real flavor of agave.

    Citrus fruits, fragrant herbs, and the customary smooth finish make Cazadores Blanco excellent for cocktails or sipped neat.

    Dewar's 12 year old | Shop here
    Founded in 1846 by John Dewar, Dewar's has grown from a small wine and spirits merchant shop in Scotland to one of the largest Scotch whiskey brands in the world.

    Best known for its iconic Dewar's White Label, it has expanded its family to create a portfolio of premium and super premium whiskies.

    The signature Dewar's 12 is a luxuriously fruity and smooth blend that's perfect for the holidays. An approachable, premium trade-up for curious scotch drinkers, Dewar's 12 offers a richer profile, with fuller and more rounded aromas of honey dried fruits and vanilla.

    This satisfying flavor results in Dewar's 12 being the ideal serve for any occasion: drink it on the rocks, neat, in an Old Fashioned, or an aromatic highball.

    Angel's Envy bourbon | Shop here
    The holidays are all about tradition, and this top-shelf whiskey puts a new spin on a Louisville classic.

    Finished in port wine barrels, Angel's Envy is complex yet approachable and reinvigorates your favorite seasonal sips.

    Aberfeldy 12yo single malt whisky | Shop here
    Nestled within a lush valley in the foothills of the Central Highlands of Scotland, Aberfeldy Distillery is in the quaint village of Aberfeldy, Perthshire.

    Aberfeldy whisky is known as the "Golden Dram." Golden for the distillery’s water source, which is the famous Pitilie Burn, renowned for its water quality and famed for its rich deposits of alluvial gold.

    Golden, for Aberfeldy continues to be awarded gold and double gold medals in international spirits awards. Golden, for every sip laden with honey, spices, citrus, and hints of vanilla.

    Aged for 12 years and scented with spices and honeyed plump fruits, with a taste that's syrupy with lots of vanilla and fudge and a whisper of smoke on the finish, the 12yo Aberfeldy is sure to be a treat for all.

    Swap the snow for sunshine with Bacardi Ocho.

    Bacardi Ocho rum
    Photo courtesy of Bacardi
    Swap the snow for sunshine with Bacardi Ocho.
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    food news roundup

    6 things to know in Houston food: Openings, a closing, and more

    Eric Sandler
    Mar 27, 2026 | 3:34 pm
    Atlantic Ocean food spread
    Photo by Madelynne Grace
    Atlantic Ocean recently opened on Washington Avenue.

    From an intimate new Italian restaurant in West U. to the surprise shutter of a Midtown pickleball venue, the Houston food scene moves pretty fast. Read on to find out how Winsome Prime is celebrating its anniversary, an Atlanta chef who just opened his first Houston restaurant, and an exciting new dinner series that’s bringing one of Austin’s best chefs to the Heights for a one-night-only meal.

    Openings and closings

    Osteria di Mercato has opened in West University Place. A sister concept to Mercato and Company, a gourmet grocer that opened last year, the 30-seat, dinner-only restaurant aims to serve traditional Italian fare in an intimate environment. The menu features dishes such as saffron arancini, tuna crudo with passion fruit chili sauce, fettuccine with braised rabbit, smoked ricotta and spinach agnoloti, swiss chard-stuffed quail.

    Executive chef Mauricio Alvarado spent 16 years working for various Tony Vallone restaurants, including Ciao Bello, Vallone’s, and Tony’s. The Michelin Guide designated general manager Marco Thompson as Toronto’s sommelier of the year in 2023.

    The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5:30-9:30 pm. Reservations are available on Resy.

    Atlantic Ocean has opened in the former Passerella space at 6011 Washington Ave. Open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday, the wide-ranging menu offers seafood dishes from around the globe.

    Starters include cornmeal-crusted crab cake, chargrilled oysters, clams calabrese, and Moroccan lamb shots. Entrees offer similar diversity, ranging from blackened redfish and grilled branzino with chimichurri and citrus mojo to a soy-martinated ribeye and lobster pasta that’s made with butter-poached claw meat.

    Chef-owner Virgil Harper is best known for Toast on Lenox, his acclaimed brunch concept in Atlanta. He’s joined in the kitchen by executive chef and partner Aliyah Watley.

    "Atlantic Ocean was created to deliver a dining experience where every detail feels intentional, from the quality of the seafood to the warmth of the service and the atmosphere around you,” Harper said in a statement. “Houston’s dynamic food culture makes it the perfect home for this concept, and we’re excited to share a menu that respects seafood traditions while bringing a fresh, creative perspective."

    Midtown pickleball bar Solarium has closed, according to its Instagram page. Opened in April 25, the bar transformed the former Holman Draft Hall space with six outdoor courts and five private rooms to watch the action.

    Solarium was a joint venture between the Kirby Group and Rex Hospitality, the restaurant group owned by Astros pitcher Lance McCullers, Jr. and his business partners, Juan Carlos de Aldecoa and Jimmy Doan. Earlier this year, Rex closed its Maven Coffee location in Sawyer Yards to concentrate on its wholesale business that sells coffee products such as cold brew concentrate.

    Other news and notes

    Zaranda, Hugo Ortega’s California-inspired restaurant in downtown, is now open Sunday. It will serve an a la carte brunch from 11 am-3 pm. Options include cornbread with Mandarin-honey butter; tostada de campechana with octopus, shrimp, raw oysters, cucumber, avocado, ancho-morita purée, Clamato, Maggi, soy, and olive oil; steak and eggs with refried beans, guacamole, salsa, and flour tortillas; Baja breakfast burrito with bacon, chorizo, scrambled eggs, potato, onion, salsa roja y verde, avocado, and cheese-crusted sobaquera; chilaquiles with shredded chicken, sunny-side-up eggs, totopos, salsa verde, crema, and housemade queso fresco; and more. It will also be open for dinner from 4-9 pm.

    Winsome Prime is celebrating its fifth anniversary with a limited time menu. The three-course, $50, prix fixe menu includes choices such as chili-glazed shrimp, crab beignets, spinach and artichoke dip, kung pao pasta, and chicken royale. Upgrade to the signature Hawaiian ribeye — a nod to the location once being home to Houston’s — for $10. Choose one of three desserts to complete the meal.

    Food events

    Doke concepts will host a series of guest chef dinners in April, May, and June. Each evening will begin with champagne and hors d’oeuvres at Lazy Land. Diners will then be driven to The Green Room for a three-course dinner, followed by dessert cocktails and s’mores at Heights & Co. The lineup includes chefs recognized by the Michelin Guide and the most recent winner of the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Texas.

    • April 15: Joseph Geiskopf, chef and co-owner of The On’ry, a traveling culinary concept based out of Houston, formerly of Ciel and Credence
    • April 29: Kevin Fink, chef and co-owner of Emmer and Rye Hospitality, which operates Michelin-recognized restaurants Emmer & Rye, Hestia, Isidore, and others.
    • May 13: Louis Maldonado, a former Top Chef contestant who held one Michelin star at Cortez restaurant in San Francisco.
    • May 26: Thomas Bille, chef-owner of Belly of the Beast in Spring and 2025 James Beard Award winner for Best Chef: Texas
    • June 10: To be announced
    • June 24: Ryan Lachine, executive chef of State of Grace, formerly chef-owner of Riel

    Atlantic Ocean food spread

    Photo by Madelynne Grace

    Atlantic Ocean recently opened on Washington Avenue.

    “This dinner party series is designed to give our guests an upscale, unique dining experience while highlighting each of our restaurants' distinct personalities,” Doke Concepts owner Brian Doke said in a statement. “With the help of our incredible guest chefs, we’re confident we’re going to give our guests an unforgettable evening.

    Tickets will be available via the Lazy Lane website.

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