More than any other category, it’s easy to feel a little sentimental about the individuals nominated for Bartender of the Year in the 2024 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards.

After all, diners have far more personal interaction with their bartenders than they do chefs or cooks, who are mostly too busy working in the kitchen to have a conversation with their customers. Bartenders, on the other hand, are always there. Since their customers are frequently under the influence of a couple of cocktails, who knows what sort of secrets this year’s nominees have been privy to.

Not that they’d ever tell anyone what they’ve heard, of course.

Our judges’ panel of local restaurant industry experts and former Tastemaker Award winners has selected them for both their professionalism and their expertise in creating and serving cocktails. After all, being friendly isn’t quite as helpful if their drinks don’t taste good, too.

Who will win? Find out March 27 at the Tastemaker Awards party. We’ll dine on bites from this year’s nominated restaurants and sip cocktails from our sponsors before revealing the winners in our short and sweet ceremony.

Buy your tickets now. VIP passes are already sold out and fewer than 100 General Admission tickets remain.

Here are the nominees for Bartender of the Year:

Brandon Choate, Anvil
The seven-year Anvil veteran says he appreciates the opportunity to keep learning about spirits. While you’re welcome to quiz about the perfect drink to order — Choate knows the questions to ask to help identify what someone will enjoy — that’s not his primary focus. “At the end of the day, I’d rather talk to people about what’s going on in their life, not why we chose to use this vermouth instead of another one,” he writes in an email.

When he’s not at work, he’s usually camping or fishing with other bartenders, including 2021 Bartender of the Year winner Alphonso Quiñones of Tiny Champions. “Ask Alphonso about the flies and lures he’s been making for us and be prepared to lose 20 minutes,” he adds.

Brooke Lightfoot, Two Headed Dog
As a manager at Two Headed Dog, Lightfoot helps coordinate the bars various fundraisers, including events for Trans Legal Aid and women’s health charity I’ll Have What She’s Having. “My ideal bar is one that is involved and gives back to the community through charity events,” she writes. “It gives my work purpose beyond simply providing great drinks and a welcoming atmosphere.”

Of course, she takes providing great drinks seriously, too. A Brooke Lightfoot cocktail is likely to incorporate cordials, shrubs, or fat washes that enhance a drink’s flavor. “I’m always pushing myself to learn new techniques, like spherification and foams, to make truly unique beverages. Put simply: I love what I do and sharing it with others,” she concludes.

Fabio Pontes, Bludorn
Pontes, who grew up in Brazil prior to moving to Houston, has worked at a wide range of establishments across the city. He says Bludorn’s focus on service has made the Montrose restaurant his home. “I’ve worked in a lot of places where that was never one of the main focus of what we did. At Bludorn everything comes back to the service and the guest in the end.”

While Bludorn has an extensive spirits selection, Pontes cites a current interest in GlenAllachie scotch due to the different woods used to finish each expression. Diners will also notice Brazilian elements in his cocktails.

Josh Alden, Reserve 101
After a year of working at Refuge, Alden returned to Reserve 101 to help the bar reopen after an extensive series of interior renovations. “Coming back to Reserve is like coming back home after taking a gap year and seeing the world of hospitality from a different view,” he writes. “I'm excited to share and learn and watch this treasured concept reach new heights.” No matter where he works, Alden’s outgoing personality has made him a favorite with both his peers and regulars.

Julia Miles, Squable/Refuge
Miles is a relative newcomer to the hospitality industry, having only been involved since 2020. She credits her ability to work quickly to the time she spent at the Pearland location of Gringo’s Mexican Kitchen. “I’ll never forget being absolutely weeded, like, buried on Friday happy hour service well. That taught me no matter how bad the shift gets, it will end soon and tomorrow is a chance to be better,” she writes.

Although Miles is nominated for her work at Squable, she recently moved to one of its sister concepts in Montrose cocktail bar Refuge. She plans to continue learning more about agave spirits at her new post.

Kristen Nepomuceno, Formerly of Refuge
Two years ago, Bobby Heugel recruited Nepomuceno to move from Squable to Refuge, where she helped establish the bar’s reputation for enthusiastic service and a lively atmosphere. Although she recently departed the bar to focus on consulting for some upcoming projects, she has fond memories of her time at Refuge.

“With Refuge, Bobby really empowered me to curate a space that felt like home for me, a small, sexy cocktail closet, full of friends, drinking out of ridiculously beautiful martini glasses. Bougie but without pretension. That’s always been my motto,” she writes in an email.

Patrick Dougherty, ElRo Pizza & Crudo
The bartender credits his outgoing personality to growing up in Washington State where, he writes, “hitchhiking [was] a natural form of travel.” That restless personality has found a home with chef Terrence Gallivan, considering Dougherty worked alongside the chef at The Pass & Provisions before signing on for ElRo. Diners should expert Dougherty to greet them as they walk in, which seems fitting for an ambitious, chef-driven pizzeria.

Still, we had to ask, why are all the cocktails named after Bruce Springsteen songs?

“I may not know anything about Bruce Springsteen (listen he just skipped my generation in the pnw) but if the hoss loves the boss I say ‘YES CHEF,’” he explains. Yes, the drink recipes get developed before the bartender scans Springsteen’s discography looking for a label. “An apt song title finds the drink in its completion as its name, and I just cross my fingers it's not a cover.”

Peter Jahnke, Catbirds
If Peter Jahnke were a baseball player, he’d be a five tool player. Not that the bartending world has exact equivalents for “hits for power” and “fields well,” but his diverse skillset makes him equally comfortable working at upscale concepts like Refuge and Tongue-cut Sparrow and overseeing the rebirth of legendary Montrose neighborhood bar Catbirds. More recently, Jahnke has been applying the cooking chops he displayed working at restaurants such as Theodore Rex and Squable to Catbirds’ recently-introduced steak night.

“From cooking days and stuff, I love working high end, but I really like to be at a low end or a neighborhood spot. That’s where I’m most comfortable,” Jahnke said when Catbirds reopened in November. “Being able to apply all of that to a place I care about, those are the things that I’m excited about — making regulars and saying yes to everybody and seeing big groups come in.”

Rebecca Burkhart, Johnny's Gold Brick
Seven years is a long time to spend at any bar, but Burkhart explains that she appreciates all the ways the bar lets her be creative and try new things. “Myself and the staff are able to test boundaries whether it is an idea for a cocktail, a systematic change, or maybe a concept for an event we would like to host,” she writes.

Asked about a drink category that currently has her interest, Burkhart mentions the growth of non-alcoholic cocktails at bars and restaurants across Houston. While Johnny’s has a couple, she also recommends the Ricotta Dreamsicle at Tiny Champions.

Zach Hornberger, Nancy's Hustle
Find this mustache-sporting bartender — “yes, it’s real,” he quips — at the East End establishment that recently earned a semifinalist nomination for Outstanding Restaurant in this year’s James Beard Awards. Nancy’s has always been known for its eclectic wine list, but Hornberger notes cocktails have their place, too.

“I feel like the wine and cocktail program at Nancy's has always been two hands of the same beast,” he writes. “The cocktail program is built around amari, Sherry, fortified wines, and even a little sake. The role of the beverage program as a whole is to absolutely trick people into drinking things they didn't know they liked.”

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The 2024 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards takes place 6-10 pm Wednesday, March 27 at Silver Street Studios (2000 Edwards St.).

The Tastemaker Awards ceremony is brought to you by Stella Artois, Rías Baixas Albariño, Topo Chico Sparkling Mineral Water, 8th Wonder Cannabis, Tito's Vodka, and more to be announced. A portion of proceeds will benefit our nonprofit partner, the Southern Smoke Foundation.

  

Photo by Benjy Mason

Rebecca Burkhart, Johnny's Gold Brick.