Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/133302
13-22 A LONE STAR LIFE We have ignition: Hal Brock lights the orange zest garnish for Anvil's signature cocktail, The Brave. Anvil Bar & Refuge HOUSTON, THERE IS NO PROBLEM HERE by Anthony Head / photo by Kirk Weddle I 've long known that Houston has plenty to offer. After all, it's the largest city in Texas and the fourth most populous city in the U.S. It's home to NASA, it has a thriving arts scene and it boasts some pretty outstanding restaurants. But no, craft cocktails were not on my radar whenever I thought about Space City. Anvil Bar & Refuge, however, has gained Houston quite a lot of notoriety since opening in early 2009, and is regularly mentioned alongside the country's other great cocktail bars, like Bourbon & Branch in San Francisco, The Violet Hour in Chicago, Death & Company in New York and Cure in New Orleans. So, in mid-May I made my pilgrimage to Houston and I discovered that—yes, indeed—Anvil's got the right stuff. It's got the look: Modern industrial interior with exposed brick walls, high ceilings and visible ductwork; the long, L-shaped bar was fashioned out of weathered steel. Punctuated with contemporary objets d' art, the overall look is at once raw and polished and comfortable. It's a destination: "We get a really good mix of customers," says Hal Brock, bartender and Assistant General Manager. "A lot of people in the industry, a lot of people from out of town, and a surprising number of international clientele, who've all heard of Anvil." It's got the give-and-take across the bar: Every bartender has a unique approach to dealing with customers who are overwhelmed by the cocktail menu, and Brock regularly riffs on one of the classic bar pick-up lines to initiate the interaction: "I read a lot of astrology books in college, so I like to ask a customer's birthday and get their sign. It's a fun way to begin figuring what they want, when they don't know what they want. That's one of my favorite parts of this job." It's got the craft ingredients: Along with introducing Houston to many artisan liquors from around the world, Anvil features syrups, tinctures and bitters that are made in house. It delivers the goods: There are about 100 drinks on the menu, which leans toward Prohibitionera cocktails; but consider just one, The Brave. Mezcal, sotol (which is kind of like mezcal—earthy, smoky, smooth and aromatic), amaro and orange curaçao are swirled in a Bordeaux glass, misted with Angostura bitters, then garnished with a flamed orange zest. "Sitting in a glass at room temperature, it's heavy and boozy, but in the most perfectly balanced, delightful way possible," says Brock. Says I: The Brave is dark and lovely. It's imaginative and elegant and positively top-shelf. It's a drink that—all by itself—is worth rocketing back to Houston for. 48 / the tasting panel / june 2013 TP0613_042-79.indd 48 5/23/13 4:33 PM