Vice has a docuseries beginning tomorrow, October 4, that caught my eye: “Icons Unearthed: James Bond.” I was a big Bond fan when I was younger, reading all of the Ian Fleming books and enjoying most of the movies. Later, becoming much more interested in food and drink, Fleming’s detail of Bond’s not-infrequent imbibing caught more of my attention.  
 
James Bond is strongly associated with martinis, shaken not stirred, famously. But, his very first cocktail, the first one described that the Bond character drank in the very first novel, Casino Royale published in 1953, is actually an Italian one, and consumed in France, not something we might think concerning a character so assiduously and identifiably British. Found on page 24 of the edition I somewhat recently perused, set in a fancy hotel in a fictitious French resort town:
 
“Bond ordered an Americano and examined the sprinkling of over-dressed customers, mostly from Paris he guessed, who sat talking with focus and vivacity, creating that theatrically clubbable atmosphere of l'heure de l'aperitif. The men were drinking inexhaustible quarter-bottles of champagne, the women dry martinis.”
 
The Americano is the cocktail that was the basis for the much more recognized (and potent) Negroni. The Americano is:
 
Campari – 1 ounce
Sweet vermouth – 1 ounce
Club soda – splash
Orange slice
 
The cocktail was created in the eponymous Café Campari by Gaspare Campari in the 19th century. It was originally called the Milano-Torino after the location of its two main ingredients, the Campari from Milan and the Cinzano sweet vermouth from Turin. Some decades later as it became popular with American tourists it acquired the name of a typical purchaser of the cocktail. It can still make for an enjoyable aperitivo at an Italian restaurant, whether in Italy or here.
 
By the way, page 33 of the same edition of Casino Royale describes the first martini ordered by Bond in print, which has eventually became known as The Vesper, and a common sight on cocktail lists:
 
“Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon-peel. Got it?”
 
These days, I wonder what kind of drink, if any, you might get after barking that to the bartender in France, in English.

Cocktails have really drawn attention and have been much more of a draw, both at bars and restaurants, since the cocktail revolution had its first significant sparks in the mid-aughts in Manhattan and San Francisco and then began spreading. That modern era in Houston really began with the opening of Anvil by Bobby Heugel and team on lower Westheimer in 2009, the first bar dedicated to serious mixology. It proved to be a fairly momentous event here that spawned other excellent cocktail-centric bars as its owners opened other concepts as did former employees.
 
The emphasis in this list is on the quality of those cocktails. The scene is secondary, if that. For those cocktails, it’s been my experience – too many cocktails to count, as my liver gets plenty of exercise – that the classics with superb ingredients, and updated, slightly revised versions of those are the best. Many of the classics have around 150 years on them; there’s a reason why they are still on menus. I’ve almost never been wowed with an extremely creative cocktails. Disappointed, yes, and far too often.
 
Listed alphabetically.
 
The Best
 
Anvil – Bar – Still Houston’s premier destination for serious mixing and one of the best cocktail bars in the country, the highly trained, very proficient and usually engaging staff paired with the excellent materials going into in an innumerable array of cocktails help make for a terrific time. The loud space adds to the energy as do the soon-to-be-dulled senses caused by the easy drinking drinks. Montrose
BCN – Restaurant – Primarily a fine-dining restaurant, the gin and tonics here are revelatory, some of the best cocktails in town, in fact. As many as twenty different versions of the Spanish-influenced gin and tonics might be on the menu at any time, often with unusual ingredients in seemingly odd combinations that all manage to work, usually grandly. It’s fun just to try to score one of the nine seats at the bar for the wonderful gin-tonics a small plate or two, even if a full dinner experience is not in the cards. Montrose
Better Luck Tomorrow – Bar-Restaurant – A bar with good, fun food, this is a partnership with Bobby Huegel of Anvil fame and top toque Justin Yu. That attention to quality is evident in the creative and expertly crafted cocktails, especially so. Easy prices before 5:00 and a fair amount of patio space make this a popular choice for early imbibers of some discernment. Heights
Captain Foxheart's Bad News Bar & Spirits Lodge – Bar – An industry favorite for a few years now on the Main Street bar row, it’s place to unwind with boozy delights after climbing stairs a bit from the nightly hubbub below. Downtown
Double Trouble – Bar – Subtitled, “Caffeine and Cocktails,” this nicely-worn dual-duty spot is set long the strip of walkable neighbors near the light-rail including Winnie’s. It touts a “small but special selection of quality spirits” used in its cocktails that include fun frozen creations and coffee-based ones, as might be expected. Among the enticing specialty concoctions is Captain's Orders, with rye, a French vermouth, allspice dram, orange bitters and absinthe. Midtown
Grand Prize – Bar – The old house at the northern edge of the Museum District has been a bar for decades, and this one since 2010 drawing attention to its cocktails. And it’s nicely got fully stocked mixing and serving stations on two floors that serve an ever-changing list of libations. Museum District
Lei Low – Tiki Bar – The city’s premier tiki destination, this does a terrific job with those fun drinks of yesteryear properly updated when necessary, but served in those great cheeky old school-style vessels. Parking can be very tough here so it might be best to use a ride-sharing service. Plus, it’s really easy to get plastered during a visit. North Side
March Lounge – Bar – The gorgeous spot upstairs from Rosie Cannonball is your first stop for the set-course meal at March with a necessarily exquisite and exquisitely priced cocktail, but you can probably sneak up before or after a meal downstairs, too. Montrose
Miss Carousel – Bar – Tucked behind two other welcome sister property’s, Vinny’s and Indianola, on St. Emmanuel, this subdued space mixes slight twists on the classics and also some fun originals among its regular selections between $13 and $18. EaDo
Johnny’s Gold Brick – Bar – The cinder block building off Shepherd just south of 610 is fitting place to enjoy more than one of the dozen classic cocktails like an Old Fashioned, Manhattan, etc. for just $8 all the time and open until 2:00 AM each day. There’s more to imbibe here, too. Heights
Julep – Bar – On a more sedate, but busy enough stretch of Washington Avenue is one of the city’s most serious cocktail destinations and another Anvil offspring. Owner Alba Huerta and the bar have won some national attention and the very well-composed cocktails include a wide range of classic and more contemporary ones that’s not as Southern-themed as in the past, but there’s still a selection of juleps, of course. Washington Corridor
Nancy’s Hustle – Restaurant – This eclectic modern American bistro seems to do about everything well and that includes and excellent, interesting cocktail program to get a visit started. One of the current creative offerings is the Black Manhattan made with rye, strawberry amaro, aperitif, amaretto, and Angostura bitters. East End
Refuge – Bar – Anvil’s slightly smarter sibling and next-door neighbor, it’s also an event space and you can make reservations. The small list of riffs on classics and originals – and the handful of “Excessives” like the El Presidente for $34 mixed with Samaroli 2002 Barbados rum, Dolin Blanc, Grand Marnier Cuvee Louis Alexandre – are all Anvil-quality. Montrose
Riel – Restaurant – This wonderful neighborhood boîte has a bar that’s almost as serious as the kitchen and a small bar area where terrific mixtures and service are nearly guaranteed. Montrose
Squable – Restaurant – Exceptional cocktails are part of the package at this Heights star. The nearly ten house specialties feature some twists on the classics like a clay-aged Negroni over a rock that are among the best of breed in the city. You can enjoy them half off each weekday from 4:00 to 6:00, an incentive to stop working early. Heights
Tiny Champions – Restaurant – You are coming here from the food, the top-notch pizza, the pasta, the ice cream, but the small bar area is a nice place to repair to, provided you can find a seat, for an excellent cocktail from the folks who did the same at Public Services previously. A half-dozen well-informed and fun cocktails are on its menu – like the Nordic Thunder with aquavit, vodka, guava and Cocchi Rosa vermouth and lemon – but it can do a bang-up rendition of a classic, too. You can enjoy these at the table, too, of course, and one is recommended to start. East End
Toasted Coconut – Tiki Bar – The palapa near Richmond marks an appropriate setting for this tiki-inspired place with good grub from the folks at nearby Nobie’s. One of the dozen fun featured cocktails is the Captain’s Grog with several overproof rums, passionfruit, allspice, lime, and honey. Montrose
Under the Volcano – Bar – Classics and much more are crafted quite well at this longstanding place with a comfortable vibe north on Morningside from the Village proper that’s far more than the frozen screwdrivers of yore. Rice Village
Winnie’s – Bar / Restaurant – This enjoyable spot along the light-rail does a few things well anchored by its well-made cocktails, many just $7 before 5:00 during the week, which help make this one of the best options for day drinking. Divided among Frozens, Shaken or Stirred, Staff Cocktails, Treasure Chest, a cooler with ice. For $25 that will make either a couple pours of a Fancy Cognac Old Fashioned or a French 75 or a quartet of frozen cocktails or some beer. Cocktails here are just $11 during the more traditional drinking hours. Midtown
Wooster's Garden – Bar – A handsome indoor-outdoor setup and nearly fifty house cocktails helpfully explained by brief descriptions of the components that are competently and attractively mixed and sporting an Anvil heritage makes this a user-friendly spot to enjoy a tasty drink or more. Midtown

Spent the past weekend in New Orleans helping to celebrate a friend’s birthday with a big group and indulging into much rich Creole fare.  Too much alcohol, too, of course.  It seems impossible to eat without drinking there, especially as a tourist.  As in the past, the weekend’s festivities began with a Friday lunch downstairs at the famed Galatoire’s, which is something special, largely for its celebratory environment that’s raucous yet mostly refined, but the food is terrific, and has been on each of several visits.
 
The menu is not inexpensive, but fairly priced.  Many of the dishes are centered around locally sourced seafood.  High quality seafood bears a cost.  The fairness in pricing extends to its good-sized French-heavy wine list, and maybe more so to its spirits.
 
After we finished with the food – at the men’s table, as the women shunted us to a separate one where the desserts were overlooked but the beverage list not at all – my brother tapped me on the shoulder to show me what another person in our group had just ordered, a glass of Macallan 12-year-old filled neatly a full-three fingers high.  That was a surprisingly stout pour, and just $15.  In Houston, to give a few examples, an order of Macallan 12 at both Georgia James and Le Jardinier is a full ten dollars more, and nearly so at Squable where it is $24.  The pours at most establishments in Houston are probably an ounce or even an ounce-and-a-half less than the one at Galatoire’s, also.  It was impressive.  The Macallan 12 is an entry level Speyside single-malt whisky that is easily enjoyable for me most after-dinners with a big meal.  With the tariff for that quality and quantity, I had to order one.  It might have been two; it was a fun afternoon.
 
I’ve experienced this over the many years in New Orleans; in the tackiest touristy bars in the French Quarter to the nicest restaurants in the city, the town does not rip you off with the alcohol.  I find that the quality of the cocktails there are usually just middling, even at James Beard Award-winning bars and restaurants, including at several in a few days, though Commander’s Palace in a notable exception in this regard.  Regardless of the quality of mixing, the drink is always strong, and usually more-than-properly priced.  Plus, the settings and atmospheres are almost always a lot of fun.   

A neat whisky at Galatoire's the other day.  Note all the stains nearby.

​Working from home was a little stressful at first with the extent and disruption of the pandemic being brand new.  Looking forward to a cocktail at the end of the workday, which might have stretched a little longer toiling from home, helped both make the afternoons go more quickly and provide some kind of demarcation between the work life and that of home.  Maybe, it was a the alcohol that helped, too.
 
Prompted by my desire to find a recipe for margaritas that I enjoyed and could do a passable job with at the house, aided by Costco’s price for a 5-pound bag of limes for just $4.39, I’ve had a lot of limes to work with.  I was steered toward cocktails that might use lime in addition to those margarita trials.  Gin and tonics, of course, but I had to expand my repertoire.
 
Other than for the margaritas, the mantra was easy and refreshing for our warm climate.  Ice.  Like most Americans I demand it with spirits most of the time.  I didn’t mind squeezing a lime or two, but nothing much more than that other than stirring and sometimes shaking.  And no garnishes.  Other than for the margaritas, I generally wanted lower alcohol, too.  I had grown to appreciate the Italian approach to the apertivo, the pre-dinner cocktails that not only provide some alcoholic pleasure, though not a lot, and also help open the appetite often with their hints of bitterness. For that, vermouth and soda didn’t work out that well for me.  I didn’t really like any of the versions that I made, with Cocchi Americano and another semi-sweet vermouth, Dolin Blanc.  Dolin Dry, which I employ for my martinis, didn’t do the trick either, but at least one Italian product did work.

​​A big take-away from the nearly daily mixing research was that Fever Tree is near necessity for my palate, both its tonic waters and its club soda.  Another is that lime really does help a great many cocktails.  Using limes and lemons – usually half of each at a time – generally makes the drinks more vibrant, refreshing and tastier, adding some welcome balance to the spirit, in part.  Below is a quintet of easy mixers that I’ve quite liked in recent months.
 
(Irish) Whiskey and Soda
 
Tullamore Dew, a smooth and easily enjoyable Irish whiskey, with more balance and flavor than the most popular Irish renditions, was reintroduced to me by the fine folks at The Mucky Duck, where it is used in their excellent version of the Irish Coffee.
 
Two ounces of Tullamore Dew mixed with five ounces of Fever Tree club soda over plenty of ice with two lemon quarters squeezed in, stirred a few times.  Fever Tree’s tonic water very conveniently comes in 8-packs for just about 5-ounce cans that makes for a single drink.  I’ve only seen those at Spec’s, though.  I prefer lemon to lime for this and the similar Scotch and soda, but lime works quite well, too.
 
Scotch and Soda
 
Scotch and Soda /  Mud in your eye /  Baby, do I feel high, oh me oh my / Do I feel high.  The opening words and melody of “Scotch and Soda” from the Kingston Trio recorded in the early 1960s had been a memory of my youth from an LP of my mom’s, many years before my first taste of scotch.  Very oddly and coincidentally, the song was discovered by one of the members in the home of the parents of Tom Seaver, Tom Terrific.   
 
This is a very good way to use an affordably priced blended Scotch.  Save the more distinctive single malts for sipping solo.  Two ounces of good blended Scotch – Famous Grouse is what I am using now – mixed with five ounces of Fever Tree club soda over plenty of ice with the juice of half of a lemon, stirred a few times, just like above.
 
Campari and Soda
 
It took me quite a while to appreciate the assertively bitter Campari, maybe Italy’s most iconic liqueur.  In addition to an occasional well-made Negroni, I’ve grown to like Campari and soda, usually as a pre-dinner refresher and a liter bottle of the bold red concoction has been getting replaced at a greater clip in recent months.  I mix at least two parts Fever Tree club soda to one of Campari along with the juice of half a lime over ice is often an enjoyable and relatively low alcohol starter..
 
Gin and Tonic
 
I’ve long liked gin and tonics, mostly as a warm weather cocktail, much of the year here.  I grew a greater appreciation of these with the wonderful, inventive Spanish-style gin and tonics done up at BCN.  I haven’t tried to replicate the somewhat elaborate versions there, as I’m sure I’ll fall woefully short of its skilled bartenders, but I’ve come to appreciate the quality of Fever Tree tonic waters.  That had been affirmed at Public Services through a few, or many, gin and tonics there.  It is the tonic portion of the gin and tonic that is the most important part of the equation as it’s the largest part, so high-quality tonic water is key.  It makes a big difference.  For me, it’s Fever Tree.  Its tonic waters, in all its forms, I much prefer to the similarly priced ones from Q Tonic.
 
Concerning the fun part, the gin, though long my go-to for martinis, I’ve determined that London Dry gin, with its familiar taste featuring prominence of juniper flavors, is also my favorite for gin and tonics.  The ones I like the best are the ones among the most widely found and modestly priced: Bombay, Tanqueray, Tanqueray No. 10, and Plymouth’s.  Ford’s has been well employed at bars and restaurants.

​For me, an ideal has been either Citrus and Mediterranean Fever Tree tonic waters mixed at 2-to-1 or 2 ½-to-1 ratio to a good London Dry gin over ice with the juice of half a lime and stirred gently a few times.
 
Ranch Water
 
This drink, a popular way to take the edge of the heat in far west Texas, came to my attention in recent years, likely from Texas Monthly.  I had my first one at Eight Row Flint and was nonplussed.  As it got warmer here in the spring, and with all the limes I had courtesy of Costco packaging ethos, I thought I could actually do better at home.  I did, with some guidance.
 
Adapted from a recipe in Texas Monthly, I have been using two ounces of a nicely priced but well-done blanco tequila – mostly El Jimador and its pricier sibling Espolon – two ounces of lime Juice, which usually means two limes, poured into a pint or shaker glass with a salted rim and filled about two-thirds the way with ice.  Topo Chico is then poured over the rest and stirred a few times.  I’ve that the salt helps to balance the flavors of the tequila and lime, and its acidity.  There is a reason that margaritas are served with salted rims.  For a spicy kick, my brother-in-law suggested using jalapeño slices.  I prefer serranos.  It works well, two thin horizontal slices should provide sufficient kick for most.  Three was too many for my tastes.
 
These are the easy ones.  Look for information about the more involved, and alcoholic, ones in the near future.

​I returned just over a week ago from a weeklong gastronomic trip to northern Italy where esteemed food writer John Mariani – long of Esquire now of Forbes for his monthly output – was another of the invitees.  His preferred pre-prandial cocktail is the classic Daiquiri.  So much so, and given the confusion with the frozen version that the name Daiquiri denotes to many and the cocktail’s relegation to the hinterlands of competence for too many establishments before the advent of the craft cocktail craze, Mariani has his preferred recipe printed on his business card that he can offer to a waiter or bartender in case they need some help.  Traveling regularly overseas, especially, these can come in handy, and he used one to good effect to start a dinner at an excellent restaurant in Pavia where our group dined for our final meal.
 
I had read about this business card-cum-cocktail recipe in at least one of Mariani’s pieces in years past and chuckled once again when I actually saw it.  I might need to copy the idea in some form in the future, albeit some variation of the Martini.  Dropping by Public Services before dinner this past Saturday with the idea of starting with a Daiquiri, I showed the business card / recipe to Justin Vann, the bar’s head and one of the city’s top wine and spirits pros, who mentioned that he had a better Daiquiri recipe.  Two, in fact, and asked if I wanted a classic version – which I had had there before and quite enjoyed – or something, “interesting and funky,” I think was the phrase he used.
 
I decided to give the latter a try, as Public Services has done a terrific job with the numerous of cocktails in a range of styles that I’ve consumed there in recent years.  This so-called funky Daiquiri is made with an ounce-and-a-half of Smith & Cross rum and a half-ounce of Plantation Pineapple rum along with the appropriate amount of fresh lime juice and simple syrup, shaken and served in a chilled couple cocktail glass affixed with a wedge of lime.  The Smith & Cross is a “funky, Navy-strength pot-still rum from Jamaica” according to its importer that’s popular in tiki concoctions, which provided a very flavorful yet smooth backbone even at 114-proof to the cocktail that was an excellent and balanced blend of tart with some sweet and maybe just a hint of pineapple from the secondary rum to my palate.  I didn’t find it too funky.  Interesting, certainly, and very enjoyable.
 
This cocktail is not on the menu.  There is not even a name for it.  Vann said that he knows it as Marcella’s Daiquiri, seemingly named after the manager there who created it.  If you are a fan of Daiquiris, it’s certainly worth a try.
 
Public Services Wine & Whisky
202 Travis (at Franklin), 77002, (713) 516-8897
publicservicesbar.com

The second image is Marcella's Daiquiri, or the Daiquiri with no name, at Public Services

​The gin-and-tonic is so very well-suited to Houston’s often hot and humid weather, which lasts for nearly half the year here.  It’s cool with plentiful ice and refreshing with the crisp-tasting and effervescent tonic water – engendering a relaxed feeling because of the complementary, smooth- and usually dry-tasting London-bred booze – and nicely bolstered by a bit of fresh citrus, is easy to drink when even not-so-well-made.
 
The cocktail has the added benefit that the recipe is pretty much in its name if sans lime.  Along with the rum-and-Coke and Jack-and-Coke, it’s the about simplest drink to concoct at home.
 
And gin-and-tonics have gotten better in recent years, part of the advent of the craft cocktail movement that began here a decade ago.  The biggest reason has gotten much tastier is because of the availability of high-quality commercial tonic water, most notably the Fever Tree brand, which is found in most even somewhat serious bars serving cocktails these days.  As Justin Vann, a proprietor of the excellent Public Services downtown mentioned to me after I complemented him on the tastiness of their gin-and-tonic that it’s mostly in the quality of the tonic water, as the drink is mostly tonic water, after all.
 
But, the best gin-and-tonics I’ve ever had have been at BCN, the upscale Spanish restaurant in Montrose.  The offer about twenty different versions these days, half seasonal, using various gins and tonic waters, all of which I’ve had or sampled have been terrific, including a few recently.  The Spanish have done wonders in advancing the range and palatability of the gin-and-tonic.  This seems to have begun around fifteen years ago or so, possibly in reaction to the influx of British tourists to Spain.  I don’t really know, but I certainly enjoy the result.  Aromatics in the form of herbs and citrus play a big role in BCN’s creations like prominent sprigs of rosemary and strips or pieces of lemon or another citrus.  On my last visit I had a summer offering made with blood oranges that had a red hue and drank quickly coming in from the hot sun, another with Fever Tree Elderflower tonic water, lavender grapes, lemon and thyme, and the Mediterranean featuring Gin Mare, Fever Tree Mediterranean tonic water, rosemary, olives, and sea salt.  BCN pours only part of the small bottle of the tonic water into the glass to start and you can add more along the way.  This actually makes the drink more enjoyable as you consume more of it, even as the percent of alcohol in each sip diminishes. 
 
Though the gin-and-tonics taste very good no matter where you sit at BCN, if you can grab one of the nine seats at the bar, you can interact with an excellent bartender, which can add to the visit.  They do an exceptional job.
 
If you need any further reason to consume also drink gin-and-tonics, think about your health.  You surely don’t want to get malaria; the quinine in the tonic water has prophylactic properties against malaria, which is why the British created the cocktail in the first place.  And the cheap gin tasted much better mixed with the tonic water and chilled in the very tropical climate of southern India.  We can believe that the cocktail tastes far better today with much better gin and, more so, much better tonic water.  Add to that inspired creations like you find at BCN, it’s a reason for celebration.
 
BCN
4210 Roseland (near the intersection of Montrose and Richmond), 77006, (832) 834-3411
bcnhouston.com

​Reef has just reopened after the damage it suffered from Hurricane Harvey, if not quite completely.  There is service in the bar area for dinner and, beginning today, lunch.  The main dining room still needs to be furnished and I was told that that should be ready in a couple of weeks for patrons.  I’m very happy that the Gulf seafood-centric Reef is finally open again, as it had been one of my favorite local restaurants.  Given the recent and sudden closings of Pass & Provisions and Canopy and the announcement that Indika will be shuttering at the end of June, it’s nice to have former top eatery – with one of the city’s top chefs working in the kitchen, Bryan Caswell – getting back into the game.
 
I visited the other night and necessarily having to sit in the bar on a Friday night, it seemed appropriate to have a Martini to start.  Among the several cocktails on the relatively short beverage list, each for the short price of just $8, was the Gin Martini, which I ordered.  No questions were asked about type of gin or garnish and a few minutes later a familiar, long-stemmed Martini glass was placed in front of me, dripping with condensation that was filled just with a clear liquid punctuated by some small pieces of ice floating top but unmarred by any garnish.
 
Though missing a cocktail olive or two (or three) skewered by a toothpick, this was the Martini you would have received at any decent establishment in Houston over the years until the advent of the craft cocktail movement and discovery of the qualities of quality and unspoiled vermouth in less than the past decade.  This was gin, pure and simple, served straight-up in a Martini glass.  At Reef it was very readily consumable Bombay Sapphire Gin that was shaken until very cold and poured alone into a frozen Martini glass.  No vermouth.  Certainly not a single dash of bitters.  I like vermouth to be a part of my Martinis, but this drink was very enjoyable, and refreshing coming in on a warm and muggy evening.  It was tough not to consume it too quickly, and I still had to look at the food menu.  The palatability of the Bombay Sapphire was the biggest reason why this Martini went down so easily, but being served into a glass pulled from a freezer was another significant reason.  Very cold gin tastes better than just cold gin, after all.
 
Reef
2600 Travis (at McGowen), 77006, (713) 526-8282
reefhouston.com

​Maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised to learn of a resolutely green cocktail that touted was touted to me the other day at McGonigel’s Mucky Duck.  McGonigel’s, and it was less than a couple of weeks from St. Patrick’s Day, which looms rather large on the calendar at this long-running showcase music club and restaurant-bar in the Upper Kirby District.  The owners and staff had come across the drink at a cocktail bar in San Diego the previous week and were quite impressed.
 
Being a huge from of The Clash, the name immediately made me think of one of the many enjoyable songs on the iconic, proto-punk first album.  Its name, from an ancient nursery rhyme about the Great Fire of London of 1666, has the opening lines:
 
All across the town, all across the night
Everybody's driving with full headlights
Black or white, you turn it on, you face the new religion
Everybody's sitting 'round watching television
London's burning with boredom now
London's burning dial nine-nine-nine-nine-nine
 
It turns out that this song has, unquestionably, no connection to the cocktail.  Or any cocktail, or any food-related item, at all.  Even so, exhorted by Rusty and Teresa, the owners of The Duck whom I’ve gotten to know in recent years, and knowing that the bar does a very good job with cocktails, I ordered it.  Just reading the list of ingredients, I could tell that it had absolutely nothing to do with the song nor London, nor any place near London.  It begins in the kitchen with a puree of jalapeños, that have been seeded and roasted, along with avocado, cilantro and lime juice.  Then at the bar when ordered, some of the puree on hand is mixed with some syrup and lemon juice.  The result is green with flecks of dark cilantro scattered about.  I would never consider ordering a drink that looked like that if I hadn’t been strongly touted on it.  Avocado in cocktail, too.  I don’t believe that I’ve ever had a drink featuring an avocado.
 
When it arrived in front of me, I thought it looked like the product of an aggressive cleanse recipe from a juicer.  I loved it.  The taste of the roasted jalapeños shown through providing a bit of smoke and spice that was nicely muted and complemented by the avocado and sugar.  It wasn’t a sweet drink, more on the piquant side, but balanced, with the gin working well in a subtle alcoholic concert with the verdant ingredients for very pleasant long taste and was easily drinkable.  Maybe too easily.
 
Teresa told me that the name comes, in part, from the London Dry gin that gives it is alcoholic interest.  The ‘Burning’ from the jalapeños, I assume.  OK, the moniker does actually make some sense.  The name could change in the near future as she mentioned they are thinking about replacing the London dry gin with Hendrick’s.  Its prominent cucumber notes could make this different-looking cocktail even more enjoyable in the future. 
 
McGonigel’s Mucky Duck
2425 Norfolk (a couple of blocks east of Kirby), 77098, (713) 528-5999
mcgonigels.com

​Though proprietor Justin Vann declaimed to me in the past that Public Services isn’t a cocktail bar, they have served terrific cocktails since they’ve opened doors, usually smartly updated and refined takes on classics.  One of these that I rediscovered at Public Services is the Tom Collins, which has been around for maybe 150 years.
 
Refreshing, maybe too much so, Public Services makes it with old style Old Tom Gin – the sweeter gin that predates the London dry gins and that was popular in the 19th century – lemon juice, raw sugar and the sparkling Top Chico all in expert proportions and attractively garnished with a lemon wedge and an unctuous Maraschino cherry from Luxardo.  And, served on ice in a tall Collins glass, of course.  Both slightly sweet and slightly tart, it’s balanced, cooling and lightly delicious.  I haven’t really tasted any of the two ounces of gin in it when, which is a very good sign to me.  As quickly as I have consumed them on balmy evenings, I’ve thought it best to limit myself to just one before moving to something more contemplative, i.e. more slowly drinking.
 
The Tom Collins is $10 regularly and just $6 during happy hour, which agreeably runs from 4:00 to 6:30 Monday through Saturday.
 
Public Services
202 Travis (at Franklin), (713) 516-8897
publicservicesbar.com

After finishing my initial cocktail during a recent visit to Anvil and expressing a like of martinis, the bartender recommended a Ford Cocktail.  I had never heard of it.  But, it turns out that has been around since before the turn of the twentieth century, making it to print in 1895 in George Kappeler’s Modern American Drinks.  It is a variation of a martini, hence the sage suggestion.  It features Old Tom gin – the sweetened variety that was popular in the 19th century before improved distilling methods allowed for the classic London dry version – dry vermouth, the cognac-based and honey-enlivened herbal liqueur, Bénédictine, orange bitters, and finally orange peel to garnish.
 
Though it might have been around for 125 years or so, the Ford Cocktail has been a rare bird, one that was seemingly dormant until the resurgence of the cocktail maybe a dozen years ago – or maybe somewhat earlier in Old Tom’s home turf in London.  A useful cocktail book I have at home by the estimable Anthony Dias Blue published in 1993, The Complete Book of Mixed Drinks, which has roughly 1,000 cocktail recipes, does not have the Ford Cocktail.
 
The Ford Cocktail at Anvil tasted like a more rounded martini courtesy of the slight sweetness from the Old Tom gin, the orange bitters, and Bénédictine, along with the lively citrus notes from the orange peel.  Still on the dry side, it was excellent and almost too easy to consume.  It’s yet another classic cocktail that Anvil does extremely well, likely much better than it once was.
 
Anvil’s recipe for the Ford Cocktail:
 
1.5 ounces – Hayman’s Old Tom gin
0.75 ounce – Dolin Dry vermouth
0.5 ounce – Bénédictine
1 dash – Regan’s Orange Bitters
Garnish – orange peel
 
Stir with ice for at least 30 seconds and strain into a Nick and Nora cocktail glass

​As much as I seem to drink, I don’t seem to drink enough.  For example, I was not familiar with the Southside, a classic gin-based cocktail that’s been around since the Prohibition era or earlier, until I read its description on Public Service’s menu after strolling a few blocks there on one of incredibly warm early evenings not too long ago.
 
The Southside is attributed to the famed 21 Club in Manhattan.  The version at downtown’s Public Services done so well consists of London dry gin, fresh mint, lime juice and simple syrup shaken and strained into a quaint coupe cocktail glass and garnished with a lemon peel.  Served cold, both slightly sweet and tart, but wonderfully balanced, it is very flavorful and refreshing and possibly too easy to consume on a warm day.  I’ve enjoyed several since then at Public Services.  They do it much better than most places, as they do most cocktails.
 
Public Services
202 Travis (at Franklin), (713) 516-8897
publicservicesbar.com

​A couple of times of year, I meet with friends for lunch at Brennan’s, always during an off day and with the prime objective to enjoy the 25-cent lunchtime martinis in an appropriately comfortable setting accompanied by usually very good food that’s been a fine value.  With four or five martinis and maybe a glass of wine – I wasn’t going back to the office – and a two-course meal and a tip of over 25%, we would leave for $40.  The lunch options were between $16 and $26 in recent years, a good deal, especially with the ridiculously inexpensive libations and the chance to stuff your pockets with pralines on the way home.
 
Unfortunately, since my most recent in the spring, it’s not like that anymore.  Last week, among three two-course options – a choice of soup or salad and the entrée – I chose the Imperial Crab Stuffed Flounder, which featured mushrooms with wilted spinach and a roasted fennel cream sauce.  It was disappointing.  The sauce and dish can best be described as gloppy, thick and simple, and obscuring the delicacy and much of the tastes of both the fish and the crab.  The fennel was undistinguishable in the bland sauce.  It was something that you might find in a restaurant in one of those other Texas cities far from the coast, but not in a well-regarded Houston restaurant, especially one with its seaside Creole provenance.  The turtle soup to start, just about as good as usual, and the complementary terrific, rich toast did much to help, though.  My selection of the flounder was the most expensive at $44.  The other two, Turducken Stuffed Texas Quail and Boudin Stuffed Pork Tenderloin were $36.  The quail was very much liked by my friends at the table, though the pork was deemed disappointing.  I guess I had made the wrong choice, but there should not be a bad choice among three, and at such a price, too.
 
The martinis were still quite tasty and the meal was enjoyable, as we overlooked the annoying slowness of our waiter.  We had fun, but I’ll likely save Brennan’s for dinner and brunch in the future.  And, maybe just cocktails, too.
 
Brennan’s
3300 Smith (between Elgin and the Spur), 77006, (713) 522-9711
brennanshouston.com

It's been a horrific stretch of days for the Houston area, but it seems that the worst might be over.  Here is much more frivolous fare, and featuring one that can hopefully soon to be enjoyed by a great many Houstonians.  My brother and sister-in-law are doing so tonight.

Excellent made-to-order margaritas featuring top-shelf tequila, freshly squeezed lime juice and more can now be found in numerous restaurants throughout the city, which is a very good thing.  These concoctions have deservedly became much more popular, as they are usually much tastier than the margaritas we grew up with – and, not incidentally, the nice extra margin for the establishments ensures that these are always pushed by the servers.
 
But, sometimes, with the desire to dull the edge in a familiar fashion for well less than $10 to be slurped with some caloric and spicy enough Tex-Mex, especially when it’s hot and humid outside, a basic frozen margarita is often what’s on the mind.  These have been a Houston staple since the early 1980s, and quite likely still the most commonly ordered mixed drink in the area.  
 
There is a wide variance in the quality of frozen margaritas, most I find are too sweet and often redolent of cheap margarita mix plus the unmistakable bite of inexpensive and harsh-tasting tequilas, if there is much tequila at all, and some arrive as a slushy mix and quickly watery mix rather than truly frozen.  With these lesser margaritas, one is usually my limit before needing to switch to beer.  But, as the bar has been raised on the high end, and several places offer quality house frozen margaritas in addition to a usually estimable array of top shelf margarita-inspired cocktails.  What I believe makes a good house frozen margarita includes a pleasant mix of tart and sweet, and certainly not too sweet, evident, clean-tasting tequila made from 100% agave, usually the unaged silver tequila, some taste of lime and not much in the way of processed flavors.  Good is good enough for a quality house frozen margarita, in my opinion.
 
After years of dedicated research, below is my list of the best frozen margaritas in Houston, listed alphabetically.  Just frozen.  Yes, I know that margaritas on the rocks are better than frozen margaritas even with basic ingredients, and I really like the very tart not-quite frozen specialty at Spanish Village, but this list is for bulk-made and wallet-friendly frozen staple of the Houston people.

In "research" in the past year-plus since the original version of this was posted, I have had to drop Ninfa's and Pico's, the latter has devoted their effort to the more expensive, and still excellent, top-shelf margaritas.  Ninfa's quality has seemingly dropped too much, too.  Maybe that is influenced by the significant and definite drop in quality of their long-famed fajitas, which makes for a more disappointing visit, overall.

Eight Row Flint  – From the folks at Heights-also Revival Market and Coltivare, this upscale ice house in a former Citgo station focuses on bourbon, but along with their other cocktails, their frozen margaritas are very good, and probably much more interesting and tastier than they need to be.  Featuring Lunazul blanco tequila, Mathilde XO orange liqueur from top-notch cognac maker Pierre Ferrand mixed with judicious amounts of fresh lime juice and salt tincture, these are very enjoyable, and especially easy to drink, on a warm evening.

El Tiempo – Long known for probably the strongest margaritas around and rumors that Everclear played a big role in the mix, I had found these too sweet and unbalanced for my tastes until the few years or so when they changed the makeup and upgraded the tequila (and one bearing their own lable).  These are now usually very enjoyable, learning toward the tart side but  pleasantly balance, while retaining all that potency.

​Laurenzo’s – Same as above.

The Pastry War – You should expect that the bar dedicated to tequila and mescal from the folks at Anvil would serve up an excellent frozen margarita if they deigned to, and they do, thankfully.  For just $8 you are treated to a more serious than usual frozen blend of quality blanco tequila, key and Persian limes, agave nectar and citrus salt.

Texas Shrimp Shack – With still plenty of plenty of tequilas on display when it was Maria Selma's, who remain with a new tasty concept, this Montrose eatery has always had a very enjoyable and properly balanced frozen margarita.