High-Proof Houston
Everything’s bigger (and boozier) in Texas!
Old Fashioned: Mellow Corn, Turbinado Sugar, Angostura Bitters, Orange Bitters, Maraschino Cherry, Orange Peel at Johnny’s GOld Brick | Photos: Will Blunt and Alexander Zeren
Depending on who you ask, Houston drinkers prefer stiff, sweet, savory, or classic cocktails; maybe just a beer; and sometimes a mix of any of the above. But one trend that hasn’t quite caught on yet, despite a national shift, are low- and nonalcoholic drinks.
“I've seen other cities leaning towards low-ABV or no- ABV cocktails, and I haven't seen that much here,” says Bartender Angel Salas of Johnny's Gold Brick. Born and raised in Houston, they’ve been bartending in the city for 10 years. Bars in Houston can and do create low- or no-ABV spaces for people, ensuring that anyone feels welcome no matter how much or little alcohol they want to drink. But, “It’s very interesting to see that people still will prefer to drink a cocktail that is regular or higher proof,” Salas says.
So, in a low-ABV world, why does Houston go high?
A confluence of factors contributes to Houston’s drinking vibe. Salas points to the city’s title of Energy Capital of the World as a reason for its drinking culture. “A lot of the people that live and work in those circles are typically male identifying,” they say, and tend to ask for something strong: whiskey, for example, or an old fashioned.
“I definitely believe that people should drink whatever they enjoy,” Salas says. But even in the Inner Loop, you’ll still run into a certain mentality, they explain, of “You need to be drinking something that's boozy; a stirred drink, a real stiff drink.”
Bartender Himanshu Desai of SOF Hospitality
Doris Smokeshow: Maple Syrup-Infused Bourbon, Black Walnut Bitters, Angostura Bitters, Orange Bitters, Cherrywood Smoke, Orange Peel
Another factor, says Himanshu Desai, corporate beverage director for SOF Hospitality, is Houston’s scant tourism relative to other big cities. According to Houston First Corporation, around 54 million visitors came to the city in 2024. But Desai doesn’t see tourists impacting the city’s bar scene.
Desai moved to Houston right before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and has been managing bars ever since. “What makes Houston different from all of the markets I’ve worked in the past,” he says, including Dubai, Hong Kong, and Singapore, is that “these cities have a huge amount of tourist traffic. In Houston, we rely on the locals and the patterns they follow.” Without a different set of people coming into the city, it takes a lot to break those patterns. “I’m not saying people here aren’t open-minded or willing to try something new,” he clarifies, but it takes a while for trends to catch on.
“You rarely hear people coming and saying, ‘I’m here to visit Houston,’” agrees Bartender Lucia Lee, who’s lived in Houston since she was five and started bartending at 18. “They’re here on business. Once they’re done with their meeting, they’re out.”
While Houston has been slower than other American markets to adopt low-ABV bar programs, an influx of people from out of state introducing new nonalcoholic products means it’s catching on. “People are recognizing these cool new options,” Lee says.
The popular drinks in Houston are also inherently high in alcohol. A bar will be judged by its old fashioned, says Salas. At Johnny’s Gold Brick, that’s the top seller, followed by the espresso martini and daiquiri. At the bars Desai manages, it’s the old fashioned and martini, then the margarita. “People absolutely love tequila and mezcal here,” Desai says. “My highest-selling spirit in general, apart from bourbon, is agave.”
Bartender Tyler Morris of Southern Yankee CraftHouse
Oops, All Berries: Brown Butter-Washed Rum, Licor 43, Simple Syrup, Aquafaba, Blueberries, Blackberries, Strawberries, Whipped Cream, Nutmeg
Desai has seen an overall decline in liquor sales compared to 2023 and 2024. Still, at Doris Metropolitan and other SOF Hospitality spots with a spirit-free menu there isn’t a lot of demand for the no- or low-ABV drinks. “Yes, there is a lot of noise about people wanting an option for no-ABV, something beyond mocktails and fruity things,” he says, but he doesn’t see demand growing. “I’ve seen a lot of people start asking for the cask strength and overproof rums and whiskies.”
“Houston has yet to focus entirely on a nonalcoholic menu,” adds Bartender Tyler Morris of Southern Yankee Crafthouse, who’s lived in the city for 12 years. “I would say that’s on the way, it just hasn't been the thing just yet.”
When she worked at Jūn, Lee says many customers didn’t realize the restaurant doesn’t have hard liquor. “They’d come in and want a whiskey and Coke or say, ‘Let me get an old fashioned,’ and we’d have to go over our cocktail program and what we focus on,” she says. “I would try to make drinks that are very similar to what we’re used to but with a little secret—oh hey, actually, it’s a low-ABV cocktail you’re getting. And I would put a lot of bitters in my drinks to give it that extra punch.”
Drinkers are becoming more discerning, too, thanks to bar programs that emphasize quality, unique spirits. “People seem a lot more willing to try different things,” says Salas, like a funky Jamaican rum or a Mexican cane spirit. “I think it opens the door for a lot of really interesting spirits to make their way into the mainstream,” they say.
At the end of the day, whether a guest wants all the alcohol or none of it, bars create space for everyone. “I think it's really about making sure that everyone still feels welcome no matter if they want that old fashioned or if they just want a mocktail,” says Salas. “And to never make anyone feel uncomfortable in your bar based on what they want to drink.”
