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Alba Huerta, the gifted mixologist and general manager of Anvil Bar & Refuge, will open her own bar early next year in partnership with the Anvil brain trust. She's calling it Julep, and it will be located at 1919 Washington Ave. in the former Corkscrew space.
Alba Huerta, whose new bar, Julep, will open early next year at 1919 Washington. Photo courtesy of Alba Huerta
Anvil co-owner Bobby Heugel has always said that he hoped some of his crew would go on to captain businesses of their own. So he's walking the walk by partnering on Julep with Huerta — whose title will be "Owner and Bar Director" —along with Hay Merchant's Kevin Floyd and Michael Burnett. (They're listed as Julep "Co-owners.")
Huerta, the current president of Houston's chapter of the U.S. Bartenders Guild, hopes to open by January of 2013. She's planning a food program with table service, outdoor seating and, in accordance with the Julep name, says Huerta, "bourbon. Lots of bourbon."
In the tradition of Anvil, Hay Merchant and Underbelly's reclamation of existing structures, the 1919 Washington space will get a redo that keeps an eye on history. The partners are promising a full kitchen, an interesting back room and a patio converted from a current garage that has wooden beams, brick and galvanized roofing.
At the same time Huerta and Heugel are launching a cocktail catering branch for Anvil, offering service for weddings, parties, private events, instructional classes and even the occasional pop-up bar.
Matt Tanner, who has been with Anvil since Day One, will be Anvil's new general manager.
congrats to a well deserved & lovely lady!!
Wow just what we need more stuff on Washington and more booze fueling the booz-a-holics.
Calling all hipsters and D-bags.......
Yay!
Love that near-Downtown end of Washington. With Catalina Coffee, Beaver's and Liberty Station already right there, adding one more place-to-be in the mix will make it even better.
another bar on Washington? yawn... I am glad I dont live in that area, its MAJORLY overloaded with Bars and Clubs that for the most part are out of business in a year...bad idea, they should have opened up in Galleria, Kirby, or other part of town.
I'm excited. An even closer bike ride from home.
Congrats AH, can't wait to see you in all your glory at your new place. Congrats.
....says Huerta, "bourbon. Lots of bourbon." She and others just refuse to get it and a poor choice of words for a business owner. These words will come back to haunt her. Yet, to get a permit to have a garage sale they give you a laundry list of "must do's" or face fines and punishment by not ever being able to obtain another permit. But, let people heavily drink and drive...sure no problem....here you go...rubber stamped!
You're taking this way out of context. Lots of bourbon could easily mean that most of the drinks on the menu will be bourbon-based, given that mint juleps are a bourbon drink. It does not mean that she's going to be overserving each person "lots of bourbon."
And try to familiarize yourself with the bar/restaurant industry before posting your comment. It is absolutely not a "rubber stamp" in getting liquor licenses, and complying with numerous TABC and dramshop laws. To compare a garage sale with a opening a bar is just ridiculous.
God you sound like a BLAST!!!
I dunno. Are the d-bags on Washington going to wait 15 minutes for a $12 drink? At what sounds vaguely like a gay bar...
Time will tell. This may be the first misfire, though, from Bobby & Co.
Exactly where in the article do you get the idea it's vaguely like a gay bar?
Also, this is on the far side of Washington, a good driving distance from the main "strip" on Washington that most of the D-bags frequent.
I cant wait, and personally I think the narrow selection that Heugel's places often exhibit will help keep broke hipsters and college douchebags alike far away so normal middleclass alcoholics like myself can enjoy another out-of-houston-experience'd concept.
The catering business is a great idea as well, congrats!
Agree. I've lived right off of Washington for over 10 years and have rarely seen the D bags everyone is referring to. Of course, I'm a Happy Hour guy and am usually safely home by 7 or 8pm. I've heard they don't come out till around 11pm.
To the few of you who are whining about it being "another" bar in an "overloaded" Washington Ave strech full of d-bags, you should probably take a few moments to research where this bar will actually be. It's way at the other end of Washington, near downtown. Past Yale, Heights, Studewood, and Taylor. It's actually a fairly d-bag free zone.
Good luck to Huerta et al!
gifted mixologist, LOL. Bartenders are so rare...
It's official! And I'm stoked! Congratulations, Alba! I know you've been working so very hard!
Another Washington bar...Quick NASA, hire her before the Russians do, we've got a genius here.
Alba Huerta is one of the most lovely and intelligent people I have had the pleasure of knowing for almost 20 years. If you actually knew her you wouldn't feel the need to post such a flippant comment about her or her endeavors to partner in business with successful people and take a stab at creating a business that not only helps stimulate the economy, create jobs and educate people on products they consume. You are probably one of the "douchebags" who will forget you posted this and wind up being a regular in her bar after it opens. *And just so we're clear, I think she actually did do some research for NASA one summer.
Great lady and deserves the best. Love the idea of lots of bourbon! Good luck on this new venture for you and your team
Can't wait. Alba is one the best.
That location is cursed, Corkscrew struggled from day one and the reason being is that its "no mans" land there during the day and not hopping like the more active Shepherd and Washington intersection. Non-Dbags wont go there because they want to avoid the REAL Dbags that are going to Hughes Hangar close by and create a mess. They probably got cheap rent and other concessions from the landlord to lease there, BIG MISTAKE! I would have opened it up where there is a more refned crowd like at West U or even the Highland Village would have been great! Sorry but this bar will be out of business in a year..
Ronny is exactly right. That particular location has been vacated for a reason. Corkscrew couldnt maintain because of the demographics of the area and so they closed and relocated in the Heights and have done extremely well since the move. Like everyone else I wish her all the success however the odds are not in her favor. Low rent is low for a reason...
If you build it, serve good food and demand excellent service from your servers, they will come