Sugarcane Eco-Friendly Cocktails

Last week I attended the Grand Opening at Sugarcane, a new bar in Houston located at 1919 Washington Ave. (map).  Sugarcane’s hook is “ECOcktails” – they serve organic liquors, grow produce on-site, and squeeze their own fresh juices for mixed drinks.  According to their website they also plan on composting, using biodegradable products, and sourcing liquor and other ingredients locally through the Go-Texan local food movement.  As a former bartender, and current lover of spirits, I have long subscribed to the theory that the artificial sugars and flavors (high-fructose corn syrup, and artificial dyes and flavoring) in traditional drink mixers like sodas and fruit juices contribute to the next day’s hangover.  I stopped drinking mixed drinks with soda or juice years ago, aside from the occasional dash of cranberry juice in a vodka & club soda, and I turned to scotch and vodka martinis as an alternative.  I was anxious to check out the promises of this new, eco-chic bar, whose website also claimed “fewer hangovers” as a happy side-effect of their sustainable approach.

When we arrived at 6:30 PM the opening was in full swing.  Luckily we were meeting friends who had scored four seats at a table next to the bar, because by the time we showed up the crowd was elbow-to-elbow, and it only got more crowded as the happy hour crowd grew.  In spite of bringing our camera we didn’t – we couldn’t! – take one picture, the bar was so full of people.  It really didn’t matter, since we were having such a great time chatting with our friends and meeting new folks; everyone was having an amazing time tasting new drinks, reviewing the menus on the table, and enjoying the music that was pulsing through the air.  Sugarcane had even provided a “martini and manicure” table where guys and gals alike were being pampered with mini-manis while enjoying their ECOcktails – a nice touch.

The space is cool and laid back, but not austere or cold.  The walls are painted in mellow colors of sand and green, and exposed plumbing is painted in darker tones to provide a nice contrast.  Eclectic artwork hangs on the wall – my favorite was a painting of a girl who appeared to be texting on her cell phone, the image reflected many times over, as if in broken glass.  A crowded grand opening party is not really the place to get a “vibe” for what a bar is going to be like on a day-to-day basis, but I can say that they had plenty of bartenders on duty, free tastings of Acai Vodka (yum!), and a staff of bussers who continuously cleared empty glasses and beer cans from tables.

The drink menu was a good mix of classic and signature cocktails; I started with a dirty martini, my husband with a mojito.  The dirty martini, in spite of being a simple drink (vodka, olive juice) is surprisingly easy to mess up, with too much or too little olive juice ruining the whole thing; mine was perfectly salty with a two-olive garnish – good quality olives, too.  My husband’s mojito was nice and fresh, minty but without being overpowering.  I was the one who ordered the first round and I took special care to note the process, and was pleased to see the bartenders using wooden (not metal or plastic) muddlers to crush the mint; I am a traditionalist.  After our first drink, the boys switched to beer but I departed from my usual “no juice” rule to try a drink called the “Sixth Ward”: Blueberries muddled with thyme, mixed with organic vodka, over ice.  It was definitely yummy and I finished the whole thing, rare for me since I don’t have much of a sweet tooth when it comes to cocktails.

With drinks ranging from about $6-$13, Sugarcane is catering to a more professional, upscale crowd, but both the neighborhood and the atmosphere are welcoming, without pretension, and accessible to anyone who appreciates a fine mixed drink.  I am looking forward to my next visit, when I can do some brain-picking amongst the bartenders on methods and practices!

(PS – No hangover!)

What: Sugarcane Bar

Where: 1919 Washington Ave.

Hours: Monday-Saturday 4 PM – 2 AM; Closed on Sunday.

Specials: Happy Hour specials include $2  off cocktails, $1 off beer, and $5 glasses of wine between 4 PM and 7 PM on weekdays.

Parking: On-street parking available, as well as free lot parking.

Photo 1 courtesy of Sugarcane, Photo 2 SXC