Top Ten Tuesday ~ Houston Vibes

~ Caffeine Crawling, cocktail sipping, beer drinking - Houston brought the heat in the beverage world this weekend. ~ 

1. 
After catching an early flight out of KC, we landed in Houston and hit the ground running with great drinks at Catalina Coffee. A smooth cappuccino for Sadie, a balanced Americano for Savannah and a natural Ethiopian via the Curtis Gold Cup brewer for Jason started our morning of Crawl prep off right. 

2.
Good company and good wine at Boheme with our friends from InterAmerican and Wholesome!. Some of my favorite sips by the glass - The Seeker Pinot Noir 2012, Badenhorst Secateurs Red Blend 2011, and Chandon Pinot Meunier 2012.

3. 
Where to start with the local beers we had. Over a fat, tasty burger at the Hay Merchant, Jason refueled on a Karbach Weisse Versa and 2014 Buffalo Bayou Sour Summer Wit. Both local sensations in a glass. Sadie went with a Buffalo Bayou Sam's Daily, and we tasted the Karbach Hopadillo IPA as well. 

4. 
A special treat on the Crawl was the recreation of David Buehrer's signature drink from the US Barista Championships, happening the same weekend. Herbaceous and sweet berry notes in the El Vado Colombian espresso were brought out by orange peel simply syrup and bitters made with cinnamon, chamomile, juniper berries, & piña roja (red pineapple) - interesting and delicious. 
 

5. 
Houston should get more attention for their cocktail scene. We sure enjoy it, and had a round of signature drinks under Julep's signature "Rural South" menu - the Cherry Bounce Sour, Snake-Bit Sprout, and Amethyst Flip.  Good to see familiar faces and sneak in some hugs over a flight of oysters.

6. 
Double Trouble Caffeine and Cocktails killed it with cold brew on the Crawl, but we dropped in for a round of local brews from Southern Star Brewing & Oasis Texas Brewing the day before to catch up on emails and sit out a rain shower. 

7. 

We didn't use to talk openly about favorites, but Paper Co.'s performance during the Caffeine Crawl was one for the books. A fun experience learning how to make coffee infused coconut milk and a SousVide coffee into vodka pressure extraction. 

8. 
Our "preview before the sneak peek" of Retrospect Coffee Bar's not-yet-open space was awesome - chatting with Stephen and his landscaper brought the future of Retrospect to life as they envisioned unique seating for customers, a cozy and creative use of their unconventional space and collaborative partnerships with local artists. We can't wait to see the finished space! 

9. 
The kickoff experience at Honeymoon Cafe & Bar along with the drinks after the Caffeine Crawl will make this a place we always send friends to. Glad we are seeing bars execute espresso, cocktails and beer under one roof with great hospitality.

10. 
A high point for us as we travel across the county for Caffeine Crawls is always the awesome people we meet, and the crew at LOCAL Houston Magazine fit the bill in Houston. Great to work with as media sponsors, they jumped on board to help us out when we needed a favor. With too many other tasty drinks to fit into a Top Ten list, check back for the full recap, coming soon - and cheers to a great weekend in H-town! 

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