Our Houston vacation rentals are perfect for extended stays, business trips, or weekend getaways in “Space City”.
While you’re here, you may want to go out for a happy hour with friends or just relax and unwind with a drink at a Houston cocktail bar.
We’ve put together a guide to the best happy hour and cocktail bars in Houston, so read on to plan a great night out!
Cocktail Bars, Houston
The cocktail bars in Houston offer a wide range of drinks and atmospheres. Some focus on classic cocktails, while others have a more modern or experimental approach. Popular bars in Houston include Anvil, which focuses on the classics, and White Rhino, which serves fantastic drinks and has developed wildlife conservation efforts. Many bars in Houston also serve food, and some have outdoor seating or live music. Overall, the cocktail scene in Houston is diverse and vibrant, with something to suit every taste.
Anvil
Anvil focuses on classic cocktails. Its claim to fame may be its “100 List,” which contains a list of 100+ classic cocktails. The bar has a relaxed atmosphere and knowledgeable staff who can make a wide range of classic cocktails and new and creative drinks.
Anvil’s menu changes frequently and is based on seasonal ingredients. Along with cocktails, it also serves beer and wine and has a small selection of food items. Anvil is one of the most popular bars in Houston and has been around for a while. There are several cocktail categories on Anvil’s 100 List, including herbal and spirituous, tropical, and tiki.
Herbal Cocktails
Anvil is known for its classics, but they also have a selection of herbal cocktails. Some of these include The Bijou, made with gin, green chartreuse, sweet vermouth, and orange bitters; The Last Word, made with gin, green chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and lime juice; and The Aviation, made with gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, and lemon juice.
Remember, the menu at Anvil Bar & Refuge frequently changes, so you may find different options when you visit.
Tropical Cocktails
Anvil also has a selection of tropical-inspired drinks. Some of the tropical cocktails that you might find on the menu at Anvil Bar & Refuge include their Mai Tai, made with rum, lime juice, orange curaçao, orgeat syrup, and rock candy syrup; and their Zombie, made with rum, lime juice, pineapple juice, grenadine, and falernum.
The Anvil’s bartenders are knowledgeable and creative, so if you want to try something different, they can create a cocktail to suit your taste.
White Rhino
White Rhino is a new kid on the block – it opened in Houston’s East End in February 2021. This extremely eco-friendly cocktail bar has a reverse osmosis water system that pulls humidity from the air (in Houston, there is plenty) and turns it into drinking water. It also grinds used liquor bottles to create safe sand for its patio.
While the bar’s eco-conscious mission is noble, they also create fresh, innovative cocktails with unique ingredients. White Rhino’s happy hour is available Monday through Thursday, so be sure to stop by.
Conservation
In addition to its proactively eco-friendly space, White Rhino has also developed an initiative to support the conservation of white rhinos and anti-poaching efforts. The bar works with several organizations protecting the white rhino species, including Helping Rhinos, the Houston Zoo, and Save the Rhino International. They have made several donations to these organizations in 2021 and 2022.
If you love fresh cocktail recipes and want to help support conservation initiatives, we highly recommend you check out White Rhino for your next night out.
Soho Garden
Soho Garden is a unique patio cocktail bar tucked away in a gorgeous courtyard space in Downtown Houston. It draws inspiration from New York City’s vibrant, energetic nightlife and the cultural elements of the three founders from Mexico, Belgium, and Colombia.
About
Soho Garden’s cocktail menu includes innovative recipes such as the NYC Gin Tonic, made with Empress 1908 Gin, fresh rosemary, tonic, and an orange slice; and the Rose Felici, made with Zephyr Gin, floral liqueur, fresh lemon juice, and rose water.
Soho Garden has a happy hour every weekday, perfect for enjoying a fusion of culture in a beautiful space. If you’re looking for a fun night out on the weekend and a taste of the New York City nightlife in Houston, they have live DJs on the patio on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
Plan Your Visit to Houston
Check out these delicious cocktails when you stay in Houston, Texas. Out Houston rentals will be the perfect and most convenient option for your stay!
Diversion
Diversion Cocktails, which opened in January 2021, is also a newcomer. This upscale cocktail lounge is next door to the Degust restaurant on Long Point Road and celebrates being named one of Esquire’s best bars in America in 2022. It is also conveniently located near our Houston vacation rentals.
The folks behind the bar say they are more like a world-class kitchen than the average cocktail bar. The bar chefs use fresh ingredients, some of which they grow on their urban farms, to craft unique top-end drinks, some with very novel twists. One reviewer describes their experience with the Night at the Movies, made with Sercial Madeira, cognac, and citrus bitters, and brought to them with a tablet playing a Charlie Chaplin movie.
Cocktail hours at Diversion are Thursday through Saturday. You can also make reservations in their Cocktail Room or at the Bar Chef Counter. If you’re looking for a relaxing, posh experience, you may want to treat yourself to a night out at Diversion.
High & Dry
High & Dry Rum Bar specializes in rum-based cocktails. The bar features a wide selection of nearly 200 rums from around the world. They have a menu of creative and delicious classic and seasonal cocktails using fresh juices and house-made tinctures.
The atmosphere is cozy and intimate, and it’s a great place to relax and enjoy a drink with friends. High & Dry has a daily happy hour, where they offer discounted cocktails, wines, and beers.
Sugar Room
Sugar Room is a tip of the hat to the days of Prohibition when bars were the best-kept secrets. And like the speakeasy it is, you need to be in the know to find your way in.
There is a small bake shop on Washington Ave. with cupcakes, cookies, and sweets in the window. When you sneak through the bakery’s back stock room, you just might find what they call “Houston’s sweetest speakeasy.”
Sugar Room is another high-end spot featuring innovative artisanal cocktails such as their Tart Cherry Old Fashioned made with bourbon, tart cherries, lemon, black walnut bitters, and a touch of gold.
Note that Sugar Room requests you spiffy up and follow their dress code: ball caps and tennis shoes are not allowed.
This Houston speakeasy is open Tuesday through Sunday and might be the place if you are looking for a swanky night out where the 2020s meet the 1920s. And if you’re wondering, you can also buy treats from the bakery!
Stay With Buzz Vacation Rentals
We hope you found this guide to the best cocktail bars in Houston helpful. If you’re coming to Houston and want a great night out while you’re here, stay with us at Buzz Vacation Rentals and try one, or all of the spots we recommend! Check out our Houston vacation rentals for a short-term stay or weekend getaway, and have fun while you’re out on the town!