I’ve been holding onto this interview since March, and I just wasn’t sure that I was going to be able to release it. In much of the country, bars have been closed for months, and if they are able to open, there are varying degrees of success with that, especially since in much of the South at least, there are restrictions for selling to-go cocktails, one of the only ways for these businesses to remain financially viable. The cultural conversation often seems judgmental and dismissive, and visually, much of television news seems to be keying in on that and elevating people behaving badly in some bar somewhere.

And so this interview has become a response to that imagery. I get it. When people drink, inhibition goes down and so, right now, so can the masks and social distancing. But I think we’re doing a disservice just culturally throwing up our hands saying “what can we do.” We’re in danger of losing a lot of creativity in our culture, and my case for that point is this interview with Alba Huerta, owner of Julep in Houston, TX. Not only is the press she’s received over the years a case -- for instance, she was named Bartender of the Year in 2014 by Imbibe magazine -- her creativity, intelligence, can-do attitude, and focus on building a successful business are rarely matched. I hope this chat with Alba will help you empathize a little more with the current plight of businesses like hers. This is a lifelong career for her, one in which she consistently invests her talent, and she’s created a wonderful culinary experience at Julep blending hospitality and good spirits.

Other episodes you might enjoy:

Gary Crunkleton, The Crunkleton (Chapel Hill, NC)

Bob Peters, The Punch Room at the Ritz Carlton (Charlotte, NC)