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Julep Bar Wins Houston’s First Ever National James Beard Award
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By Marene Gustin
n June, Alba Huerta’s Julep bar in the Heights became the first ever Texas establishment to win a national James Beard Foundation Award when it won the Outstanding Bar Program category. The James Beard Foundation was started in 1986 to honor the memory of James Beard, a prolific food writer and cookbook author in America. Known as the Oscars of the food world, the annual awards are given in 23 categories, both national and regional. Julep’s award this year was the first national honor for a Texas institution but was followed that same night by Edgar Rico of Austin’s Nixta Taqueria for Emerging Chef. Quite a feat, but not the only accolade Julep has won, not even for this summer. “Just days before the Beard awards,” says Huerta, “we were named to the 50 Best Bars in North America list. We are
the only Texas bar on the list and it’s an international list of bars and restaurants. It’s really bringing some international travelers here.” Both Julep and Huerta have won multiple awards, from being named one of the top five bars in the United States by Bon Appétit in 2015 and one of the twenty-four best bars in America by Esquire in 2017, to Huerta’s selection by Food & Wine as one of ten rising-star female mixologists. And Thrillist named her one of the Best Bartenders in America. And the list goes on. Huerta came from Mexico with her family at the age of five and started working in bars before she could legally drink. “That’s Texas for you,” she says, “You can serve alcohol at 18 but you can’t drink it.” July + August 2022
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