Cocktail and wine bars aplenty in the Houston area

A Coffee Negroni is seen at The Cottonmouth Club, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, in Houston. ( Jon Shapley / Houston Chronicle ) A Coffee Negroni is seen at The Cottonmouth Club, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, in Houston. ( Jon Shapley / Houston Chronicle ) Photo: Houston Chronicle Photo: Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 14 Caption Close Cocktail and wine bars aplenty in the Houston area 1 / 14 Back to Gallery

COCKTAIL AND WINE BARS

13 Celsius

Housed in a former 1920s dry-cleaners building, this comfortable Midtown wine bar offers a wide range of unique wines by the bottle, glass and half glass. Also: artisan cheese and salumi boards, and a pretty courtyard. 3000 Caroline, 713-529-8466; 13celsius.com. Inner Loop

Anvil Bar & Refuge

Searching for some of the best cocktails in the country? Anvil expertly mixes the old-school way, with fresh ingredients and a dose of history. Just know that perfection takes time. 1424 Westheimer, 713-523-1622; anvilhouston.com. Inner Loop

Bayou & Bottle

The rebirth of the lobby at the Four Seasons downtown brought with it this snazzy new bar/restaurant that has an extensive whiskey program (they even have a bourbon steward) and creative cocktail menu. 1300 Lamar, 713-650-1300; fourseasons.com/houston. Inner Loop

Beckrew Wine House

Expect an extensive list of wines by the glass and bottle here; flights are cleverly grouped (think "The Alsatians," "Cali Cabs," "Sideways (Pinot Noir)"). 2409 W. Alabama, 713-526-2242; beckrew.com. Inner Loop

Better Luck Tomorrow

The bar-restaurant hybrid in the Heights from bartending guru Bobby Heugel and James Beard Award-winning chef Justin Yu recently was named one of the best new restaurants in America by Food & Wine. 544 Yale, 713-802-0845; betterlucktomorrowhou.com. Inner Loop

Boheme

The wine list at this popular Montrose spot isn't vast, but it's solid, affordable and thoughtful (we like a place with an albarino, vermentino and gruner veltliner by the glass). Plus, it has one of the city's nicest patios and refreshing frozen cocktails. 307 Fairview, 713-529-1099; barboheme.com. Inner Loop

Camerata at Paulie's

Savvy bartenders help navigate customers through this hip wine bar's interesting vino list. The atmosphere in the industrial-chic space next to casual Italian cafe Paulie's is laid-back. 1830 Westheimer, 713-522-8466; pauliesrestaurant.com/camerata. Inner Loop

The Cottonmouth Club

A legit cocktail bar inside a moody, historic downtown structure offering an East Village vibe set to an eclectic late-'70s soundtrack. 108 Main; cottonmouthhouston.com. Inner Loop

Julep

The art of the fine Southern cocktail is taken to new heights in this Washington Avenue bar overseen by mixologist Alba Huerta. 1919 Washington, 713-869-4383; julephouston.com. Inner Loop

Nightingale Room

An intimate drinking spot as serious about their cocktails as they are about their vinyl selection and live music acts. 308 Main, 832-968-3370; nightingaleroom.com. Inner Loop

Night Heron

A hip-but-charming bar with inventive food and patio across from the Menil museum. Owned by the restaurateurs behind Coltivare and Eight Row Flint, try their spin on a Salty Dog. 1601 W. Main, 713-527-8010; agricolehospitality.com/night-heron. Inner Loop

OKRA Charity Saloon

With every drink purchase at this not-for-profit establishment, patrons get a vote to cast on one of the month's spotlight charities. At the end of the month, the charity with the most votes gets that month's profits. 924 Congress, 713-237-8828; friedokra.org. Inner Loop

The Pastry War

Named for a three-month skirmish in 1838 between Mexico and France, this downtown bar specializes in mezcal, tequila and sotol. Fun décor, well-crafted margaritas and delicious tamales further the appeal. 310 Main, 713-226-7770; thepastrywar.com. Inner Loop

Postino Wine Cafe

Popular new Heights wine bar offers signature bruschettas paired with global wines priced between $27 and $150 a bottle. Plenty of affordable wines by the glass, too. Day drinker? $5 glasses until 5 p.m. daily. 642 Yale, 346-223-1111; postinowinecafe.com. Inner Loop

Reserve 101

The downtown bar offers more than 100 whiskeys, and the bartenders are well versed in the traits and histories of every bottle. Located near Discovery Green, House of Blues and Toyota Center, it draws a diverse crowd. 1201 Caroline, 713-655-7101; reserve101.com. Inner Loop

Sable Gate Winery

You can order by glass or bottles at this Midtown wine bar, but you can also blend and bottle your own wine from California grapes. Great for parties; bistro menu available. 2600 Travis, 713-360-7113; sablegatewinery.com. Inner Loop

State Fare

This lively Memorial City restaurant offers comfort food, but its cocktail program is equally enticing. 947 Gessner, 832-831-0950; statefaretx.com. W

The Tasting Room

Wine bar/restaurant concept that stays busy for drinking, retail sales and dining. 1101-18 Uptown Park, 713-993-9800; tastingroomwines.com. 818 Town and Country Blvd. at CityCentre, 281-822-1500. W

Tongue-Cut Sparrow

This 25-seat formal cocktail bar, hidden in a clubby lair above the Pastry War, might be the city's most intimate place for well-crafted classic cocktails. Reservations accepted. 310 Main, 713-321-8242; tonguecutsparrow.com. Inner Loop

Vino & Vinyl

It takes restraint not to open a bottle and stay all day at this wine bar and shop with two locations. Besides boutique wines and vinyl records spinning on the turntables, there's also special tastings and a revolving local art display. 3340 Murphy, Suite 150, Missouri City, 281-208-7453, and 15977 City Walk, Sugar Land, 281-277-0565; vino-vinyl.com. SW