Local names plan launch of a Houston vodka micro-distillery east of downtown

Omar Afra, left, and Dutch Small stand at the future location of Our/Vodka in Houston on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016. Omar Afra, left, and Dutch Small stand at the future location of Our/Vodka in Houston on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016. Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 32 Caption Close Local names plan launch of a Houston vodka micro-distillery east of downtown 1 / 32 Back to Gallery

An East End block lined with nondescript warehouses and commercial buildings doesn't offer much in the way of atmosphere now.

But it's here, at the corner of Hutchins and Lamar, where a brain trust of local names will build an event destination anchored by their upcoming Houston vodka micro-distillery Our/Houston.

Free Press Houston publisher Omar Afra and public relations guru Dutch Small have become staples in the local arts and music scene for launching such successful events as Free Press Summer Fest and – just this past December – Day For Night.

Afra and Small were drawn to 2118 Lamar because of their affinity for this neighborhood, as well as its proximity to 8th Wonder Brewery. Our/Houston's 4,200-square-foot structure – which will house both the distillery and venue– is about a block north of 8th Wonder. Afra, Small and the 8th Wonder brewery owners plan on hosting street festivals along Hutchins, the street that connects both of their sites. Along with block parties, the distillery's event space will be used and leased out for charity events, public receptions and private parties. Small says the warehouse will see a renovation overhaul by product launch time, sometime around fall 2016.

"It's going to be made right here in Houston, right off of St. Emanuel. This is not one of those vodkas that comes in on an aircraft carrier that's distributed to a dozen people who put a sticker on it," Afra says. "It will use local ingredients to create the distillate."

The global connection

The duo is working in collaboration with France-based spirits powerhouse Pernod Ricard and with Åsa Caap of Sweden-based Great Works to launch the local Our/Houston micro-distillery. While these investors may have headquarters abroad – far from Houston's up-and-coming east-of-downtown neighborhood – the duo explain that Great Works' goal is to impact major, evolving metropolises.

Great Works' mission is two-fold: create a profitable product that translates to markets around the world and connect with key creative community players in these major cities.

The corporation reached out to Small and Afra – who have individually and collectively amassed an assemblage of local talent, from writers to musicians and artists – to be the Houston branch of the global project. The pair have creative-minded counterparts with Our/Houston plants in New York City, Seattle, Amsterdam, Berlin, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Miami.

"The great thing about it is, this isn't going to be a ticketed venue," Afra says. "This is going to be a place where you can say, 'Hey I'm in this burgeoning neighborhood with a brewery down the road. I can hop in here and see a great art show by a local artist, or a great art show from Amsterdam that we brought in via our partners in Amsterdam.'"

"It gives me stronger tools to do the things I've already been doing," Small says.

Afra is quick to explain that this isn't "something to subsidize Omar and Dutch's existing projects," but he admits that the profit from this launch will help them accomplish certain other goals; he cites bringing in international artists as an example.

The product's Houston connection

The liquid itself is intended to taste markedly different from city to city, so Houston's vodka will have a unique flavor profile. Visually, the product's packaging won't match the current standard. The sleek, modern bottle is a smaller, 375-milliliter container. "It's about the size of a Red Stripe. This is something you share with friends," Afra says.

Vodka has traditionally been the bar industry's most lucrative product, selling in higher volume that most other spirits. Within the service industry, it's often denounced for its lack of flavor nuance.

"All bad vodkas taste the same, much like all bad tequilas might as well be the same garbage, but this is a really beautiful, high-quality vodka," Afra says.

It's also a spirit that offers flexibility, since it adapts to most cocktails ideas. And that, for a diverse group of artists, is the ideal blank canvas.