This Women’s History Month, discover the best creative cocktails, fine wine, and craft beer at seven bars in Houston run by women.
Over the years, women have proven that there are no boundaries when it comes to opportunities to make an impact. Here in Houston, women play every role imaginable (as Beyonce would say, they run the world), and that includes creating venues where guests can relax with everything from a flight of craft beers or a glass of fine wine to a creatively artisanal cocktail made from top-shelf spirits.
As we celebrate Women’s History Month this March, let’s take a moment to look at seven women-owned bars around H-Town that truly capture the spirit of female vision and ingenuity.
The Board Room
800 Sorella Court, CityCentre
Between its location in the heart of CityCentre and its inviting, cozy aesthetic, The Board Room has no choice but to be a popular hangout for wine lovers.
Co-owned by Carly Whitehurst and her husband, John, this bar has Carly written all over it, with a wine-bottle chandelier, a wood-beam ceiling, and a village-market retail section featuring floral arrangements, candles, salsa, and art by local businesswomen.
Houstonians love the full bar, the Sauvignon John wine list that features California vintages, and the charcuterie boards in various sizes: for one (personal), two (shared), and five to six (tower). You’ll also find handhelds, salads, flatbreads, a few mains, and decadent desserts, so you can settle in here for hours.
Bosscat Kitchen & Libations
9595 Six Pines Drive, The Woodlands
I remember my first visit to Bosscat Kitchen & Libations. I had reserved a table in the bar for my birthday, and it was topped with a feminine, white-framed notice for potential interlopers: “Sorry, gorgeous, this table is taken.”
It was the first sign that I was somewhere fun, a place to celebrate and enjoy my girlfriends. That vibe is compliments of Leslie Nguyen and co-founder JT Reed, who opened the Woodlands location in March 2023. While this is a definitive whisky bar, there’s plenty here for those who prefer white spirits along with good food.
In Bosscat’s 5,800 square feet, you’ll find a private whiskey room, a semi-private champagne room, a whiskey library, a 38-seat indoor/outdoor bar, and a patio that seats 48, so you can settle into your perfect seating style for sipping.
Don’t miss the monthly special event, Whisky Wednesday. This March, a Whistle Pig flight is served along with a five-course meal, but in true Bosscat fashion, nothing is stuffy. Games and prizes intermix with lively conversation among friends old and new.
The Toasted Coconut
1617 Richmond Ave., Montrose
If your vision of vacation involves a tiki bar, save yourself the flight and set your nav to The Toasted Coconut in Montrose.
Lauded for its truly good cocktails, The Toasted Coconut serves tropical beverages without all the pre-mixed, sugary additives that most rum bars rely on. Instead, Sarah Troxell, the bar’s award-winning director, makes sure that each Vamos a la Playa is appropriately “smoky, tart, and funky” and that your Captain’s Grog is plenty boozy with multi-island and overproof rums.
Owned by Sara Stayer and her husband, Martin, everything at this establishment, from the Tiki bar to the cocktails to the food, is festive and colorful. And Stayer makes sure that non-drinkers aren’t left out. The menu features several inviting non-alcoholic selections that are just as attractive and tasty as their boozy counterparts.
Angel Share
924 Congress St., Downtown
When your last name is Angel, you almost have to be a caregiver, and Mary Ellen Angel shows her love with top-notch cocktails and hospitable service.
Her bar, Angel Share, comes by its name naturally. During the distilling process, some of the liquid, which is known in the business as the “angel’s share,” evaporates into the air of the rickhouse. Applying her last name along with her business mission, Angel donates a portion of her profits, along with proceeds from fundraisers, to Houston communities in need.
She also serves up a mean drink in a hip, industrial-chic setting of washed brick, topped by an arched wood ceiling. Neon stairs lead to a cozy loft. Happy hour is every day from 4 to 7 p.m., and it’s a bargain—$5 off wine by the glass, select cocktails, well drinks, and draft beer.
Note: Angel Share offers a free shuttle to the Astros night games at Daikin Park, a win-win for Houstonians.
Southern Yankee Crafthouse
1312 W. Alabama, Montrose
A true loved-by-the-locals joint in Montrose, Southern Yankee Crafthouse is helmed by Patrice Porter and her husband, Alex. The gastropub opened in 2021, a year when Houstonians (and the rest of the world) were itching to get our socializing on once again.
Turns out that Southern Yankee Crafthouse was just what the doctor ordered. The piped-in Indie music is a great background to the convivial atmosphere, so much so that you’ll be talking to strangers in no time. Sit outside on the front porch or at the bar, order up a candied pecan old-fashioned, a Cherry Red cider, or a Cosmonaughty, and you’ll get a sense of the creativity behind the cocktails.
The libation menu changes frequently, so you can come as often as you like, knowing you’ll never run out of drink choices. Customers rave about the food here, with Yelp reviewers throwing Southern Yankee tons of love for its giant pretzel and custom pizzas. And kids are welcome here, too, so feel free to bring the whole family.
Drop of the Creator Spirits Company
10929 Chimney Rock Rd, Brays Oaks District
Southwest Houston needed a new drop, and this woman-owned spirits company brings top-shelf gin, Texas whiskey, and vodka to a new-in-2025 tasting room in the Brays Oaks District.
Drop of the Creator Spirits Company is located in what owner Lori Murphy calls “an old haunted tire shop,” and the spirits are definitely more appealing in this newest iteration. Murphy and her husband, Jeromy, both architects interested in distilling, have spent the better part of the last year completely renovating the site.
It’s casual and relaxed, and you’d be wise to start your visit sampling some of the unique cocktails that showcase the Drop of the Creator spirits. Once you’ve chosen a favorite or two, you can buy a bottle to recreate the concoctions at home.
It was important for the Murphys to build a distillery in the area where they live, one they say has been woefully underserved for years. Now residents don’t have to trek across town for a night of live music, karaoke, or trivia—they can just head to Drop of the Creator, dig into a pizza, and sip on some local spirits.
Julep
1919 Washington Ave., The Heights
Do a Google search for the best bars in Houston, and Julep is bound to be on every list. The much-applauded bar is owned by none other than Alba Huerta, winner of the James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar Program.
What makes these cocktails so tasty? Julep’s focus is on cocktails rooted in the South that add the unexpected—usually international ingredients that elevate a good drink to greatness. Behind the bar and some pretty fantastic concoctions is Salvadoran American mixologist Carla Rodriguez, who admired Huerta and longed to be part of her team.
You’ll taste her passion for creative cocktails, especially when enjoying the Flor De Higo, her signature cocktail. It expertly blends Zacapa No. 23 Rum with spiced fig, plantain-coconut purée, lemon juice, creme de cacao, and orange bitters. The plantain chip flourish at the top is a reminder that women always remember the details.
