Meet Chilled 100 Bartender Justin “Jsleep” Houston

For Justin “Jsleep” Houston, bartending wasn’t initially on his radar. However, after persistent encouragement from his friends and colleagues, he reconsidered.

Intrigued by the prospect, Justin sought advice, received positive feedback, and eventually embraced the opportunity.

Now, he’s fully committed to the craft and currently operates as a mobile bartender.

What inspired you to become a bartender?

To be quite honest, I never wanted to be a bartender at first, but it was my friends Mr. Bret (my kitchen manager at California Pizza Kitchen), Ila, Brad, JB & Stacy who kept bringing the topic up to me. I quickly declined the idea. However, for the next few weeks, it was constantly being stated to me that I just might be a great fit behind the bar. So, I asked a few questions, got back the responses I desired and was like “YOLO!! Count me in,” and I’ve been locked in ever since.

Where do you tend bar now? What makes it unique?

I currently work for myself as a mobile bartender, however, my entire philosophy and methods of bartending are under the studies of Mr. Peter Clifton and Cody Northcutt of the INFAMOUS Ready Room (@ready.room on Instagram) located in Houston, TX. Their establishment is one of the first bars that made me say “Wow!! this place is simple, yet beautiful” Every Friday and Saturday, there is live music composed by the ever so talented Vanguard Collective Music Group (@vanguard_collective_htx), and that’s when the magic happens. The music… the ambience… the crowd. Mix those three elements with a few classic handcrafted cocktails (ask about the Mykawa Sour & the Westlothian) and you are in for a great night.

Who has been most influential in your development as a bartender?

Firstly, my God, for the blessings of this gift and lining my life’s path with these amazing people. My personal angel, my mom, Pamela (I hope I’m making you proud), Chef Bret Bartelme for the opportunity to start bartending, Chef Jabril Riddick for my acquired understanding of great customer service, Mr. Peter Clifton for telling me to “forget everything you know about bartending and become a student of the game,” Cody Northcutt for the reality checks and reminders when I doubted myself and my talents, my best friends and brothers Ca$h, Kevo and Jason for keeping me on path when I started to stray away, Mr. Ed Warner (@edexperience) & Bevin (@ohbevin) for teaching me to “dream bigger,” Drunken Corner (@drunkencornerhtx) for the opportunity to grow and build relationships, 3Js and a K Company for supplying the reasons to chase these dreams (I love y’all), and lastly, the numerous real friends and family that have been there before and during this time as I continue to grow through and through.

Do you have any advice for novice/ at home bartenders?

Read, study from the greats, and pick up essential keys to build upon your own style of bartending that will help you grow in the industry. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes and learn from them. Some of my best drinks came from simple mistakes.

What is your favorite ingredient right now and why?

Egg Whites. Going from “Ewww, yuck” to being able to explain how egg white adds a creamy, velvety texture to cocktails and gaining people’s trust to get them to change their minds and try it is a big win for myself and other bartenders facing this ingredient.

How do you go about creating a cocktail? Is there a specific process or simply a moment of inspiration?

It’s honestly a combination of both a process and inspiration. Prime example: I recently entered a Cognac Competition, and I had to take the flavors and consistency of a Sweet Potato Pie and transfer that into a cocktail. It was all inspired by a conversation between myself and my good friends Chuan (@levelsofgrandeur) and Joyce (@thegourmetglobetrotter). Chuan said she had a sweet potato spice syrup made and Joyce and I were talking about fall menus that we wanted to create. and then, BOOM!!! It hit me to try and create a Sweet Potato Pie Cocktail, and that’s how “Towards The End” was birthed.

Do you have a special technique you use or a tip for making a particular drink?

Always double strain creamy cocktails. Always stir, NEVER SHAKE, an Old Fashioned. That’s like nails on a chalkboard to me.

Where do you see the bartending/cocktail culture headed?

I truly believe bartending just in the near future will surpass anything of our wildest dreams and concepts. My good friend Terrance (@theetraptender) who’s really, really great with understanding the molecular structure and binding of cocktails and its ingredients, and my other homie Tony (@__drinkman) is outstanding with how flavors work well together (his Blueberry Basil Lemonade is killer), are great examples of knowing that the future of bartending is in good hands and will go further than just shaking and stirring. I honestly can’t wait.

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