Half Step Garners Top Industry Nom

Floradora from Half Step (photo Chris Bostick)

Lately things have been going very well for Chris Bostick. In the short months since opening his craft cocktail house, Half Step, on Rainey Street, he’s found his concept to be mega-popular with locals and it’s already gaining national attention.

UPDATE: It has just been announced that Half Step is one of the four finalists in the Best New American Bar category! Congratulations, and here's to a win in NOLA! Half Step has been nominated for Best New American Bar in 2014 Spirited Awards from top industry fest Tales of the Cocktail, held annually in New Orleans.

“This is the Golden Globes of the bar industry,” Bostick says. “It’s awesome to get the New Bar nom. You only get one shot at it.”

Half Step is the first Austin bar to get such a nod, and Bostick is pretty stoked about being in New Orleans for the festival.

“I’m really more excited for my staff. It’s humbling and not why we do this. You just try to get better every day. But it’s nice when people notice,” he says.

The ten nominees will be whittled to four finalists, and the winner will be announced at the festival on July 19th in New Orleans. Bostick is expecting to hear if Half Step made the short list of four as early as tomorrow.

Earlier in the month, Esquire Network paid a visit to film a spot for its new series, Best Bars in America, starting June 25th. Bostick has a great line in the promo for the show. He gets to explain the history of the old house on Rainey Street that underwent serious renovations to become the sleek and comfortable Half Step: “It was a busted-ass old crack house,” he says. Exactly the kind of line Esquire Network was looking for.

Best of luck to Half Step, Bostick, and his crew in the Spirited Awards! We’ll keep you up to date on the nomination.

Half Step

75 1/2 Rainey St. 512/391-1877

Mon. -Thurs., 7pm-2am; Friday 5pm-2am; Sat. & Sun., 2pm-2am