By DeVaughn Douglas
Forward Times
https://www.forwardtimes.com/
The Houston creative blends mixology, storytelling, and the language of desire in a bold new editorial cocktail book.
Drinks have long played a role in the rituals of romance. A glass raised across a table, a cocktail shared at the bar, the quiet moment after a first sip when conversation begins to loosen and the night starts to unfold. For Houston bartender and creative Bevin Biggers, those moments are not just social customs. They are part of a larger story about desire, autonomy, curiosity, and the ways people learn to understand themselves.
That story now sits at the center of Aphro, Biggers’ new editorial cocktail book that blends original drink recipes, photography, narrative writing, and cultural reflection into a project she describes as both playful and deeply intentional.
“At the baseline, it’s an editorial cocktail book based on the sexual response cycle,” Biggers said to Forward Times. “But it’s a lot more than that.”
The idea has been with her for more than a decade. Long before the book took shape, Biggers imagined opening a bar built around aphrodisiac ingredients, where cocktails would rotate based on flavors historically connected to desire and intimacy. Financial realities delayed the concept, but the vision never disappeared.
“This year I worked on the book because I said, if I can’t open the bar yet because I don’t have the funds to do it just yet, why don’t I just write a book?”
Encouraged by a friend, Biggers applied for a grant through Houston Arts Alliance to bring the project to life. It was her first time applying for funding, and she admits she was unsure how a proposal centered on sexuality would be received.
“I was afraid I wasn’t going to get the grant,” she said. “I’m talking about sex. But I wanted them to understand that I’m talking about it in a way that’s not exploitative. It’s about autonomy and understanding what you desire.”
The email approving the grant arrived while she was thrifting.
“I was at Goodwill,” Biggers recalled with a laugh. “When I saw the email saying ‘we approved your grant,’ I was like, wow. People care about sex.”
From there, the work began.
Created in collaboration with photographer Rosebeth, Aphro took roughly seven months to complete. The pair shot images at locations across Houston while Biggers developed the book’s structure, selected cocktails, and designed the layout herself using Adobe InDesign.
“Design was kicking my ass,” she admitted. “I was absolutely fighting for my life with design.”
The finished book is organized into four chapters based on the sexual response cycle: desire, arousal, orgasm, and resolution. Each section features five cocktails designed to reflect the mood and emotional arc associated with that stage. The drinks themselves, however, are more than clever titles. Biggers approaches cocktails with the mindset of a chef, thinking deeply about texture, balance, and technique.
“I want people to appreciate it for more than just putting a few ingredients together,” she said. “I want people to care about texture. I want people to think outside the box.”
The recipes reflect that philosophy. Some feature ingredients like pistachio, avocado, or carrot, while others explore techniques such as brûléed fruit, stabilized foam, and homemade ice cream. One drink, which Biggers jokingly named the “sex shooter,” was born from a simple frustration.
“There’s not a martini that’s dirty enough for me,” she said. “So, I made it as dirty as I like it.”
The cocktail blends elements like blue cheese and anchovy-infused vermouth into a silky drink designed for fans of aggressively savory martinis. Other drinks lean bright and refreshing, like Insatiable, a citrus-forward cocktail built around coconut rum, grapefruit, and lime, or La Bestia, a variation on the classic Last Word that balances Aperol, yellow Chartreuse, lemon, and dry curaçao.
For Biggers, the recipes are just one part of the experience. Even if readers decide a particular drink is not for them, she hopes they walk away with something more valuable.
“You don’t have to like the drink,” she said. “But I want you to take the technique and use it for other things.”
Beyond the cocktails and photography, Aphro also explores the social ideas surrounding sex and pleasure. Biggers added a section on Black mixology history after realizing the topic was often missing from mainstream discussions of cocktail culture.
“These men were freeing their wives and children from slavery with tips,” Biggers said. “That history is often left out of cocktail conversations, but it matters. Black bartenders and mixologists were shaping drink culture while also using their earnings to buy freedom for their families. That’s a powerful legacy, and it deserves to be part of the story.”
The book also includes reflections on sexual education, shame, and the ways people learn about intimacy. Biggers conducted anonymous questionnaires asking women about their experiences with desire and orgasm, uncovering stories that ranged from curiosity to frustration. Those answers reinforced her belief that conversations about sex should exist beyond the internet and outside the secrecy that often surrounds them.
“There aren’t enough spaces where people can talk about sex in a healthy way,” she said. “Everybody’s not outspoken. Some people just want to listen and learn.”
Ultimately, Aphro is as much about creating those spaces as it is about cocktails. Biggers hopes to host classes, tastings, and discussions where readers can explore the drinks and the ideas behind them in person.
Only a few copies remain available through presale. While the first hardcover edition is intentionally limited, Biggers said she plans to release a paperback version after the initial run. For Biggers, the project represents something deeper than a publication. After years of imagining the bar she someday hopes to build, the book is the first tangible step toward that world.
“I feel like I’ve been pregnant,” she said, laughing. “And I’m waiting for my baby to drop into my house.”
With Aphro, that long imagined vision is finally ready to be poured.
