The Museum of the American Cocktail recently hosted a seminar featuring Dennis Pogue, author of "Founding Spirits" on the history of the American whiskey industry. According to Pogue, George Washington was quite the rye whiskey distiller, making more money off his hooch than anything else grown on his Mount Vernon estate. Derek Brown of The Passenger and Columbia Room gave a demonstration on how to make a classic Old Fashioned and Phil Green of the Museum showcased the New Orleans Cocktail Trinity. With six rye whiskey recipes to boot, my latest installment for the MOTAC blog will have you swirling in our nation's history of drinking!
Monday, January 30, 2012
George Washington and the Drinking of the Nation
The Museum of the American Cocktail recently hosted a seminar featuring Dennis Pogue, author of "Founding Spirits" on the history of the American whiskey industry. According to Pogue, George Washington was quite the rye whiskey distiller, making more money off his hooch than anything else grown on his Mount Vernon estate. Derek Brown of The Passenger and Columbia Room gave a demonstration on how to make a classic Old Fashioned and Phil Green of the Museum showcased the New Orleans Cocktail Trinity. With six rye whiskey recipes to boot, my latest installment for the MOTAC blog will have you swirling in our nation's history of drinking!
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
DC Gets Its Holiday Cocktail On
Reporting for the Museum of the American Cocktail, an all-star ensemble of DC's bartenders (the likes of Gina Chersevani of PS7s, JP Caceres of Bourbon Steak, Jon Harris of the Gibson, Katie Nelson of the Columbia Room and Dan Searing of Room 11) convened at PS7s for a holiday cocktail seminar. Let me tell you, we've got some creative minds and palates in this city! A "Sweet Potato-Ginger Sparkler" with a roasted oolong marshmallow, "Fall in a Cup" with butter-infused elderflower liqueur. A tequila, sherry and clementine punch and a Tom and Jerry. I think we've got the beginnings of a new holiday carol.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
DC Celebrates Repeal Day in Style
December 3 marked the 4th Repeal Day party hosted by the DC Craft Bartender's Guild. I was there on behalf of the Museum of the American Cocktail to report on the grand affair. If there was any reason to go, it was for Chantel Tseng's "Darmoney Sucker Punch" in a claw-foot tub.
On Hiatus
Dear Readers,
I apologize for my long absence from District Cocktail. My wife and I were busy all summer preparing for the arrival of our son who was born on October 15. We are having a glorious time caring for him and welcoming him to the world. I promise to be back on the writing-block soon. You can still follow my drinking adventures in 140-character segments on my Twitter feed @DCcocktails. In the meantime, I will also be reporting for the Museum of the American Cocktail.
I apologize for my long absence from District Cocktail. My wife and I were busy all summer preparing for the arrival of our son who was born on October 15. We are having a glorious time caring for him and welcoming him to the world. I promise to be back on the writing-block soon. You can still follow my drinking adventures in 140-character segments on my Twitter feed @DCcocktails. In the meantime, I will also be reporting for the Museum of the American Cocktail.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
Happy Rickey Month!
With DC's official Rickey month beginning today I thought I would begin my coverage by paying homage to the original Rickey and take a look back at a unique twist on the District's original cocktail. The Rickey originated in the 1880s, being first made at Shoomaker's bar on Pennsylvania Ave. after a request by Col. Joe Rickey, a lobbyist at the time who wanted a change from his daily bourbon.
A Rickey is about as simple as it gets to make. Derek Brown of The Passenger and Columbia Room is DC's resident scholar on the Rickey. He is the author of the Wikipedia entry on the cocktail, coining it as "an air conditioner in a glass," perfect for the hot and humid dog-day DC summers.
I was recently at the Passenger and had their standard bourbon Rickey. Served in a red wine glass, it consisted of Virginia Gentleman, a bourbon made in Virginia (yes, bourbons made outside of Kentucky can be called bourbons), giving the Rickey a more local touch. A half lime was squeezed and dropped into the glass and topped off with soda water. As opposed to gin Rickeys, a more popular version, the sweet and spicy caramel/oak flavor of the bourbon adds a more interesting depth to the Rickey. The soda water and lime gives it a very light texture, acting as a mild palate cleanser allowing for a clean AC-like finish. I enjoy a gin Rickey with the lime accentuating the spirit's botanical structure, but for that authentic feel and and more stimulating flavor, the bourbon Rickey is the way to go. (Pictured: The bourbon Rickey at The Passenger)
In honor of the 2010 Rickey month, Bourbon Steak created their own twist on the Rickey with their "Celerickey" made with Hendrick's gin, fresh lime juice, house-made ginger syrup, and celery juice.
The Celerickey had a distinct vegetal undercurrent with the cucumber notes of the Hendrick's combined with the grassy and sweet celery juice, giving it an almost Bloody Mary-esque quality. The lime juice provided some bright acidity with the ginger syrup adding a not-to-sweet touch. It was light, airy and refreshing. I really liked the dramatic celery garnish. I think I know what I'll drink the next time I order from their brunch menu. (Pictured: The "Celerickey" at Boubon Steak)
A Rickey is about as simple as it gets to make. Derek Brown of The Passenger and Columbia Room is DC's resident scholar on the Rickey. He is the author of the Wikipedia entry on the cocktail, coining it as "an air conditioner in a glass," perfect for the hot and humid dog-day DC summers.I was recently at the Passenger and had their standard bourbon Rickey. Served in a red wine glass, it consisted of Virginia Gentleman, a bourbon made in Virginia (yes, bourbons made outside of Kentucky can be called bourbons), giving the Rickey a more local touch. A half lime was squeezed and dropped into the glass and topped off with soda water. As opposed to gin Rickeys, a more popular version, the sweet and spicy caramel/oak flavor of the bourbon adds a more interesting depth to the Rickey. The soda water and lime gives it a very light texture, acting as a mild palate cleanser allowing for a clean AC-like finish. I enjoy a gin Rickey with the lime accentuating the spirit's botanical structure, but for that authentic feel and and more stimulating flavor, the bourbon Rickey is the way to go. (Pictured: The bourbon Rickey at The Passenger)
In honor of the 2010 Rickey month, Bourbon Steak created their own twist on the Rickey with their "Celerickey" made with Hendrick's gin, fresh lime juice, house-made ginger syrup, and celery juice.The Celerickey had a distinct vegetal undercurrent with the cucumber notes of the Hendrick's combined with the grassy and sweet celery juice, giving it an almost Bloody Mary-esque quality. The lime juice provided some bright acidity with the ginger syrup adding a not-to-sweet touch. It was light, airy and refreshing. I really liked the dramatic celery garnish. I think I know what I'll drink the next time I order from their brunch menu. (Pictured: The "Celerickey" at Boubon Steak)
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Skipped out by the Hop Skip, Old Raj Comes to the Rescue
With the 2011 RAMMY Awards already at a close, I had intended on trying all of the finalists for the Mixology/Beverage Program. However, I ran into a little snag with the "Hop Skip" cocktail at Estadio. Eager to get my drink on, I stopped by a little over a week ago at the Spanish-themed restaurant and met with head bartender Adam Bernbach. He informed me that the RAMMY organizers made a mistake in listing the nominations and that the Hop Skip was actually at his other bar Proof. To add to my disappointment he also said that he had run out of its key ingredient, namely salt-cured limes, which he uses for the vodka-based cocktail. Alas, the Hop Skip did not join my reviews of Is He Sharpe?, Alewife, Perennial Tea and Citros Gengibre (the winning cocktail) before the June 26 awards. Bernbach did say that the salt-cured limes are on their way and the cocktail should be available at Proof in July.
However, Bernbach made up for the misunderstanding by personally preparing for me his Old Raj & House-made Orange Thyme Tonic, which is part of Estadio's menu. Old Raj is a 110 proof gin from Scotland infused with saffron giving it a pale yellow color and a spicy structure joined by strong juniper and citrus flavors. To that Bernbach adds his own tonic which he prepares by boiling water and steeping orange, thyme and dried bay leaf for one hour. He then adds a less processed red quinine (ground bark from the Cinchona tree) giving the tonic an amber hue. (Pictured: Ground red quinine)
On the nose the The Old Raj G&T smells of juniper with the tonic's orange aroma boosting the gin's citrus tones. It has a healthy dose of the gin (exactly how I prefer my G&Ts). The gin's botanicals and spice are matched well by the equally forward flavors of the herbal-orange-flavored tonic which also adds a nice bitter bite followed by a sweet, glossy flow and tart finish. (Pictured: The Old Raj Gin & Tonic)
However, Bernbach made up for the misunderstanding by personally preparing for me his Old Raj & House-made Orange Thyme Tonic, which is part of Estadio's menu. Old Raj is a 110 proof gin from Scotland infused with saffron giving it a pale yellow color and a spicy structure joined by strong juniper and citrus flavors. To that Bernbach adds his own tonic which he prepares by boiling water and steeping orange, thyme and dried bay leaf for one hour. He then adds a less processed red quinine (ground bark from the Cinchona tree) giving the tonic an amber hue. (Pictured: Ground red quinine)
On the nose the The Old Raj G&T smells of juniper with the tonic's orange aroma boosting the gin's citrus tones. It has a healthy dose of the gin (exactly how I prefer my G&Ts). The gin's botanicals and spice are matched well by the equally forward flavors of the herbal-orange-flavored tonic which also adds a nice bitter bite followed by a sweet, glossy flow and tart finish. (Pictured: The Old Raj Gin & Tonic)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)