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Online Happy Hour March 2021: When Imbibe Magazine Fell In Love with D.C.

I’m trying out a new post series that rounds up cool posts on blogs and social media about cocktails, with a focus on bringing you great recipes, cool glassware, and fun new places to try out (whenever it’s ok to do that again). Where possible I’ll highlight DMV-based people, places and potables. Without further ado, let’s dive into the first Online Happy Hour, for March 2021.

D.C. Is Imbibe-Famous

This happy hour begins with the March/April 2021 issue of Imbibe Magazine, which twice puts a spotlight on D.C. The first story offers a “taste test” of Bloody Mary mixes, kicking off the slate with Gordy’s Bloody Mary Mix, which I can personally vouch for:

Imbibe loves Gordy’s mix too, highlighting the “freshness” of the taste, the “refreshing flavor of garlicky dill pickles,” and the “subtle spice” on the finish that provides a “pleasant punch of heat.” I agree with all that, plus it’s a great opportunity to support a local business while enjoying a delicious brunch Bloody Mary, Maria or what have you. (And if you’re interested, Imbibe goes on to cover five other options, including two options – Brewt’s and McClure’s – from my home state of Michigan. Want to make a mix from scratch? Check out this new post at Beautiful Booze, titled the Bloody Mary Bar Cart.)

Just a few pages later, Imbibe has a brief write-up on génépy, that alpine liqueur of the Alps that you (if you’re me) always wonder about but never actually pull off the shelf at the liquor store. Imbibe tells you/me we’ve been doing it wrong and should definitely include génépy on the next shopping list. It quotes D.C.’s own Chantal Tseng (@shinobipaws on Instagram and purveyor of the fantastic Cocktails for the End Times), who tells us that génépy is “lovely chilled and served neat, but also so adaptable,” including in a recipe of her creation called Disappearing Earth:

Disappearing Earth recipe
Print Recipe

Disappearing Earth

This cocktail is by Chantal Tseng of the Cocktails for the End Times blog. The Disappearing Earth, as featured in Imbibe Magazine, "harmonizes . . . peach liqueur" with "the floral and herbal essence of génépy."
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: Sour
Keyword: Disappearing Earth
Servings: 1 cocktail
Calories: 120kcal
Author: Chantal Tseng
Cost: $10

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 oz. gin
  • 1/2 oz. peach liqueur Chantal recommends Rothman & Winter Orchard Peach
  • 1/2 oz. génépy
  • 1/2 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1 lime twist

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously
  • Double strain into chilled coupe
  • Garnish with lime twist

Cheers to that! And check out that Imbibe article for the other génépy recipes, which look almost as good as Chantal’s.

News Around Town

The best news I’ve heard in a while regarding restaurants and local businesses came in this Washingtonian report that the Hilton Brothers are planning to reopen most of their bars, including my favorite The Gibson, (fittingly) in a new, as-yet undisclosed location. I previously covered a really cool collaboration between the Gibson and Dandelyan in this Instagram post:

So I’m very much looking forward to its return. And while we are on the subject, I am also very much looking forward to visiting Silver Lyan, that D.C. creation by the folks behind the original Dandelyan bar. Silver Lyan opened like days before the pandemic lockdown and has been biding its time. You can get a preview of what they have to offer through their Silver Lyan at Home cocktail delivery service – I recommend the Project Manhattan:

The Project Manhattan from Silver Lyan

Speaking of getting things at hoe, I learned recently of a new D.C.-based bartender-on-demand service, sort of like the Uber for bartending, called SHKR, founded by Rochelle Louise. Looking forward to trying this service out first thing post-pandemic!

From Around the Web

Here are a few cocktail items of note from around the web. The Tipsy Bartender has a post with cocktail recipes for International Women’s Day. The Moody Mixologist breaks down the recipe for the fantastic Naked and Famous cocktail, offering a few variations you can try and fabulous photography as always. Liquor magazine has 11 cocktail recipes for March, while Difford’s supplies 20 recipes for cocktails with absinthe. If you’re looking to expand your knowledge base, check out Punch’s thoughts on force carbonated cocktails (and on that subject, be sure to check out my recent post on the Aviary gin & tonic, where I show how to use the Perlini, my choice for home carbonation). Or if you’re shopping for a shaker, check out my recent post on what to look for when in search of the best cocktail shaker.

That’s all for this happy hour – bottoms up, and see you next time!

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How To Find The Best Cocktail Shaker

If you want to make cocktails at home you need the right equipment. To be clear, you do not need a ton of stuff to get started. But you will not get very far unless you at least have something to shake cocktails with. And it is natural to wonder when starting out with home bartending, “what is the best cocktail shaker?”

This post is intended to help answer that question. I proceed in three parts (and if you just want my list of recommend shakers, feel free to fast forward). First, I explain how cocktail shakers fit within the home bartender’s toolset, to make sure a cocktail shaker is really what you need. Second, I explain what I think it is useful to look – i.e., what qualities make the best cocktail shakers. And third, I offer a suggestion based on what has worked for me.

Tips for finding the best cocktail shaker
Spoiler alert – this Yukiwa shaker is the one I use (when I use a cocktail shaker). Halo not included.
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Molecular Cocktail Recipe: The Aviary Gin & Tonic

Happy New Year – a phrase that holds a special sort of optimism this time around. To kick off a new and hopefully better year, I thought I’d offer a post on a different kind of drink: a molecular cocktail. The inspiration came from the Aviary Cocktail Book, a gorgeously illustrated compendium of complicated but delicious cocktails by the Aviary bar in Chicago. I decided to make my way through the book this year. My goal is not necessarily to try every recipe, but at least to consider each one, try a few out and share the results here and on Instagram. The first entry in the book is the Aviary gin & tonic. This drink is not actually served at the restaurant, but is a delightful recipe to enjoy at home.

It is worth noting that the reason the Aviary doesn’t serve this drink is that it is too labor-intensive. That word of caution is well-heeded if you intend to make the cucumber spheres that are the drink’s signature component. I would budget several hours to that task. And it wouldn’t hurt to have a friend help you speed things along.

The good news is that the gin and tonic component is not actually all that complicated. And it is a delicious recipe that does well without the cucumber spheres if you don’t have the time or inclination to make them. (For more gin & tonic inspiration and some fun travel photography, see my last post, the Sunset G&T. Or if you’re doing Dry January, check out my Actually Dry Martini recipe.) But we’ll go through the whole thing here. With enough patience, you should end up with something that looks like this:

The Aviary gin & tonic
The Aviary Gin & Tonic. Glass from Washington, D.C.’s own Salt & Sundry.
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Classic Recipe with a Twist: Sunset Gin and Tonic

So much has happened since my last post on the blog! When we last left our hard-hitting cocktail coverage at the end of 2018, my world – our world – was a different place. Since that time, I had a big day at the day job, the aftermath of which has contributed to my extended absence from posting. (I’ve done a little better on Instagram, but only a little.)

And of course, since earlier this year, we’ve all been struggling to adjust to life during a pandemic. For some of us this has meant virtual quarantine. Some luminaries of the cocktail universe have sought to help us through it all. One offered to give us recipes we can use based on ingredients we have in our house (Derek Brown is just an amazing human being). Many others have minted new “quarantini” cocktails for us to sample. (I don’t have any of those for you, but I do have a classic martini, a hot and dirty martini, and even a totally dry (i.e., alcohol-free) martini for you if you’re interested.)

Pandemic/quarantine has knocked me off my cocktail blogging game a bit. I (like many of you I imagine) now work from home day after day and for some reason that new pattern has further disrupted my already disrupted flow for creating cocktails and then posting here about them. I’ve said “yes” to collaborations on Instagram, thinking they would motivate me to get back to it, but then failed to follow through. I guess there is a momentum to this kind of thing. It’s (at least by comparison) easy to keep blogging going when you’re consistent about it; but impossible when you get out of rhythm.

So I know better than to promise you that “I’m back,” but I am at least popping up to say hello and offer you something to drink as you wait patiently for the world to return to normal. This one is inspired by the last superfun thing I did before quarantine: visit South Africa.

South Africa is a wonderland. I can’t show you everything I loved about it – there isn’t enough space here (and at some point we need to get to the recipe). But let’s consider at least a few items: penguins, mountains, zebras and sunsets.

Penguins near the Cape of Good Hope
Penguins near Cape of Good Hope

The penguins flock in large groups and just kind of party, looking as awesome as you would imagine. There’s no ice or cold weather here – it was in the 70s or 80s (Fahrenheit) in this shot. But they look unperturbed as they mingle on the shore between occasional trips to the water to cool off and look for food.

Mountains along the Garden Route
Mountains along the Garden Route
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December 2018 Cocktail Events Round-Up

Somehow we are at the end of another year already, and it’s time to give you the last of these monthly lists for this year:  my list of December 2018 cocktail events in the District.  Let’s start with how to make drinks from home this month.  You could begin with my Fireside Fizz:

Fireside Fizz

It’s a perfect drink to enjoy by the fire – not too heavy, and with pleasant seasonal flavors.  Or if you’re throwing up holiday decorations, you might prefer to make the Decorator’s Drink, another recipe from last year.  Also of note, December 24 is National Egg Nog Day and December 31 is (for obvious reasons) National Champagne Day, giving you multiple occasions to celebrate at home this month.  

And for those willing to leave the house despite the dropping temperatures, there is quite a list of events in December.  The holiday spirit apparently moves many to offer cocktails to make or drink, plus we have Repeal Day and New Year’s Eve on the calendar.  So let’s jump right in, starting with a return of Drink Company’s annual hit, the Miracle on 7th Street Bar:

I’m still kicking myself for missing the Game of Thrones Pop-Up bar, but I have been to the Christmas bar multiple times in the past, and it never disappoints.  Maybe you’ll see me there in December!  1839 7th Street N.W.; through December 31 from 5 pm to 12:30 a.m. (Sunday through Thursday) or to 1:30 a.m. (Friday and Saturday).

Read on for more:

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Cocktails for The Game: The Gin Harbaugh and the Bourbon Meyer

Today the Michigan Wolverines face off for the 115th time against the Ohio State Buckeyes in The Game.  This is always a high stakes event, even when it isn’t from the perspective of the rest of the college football world, but this year a lot is on the line as both teams are 10-1 and the winner goes on to play for the Big Ten championship.  I’m a lifelong Michigan fan, and this year I decided to apply my passion for cocktails to this annual event and am pleased to bring you cocktails for The Game, named in honor of the teams’ head coaches:  The Gin Harbaugh and the Bourbon Meyer.

Since I live in D.C., which is now Big Ten country thanks to Jim Delaney, the league Commissioner and the mastermind of Big Ten expansion to College Park, I wanted to add a little D.C. flavor to these drinks and began with the idea of using gin and citrus in one drink and bourbon and citrus in the other, inspired by the rickey.  

I like the tangy flavor that lemon juice brings to a drink, but for the Gin Harbaugh I also wanted a drink that packs more punch in its flavor so it leaves a bit of a mark on you after each sip.  Enter Ancho Reyes Verde, the somewhat spicy poblano liqueur, which adds some depth of flavor and provides a spicy aftertaste.  I balanced it out with a little simple syrup and topped off the drink with soda water.  Add a lemon peel garnish shaped like the Michigan helmet and you’re good to go:

Gin Harbaugh
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Cocktail Gift Ideas – Winter 2018

It’s that time of year again:  that still-digesting turkey dinner gives way to indigestion for many whose thoughts turn to gift-giving season.  I’m here to offer you some Black Friday digestifs, or something like that, to help you at least check the boxes for the cocktail aficionados on your list.  Here are a couple of things that I’ve enjoyed having over the last year:

Clear ice cube system by Tovolo. There are many ways to get clear ice, some more practical than others.  I’ve heard, for example, that you can fill a cooler with water, stick it in your freezer, and then the next day take it out and cut off the cloudy portion of the ice and then carve clear ice cubes, spheres, or other shapes from the remaining block of clear ice.  But for those of us who don’t have ice saws, or enough space in our freezers for a cooler, or even a cooler for that matter, there’s an easier way:  a clear ice tray.  They look a little funky, and a little bulky (though much smaller than a cooler), but they work:

Cocktail Gift Ideas - Clear Ice Cube

There are a variety of configurations available.  I use the four-cube system, which is about $27 on Amazon.

Mixing glass.  Perhaps you’re shopping for someone who has just gotten started in making cocktails.  Or maybe you’re looking for something for your spouse, who shakes your martinis when you prefer them stirred.  In either case, a mixing glass is a perfect gift.  It’s one of those cocktail staples that will enjoy years of use.  Amazon is awash in options; here is one for under $15.

Activated charcoal powder.  Heralded as an anti-toxifying agent with a broad range of applications, activated charcoal powder has come to the cocktail scene mainly as a means for turning drinks jet black (or, when used in very small doses, a shade of grey).  Entire pages are dedicated to such recipes; I had a bit of fun with activated charcoal last month myself making a Halloween-themed drink, the Into The Dark.  I used Viva Doria’s activated charcoal powder, available for about $7 in a 1.2 container (which will go a long way) on Amazon.

Motorized citrus press.  If you’re shopping for someone who makes lots of cocktails, or who likes freshly squeezed citrus, or both – and are willing to spend a bit – consider the life-altering 800CPXL motorized citrus press from Breville.  Last year I found that squeezing the lemons, limes, grapefruit and blood oranges for cocktails was just taking too much time for the quantity of drinks I wanted to make.  I was reluctant at first to invest in a citrus press, but I knew from the first time I used it that it was worth the investment for me.  It’s your own personal assembly line for making freshly squeezed citrus; and most of the parts can be cleaned in the dishwasher.  About $160 on Amazon.

Cocktail books.  There are so many great cocktail books out there these days.  I’m currently reading the Drunken Botanist, which recounts the history and uses of the plants used both to make the liquors that are the building blocks of cocktails and the garnishes that make them look, smell and taste great.  Not coincidentally, I’m also working on restarting that herb garden to take my cocktail garnish game up a notch.  I recommend this one for the cocktail-making gardeners in your life.  The Aviary Cocktail Book and the Cocktail Codex are recent publications that are on my wish list.

That’s my list for this year.  Need more inspiration?  Check out last year’s list for culinary torches, Prohibition-era whiskey prescriptions, and other ideas.  Happy holidays!

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November 2018 Cocktail Events Round-Up

I missed you all in October, but I’m back with a list of November 2018 cocktail events in the District.  

Let’s lead off with two week-long events, the first of which we are in the midst of:  Old Fashioned Week, which runs from November 1 through November 10.  If you’re celebrating at home, try my Old-Refashioned, which I posted here last year as part of an Instagram campaign conceived to celebrate the Week:  

Old Refashioned

If you’re looking for a great Old Fashioned somewhere in the District, try Eater’s list of Ten Standout Old Fashioneds in D.C., a list that is (not surprisingly) topped by Jack Rose.  And to learn about Old Fashioneds more generally, try the site dedicated to the Week, the cleverly named www.old-fashioned-week.com.

D.C. Cocktail Week is the other weeklong event, and it runs from November 12th (my birthday) through the 18th.  This year there is a good list of participants, including a number of José Andrés spots, Doi Moi, and the Royal, all places where I’ve gotten great cocktails in the past.  Each restaurant celebrates Cocktail Week in its own way.  Oyamel, for example, offers the following cocktail pairing:  its “El Catrín cocktail made with Bahnez mezcal, Cocchi Americano, blanc vermouth, amd St. Germain” with its “Machuco relleno de frijol con salsa negra – Plantain and butternut squash fritters stuffed with black beans and served with a chipotle chile and piloncillo sugar sauce,” for $14 a person.  Check out the other deals on offer and more details at dccocktailweek.com.

It should also be acknowledged that November 8 is apparently National Harvey Wallbanger Day, about which more information here; also note that Buffalo and Bergen celebrated the day last year, but unclear if we’re in for a repeat this November 8.  And at least in the District, November is also saffron season.  Note that despite its reputation as a luxury item, saffron bulbs (or corms) are actually pretty easy to plant, are at least theoretically perennial, and offer a natural addition to that herb garden that is otherwise hitting the end of its season by now.  If you have planned ahead, you now have saffron to experiment with in your homemade cocktails this month (look for my Fall Sunset recipe, coming soon).  If not well, there’s always next year:  bulbs here, and photo here:

Saffron crocus / November 2018 cocktail events

There are also a few events this month of the usual sort.  Here are the details on classes and other events in the D.C. area this month:

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Halloween Cocktail Recipe: Into The Dark

Think you’re ready to host that Halloween party? Sure, you’ve got the perfect costume, killer decorations, and a carefully curated Halloween playlist. But do you have a Halloween cocktail picked out? If not, have no fear. I’ve got a cocktail that has it all – fall flavors, Halloween black color, and smoky special effects. Follow me . . . Into The Dark:

Halloween Cocktail - Into The Dark

For my Halloween cocktail, I wanted to bring together some great fall flavors, but also to give the drink a costume of its own to foster the Halloween spirit.  Let me start with the latter first because you might need some lead time on a couple of the ingredients.  

The first is activated charcoal, which gives the drink its Halloween-appropriate black color.  There are plenty of options online; I used Viva Doria Virgin Coconut Shell Activated Charcoal Powder, which I found on Amazon.  You will also need dry ice pellets; I found mine at Talbert’s Ice in Bethesda (two pounds cost me about $5).  (Note that Talbert’s is especially safety conscious and will not sell you dry ice for use in drinks unless you have a dry ice cage; I found one of these online but did not order one, so I can’t speak to how well they work in a cocktail.)  Finally, if you want some skull-themed cocktail picks, try the Fred & Friends Bar Bones cocktail picks, like the one I used in the picture above.

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Original Recipe: Soyeux

Summer is my favorite season, mainly because I do not like being cold.  But the other seasons have their own redeeming values.  One of the things I like most about fall is building a fire on evenings when the mercury starts to drop – not far enough to make you really cold (see above), but far enough that no one gives you weird looks when you start piling logs on your andirons.  And for me, fire implies whiskey (but not fire whiskey, importantly).  So when the weather turned colder for the first time this fall season in the District, I started a fire and turned to the task of putting together a new whiskey-based cocktail.  The result was the Soyeux:

Soyeux

I wanted a strong whiskey base, so I began with two ounces of E.H. Taylor, Jr., Small Batch Bourbon, one of my favorite bourbons at the moment.  Then I added half an ounce of Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, which is my go-to vermouth for Manhattans (although I also add a bit of Dolin blanc vermouth to those as well; more details in an upcoming post).  Speaking of Manhattans, this drink was moving decidedly in that direction, but I wanted to try something new.  So I added half an ounce of yellow Chartreuse – an herbal and slightly sweet liqueur that I thought would lighten the taste slightly.  To round it off, I added a dash of Fee Brothers Aztec chocolate bitters.  I stirred the ingredients with ice and then strained into a rocks glass, adding a large ice cube and an orange peel as garnish.

The result was a cocktail that tastes a lot like a Manhattan but has a velvety smooth edge, owing to the addition of the herbal sweetness of the yellow Chartreuse.  The orange peel adds a nice citrusy scent that cushions the strong scent that pure whiskey on ice can deliver from a rocks glass.  It is a good fireside drink that goes down quickly.  (Just remember that, while smooth, it is also strong.)

Here is the recipe:

Soyeux recipe
Print Recipe

Soyeux

For a fall sipping drink that is like a Manhattan with a velvety smoothness, try the Soyeux cocktail, which mixes bourbon, yellow Chartreuse, vermouth, and chocolate bitters.
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: Spirit-Forward
Keyword: Manhattan with Chartreuse
Servings: 1 cocktail
Calories: 210kcal
Author: Geoffrey Wyatt

Ingredients

  • 2 oz. bourbon I used E.H. Taylor
  • 1/2 oz. yellow Chartreuse
  • 1/2 oz. Cocchi Vermouth di Torino
  • 1 dash Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters
  • orange peel

Instructions

  • Combine the bourbon, Chartreuse, vermouth, and bitters in a mixing glass with ice and stir until cold.
  • Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube.
  • Express orange peel over drink and add as garnish.

Enjoy!