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Drinking D.C.: Ana at District Winery

I guess I’m kind of obsessed with D.C.’s new waterfront areas, but it’s hard not to be with all of the new spots that have opened in the last year.  I’ve covered Del Mar and Requin at the Wharf.  Last weekend I visited Ana at District Winery, the winery/restaurant at the Navy Yard.

Like the original Brooklyn Winery that preceded it, District Winery has wine-making facilities on site.  There is a dedicated tasting room and winery-focused tours.  The site also boasts a large space pitched as an “ideal wedding venue” and, indeed, there was a wedding party in progress when we arrived on a busy Saturday evening.

But there is also a restaurant – Ana.  It faces the Anacostia River, which provides a spectacular view through a wall of glass windows.  Looking back into the restaurant, there is a wall covered with portraits of Presidents in order from first to forty-fifth.  These are painted in various styles and are pretty much certain to generate conversation (don’t worry, not about politics).

And in addition to wine, there are cocktails.  The drink menu:

Ana at District Winery menu

Thanks to some indulgent dining companions, I had a chance to sample several of these cocktails.  The first – the cocktail I actually ordered for myself – was the Smoky Pisco Sour.  This was, as its name suggests, a smoky variation on the pisco sour.  But there was also a subtle spiciness (see “chipotle” in the ingredient list), which played well with the foam head provided by the egg white.  The chipotle (presumably) also imparted a lovely hue on the drink:

Smoked Pisco Sour at Ana at District Winery

Next I tried the Figment of Your Imagination.  Not surprisingly, fig was a featured ingredient here.  The drink’s ingredients include fig syrup, and a torched fig provides the garnish.  But fig was not the most prominent flavor.  Instead, the drink came off as something of a spice market in the mouth.  I mean that in a good way, but I can’t attribute the flavors to the ingredients listed on the menu.  As with the Smokey Pisco Sour, this drink was nice to look at, thanks to the hefty fig garnish (which was delicious, by the way):

Figment of Your Imagination at Ana at District Winery

Although I don’t have photos, I was also able to try three other cocktails here.  The first was the Sin of Manhattan.  This drink is made from your traditional Manhattan ingredients plus cardamom and maple flavors.  The result is a slightly sweeter drink with an additional spicy complexity provided by the cardamom.  It’s a perfect winter cocktail.

Next I sipped the grapefruit basil rickey.  This is a variation on the gin rickey, with grapefruit added to or perhaps replacing the traditional citrus ingredient.  I liked the concept, but I thought there was a bit too much soda in this iteration.

Finally, I also tried the Sounds Like an Apology, made from elderflower, sparkling wine, and sugar, with a rosemary garnish.  This drink also seemed conceptually sound, but the sweetness was a bit heavy, overshadowing the rosemary and elderflower flavors.  Considering ordering this one and asking for just half the bitter sugar cube.

All in all there are some good cocktails to be had at Ana at District Winery.  I’m looking forward to seeing how the menu changes.  There is a great outdoor space next to the river here that would be an ideal spot for sipping some great summer drinks!

Reservations available on OpenTable.  

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February 2018 Cocktail Events Round-Up

The end of January is near.  For those who have been observing dry January and may have missed it, I’ve posted recipes for two mocktails to help see you through the final week.  And in this post, I’ve got your list of February 2018 cocktail events in D.C.

Of course, February means the Super Bowl, Mardi Gras, and Valentine’s Day.  We’ve got events that cover all three, and more besides.  So make yourself a Mexican Candy Soda and pull out your calendar.  Here’s what looks interesting to me next month:

Super “Chili” Bowl at Jack Rose.  Okay, okay, this isn’t really a cocktail-themed event.  But I came up short looking for a truly cocktail-focused Super Bowl party (ahem, cocktail entrepreneurs), and you can at least get great whiskey at Jack Rose.  Also, the event promises five chilis and fifteen beer choices (ten on draft, five in cans) on a heated rooftop terrace.  Tickets are $50 (all you can eat and drink – the latter referring to the beer only, presumably) and available here.  2007 18th Street N.W.; February 4 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

La Soirée Champagne at the Residence of France.  The focus here is likely to be on Champagne rather than cocktails but the online description promises both.  In any event you should need little excuse to get dressed up for a boozy gala at the French Ambassador’s residence.  Tickets are $199 or $259 (depending on whether your French-American Chamber of Commerce membership has lapsed) and available here.  2221 Kalorama Road N.W.; February 6 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Cocktail Class: Master Cocktail Class: Champagne Cocktails at the St. Regis.  The St. Regis has entered the cocktail-class game.  It had a Bloody Mary class in January and will offer a beginner’s course in March.  For February, it offers to teach you “how to master the art of the Champagne cocktail, just in time for Valentine’s Day.”  (Pregame with my Fireside Fizz recipe and impress your classmates when you get there.)  The hotel’s head bartender, Andrew Cassedy, will lead the class, which will include snacks, tastings and a gift.  Reservations are $85 and made here.  923 16th Street N.W.; February 9 and 16 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Cocktail Class: Mardi Gras and New Orleans Cocktails at barmini.  It barely needs mention that I’m a fan of the #barmini101 classes at barmini.  The barmini team greets you with a cocktail and then shows you how to make three more.  Classes are usually organized around a theme; this month it’s Mardi Gras.  That seems like a winning combination to me.  Tickets are $145 and available here.  501 9th Street N.W.; February 13 at 5:30 p.m.

Cocktail Class: Share the Love at Via Umbria.  Via Umbria is hosting its own Valentine’s-themed cocktail class.  It offers to “teach you how to craft three outstanding Valentine’s Day themed cocktails” – the Valentino, Cupid’s Cup, and Love Potion.  Tickets are $38.50 and available here.  1525 Wisconsin Avenue N.W.; February 13 at 7:30 p.m.

Home Bartending Class: Home Is Where the Bar Is at Columbia Room.  Columbia Room is also hosting a class this month.  They promise to teach essential bartending techniques and to offer some “useful tricks to elevate your game such as easy clarification, rapid infusions, making ice, and even how to make homemade amaro.”  The class also includes three drinks and snacks.  Tickets are $85 and available here.  124 Blagden Alley N.W.; February 17 at 3 p.m.

That’s it for February.  Let me know if there are any events you think should be listed here or in future round-ups!

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Dry Recipe: Mexican Candy Soda

I recently posted my first recipe for dry January – the Actually Dry Martini.  With its botanical and vegetable flavors, the Actually Dry Martini might serve as a reasonable mocktail alternative for martini drinkers.  But what about everyone else?  Before January ends I wanted to get one more non-alcoholic recipe up so we have a broader spectrum of tastes covered.  In this post, I present to you the Mexican Candy Soda:

Mexican Candy Soda

For this drink we will once again be making use of the Garden 108 non-alcoholic spirit by Seedlip.  As noted in the Actually Dry Martini post, Garden 108 features flavors of “leaf,” “herb,” and “pod.”  In that post, I used Garden 108 as a reasonable non-alcoholic proxy for gin.  (To temper expectations, I also cautioned that Garden 108 is not really gin.  But that fact is less significant here, where other flavors make the drink less dependent on Garden 108.)

We will also be using a shrub.  In the past, I’ve recommended shrubs from D.C.’s own Shrub District.  (See my gift guide and recipe for the Autumn Breeze.)  For this recipe I tried out one of Calvit’s Shrubs, the Tomatillo-Tamarind-Hibiscus drinking shrub.

The final flavor comes from freshly squeezed grapefruit juice.  I used ruby red grapefruits for the color of the juice and peel.  But the particular variety is not as important as the fact that you use fresh ingredients.  (You’ll note I always include “freshly squeezed” to describe fruit juice used in my recipes.  Fresh juice is always important in cocktails, but all the more so in mocktails, where there is no alcohol to hide behind.)  You’ll also need soda water to top off the drink.

These flavors combine beautifully for a light and refreshing drink that makes for a perfect pre-dinner mocktail before a spicy meal.  In fact, that’s partly how I decided on the name here.  I enjoyed one of these mocktails prior to a spicy chorizo stew dinner.  And in researching for inspiration for the name, I found that tamarind is popular flavor in Mexican candy.  That description seemed to fit, and I liked the name, so the Mexican Candy Soda was christened.

Here’s how to make it at home:

Mexican Candy Soda recipe
Print Recipe

Mexican Candy Soda

If you're in the mood for something light and refreshing and alcohol-free, try the Mexican Candy Soda, made with Seedlip's Garden 108, a tomatillo-tamarind-hibiscus drinking shrub from Calvit's Shrubs, fresh grapefruit juice and soda water.
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: Mocktail
Servings: 1 cocktail
Calories: 35kcal
Author: Geoffrey Wyatt

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 oz. Seedlip Garden 108
  • 3/4 oz. Calvit's Tomatillo-Tamarind-Hibiscus Drinking Shrub
  • 3/4 oz. freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
  • grapefruit peel

Instructions

  • Fill a highball glass with ice.
  • Combine the Garden 108, shrub, and juice in a shaking tin with ice and shake vigorously.  
  • Strain mixed ingredients into the glass and top off with soda water.
  • Garnish with grapefruit peel and add a metal or paper straw.

Note that if you are not observing dry January, I tried a version of this with gin instead of Seedlip, which was quite good.  Tequila or mezcal should also substitute nicely.   However you decide to make it, I hope you enjoy!

This article’s links to Amazon are affiliate links, meaning the blog may earn a commission from resulting sales.

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Dry Recipe: The Actually Dry Martini

I am back with one more martini recipe!  This post will wrap up a string of martini posts that began with my review of the martini service at Requin.  In that post, I promised you a few recipes for making martinis at home.  First I offered my version of the classic martini recipe.  Then I gave you my briny, spicy variation, the Hot and Dirty Martini.  Here I offer you a third and (for now) final variation – fit for dry January – the non-alcoholic Actually Dry Martini:

Actually Dry Martini

As pictured here, this drink is powered by Seedlip Garden 108.  Seedlip describes its products as the “world’s first distilled non-alcoholic spirits.”  The Garden 108 is one of these.  It features flavors of “leaf,” “herb,” and “pod.”  (There’s also another variety – the Spice 94 – described as offering “wood,” “spice,” and “citrus” flavors.)

With its incorporation of gin-like botanicals, Garden 108 struck me as a plausible ingredient for an alcohol-free stand-in for the martini.  Some might object at this point that a non-alcoholic martini is a contradiction in terms, or that using soft ingredients defeats the drink’s purpose.  But I disagree.  For me, the martini’s allure is in its botanical and vegetable flavors, which are uncommon in the cocktail kingdom.

That said, I must manage expectations.  Garden 108 is not gin.  So if you are hoping for an alcohol-free martini that tastes just like the real thing, this recipe is not for you.  But I do think Garden 108’s unique flavors work in a drink with martini-like proportions and profile.  The final product mixes notes of fresh cucumber, earthy brine, and light citrus.  It’s a way to enjoy a month off from drinking without giving up the pleasing complexity of a good cocktail.  And if you’re observing dry January, this recipe gives you excuse to stop your martini glasses from collecting dust.

To make this drink, you’ll need Garden 108 (obviously – available from Amazon and the link above).  You’ll also need Gordy’s Fine Brine, discussed in the recipe post for the Hot & Dirty Martini.  And you’ll need olives and some freshly squeezed lemon juice.  Here’s the recipe:

Actually Dry Martini recipe
Print Recipe

Actually Dry Martini

Looking for a mocktail replacement for the martini?  Try this Actually Dry Martini recipe, featuring Garden 108 by Seedlip.
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: Mocktail
Servings: 1 cocktail
Calories: 5kcal
Author: Geoffrey Wyatt

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 oz. Seedlip Garden 108
  • 1/2 oz. Gordy's Fine Brine
  • 1 splash freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

  • Place two olives in a martini glass.
  • Combine the Garden 108, Gordy's Fine Brine, and lemon juice in a mixing glass with ice and stir.
  • Strain into the martini glass.

Enjoy!

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Drinking D.C.: Maydan

I had dinner at the newly opened Maydan near U Street recently.   Following a growing trend of new D.C. restaurants opening in alleys, Maydan is at the end of an alley off of Florida Avenue.  Its markings are subtle, making it somewhat difficult to spot on a recent very cold evening in D.C.  But we were immediately rewarded upon entry with a very large fire pit, conveniently located next to the bar.  And what a very nice looking bar it is:

Bar at Maydan

Despite the cold weather and the somewhat early hour of 7 p.m. there was a thick crowd at the bar.  Nevertheless, we were able to find a spot and obtain a menu in short order.

The restaurant explains that its “food tells the story of our own travels, from Tangier to Tehran and Batumi to Beirut.”  Its cocktails do the same, incorporating ingredients with roots in the same parts of the world:

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Classic Recipe with a Twist: The Hot and Dirty Martini

Back in my review of the martini service at Requin, I promised you a “few posts” of martini recipes.  First I offered my take on the classic martini.  Then I interrupted our martini study to check out the Brothers and Sisters bar at the Line Hotel.  Now I’m back to deliver on the promise of multiple martini recipes.  As I’ve noted, the martini is an old drink that has enjoyed many iterations over the years.  In that spirit, I now offer you a twist of my own on the classic, the Hot and Dirty Martini:

Hot and Dirty Martini

The recipe begins with the classic gin and vermouth ingredients.  But as its name suggests, there are two modifications here:  heat and additional brine.  The heat is supplied by the spicy Ancho Reyes Verde, a green ancho chile liqueur.  It has a savory flavor, which is fitting for a martini.

The chile liqueur also pairs well with additional brine, which “dirties” up the drink.  The brine in this case comes from Gordy’s (of D.C.), which makes a Fine Brine intended for cocktails specifically.

There are several things I like about this combination of ingredients.  The first is that (as noted above) it adds an earthy, savory flavor to the drink.  Don’t get me wrong – I love the classic martini.  In my classic recipe, the prevailing flavor is the herbal profile of the gin, the main ingredient.  But if you’re someone who likes a good Bloody Mary or a martini with a lot of extra olive juice, I think you’ll like what Gordy’s adds to the drink.  And to me, the chile liqueuer was a natural addition.  The chile flavor is compatible with the vegetable-leaning profile of the drink, and I like adding spice to just about everything.  (If you are sensitive to spice don’t worry, it’s not overwhelming.)

The other advantage to this approach is that it’s a lighter drink than a traditional martini, meaning you can have more of them.  Gin comprises only half the recipe here, and the other ingredients are lower proof or nonalcoholic.

And finally, I think it’s good to have a few variations of the martini in your rotation.  You might want to host a martini night, for example, and new options help keep things fresh for martini diehards and might cast the drink in a new, better light for those who have not been won over by the martini in the past.

Here is the recipe:

Hot and Dirty Martini recipe
Print Recipe

Hot and Dirty Martini

Spice up the classic martini with this recipe, which starts with gin and vermouth but adds a chile liqueur and brine to bring you a Hot and Dirty Martini.
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: Spirit-Forward
Servings: 1 cocktail
Calories: 147kcal
Author: Geoffrey Wyatt

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 oz. gin I used Botanist
  • 1/2 oz. Ancho Reyes Verde
  • 1/2 oz. dry vermouth I used Dolin
  • 1/2 oz. Gordy's Fine Brine

Instructions

  • Place two olives in a martini glass.
  • Combine the gin, Ancho Reyes Verde, vermouth, and brine in a mixing glass with ice and stir.
  • Strain into the martini glass.

Enjoy!

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Drinking D.C.: Brothers and Sisters at the Line Hotel

In between martini reviews and recipes, I want to tell you about my recent visit to Brothers and Sisters at the Line Hotel.  This is the latest outpost of Erik Bruner-Yang of Maketto and is currently “in preview.”  The venue is unique in D.C. – a hotel lobby located inside of a grand old church in Adams Morgan.  In fact, the setting is sufficiently unusual that in my approach up the steps I had to check my bearings to assure myself I was in the right place; and I noticed a few other incoming guests do the same.

But what a venue it is.  Once inside, I walked a short distance to the main lounge area, passing a radio studio (?!) on my left.  The lounge is an enormous room, where comfy sofas sit under a soaring ceiling.  To the left and right of this central seating area are high top tables and two bars.  These areas feature spare decorations fusing collegiate-style crests and banners with vaguely Asian-inspired symbols.

I found my way to one of the bars and took a look at the extensive cocktail menu.  On the first page – which is actually the last page (the menus progress from back to front) – is a list of “classic hotel bar cocktails,” including the Bloody Mary, Bellini, and Mary Pickford.  Next is a list of “classic American cocktails,” like the Mint Julep, Manhattan, and Martinez.  Finally, the menu offers ten original cocktails, “inspired by life, love, music, and friends.”  Here’s a sample from the list:

Brothers and Sisters Menu Page 1

Most of the cocktails sport at least one Asian-influenced ingredient, consistent with the thrust of the food menu.  I asked for a recommendation.  The bartender suggested the Ivy Started It as a “more tangy” option that would not be too sweet.  The description was apt, though the tanginess was subtler than I was expecting.  It was not the type of strong sour taste that comes from citrus.  I appreciated the presentation, a gold-rimmed glass and a large, clear ice cube:

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Classic Recipe: The Martini

As promised in my recent review of Requin’s martini service, today’s post shows you how to make a martini at home.  This cocktail is a true classic, well more than a hundred years old.  In fact, by 1891, the Kansas City Star could chastise the “thirsty New Yorker” for being taken with the martini on the ground that the cocktail was “not very new.”  (The same article nevertheless acknowledged the versatility of the drink.  It conceded that the martini was the form in which “the casual, the occasional, the weary, the enthusiastic, the going-to-bed-now, or the just-up New Yorker takes his poison.”)

Not surprisingly, a drink with such history has enjoyed multiple iterations.  The typical recipe uses gin, for example, but some spies—er, drinkers, prefer vodka.  Proportions also vary, anywhere from a one-to-one ratio of gin and vermouth to essentially all gin, with vermouth supplied only (if at all) by an atomizing sprayer or, as Winston Churchill preferred it, by observation “from across the room.”  Garnishes, too, have varied, including lemon peel, olives, and cocktail onions.  Even the method of combining the ingredients – shaking or stirring – is subject to modification.

What follows is my preferred approach.  But the critical drinker may wish to take a cue from experience and tinker with the particulars.  My classic martini is made with gin, dry vermouth, and orange bitters, and garnished with an olive.  When done right, it looks like this:

Classic Martini

Here’s how to do it.  Put an olive or two in a martini glass or coupe.  Add a barspoon of olive brine (or more if you prefer a “dirtier” drink) to the glass.  In a mixing glass, combine a dash of orange bitters, 1/4 ounce of dry vermouth (I used Dolin) and 2 3/4 ounces of gin (I used Botanist).  Add ice to the glass and stir.  Strain into the glass with the olives.

Enjoy!

Classic Martini Recipe
Print Recipe

Classic Martini

This is a recipe for a great martini, my favorite cocktail, featuring gin, a tiny bit of vermouth, a dash of orange bitters, and a couple of olives.
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: Spirit-Forward
Servings: 1 cocktail
Calories: 175kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 3/4 oz. gin I used Botanist
  • 1/4 oz. dry vermouth I used Dolin
  • 1 dash orange bitters I used Fee Brothers

Instructions

  • Place two olives and a bar-spoonful of olive juice in a martini glass.
  • Combine the gin, vermouth, and orange bitters in a mixing glass with ice and stir.
  • Strain into the martini glass.
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Drinking D.C.: Martini Service at Requin

I returned to the Wharf recently to visit the newly opened D.C. outpost of Requin, the Mike Isabella restaurant (the original is in Fairfax).  I had visited Del Mar de Fabio Trabocchi not long before and loved the cocktails, especially the gin and tonic for two, as I reported here.  That was my first visit to the Wharf; I wanted to see what else was on offer in the way of cocktails in D.C.’s newest hotspot.

Requin bills itself as a “French Mediterranean” restaurant, and I wasn’t sure what that would mean in the way of cocktails.  Champagne-based drinks?  Cocktails of various European digestifs and aperitifs?

But no.  Well, maybe, but I didn’t look that far down the menu.  Instead I stopped at the headline – the restaurant’s “Martini Service.”  I should mention at this stage that I am a big martini fan – it’s as classic a cocktail as there is.  But it’s also a crowded field.  So while I make them at home a lot I don’t often order them out.  Here though a restaurant not only had a menu of martinis, but it was also the featured portion of the cocktail menu.  So I had to try it out.

The menu offers a selection of four different recipes, from the “classique,” which consists of the familiar gin, dry vermouth, and orange bitters, to the “evoo,” which is made from olive oil washed armagnac blanche, calvados, americano bianco, and dry vermouth.

I skipped past these, as well as the gibson (gin, pineau blanche, and pickle brine) and chose the 50/50:  half gin, half blanc vermouth.  (Plus lemon bitters – yes, so not technically half each of the preceding ingredients.  But you get the idea.)  I was drawn to this option because I’m usually pretty light on the vermouth in my martinis and wanted to mix it up.  And the gin is a house blend, which made the choice all the more intriguing.

The presentation of the drink is somewhat elaborate.  You receive not just the martini in the glass, but a refill on the side, sitting in ice.  Some assembly is also required in that garnishes (lemon peel and olive) are served on the side so you can pick which you prefer (or both, as I did):

Martini Service at Requin

I liked this martini a lot.   The flavors were very smooth.  I attributed this to the use of blanc rather than dry vermouth (but perhaps it was the mysterious house gin?).  The other benefit of this approach is that it doesn’t pack quite the punch of a gin-heavier martini.  At the same time, the refill probably offset that benefit; by ounces, this is really two martinis (or at least nearly).  As a result, I didn’t try the others on the menu.  But I plan to get back to try them out.

I should add that Requin is a beautiful space as well.  Like many of the new buildings at the Wharf, Requin’s has large windows that face the river.  On nice days you can enjoy the sights of a D.C. sunset, boats passing, or the buzz of pedestrian activity.  (As I write this, it’s 12 degrees outside, so it probably would’t be like that now, but spring is coming!)  And it’s a great stop before going on to a show at the Anthem, which is exactly what we did.  (Saw the Shins, who were fantastic!)

I will be back to explore the other martini and cocktail options at Requin and recommend you do the same.  And if you’re a martini lover like I am, stay tuned for the next few posts.  I have a couple of recipes I think you’ll enjoy!

Reservations available on OpenTable.  

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Liquor Delivery Services: A Comparative Review

If you’re like me, you might sometimes realize only shortly before the start of a cocktail party that you are missing some critical ingredients.  You don’t have time to run out and stock up; you need a liquor delivery service.  But where do you find one?

Picture of me realizing I need a liquor delivery, pronto
Me realizing I need a liquor delivery, pronto.

Well, there’s an app for that – actually, at least three of them.  Drizly, Minibar, and Delivery.com all offer liquor delivery services in D.C. and many other cities. With New Year’s Eve coming up, I thought others might benefit from a comparative test drive.  (If you’re going out rather than hosting and still need plans, check out our recent round-up post covering cocktail-themed events.)

So I tried out all three services.  They are built on the same concept.  Each service has a network of local liquor stores (some of which participate in multiple networks).  When you place your order with the desired store, they dispatch an employee to your delivery address.  On arrival, a person of age must sign to take delivery.

I was pleased with the service provided by all three.  But there are important differences – read on to see which best suits your needs.  I also offer referral codes that will provide you and me with discounts on our next orders.

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