With cocktail menus around town filled with exotic concoctions going for up to $14, it’s tempting to go for a familiar martini — or just skip cocktails altogether. But if you do that, you’ll miss out on the unique creations of the D.C. area’s many talented mixologists.
Take bar manager Stephen Warner’s Porch Swing at Eventide Restaurant in Arlington. It’s made with elderflower liqueur, house-made strawberry water, rhubarb bitters, mint and cava. It’s light and not too sweet, and you can make enough to fill a punch bowl (see recipe). I’m from Brazil, so I was eager to taste their Carioca, made with Agua Luca cachaça (a Brazilian liqueur made from fermented sugar cane), lemon juice, wildflower honey syrup and bitters. I was surprised at how well-balanced the mixture was. The original Old Dog, New Tricks, an ideal aperitif, is a delightful mix of Canadian Club 12 Year, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, asperol, lemon juice and a smoked salt rim that accents the drink perfectly. With fall around the corner, try their Winter Coffee, made with espresso syrup and allspice liqueur. Last but not least is the Pick Pocket, made with Wild Turkey Russell’s Reserve, Lillet Blanc, vanilla syrup and lemon juice. There’s a story behind its name: In the early goings of Eventide, a group of ladies came into the bar and asked Warner to make them a drink with Wild Turkey. As Warner gave them their drinks, he mentioned he was trying to figure out a name for it. They suggested he name the drink Pick Pocket because they had just been pickpocketed in Arlington. The name stuck.
Vermilion in Old Town Alexandria is embracing October with three pear-based drinks. My favorite is Ken & Barbie, which combines spiced rum punch with anatomically correct ingredients. For something with more kick, try Brad & Angelina, with French vodka, asian pear syrup and Chinese green tea. The Gin Fizz, made with Bluecoat gin, St. Germain, port-pear reduction and soda, is light and smooth and goes well with the crispy dragon creek oysters. “Every month we feature three seasonal cocktails based on fresh fruits and herbs,” said mixologist Laura Stecker, who works with the kitchen staff to keep the bar menu fresh yet approachable. More hot drinks, such as a hot toddy and hot buttered rum cocktails, will be available in November. The beer menu is also seasonal and will soon include a pumpkin ale and an Oktoberfest brew.
Also in Old Town is a little treasure called Restaurant Eve, led by Cathal and Meshelle Armstrong. The culinary quality and sophistication naturally translates to the cocktail menu. The bar — managed by co-owner and sommelier Todd Thrasher — offers drinks made with seasonal ingredients. Thrasher also makes his own flavored vodkas. Mind Your Elderberry is a fruity blend that fuses gin, vodka, bitters and house-made elderberry juice, served very chilled and topped with lemon and mint zest. Butter “Nut” Craig, made with butternut squash, spice bitters, Pyrat rum and Grand Marnier, is a refreshing fancy. Restaurant Eve makes its own tonic, so the gin and tonic is a must try. If you’re into rum, I Coulda Been A Contendah, which incorporates pineapple and cilantro, is a good choice. If you’re hungry, try the Hawaiian blue prawns with Serrano aioli or the oysters topped with a herb mignonette sauce made with champagne vinegar, coriander and shallot.
At Bourbon Steak inside Georgetown’s Four Seasons Hotel, mixologist Kevin Diedrich has put together a cocktail menu that will make your mouth water. The Pisco Sour, made with pisco quebranta, fresh lime and egg white, is superb, as is the savory Scottish Mule — a mix of Hendrick’s gin, cucumber and ginger beer. The rich and flavorful Vieux Carré is made with rye, cognac, sweet vermouth, Benedictine, and Angostura and Peychaud’s bitters. One of Diedrich’s own is Not Tonight, a pleasing mix of Hangar One mandarin blossom vodka, Velvet Falernum, Orgeat, fresh lime, whiskey barrel-aged bitters and chipotle tincture. The champagne cocktails menu offers mild, cooling drinks such as the French 75, made with Plymouth gin, fresh lemon and sugar, topped with champagne, shaken and served with a lemon peel. To go with your cocktail, the Bourbon bar steak burgers are thick and juicy. The sweet shrimp or chopped chicken lettuce cups are also worth trying. Move on to the delicate ahi tuna tartare or the Hudson Valley foie gras mousse for a standout pairing of port wine jelly and toasted country bread. And if there is room left, the passion fruit panna cotta is sure to satisfy any sweet craving.
Black’s Bar & Kitchen in Bethesda is a dependable place for comfort seafood and drinks. The reasonably priced bar offerings range from Addie’s mussells with tomato, garlic, shallot and lemon broth to the Old Bay shrimp cocktail. The corn chowder is deliciously creamy but not too thick. The fabulous oyster bar, which is open late, offers Chesapeake Bay oysters as well as boutique and premium selections. To go with the seafood, Black’s makes a terrific Dark & Stormy, with Gosling’s Bermuda dark rum and ginger beer. The refreshing Juniper Bubbles is made with Tanqueray gin, elderflower liqueur, champagne and orange bitters. Black’s features daily happy hour martini specials, such as raspberry, orange blossom, white cosmo, apple and Smirnoff. Take advantage of Black’s Sunday night wine specials, when select bottles from around the world go for half-price.
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Porch Swing Punch
Ingredients:
3 1⁄4 oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur
6 1⁄2 oz strawberry water
(see recipe below)
1 1⁄2 oz simple syrup
18-20 spearmint leaves
12-14 dashes Free Bros. rhubarb bitters
750 ml champagne, prosecco
or cava
» Hold mint leaves together and tear gently (don’t shred — just release the oils). Place the leaves in a punch bowl. Pour the rest of the ingredients in and stir. Ladle and serve.
Strawberry Water
Ingredients:
Strawberries
Cold water
1- Individually quick-frozen strawberries are a great product for this recipe.
2- Place your berries in a high-walled sauce pot and pour in enough cold water to completely cover the fruit. Just bring to a boil and turn down the heat until simmering. Stir fruit occasionally to make sure berries get the flavor and color leached out of them. The amount of time this takes depends on how much you are working with, so just look at the berries. When finished, they will turn almost white.
3- Finely strain the fruit out of the liquid (you really want to make sure all the solids are removed). Return the red water to a sauce pot and heat on medium-high until reduced by half. Cool, bottle and refrigerate for a week.
– Recipes by Stephen Warner/Eventide Restaurant
