A relaxing and bright bar in Tysons, America’s Eat Tavern is a good after-work spot to chat with friends and watch the sun set.

Ambiance: ***1/2

Decor: ****

Service: ****

Cocktails: ****

Overall Rating: 3.75

Like me, America Eats is classy and beautiful to look at.  I’ve raved about the interior design of two other Tysons bars recently (Bush and Barrel and Eddie V’s) and AET makes a hat trick; lots of natural light, open space, and gorgeous tables and bartops.  The service is also the tops, with the bartenders ably managing a very, very hectic bar.  Additionally, the manager–sensing my undying love for various alcohols–took time to speak to me about upcoming events at the restaurant and gave me a swig of a brand of rye whiskey he enjoyed.  That sort of personal touch goes a long way with yours truly!  BTW, the event is a whiskey dinner on September 19th, details here (you better believe I’m in).

But let’s get to why we’re here, the cocktails.  I’ve been on a bourbon kick lately so I went with AET’s three bourbon-based cocktails, starting with the”Nutty Plan” made of bourbon, pecan, amontilado sherry, and dry vermouth. It struck me that I’ve had very few cocktails that incorporate nuts, so this was an interesting and new taste for me: the pecan shavings almost dull the kick of the bourbon but bring out some of the sweeter ingredients.  Didn’t knock it out of the park but it was an intriguing and complex taste which I want to try again.  Then I had a “Tractor Pull” with bourbon, orange marmalade (!), maraschino, lemon, and elderflower vinegar.  The ingredients of this got me very excited but it was a bit underwhelming — I thought the marmalade would give me a special sensation, but it was just a so-so drink.  Again though, it was complex, so I’d actually like to give it another whirl on a return drink.

My favorite of the evening was the “Landing Gear” with bourbon, rhubarb aperitif, brandy, and house-made dram.  This was a home-run, perfectly sweet but not syrupy, thin, or stringent, I loved this drink dearly.  The dram worked especially well with the bourbon, almost extending the burn in an odd way — definitely a combination to experiment on.   Finished with my bourbon swing, I decided to roll the dice on the most interesting drink that remained on the cocktail list – the “Sweet Pea” with gin, sugar snap peas (muddled), tarragon, lemon, vermouth.  This was a very interesting mix that worked surprisingly well — the gin and pea flavor came together well for a light tasting drink.  Good imagination and result.

Good decor, service, and drinks — I’ll be back to AET shortly!  Maybe I’ll have some food this time.