This week I’m reviewing Mary Beard’s hot new popular history of the Roman Empire, SPQR. Reading Dr. Beard’s vivid descriptions of the ancient city, its twisting avenues, bustling plazas, and colorful inhabitants got me thinking of the week I spent in the Eternal City in 2014. As a history nerd my expectations were already high,… Read More The Senate, the Public, and Cocktails
The omnipresent shadows found in Charlottesville’s exquisite Lost Saint can’t mask the bar’s the wonderful service and superb cocktails. Ambiance: ***** Decor: ***** Service: ***** Cocktails: ****1/2 Overall Rating: 5 It’s only been a week, but I already miss Charlottesville. Last Saturday, on a clear, warm evening (that can still happen folks) I strolled through the… Read More Charlottesville Cocktail Crawl – Lost Saint
This weekend, eager to take advantage of the rare sunshine, I journeyed to Nelson County, VA to enjoy the outdoors and hard alcohol. Nelson is a gorgeous area and home to green mountains like The Priest, Three Ridges, and several other mountains and trails I’m too chickenshit to hike. But even an soft urban hiker… Read More Charlottesville Cocktail Crawl – VA Distillery
The well-disguised, sunlit Alley Light proves not all good speakeasies need to live in the dark. Ambiance: ****1/2 Decor: ****1/2 Service: **** Cocktails: **** Overall Rating: 4.25 Finding the Alley Light, a superb speakeasy smack-dab in the heart of Charlottesville, requires a bit of detective work. Or a smart phone, that works too. The bar features no sign, the… Read More Charlottesville Cocktail Crawl – The Alley Light
The folks at WordPress were kind enough to remind me that yesterday, May 14th, was the one year anniversary of my blog. Wow! When I started the blog, I just wanted an online notebook where I could record the first drinks I was clumsily mixing up in my kitchen. Never did I imagine a year later,… Read More The Year of Blogging Drunkenly
Cloaked in darkness, the Sheppard is a low-key haunt off of Dupont with friendly service and good drinks. Ambiance: ***** Decor: **** Service: **** Cocktails: **** Overall Rating: 4.25 Having visited dozens of cocktail bars all around the US, I felt pretty confident that I’d seen it all. Yes, the dark jazz-age decor, the hidden entrances, the… Read More High Times in Low Light – The Sheppard
A welcoming little joint in Eastern Market, EatBar offers up some powerful, resonant cocktails. Ambiance: **** Decor: **** Service: **** Cocktails: ***1/2 Overall Rating: 3.75 As a fan of EatBar’s Arlington iteration, I have been eagerly anticipating my first trip to its new DC digs. I decided it was time during a recent rainstorm/metro apocalypse – in such urban… Read More Drinking to the Oldies – EatBar
A fun place for catching the game and some drinks, The Prospect also offers a mean frozen cider cocktail. Ambiance: **** Decor: *** Service: **** Cocktails: *** Overall Rating: 3.5 Because what more do you really need, right? So it was Wednesday and a big Caps/Penguins game was on my must see list. The sports/cocktail dilemma… Read More Cider, Hockey Pucks, and Cocktails – The Prospect
This week I’m reviewing Andrew Molesini’s award-winning novel “Not all Bastards are from Vienna” set in the Italian countryside during WWI. When I think of rural Italy, I envision bucolic, golden fields, endless vines, and leisurely drinking. Searching for a warm weather Italian cocktail to sip outdoors during a recent warm spell, I came upon the Venetian… Read More Venetian Spritzes and Austrian Bastards
Hello Cocktails! 