Barrel is a nice Capitol Hill watering hole offering lively exchanges and plenty of old and new bourbons Ambiance: ***1/2 Decor: **** Service: **** Cocktails: ***1/2 Overall Rating: 3.75 I’m the focused, deliberate sort: when I find a new neighborhood in DC that I haven’t sipped from extensively, I get fixated, and work my way through its… Read More Bourbon on the Hill – Barrel
The perfect spot for a summer evening, Colada Shop offers some creative cocktails and a lively and colorful vibe. Ambiance: **** Decor: **** Service: **** Cocktails: ***1/2 Overall Rating: 4.00 A few weeks ago I attended the New Chefs on the Block popup event at Mess Hall in DC. One of the bright stars there was… Read More Cuba Libre! – Colada Shop
A welcome outpost of Southern charm in Del Ray, Live Oak combines a solid drink list, enchanting decor, and an inviting atmosphere. Ambiance: ****1/2 Decor: ***** Service: ***** Cocktails: **** Overall Rating: 4.5 One of my favorite cities in the world is Charleston – the mix of American history, gentile architecture, and Southern food drew… Read More The Southern and the Sublime – Live Oak
This week I’m reviewing H.W. Brand’s biography of Ulysses S. Grant who, unfairly, is the US President most closely associated with booze. Figuring out what Grant actually drank, however, is a bit difficult. One clue comes from this famous, almost certainly apocryphal account: After the failure of his first experimental explorations around Vicksburg, a committee of… Read More Drinking Like Ulysses S. Grant
A cozy and elegant nook perfect for after work happy hours, Water and Wall provides some powerful cocktails to start the evening off right. Ambiance: ***1/2 Decor: **** Service: **** Cocktails: ***1/2 Overall Rating: 3.5 I feel like I always find myself in Clarendon after work – the variety of outdoor drinking options and casual vibe of… Read More After Work – Water and Wall
This week I’m reviewing Bill Beverly’s “Dodgers” a crime novel that begins in the embattled slums of Los Angeles. LA’s rougher neighborhoods haven’t generated many craft cocktails (at least that I could find), so I searched for noir-ish drinks that evoke visions of LA Confidential or Chinatown. The first drink I made was “The Brown Derby” which is named… Read More LA Dreaming and Drinking
Hello Cocktails! 