This week I’m reviewing Spain in Our Hearts, Adam Hochschild’s history of foreign volunteers in the Spanish Civil War. Hochschild’s description of the idyllic Spanish countryside, along with DC’s customary stifling heat, got me thinking about simple cocktails that both refresh and evoke visions of olive groves and green foothills. First up was the “Marianito” a simple three-part… Read More Spanish Anarchism and Cocktails
Whenever a friend asks yours truly “what’s your favorite cocktail bar in DC?” I’m always quick to answer “it’s not in DC, but the best in the area is Captain Gregory’s.” From its sophisticated ambiance to its list’s flawless combination of whiz-bang experimentation and stunningly good tastes, the Captain is a must-visit. Simply put, if… Read More Advanced Tiki at Captain Gregory’s
Lending some more class and power to Bloomingdale, Truxton Inn is a great spot to socialize and skim through some classic cocktails and paperbacks. Ambiance: ****1/2 Decor: ****1/2 Cocktails: **** Service: **** Overall: 4.25 As a fan of McLellan’s Retreat in Dupont, I was excited to hear that the folks behind that darkened haunt were starting a new spot in… Read More Neighborhood Power – Truxton Inn
This week I’m reviewing Richard Snow’s riveting new history of the Battle of Hampton Roads, which got me in the mood to make up some old school naval cocktails. And you really can’t get more old school or naval than Grog, the first cocktail of the ocean seas! Grog, for those poor souls unitiated in Royal Navy/alcohol… Read More It’s a Grog Party!
A wonderfully sedate and honest neighborhood bar, Union Drinkery is a good spot for relaxation and solid drinks. Ambiance: **** Decor: **** Cocktails: **** Service: ****1/2 Overall: 4 Georgia Avenue is growing on me: eclectic and ramshackle, the area retains a bit of genuine DC character, still untouched by commercial blanding. Oh, and Alfie’s is there.… Read More Cocktail Chill – Union Drinkery
This week I’m reviewing Michelle DeRusha’s biography of the marriage of Martin and Katharina Luther. Now, most of my knowledge of Lutherans comes from listening to A Prairie Home Companion where they are usually characterized as hard-working, quiet, and simple folk. Here’s Garrison Keillor: “And I don’t like to generalize about Lutherans, but one thing that’s true… Read More Reformation Cocktails
This week I’m reviewing Robert Gaudi’s book “African Kaiser,” a marvelous little history of German’s forgotten African colonies during World War I. I’ve dabbled a bit in Germanic cocktail-ology previously but never explored imbibing during the Wilhemine Period. Unfortunately for me and all of Europe, Kaiser Wilhelm II–the last and dumbest Kaiser–was a bit of a teetotaler… Read More How to Drink Like the Kaiser
A mellow tiki outpost amidst the colonial atmosphere of Old Town, Hi-Tide Lounge is a nice refuge from the crowds and tourists. Ambiance: **** Decor: ***1/2 Cocktails: **** Service: ****1/2 Overall: 4 On a recent stroll down King Street, I got a little down. Don’t get me wrong, the quaint, gorgeous historic streets of Old Town have… Read More Old Town Tiki – Hi-Tide Lounge
Clarity is a cozy fine-dining restaurant tucked away in Vienna with a lively atmosphere, excellent food, and good drinks. Ambiance: **** Decor: **** Cocktails: ***1/2 Service: ****1/2 Overall: 4 Vienna and I have never quite clicked. One of the richest towns in the country, Vienna is certainly beautiful and choc-full of well-bred folks, but I’ve yet to be invited… Read More Among My Betters – Clarity
This week I’m reviewing “The Silk Roads” by Peter Frankopan, which recasts world history as an Asian-centric story rather than the European saga we are raised with. As I write this and think of the scale and breadth of Frankopan’s book, I’m a little embarrassed that I didn’t search the ends of the Earth (or the… Read More Cocktails at the Crossroads
Hello Cocktails! 