“There is but one Paris and however hard living may be here, and if it became worse and harder even—the French air clears up the brain and does good—a world of good.” – Vincent van Gogh Upon returning from my week-long trip to Paris, I felt silly telling friends how wonderful it was. The last… Read More Paris je t’aime
As of resident of the greater DC area for 13 years, I have to admit the shine of living in and around capitol tends to wear off. The traffic, the legions of self-important apparatchiks, lawyers, the traffic….these factors take the bloom off the rose pretty quickly. And that’s a damn shame: this city is a… Read More Capitol Cool at the Occidental
A laid back and sightly neighborhood joint, the Good Silver provides a friendly setting and some nice booze. Ambiance: ***1/2 Decor: **** Cocktails: ***1/2 Service: **** Overall: 3.75 It was one of those classic October days in DC: leaves changing color, pumpkin spice lattes in hand, and 100% humidity. Yuck, seriously – I swore we were… Read More Neighborhood Hang – The Good Silver
If you visit as many cocktail bars as I do, you’ll often find yourself studying the bartender’s process and wondering – could I do that? Like, could I make dozens of fairly complex drinks, bring boozy joy to everyone around me, and not have anyone wretch or go into shock? The idea germinates like a… Read More How to Throw a Cocktail Party in 137 Easy Steps
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
“There cannot be not enough snacks, There can only be not enough vodka. There can be no silly jokes, There can only be not enough vodka. There can be no ugly women, There can only be not enough vodka. There cannot be too much vodka, There can only be not enough vodka.” This week I’m… Read More How to Drink Like a Tsar
The perfect spot for a spring or summer soiree, the Columbia Room’s less formal sibling offers a ton of refreshing and delicious cocktails. Ambiance: ****1/2 Decor: **** Service: **** Cocktails: **** Overall Rating: 4.25 So if you are familiar with the existence of alcohol and Washington DC, you’ve no doubt heard of the Columbia Room, the famed… Read More Punch by Twilight – Columbia Room (Punch Garden)
Helluva year my friends, helluva year! I started this blog in May as a simple way to record my initial, clumsy forays into mixing cocktails. Since then, it’s become an increasingly enjoyable platform for recounting fun trips to 49 cocktails bars in seven states and two countries. So many great experiences sipping amazing drinks, meeting colorful folks on both sides of… Read More Farewell to 2015 – My Top Five Bars! 100th Post!
Impossibly beautiful in the low light of evening, Iron Gate exudes old Washington elegance while serving up some potent drinks. Ambiance: ****1/2 Decor: ***** Service: **** Cocktails: ***1/2 Overall Rating: 4.25 “So when the iron portal shuts behind us, And life forgets us in its noise and whirl, Visions that shunned the glaring noonday find us,… Read More Cocktails Under the Glimmering Starlight – Iron Gate
I wrote a few weeks ago about Petworth Citizen’s great Reading Room Bar and its awesome weekly literary cocktail series. Craving that magic combination of good books and drink, I headed over for the “Arabian Night” celebration, superbly mc’ed by Ms. Chantal Tseng. Now I had almost no knowledge of the Arabian Nights stories beyond the… Read More Arabian Nights at Petworth Citizen
