Joe Riley

James E. Pepper is a young Bourbon, and not inexpensive, but compelling nevertheless. I like it, and I've had it in a great Derek Brown cocktail at Rogue24. More info here: James E. Pepper

Okay - after several unfortunate delays, Jack Rose is finally open, but right now it's mainly just the rooftop, as most of you know, which has a good but necessarily limited menu at the moment, but those three lovely bars are doing quite well. If you've been to the rooftop, but not lately, you might not be aware that they've tented-over the open area, which of course really helps when the weather isn't ideal, and they have several large fans going to keep the air-flow pleasant during the brutally hot and humid times. The main floor is, for the moment, really just open as needed, but should be open regularly in another week or so. The new General Manager will be running things then, and smooth sailing lies just ahead. Up until now, Jack Rose has been a victim of its own success. They've had lines out the door on weekends, and have been doing very well, but they've rather had the "bull by the horns", so to speak. Just initial growing pains. A little patience will be greatly rewarded in short order when the main kitchen opens for good and the whisky program gets going 100%. Much to look forward to here.

I'd also check out KegWorks.com They also carry growler accessories. Worth a look, if only for comparison shopping.

Due to either my not-paying-attention, or my just plain bad memory, it came as a pleasant surprise to me that Rogue 24 was opening yesterday; I found out (or was reminded) about it on Tuesday night , when I ran into chef de partie Bryan Tetorakis at The Passenger, and immediately planned to visit on Wednesday. Then I read this nice piece in Wednesday's Post Food Section, and was concerned that it would be slammed and SRO (I'd already been informed that the reservations were filled for Wednesday; I merely wanted to drop by and have a drink and perhaps a nibble at the bar): The high cost of living (large) I wasn't quite certain what to expect after reading that article yesterday morning. Was Rogue 24 going to be like Komi, i.e., destination dining with no bar to linger at? Or would I be able to indulge one of my favorite pastimes and simply enjoy a few small plates and a drink or two at the bar? I set out to find out, and asked a friend along, telling her that I'd let her know what the situation was after I got there, since she lived a few blocks away, and we had contingency plans ready if Rogue 24 couldn't accommodate us. Armed with the address (925 N St. NW) and aware that it was in Blagden Alley, I found parking on 9th St. and walked into the Alley to find Rogue 24. That was easier said than done! I felt a bit like a mouse in a maze, but I eventually saw the restaurant through some windows, and asked a couple of parking attendants where the entrance was, and they indicated the door. There was no signage, and this gives Rogue 24 something of an "insider's" feel to it; a speakeasy restaurant! Some might find this irritating or exasperating, but I LOVE it. No one will just "wander by" and drop in; you have to know where you are going and have a set purpose. Time will tell if Rogue 24 will make itself more conspicuous, but in the meantime, it has a undercover/stealth vibe, as though it might be unlicensed and invitation-only. I entered and was greeted by the hostess, Jessica, and then saw Derek Brown, They both explained the "Salon" concept to me, which is a sort-of waiting area for pre-dinner drinks in a lounge-like setting but there is no traditional bar set up there. One simply is given the cocktail list and you get served there. There were enough people there when I showed up to qualify as "busy" and thankfully, a couple of seats opened up in the Salon, so I was seated and texted my friend to come on ahead, giving her specific directions and she had no trouble finding the entrance as a result. We had cocktails (I started with the Bitter Peach Fizz, then had the "Pepper and Pepper", featuring James E. Pepper Bourbon) and some wine (a Beronia Rioja Riserva 2006), and I met Matthew Carroll, the General Manager and Sommelier, who was very nice and most helpful; oenophiles will find no shortage of thoughtfully-selected and compelling wine choices to enjoy. Derek gave my friend and I a quick tour, and we each tried a non-alcoholic beverage which was refreshing and delightful on such a warm evening (Rogue 24 will always have these available, so even non-drinkers or designated drivers will have something interesting to enjoy, not just the old standbys of soda or iced tea.) My friend and I did not have anything to eat, but we are looking forward to a return visit sometime soon. Rogue 24 is a wonderful space (kudos to my friend Brian Miller and company for the design), and I know enough about chef R.J. Cooper's reputation and my own experiences with his cuisine from Vidalia to be really excited about dining there. I'll wait until I know I can set aside at least 2 hours and make nice early reservations to allow for a relaxed and fulfilling evening of great food and drink. Rogue 24 is something to be happy and excited about. I eagerly await the reports of more informed Rockwellians as to their dining experiences there.

All this, according to Rabbit Salad and Grill

I believe that D.C. Alcohol Beverage Regulatory Agency had to create laws for growlers due to D.C. Braü's inquiry. Yes, the extant laws addressed "sealed containers", but I believe the wording may have been vague; no telling how long ago those particular laws were written or updated. D.C. Braü simply didn't want to run afoul of any potential interpretation that might expose them to legal penalties.

New Clarendon location set to open up late August or early September in the former Sette Bello space: American Tap Room - Clarendon Great space, and right across from the Clarendon Metro, too.

As I just posted in the D.C Brau thread, you can go to thier brewery, on Bladensburg Rd. NE, and buy growlers for $16, and refill them for $10. Growlers are NOT illegal in D.C.; according to this City Paper article, D.C. actually had no laws dealing with growlers, but the issue has been addressed.

We used to carry it at Ace (it's still available to us). It is made by KBD (Kentucky Bourbon Distillers), the same folks who make Willett, Johnnie Drum, Pure Kentucky, Kentucky X.O., Old Bardstown, Rowan's Creek, Noah's Mill, and many other labels for other people, such as Black Maple Hill. Corner Creek is one of those labels owned by someone else and contracted through KBD.

The good news is, you CAN go to D.C. Brau, on Bladensburg Rd. NE, and buy growlers on Saturdays (check their website for visiting hours or, better yet, follow them on Facebook). In case anyone missed this useful City Paper article that came out almost a month ago: http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/youngandhungry/2011/07/01/dc-brau-growlers-are-here-just-in-time-for-july-4th/ They are trying to get to the point of accepting credit cards, but for the moment, they are cash-only. But a growler for $16, or re-fill one for $10. The Citizen, The Corruption, and The Public are all available there now. The Penn Quarter Pilsner is only available on draught at selected bars and restaurants. At this time, retailers are still being denied D.C. Brau as the brewery is trying to keep up with bar and restaurant demand, but htey have been installing new equipment and hope to be back on retailer shelves sometime before the end of August.. So far, I love everything I've had from D.C. Brau, which is everything except the Porter. I'm looking forward to even more good things from them and wish them every success.

Two things I want to contribute, if I may: 1) Lazzaroni Maraschino liqueur (which we also carry, along with Luxardo) is 25% ABV vs. Luxardo's 32%. 2) We carry Luxardo Maraska Cherries - $19.99 for a 360-gram jar. That is all

Vodka began it;s climb to popularity in this country when Smirnoff introduced its slogan (and I may be paraphrasing here) "It leaves you breathless", meaning that you could drink Smirnoff and it wouldn't give you tell-tale breath. This caught on, especially with women consumers, and alcoholics, as you might imagine. It was also very cheap, which greatly helped its sales. The other aspect of vodka which made it catch on is, vodka is essentially a "tabula rasa" for bartenders to project ingredients and flavors onto. I'm virtually certain that it was the success of Absolut, due to their incredibly expensive and clever advertisements, that jump-started the whole specialty vodka craze. Absolut vodka is, or at least was, the most heavily-advertised spirits brand in the entire world. It's success spawned legions of imitators and wanna-be's, everyone searching for that next vodka product with would capture the consumers attention. Personally, I was stunned at the success of Grey Goose; in seemingly no time at all, it went from nothing to being so successful that Bacardi bought them for 2 billion dollars. Everyone who gets into the vodka field is hoping to capture that "lightning in a bottle" (so to speak). I bag on vodka a little bit because I simply find it (for the most part) seriously boring and plain and uninteresting. It is also the one spirit whose sales depend GREATLY on packaging vs. quality. So many of my customers buy a vodka based upon what the bottle looks like, and that just kills me; you can't DRINK the bottle! Having said that, I've noticed also that people seem to buy vodka to impress others and demonstrate how much they can afford to spend. I would enjoy the opportunity to conduct a blind tasting of the top 15 or 20 selling plain vodkas and dare people to determine which was which. People, please understand: IF YOU ARE MIXING VODKA WITH FRUIT JUICE OR, SAY, IN A BLOODY MARY, ANY PERCEIVED NUANCES IN THE VODKA WILL BE LOST. YOU *WON'T* BE ABLE TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE! If you use a decent, less-expensive vodka brand, such as Smirnoff, Svedka, Fris, even Gordon's, your drinks will be just fine. If you are using anything over, say, $25/bottle, well, by and large you are simply manufacturing more expensive urine. Think about it..

It got a nice mention in today's Express paper, but I cannot locate the review in the online edition: Express

God love these folks at Catoctin, but I find their products too expensive for what they are, so poor value. I wish them well, and I'm happy to order bottles for customers, but I just cannot work up enthusiasm for them. Hope they prove me wrong some day.

We're carrying it. Yep, $10.99 per six-pack. I finally got to try it yesterday, and I really like it. I'd happily buy it at a D.C.-area bar or restaurant. Nice to have a truly local beer that we can be proud of, and I hope that we see more of these from other recent start-ups.

Yeah, it's a Heaven Hill product. Why Heaven Hill stopped producing their excellent Rittenhouse 80-pf Rye and continue to produce the not-nearly-as-interesting, and similarly-priced Pikesville is beyond me. In roughly the same price range, Jim Beam Rye and Old Overholt are both much better IMHO.

I'd rather be in the middle of the massacre on the Odessa steps than have to drink Odesse vodka

I should point out that Koval is also making a few white whiskies, in addition to some really good liqueurs and other products. Some of these white whiskies are interesting, some less-so. I would really advise anyone looking to buy one to see if they can try it first at a good bar or restaurant which carries it, or request a bottle as a gift. I can see where some folks will find them very useful but others will have no practical use for them at all. I'm still slightly ambivalent about these products. Perhaps they can serve as a "bridge" of some sort for consumers who never buy "brown" spirits? I'm not counting on anyone coming to me anytime soon to tell me, "You know, I was a confirmed vodka drinker until I tried (insert brand name here) white whiskey, and now I'm a convert! If I like that, what else do you recommend?" It will be interesting to see how this plays out over the next few years, as to whether or not this is a passing fad or if consumers really take to them. I can't say that they are great values necessarily. If someone is really keen to buy one from me to try, then perhaps I'll recommend the Buffalo Trace white mash, since it comes in a 375ml bottle and is only $15.99; as of this moment, it is the least-expensive investment in white whiskey that I have to offer.

BTW - I just learned today that Maryland passed a sales tax increase to 9% effective this July. so that certainly "evens the playing field" somewhat.

Well, KBD's not really "secretive"; heck, they do have a website: Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, LTD We sell Noah's Mill for $55.99

Hey, at least the MoCoFo's can go to other Maryland counties and pay less; they don't HAVE to drive into the District. MoCo's an anomaly. Some spirits and wines they buy directly (i.e. outside the three-tier system) and they can be competitive on prices with those items. Other items? Some of the prices I've heard about and seen just seem to border on usery.

If I'm honest, one of the reasons why I'm grousing about this is because I have to listen to customer complaints about D.C. sales tax EVERY....SINGLE....DAY. Especially from the Virginia and Maryland customers who have a lower tax rate that they pay on alcohol. I usually brush it off by extolling the virtues of our clean, smoothly paved streets that these taxes surely pay for The sales tax rate on alcoholic beverages has been 9% for many years now, possibly as long as ten years, and that was up from 8 or 8.5%. The single biggest change this makes for us? We've always offered a 10% case discount on wine; if this tax increase goes through, it essentially wipes out any customer savings. Hey, at least it will make the arithmetic easier

There is no snack tax now, but yes, there has been a "prepared food" tax for quite some time. This is the tax that you pay in restaurants, or if you buy a hamburger at Burger King drive-through, or a hot dog at 7-Eleven, or a bagel sandwich at Starbucks. There used to be a tax on what we think of as snack food; bagged potato chips, etc..

I used to get all sorts of calls and emails from people looking for Carlsbader Beder Becherovka, from the Czech Republic. The former wholesaler for it was out of stock forever and could never provide an ETA. I told people to check online for it. Well, it might have been out of the market because of a switch in U.S. importers, I can't be certain, but the good folks at Pernod-Ricard have brought it back to us, and through a different wholesaler. More info here: Becherovka.com

Please show me where I advocated either of the two positions you just mentioned. I believe that you cannot tax a municipality into prosperity, and raising taxes during a recession sounds nice in theory but is often counter-productive. Does D.C. have to bring back the control board? Heck, there used to be snack taxes and the like when D.C. was in worse shape years ago. Grey makes me miss the Anthony Williams administration, which restored fiscal responsibility to the District. From everything I read of Grey's administration so far, it just seems to be incompetent to me; so far, it certainly doesn't inspire any confidence.