Wisdom, Cocktail Lounge on 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in Near Southeast

[Merry Mary]

Just opened, delicious concoctions, both with and without alcohol. A few doors down from Trusty's. Black sign with white lettering, a little hard to see.

They have a menu of hand crafted drinks that will change monthly, a couple of great beers on tap, beers in bottles and some wines. Nicely balanced drinks and a key to let you know which might appeal to you. Bacon infused bourbon!

Fun space, good music, Eric and Safia at the front bar will take good care of you.

[leleboo]

Dom the bartender wasn't there the other night, which was a bit of a bummer, but just generally I love this place. Sure, they're right out my front door, but so is Trusty's, and despite the order of magnitude difference in cocktail prices, I'll pick Wisdom nine times out of ten.

I've yet to try anything off the abbreviated food menu, created by the folks from the Argonaut. One of these days, though, I will try the absinthe/rum cocktail whose description notes that "after two, your hand gestures become strangely Johnny Depp" (or something very close to that) -- because not only would I absolutely love to go all Captain Jack Sparrow on my drinking companions, but also, I would totally follow up with, "But why is the rum gone?"

(Pirates of the Caribbean part one was really worth seeing. The sequels were shite, but I'll always have a thing for Johnny Depp.)

All kidding aside, Wisdom is such a boon to the neighborhood. I want to get people to come to Far Near Southeast* just to get them to try it ... cocktails cost an arm and a leg (in my paying-for-grad-school-world) but of an evening, it's worth it. Particularly when Dom's in house. The current twist on the Manhattan (rye, honey bourbon, green chartreuse) was a little too sweet, but that's the drink's profile and just not suiting my taste; the pear and elderflower cocktail I had on a previous visit was perfect. I've been with folks who just want a Heineken and folks who want the craziest concoction one could fathom, and no one has ever left upset.

Hm. Maybe I should head back there now...

*ETA: I've been informed by the Dining Guide that apparently this is "Near Southeast." It's not nearer to the meeting point of the quadrants than other parts of SE, so it beats me why that's the official designation, but I'll abide by the city's nomenclature in my post.

Edited November 22, 2009 by leleboo

[DonRocks]

Wisdom is such a boon to the neighborhood.

May I also add that they were recently featuring an Ayinger Celebrator Dopplebock ($6.00) on tap that was in absolutely perfect condition. I wouldn't come here for their expensive mixed drinks, but rather for a good beer in a cozy, Argonaut level of glad-to-be-here comfort. The Argonaut reference is not random: Argonaut's cooks supply Wisdom with their pub-snack menu, and both bars have a similar feel to them.

Interestingly, Argonaut is almost exactly due-north of Wisdom on a map (1.5 miles straight up 14th or 15th St. NE). This city is shrinking in a big way.

Cheers,
Rocks.

[DonRocks]

My original post was moved from another topic to here, which rendered it pointless.

[Why didn't you write me and ask me to move it back? I would have. I disagree that it was pointless here (this place needed a bump), and the snapback function can instantly put it right back into context (but I would have moved it back anyway).]

[Kanishka]

Just to confirm: still open, great drinks, bartenders I've met happy to make creative non-alcoholic drinks too (something that has become more important to me of late.) Prices a bit steep, service a bit slow, but still a good -- or more precisely, important -- business for the neighborhood to have. Last time I went (back in January) I believe the food was coming from Pound, but I'm not sure now.

[Tujague]

[Why didn't you write me and ask me to move it back? I would have. I disagree that it was pointless here (this place needed a bump), and the snapback function can instantly put it right back into context (but I would have moved it back anyway).]

I'm sorry--a bit out of sorts last night when I deleted and rewrote. My point was that Wisdom might be considered the FIRST artisanal cocktail lounge on the Hill, beyond Beuchert's or Harold Black. Of course, I may totally misunderstand others' criteria of "artisanal" or "Capitol Hill"--and I've never been here, frankly--but it seems like it deserves some mention for trying something different in an underserved neighborhood.