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"Classic" Cocktails in the District


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In recent months, I've become a huge fan of "classic" cocktails - made as close to how they were in the heady days of the early 20th century. In New York, there are a handful of wonderful cocktail bars that specialize in this, but I have yet to find a bartender in the district that can make a Hemingway Daiquiri, a Pegu Club, a Corpse Reviver #2, or any of a number of fantastic drinks that hark back to an older time. Nor have I found many bars that stock maraschino liqueur, or orange bitters, or applejack, etc.

I was wondering if anyone knew of places that took their cocktails seriously and with a sense of history. I would guess that, if cocktailians exist in DC, they're on DonRocks...

Cheers,

Doctor No

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In recent months, I've become a huge fan of "classic" cocktails - made as close to how they were in the heady days of the early 20th century. In New York, there are a handful of wonderful cocktail bars that specialize in this, but I have yet to find a bartender in the district that can make a Hemingway Daiquiri, a Pegu Club, a Corpse Reviver #2, or any of a number of fantastic drinks that hark back to an older time. Nor have I found many bars that stock maraschino liqueur, or orange bitters, or applejack, etc.

I was wondering if anyone knew of places that took their cocktails seriously and with a sense of history. I would guess that, if cocktailians exist in DC, they're on DonRocks...

Cheers,

Doctor No

The bar in the lobby of the Mayflower Hotel has a bartender named Sam who has been making the most remarkable Daquiris in the City for the past thirty years, or so. Try him.

Oh, and welcome to DR.com. :)

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Nor have I found many bars that stock maraschino liqueur, or orange bitters, or applejack, etc.
I would be happy just to find a liquor store that stocks a range of bitters. I recently read a story in the New York Times about the appearance of some new bitters. Not only orange, but also peach. According to the article these were ingredients in many of the great cocktails that were made prior to Prohibition. The article also mentioned that a true martini has a dash of bitters in it (I cannot remember if it was orange or peach).

Edited to add, I just found out that it is Orange bitters that were in the original Martinis. Fee Brothers is the brand that played a prominent role in the article.

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What is a Corpse Reviver #2? And more importantly, was there ever a Corpse Reviver #1, and did it fail?
Yes. He stayed dead.
Shake in iced cocktail shaker & strain

3/4 oz gin (2 cl, 3/16 gills)

3/4 oz Cointreau (2 cl, 3/16 gills)

3/4 oz Lillet Blanc (2 cl, 3/16 gills)

3/4 oz fresh lemon juice (2 cl, 3/16 gills)

2 drops pastis (1 dash)

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Re: Bitters. I know both Derek Brown (now at Agraria) and Todd Thrasher at Eve make their own in various flavors, like orange and peach. And even though they're both doing innovative new drinks, if I were looking for classic cocktails, I'd head to their bars. Sounds like Todd has some cool classics in store for Eamonn's. Sebastian at Rasika also seems to care a lot about the history of cocktails and the "craft". :)

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Yes! Excellent thread! Where can you get an Aviation around here?

My house. We prefer Luxardo maraschino for its dry spiciness. :)

Palena keeps a bottle of maraschino behind the bar. Many months ago, I got the bartender (don't know her name) to give me a splash of it with some gin and lemon juice. I didn't have proportions on hand (because I never go to bars expecting to find maraschino), but if you have them handy, you may be able to call one out. Also, and perhaps surprisingly, the bartenders in the Race Bar at Clyde's of Chevy Chase turn out consistently good classics -- medium Martinis, Gimlets, and Manhattans come to mind.

Cheers,

Xochitl10

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Yes! Excellent thread! Where can you get an Aviation around here?

Stop by Dino at your leisure and I'll be happy to make you one. I have always carried Maraschino liqueur and I carry some great gins such as Hendricks, Citadelle, Brokers, Juipero, and I just picked up #209. #209 is made in San Fransisco and differs from European gins in that it is made from corn as opposed to barley and wheat, which is required by european gin laws. I think this is one of my new favorite gins! I've also put together a new cocktail called Cucumber & Thyme that is made with 209 Gin and is quite refreshing. So please stop by to sample this and some of my new spring creations:

Wild Berry Mojito

Cable Car

Blood and Sand

Green Tea Martini

Very Sexy Cocktail

Blood Orange Cosmopolitan

Summertime Splash

Nero's Passion

I've always been a fan of the classic cocktails,especially when they are made well, and look for ways to update them with unique spirits and ingredients. This is my passion and profession, so if you ask, I'll be more than happy to try to accomodate anyone's drink requests. :)

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Thanks for the help, everyone! Glad to see that cocktail craft is alive and well in the District!

As for Fee's bitters (orange and peach), I have found them at Dean and Deluca in New York, and would not be surprised if the DC D&D carried them as well, but I'd call before I shlepped into Georgetown.

Cheers,

Doctor No

Stop by Dino at your leisure and I'll be happy to make you one. I have always carried Maraschino liqueur and I carry some great gins such as Hendricks, Citadelle, Brokers, Juipero, and I just picked up #209. #209 is made in San Fransisco and differs from European gins in that it is made from corn as opposed to barley and wheat, which is required by european gin laws. I think this is one of my new favorite gins! I've also put together a new cocktail called Cucumber & Thyme that is made with 209 Gin and is quite refreshing. So please stop by to sample this and some of my new spring creations:

Wild Berry Mojito

Cable Car

Blood and Sand

Green Tea Martini

Very Sexy Cocktail

Blood Orange Cosmopolitan

Summertime Splash

Nero's Passion

I've always been a fan of the classic cocktails,especially when they are made well, and look for ways to update them with unique spirits and ingredients. This is my passion and profession, so if you ask, I'll be more than happy to try to accomodate anyone's drink requests. :)

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As for Fee's bitters (orange and peach), I have found them at Dean and Deluca in New York, and would not be surprised if the DC D&D carried them as well, but I'd call before I shlepped into Georgetown.

No peach, but Regan's Orange Bitters No. 6 (which I think is superior to Fee Bros) may be purchased at Calvert Woodley, along with Peychaud's and the ubiquitous Angostura. I've often wondered why, when almost all bitters disappeared from the United States for several decades, Angostura continued to be available at every supermarket in the country. What were people using it for? (Just to be clear, here: I love Angostura bitters, and am glad it remained so easy to find.)

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Joe Riley! What's the name of that really good Bloody Mary mix that Ace Beverage sells? That stuff dolled up a bit and garnished makes a classy drink.

How come it feels like ever since the blood orange met vodka, Bloody Mary got dumped? I once had an amazing homemade BM blended with some peeled cucumber (and garnished with shrimp) among the traditional ingredients. The truth is, cucumbers should be a more welcome component of mixology today (sounds like a really bad editorial in a trade magazine!). And on that last note, I like the cucumber mojito at Zengo (aka Mojito Cuzco

bacardi / midori / cucumber / mint / lime $9), even if it is dumbed down for the Verizon Center flocking masses.

Cheers,

Cukey

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Joe Riley! What's the name of that really good Bloody Mary mix that Ace Beverage sells? That stuff dolled up a bit and garnished makes a classy drink.

Bloodys by Buz http://www.bloodysbybuz.com/ It's $9.99/bottle, but it is worth it if you want to buy the BEST commercial bloody mary mix on the market.

It has horseradish and clam juice in it, and you truly do NOT need to use any vodka more expensive than, say, Smirnoff. Anyone who tries this bloody mary mix with expensive vodka and says that they can tell the difference is either a liar or just plain delusional.

So put your money into a better MIX and not into some ultra-expensive vodka that you won't be able to taste anyway.

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OK so what's a cable car?

2 shots spiced rum

1 shot Cointreau/Triple Sec

1/2 shot lemon juice (freshly squeezed as if there is any other kind)

1/4 shot simple syrup

1/2 fresh egg white

Shake over ice, strain, and serve in a martini glass with a lemon zest twist.

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Doesn't that make it a Caesar rather than a Bloody Mary?

(love them Caesars...thank you Canadia!)

I think you could argue that the Clamato makes it a Ceasar more so than the horseradish. The original Bloody Mary (from an old 1930's cocktail book I have) contained neither ingredient, but counted on black pepper and cayenne for a little zip. It also called for a tomato puree, which I find a little too thick. A more modern version usually drops either the cayenne or the black pepper, personally, the only way I will drink a bloody mary is with plenty of horseradish.

One of the latest Difford Guides has a recipe that calls for a half shot of tawny port, it sounds interesting.

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2 shots spiced rum

1 shot Cointreau/Triple Sec

1/2 shot lemon juice (freshly squeezed as if there is any other kind)

1/4 shot simple syrup

1/2 fresh egg white

Shake over ice, strain, and serve in a martini glass with a lemon zest twist.

For added flavor, I recommend that you rim one side of the glass with sugar and the other half with cinnamon, this gives the drink a bit of zest and sweet-spice-aromatic-balance that cannot be beat

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Clamato makes it a Caeser, but, far better, IMHO, is the Bull Shot, where beef broth is substituted for the tomato. Sounds nearly as gross as the Caeser, but it is a fantastic brunch drink!

:)

N.

I think you could argue that the Clamato makes it a Ceasar more so than the horseradish. The original Bloody Mary (from an old 1930's cocktail book I have) contained neither ingredient, but counted on black pepper and cayenne for a little zip. It also called for a tomato puree, which I find a little too thick. A more modern version usually drops either the cayenne or the black pepper, personally, the only way I will drink a bloody mary is with plenty of horseradish.

One of the latest Difford Guides has a recipe that calls for a half shot of tawny port, it sounds interesting.

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I think you could argue that the Clamato makes it a Ceasar more so than the horseradish.

No disagreement from this quarter...the clam juice IS the Caesar's distinctive ingredient. Ironic, really, that Clamato contains barely any at all these days. The added bite of horseradish may not be mandatory, but it is delicious.

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Clamato makes it a Caeser, but, far better, IMHO, is the Bull Shot, where beef broth is substituted for the tomato. Sounds nearly as gross as the Caeser, but it is a fantastic brunch drink!

:)

N.

Why not use Beefmato and make a Bloody Bull Shot? Actually, I just wanted to take the opportunity to mention Beefmato.
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What is a Corpse Reviver #2? And more importantly, was there ever a Corpse Reviver #1, and did it fail?
I found this recipe for the Corpse Reviver as developed by the legendary Frank Meier of the Ritz Bar in Paris (there are some who credit Meier with inventing the Sidecar):

1 1/2 shot of Cognac

1 shot of Calvados

1 shot sweet vermouth

1/4 shot chilled mineral water

Stir ingredients with ice, strain into a martini class and garnish with an orange zest twist.

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So, Derek has the cocktail list for Agraria complete. There are some great classics and some new twists. Now we have to create the rolodex for all the fun stuff that we don't have on the menu. Since we are all cocktail geeks here I thought it would be fun to have a cocktail party that everyone would bring their favorite(s) recipies to. Maybe early next week? I have to check with Derek about the logistics.

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Darn those Montgomery County Liquor Stores and their sale prices. Among the other sales (until the end of July) on 750mL sizes: Cointreau for $24.99, Quintessential Gin for $17.99, Plymouth Gin for $16.99, Cuaranta y Tres for $15.99. At that price, Cointreau is only a few bucks more than the Luxardo, and the price on Plymouth is $9 less than I paid in NYC. I failed to make a saving throw and ended up adding to my bar collection. Go forth and mix!

It was also enjoyable to hear a DLC clerk commiserating about the county's wine monopoly.

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No peach, but Regan's Orange Bitters No. 6 (which I think is superior to Fee Bros) may be purchased at Calvert Woodley, along with Peychaud's and the ubiquitous Angostura. I've often wondered why, when almost all bitters disappeared from the United States for several decades, Angostura continued to be available at every supermarket in the country. What were people using it for? (Just to be clear, here: I love Angostura bitters, and am glad it remained so easy to find.)

Thank you on behalf of all Trinidadian's outside of T&T for your praise of our countries most famous export...I recently had the opportunity to tour the Angostura factory this month and learned all about the history of the Bitters and the fact that the secret ingredient is indeed still a SECRET after all this time. They showed me all the new stuff that they are working on and also got to see the production of the Angostura/LVMH Ten-Cane Rum...what a sight!!!

As long as the world drinks cocktails, Angostura Bitters will always a place in it.

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Not sure if this place has already been mentioned but, "Off the Record" at the Hay Adams Hotel serves up some great classic drinks. Mohammad makes a mean manhattan in my opinion.

I stopped going after this visit.

One place I tried was "Off the Record" at the Hay Adams. I asked for a Manhattan made with Rye (as they were originally made, and should continue to made with). The bartender who has been written-up as one of the best in the district told me, that bourbon and rye are the same thing.

Sam Lek at Town and Country makes a much better Manhatten.

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Not exactly "classic" but does anyone know who can make a Dark and Stormy (Goslings, ginger beer, and lime) in DC/Bethesda?

Tnx.

I have recently had a dark and stormy at two places. 1) Ceiba. It was pretty good but the ginger beer did not have enough "snap". They also served it with a stalk of sugar cane which was a nice touch. 2) The better of the two was served at the Argonaut on H street. Ask Shannon to make you one and you will adore it.

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I have recently had a dark and stormy at two places. 1) Ceiba. It was pretty good but the ginger beer did not have enough "snap". They also served it with a stalk of sugar cane which was a nice touch. 2) The better of the two was served at the Argonaut on H street. Ask Shannon to make you one and you will adore it.

Thanks for the tip! I will definitely try out Argonaut. If you're ever in Rehoboth, they make a great one at the Back Porch Cafe. Instead of ginger beer, they use their own fresh ginger concoction. It's not carbonated, but it's very fresh and very snappy.

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Ray's the Classics in Silver Spring is serving sidecars.
And fine Sidecars they are. I also had Gimlets with a dash of bitters there the other night -- one with orange, one with Angostura. I preferred the Angostura bitters because they took a bit of the sweet edge off the Rose's, which seemed right on a sticky, humid night. The orange bitters got lost in the drink, IMO.

Cheers,

Xochitl10

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Went to Centro in Bethesda for drinks and appetizers. I asked if they could make a Dark & Stormy (our drink of summer...). The Italian bartender asked for help, someone came over (some kind of manager/expediter) and asked us what was in it. When I said "Gosling's black seal rum, ginger beer, and..." She interupted with "We don't sell flavored beers," and walked away. Okay. At least we got a good laugh out of it.

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The Corduroy staff will be back from vacation on the 6th with a new drink menu due shortly there after. Some highlights include the French 75, the Aviation cocktail and, a couple innovations. One that I'm dying to unleash on the drinking public is a sparkler with charteruse that Jparrot helped me out with. :)

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The Corduroy staff will be back from vacation on the 6th with a new drink menu due shortly there after. Some highlights include the French 75, the Aviation cocktail and, a couple innovations. One that I'm dying to unleash on the drinking public is a sparkler with charteruse that Jparrot helped me out with. :)
A well prepared French 75 is one of the finest cocktails around. May I ask, what type of Champagne will you use in making this?
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A well prepared French 75 is one of the finest cocktails around. May I ask, what type of Champagne will you use in making this?

I had no idea what it was so I looked it up and found this:

* 1 ounces gin

* 1/4 ounce lemon juice

* 1/8 ounce simple syrup

* 5 ounces chilled champagne

Correct?

Sounds interesting...

And Tom, you haven't perfected that sparkler yet? :)

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I had no idea what it was so I looked it up and found this:

* 1 ounces gin

* 1/4 ounce lemon juice

* 1/8 ounce simple syrup

* 5 ounces chilled champagne

Correct?

That is how I make them, I garnish mine with a brandied cherry, my wife hates cherries, so I garnish hers with an orange slice. There are some people who use cognac in their versions, I do not subscribe to this method as I find that the brandy over-powers the champagne, while a nice gin complements it. I have always been fond of using Plymouth when making a French 75, but now that I have acquired a bottle of No. 209 I am looking forward to giving it a try in this drink.

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