Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1399
52 / the tasting panel / july 2009 Washington D.C. Derek Brown When I fi rst met sommelier-cum- mixologist Derek Brown, in 2005, his cocktails were already catching ma- jor buzz. He's now one of the pow- erhouses behind The Gibson, argu- ably the most perfect bar inside the District. It's an ideal playground for Derek to show off his passion for "the history of bartending, drinking cul- ture and all the great bartenders of the past." Plus, the Prohibition-style bar manages to be meticulous with its music, decor and drinks, while maintaining a relaxed atmosphere. You won't get kicked out for laughing too loudly or using the cocktail menu as a springboard for spur-of-the-mo- ment concoctions by the bartenders. Derek also recently designed an in- triguing grape spirit-based drink list at SOVA, a bohemian coffee, tea and wine spot on funky H Street, where pisco reigns supreme in cocktails, along with cognac, armangac, grap- pa and wine. Keep in mind SOVA's bar manager Jamie MacBain is a re- cently relocated member of the Ore- gon Bartenders Guild, which should give you a glimpse into the alterna- tive mixology going on there. Todd Thrasher DC bartender Todd Thrasher was practicing "molecular mixology" be- fore Americans had ever heard those two words uttered in the same sen- tence. He cut his teeth on "airs" and "foams" working alongside Span- ish celebrity chef Jose Andrés in the 90s at Café Atlantico. Later, Thrasher shook his cocktail shaker at the ac- claimed Restaurant Eve in Northern Virginia and now at its nearby three- year old speakeasy-style jewel-box- of-a-bar called PX. Having inter- viewed both Andrés and Thrasher about their avant-garde Picasso- and Dali-esque approach to sustenance, I can tell you that neither likes nor uses the word "molecular." However, for the sake of conveying a concept to those not familiar with "pome- granate air" or "celery foam," it's a convenient term. DC:District of Cocktails Toasting top brass bartenders in the nation's capital story and photos by Natalie Bovis-Nelsen F orget economic doom and politics. If you haven't visited Washington, DC lately, it's time to renew your pride in America's most important metropolis one sip at a time. Not only is the city bustling with renewed energy on the heels of an historic election, but the bars are a-fl ood with monumental mixology. But I'm a little biased. Two years of tippling in DC inspired me to launch a cocktail blog in early 2006, highlighting the cool stuff going on the city. I'm increasingly impressed with each visit back to Washing- ton. Not only is the quality (if not quantity) of the venues and drinks in DC beginning to rival cities like New York and San Francisco, but the tight-knit, supportive wealth of talent being fostered there is kick- ing some serious cocktailian butt. Todd Thrasher Derek Brown