Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/898117
30 / the tasting panel / november 2017 CAPITOL CHILL FALLING FOR FERN BAR COCKTAILS AND FRENCH SIPS IN WASHINGTON, D.C. by Kelly Magyarics, DWS A Buzz About Town W ho would have believed fern bar drinks would make a crafty revival? But that's just what I found at McClellan's Retreat in Dupont Circle, where owner and bartender Brian Nixon channels the vibe of lounges popular during The Sexual Revolution in the '70s with a limited menu of updated versions. "I remember my parents enjoying the occasional colorful cocktail and wanted to pay homage to this kitschy, fun era," he says. His Grasshopper features El Dorado 5-Year rum, housemade dry cacao mint syrup, and half and half, while his clear Margarita riff uses lime water made from malic, citric, and ascorbic acids. Both were way better than anything I could have ordered at the Regal Beagle. Recently, I helped judge Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar's first annual Mixology Match in Penn Quarter (eight rum drinks on a Tuesday night? Sign me up). Each bartender was given a specific rum brand and category, then tasked with rating the name, presentation, simplicity/consistency, taste, and original- ity. Taking home first place (and the people's choice award) was Aaron Joseph, the Brand Ambassador for Papa's Pilar Rum. His Papa's Watering Hole acted as a bridge from summer to autumn with watermelon basil purée and a fall spice syrup mixed with Papa's Pilar Blonde Rum. Amy Hosseinnian of Buffalo & Bergen won second place for the Muckraker, which shook Bayou Silver Rum with lime juice, orange syrup, mint leaves, and a tamarind agua fresca. Over at basement speakeasy Dram & Grain, the inventive "dram team" of bartenders Andy Bixby, Benny Hurwitz, and Morgan Kirchner recently unveiled its latest cocktail menu of 15 libations divided into three sections. The "Know" section features full-disclosure drinks that list ingredients, technique, and flavors, like the health smoothie–like Down the Rabbit Hole with Absolut Elyx, Cynar, and carrot ginger beer. "Inquire" drinks tout an intriguing description of the sips but keep the full details behind the curtain, like Field of Creams, a Whiskey Sour riff with an unctuous chocolate raisin liqueur. "Discover" drinks for adventurous cocktail fans, meanwhile, only list the name and price—this is where the truly eclectic sips live. (Shrimpwrecked on Grapefruit Island uses tequila fat-washed with shrimp.) Chef Ryan Ratino, formerly of Ripple in Cleveland Park, opened his first restaurant—the avant-garde, French-influenced Bresca on 14th Street—in September. With cocktail consultant extraordinaire Juan Coronado behind the beverage program, you know the drinks are très bien. Seasonal ingredients and modern tech- niques shine in creations like the savory Siréne, with vodka, dry vermouth, Manzanilla Sherry, verjus, and olives; and the heady, delicate Pollination, where vodka mingles with gentian, citrus, chamomile cordial, and bee nectar. That's the buzz this month. Kelly Magyarics, DWS, is a wine, spirits, and lifestyle writer and wine educator in the Washington, D.C. area. She can be reached through her website, www.kellymagyarics.com, or on Twitter and Instagram @kmagyarics. PHOTO: REY LOPEZ PHOTO: KELLY MAGYARICS Basement speakeasy Dram & Grain recently unveiled its latest cocktail menu of 15 libations divided into three sections: "Know," "Inquire," and "Discover." The Grasshopper at McClellan's Retreat in Dupont Circle features El Dorado 5-Year rum, housemade dry cacao mint syrup, and half and half served over crushed ice. The Papa's Watering Hole cocktail, created by Papa's Pilar Rum Brand Ambassador Aaron Joseph, took first place at Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar's first annual Mixology Match. The savory Siréne at Bresca features vodka, dry vermouth, Manzanilla Sherry, verjus, and olives. P H O T O : K E LL Y M A GYA R I C S P H O T O : C AR L O S M A R T I N EZ P H O T O : R E Y L O P E Z