Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/359372
august 2014 / the tasting panel / 89 Their first restaurant, DC Coast, opened in 1998, and it's been a perennial favorite among the Martini- sipping politico set ever since. Nearby, Acadiana is the city's only upscale Louisiana-style fish house. Over the years, Clime and his team have navigated drink trends, while always striving to reflect a restaurant's concept and cuisine. Recently, to better align with the menu's French and Cajun influences, Clime overhauled Acadiana's wine list, and the new, mostly French-focus program has made a huge difference in sales. At Ceiba, it's all about the Caipirinha and Pisco Sour, two classic cocktails with just a few high quality ingredients—which align perfectly with Clime's drinks philosophy of "simplifying cocktails to maintain their taste and integrity—as opposed to overcomplicating drinks with nine ingredients that may not blend well." Hopheads need look no further than District Commons in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood, which touts the busiest bar of all Passion Food con- cepts; its 20 beers on tap and 100 bottles and cans set record sales. "Right now, it is all about American beers," declares Clime. "The craft beer industry has changed the beverage scene significantly. We now have hundreds on menus, where they were once more of a rarity." Locally produced favorites from Port City, DC Brau and Starr Hill are well repre- sented on the all-American beer list, which notes the state of production for each. Right next door, Burger Tap and Shake serves up burger and fries alongside draft and canned beers, approachable wines and decadent Shaketails like Taladega Nights, with Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka, house made limoncello, vanilla ice cream and lemon juice. Passion Food's newest concept, Penn Commons, offers a beverage program similar to District Commons, with American wines, beers and libations. Yet here, Clime took the concept one step further, researching colonial-era drinks and techniques to develop the menu's 13 signature cocktails representing the 13 original colonies. "The research was fascinating, and through my findings, I was able to employ a lot of new methods, from the use of vinegars to shrub-based drinks." Two spots in the Virginia suburbs appeal to young professionals and suburbanites, respectively. Fuego Cocina y Tequileria gets 90 percent of its beverage sales from young professionals during happy hour, with drinks like classic, habanero and hibiscus Margaritas and a Margarita/Mojito mash up. Guests can also order one of seven tequila and mezcal flights or build their own from among the 100 offer- ings; all are served on a peg board with a sangrita chaser. Northern Virginia's PassionFish, in the Reston Town Center, boasts a sushi bar, raw bar and fresh, flown-in-today seafood (Dulles International Airport is, after all, only a few miles away). Clime admits the beverage program here is perhaps a little safer than other concepts, but D.C.'s native cocktail, the Plymouth Gin–based Gin Rickey, finds its way onto the menu. Admittedly, in his role creating and updating the con- cepts' wine, beer and cocktail menus, Clime doesn't spend much time these days behind the stick, but he is stirred by those who do. "I find inspiration in getting head bartenders excited about creating new drinks and showing them how to work with new ingredients and think creatively about the process." He also relishes learning classic or innovative techniques and working with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Take the cherry-balsamic syrup used in District Common's signature cocktail, the District Old Fashioned, which mixes Virginia Gentleman Bourbon, housemade orange bitters and sugar, garnished with an orange and a house soaked cherry. The bar team processes 2,400 pounds of fresh cherries every six months to render a complex cocktail ingredient that's both sweet and savory—and a nod to D.C.'s historically famous fruit. Clime finds managing and dividing his time among all eight concepts, and keeping drinks lists fresh and ever- changing (programs are updated four to six times per year), the most challenging parts of his role. But in adhering to his mantra of "keep it simple, keep it fresh and keep it new," he and the entire Passion Food Hospitality team keep bringing guests back. Three of Washington, D.C.'s District Commons' popular cocktails: the District Collins, American Beauty and District Old Fashioned.