The SOMM Journal

October/November 2014

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{ SOMMjournal.com }  87 In the center of the city's tony Georgetown neighborhood is this sleek, wood- and leather-adorned temple to whiskey located next to the lobby of the swanky 49-room Capella Hotel Georgetown. The Rye Bar boasts an onyx-topped bar, lots of rare bottles, whiskey tipples and an ambitious ice program, all led by Food and Beverage Manager Will Rentschler. Not surprisingly, brown spirits are featured prominently on the drinks menu. "We still use rye more than any other spirit," notes Rentschler; The Rye Bar stocks 16 to 20 ryes priced $12 to $50 per glass. "We do our best to incorporate rye into many of our cocktails, because the team and I believe that it pro - vides a great blank canvas." The signature cocktail is the Barrel Aged Manhattan, which uses 48 bottles of rye per batch; the bar finishes each barrel within three weeks. The Old(er) Fashioned, stirred with new-fangled rye brand (rı - ) 1 , gets its complexity from Lustau Pedro Ximenez Sherry; the drink is garnished with house-soaked rye cherries and an orange peel. Though Rentschler has only been in D.C. for a few years, during that time he's wit- nessed a return to simplicity. "I have seen a great emphasis placed on base spirits and how important they are to the overall cock - tail, as well as a general shift away from using super-fancy garnishes to impress people." His philosophy is to pick three ingredients or fewer—incorporating sweet, savory (or herbal) and bitter—for a balanced sip. Capella's restaurant The Grill Room is right next door, which lends a touch of kitchen inspiration to The Rye Bar's menu. The sweet and savory Rub & Rye shakes Tap 357 Maple Whiskey with lemon and lime juices, peach lambic, barbecue bitters and the Grill Room's signature steak rub. "I am always on the hunt for new and interesting ingredients and techniques," says Rentschler. Take the ice program. Rentschler taste- tested water, settling on Saratoga Natural Spring Water as it tasted clean and didn't interfere with high-end whiskeys. Head Bartender Angel Cervantez and staff use it for two-inch spheres, several sizes of cubes and blocks that are carved and crushed in a Lewis bag. (For those who want their whiskey chilled but not diluted, The Rye Bar offers stainless steel cubes.) Local craft beers are joined by interna - tional options to cater to the hotel's varied clientele, and The Rye Bar has been utilizing the Coravin since January to give guests a choice of wine serving. But The Rye Bar's most important offering, according to Rentschler, isn't on the menu. "There is always a new or exciting ingredient buzz - ing around town, but great service will always be the ultimate value to a recurring guest." And paramount to that service is the Capella staff members, who elevate guests' pampered experience. "They have amazing personalities and a tenacity to remember genuine details about past guests." The Capella Hotel's Food and Beverage Manager Will Rentschler adds a finishing touch to a cocktail at The Rye Bar. PHOTO: GREG POWERS PHOTO: GREG POWERS THE RYE BAR AT THE CAPELLA HOTEL The Old(er) Fashioned (left) and the Barrel-Aged Manhattan at The Rye Bar.

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