The Tasting Panel magazine

April 2018

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40  /  the tasting panel  /  april 2018 CAP TOL W ith its pastel blue walls, pale green booths, and wicker furniture, D.C.'s latest mixology den, Morris, defies every convention of the emblematic dimly-lit craft cocktail bar. I popped into the bright 64-seat spot in Shaw for a preview of the first standalone bar from cocktail craftsman David Strauss, who formerly ran the bar programs at The Sheppard, barmini, and Le Diplomate. In Strauss' opinion, the dark speakeasy concept is on its way out, so he designed this 64-seat space to forge boldly in the other direction. As for the drinks, Morris offers left-of-center variations on classics, like a Gibson riff with absinthe and a French 75/Sidecar mashup with Chartreuse. No matter what you order, the ice is cut by hand from a twice-frozen block made from filtered water. Proof alum Haidar Karoum recently opened Chloe in the city's Navy Yard, where the 105-seat restaurant incorporates the chef's Lebanese roots and travels in Western Europe and Southeast Asia. The medium-sized plates are meant for sharing, though dishes like local oysters topped with horseradish glaze and brown butter crumble make that easier said than done. Chloe's General Manager and Beverage Director Tyler Mitchell forgoes an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach in favor of boozy and stirred cocktails with several standout ingredients: The Lt. Mitch Buchannon, for example, combines One Eight Distilling Rock Creek Bourbon (the first bourbon made in D.C.!) with Old Bay Seasoning in a nod to Karoum's mid-Atlantic cuisine. And I can't believe it's taken me this long to discover Barrel, a Capitol Hill whiskey bar with a killer program overseen by Beverage Director Parker Girard. The drinks can veer toward the unexpected, like the Peatacolada with Monkey Shoulder Blended Scotch and Laphroaig 10 Year Single Malt Scotch. Girard's "Happy Meals" section of the menu, meanwhile, serves up a shot, a beer, and a surprise toy; an even better surprise awaits, though, in letting him select one of the rare, so-called "unicorn" bottles like the 1972 Suntory Airport, bottled to commemorate the open- ing of a Tokyo airport that year. Priced at $150 per ounce, it's not exactly on the dollar menu, but it's well worth the splurge. Barrel's Peatacolada, a unique take on the classic tropical cocktail, features two types of Scotch. MORRIS, CHLOE, AND BARREL COVER ALL THE COCKTAIL BASES IN WASHINGTON, D.C. by Kelly Magyarics, DWS Triple Threat David Strauff of Morris uses all handcarved or hand-chiseled ice in his cocktails. The Lt. Mitch Buchannon cocktail at Chloe includes One Eight Rock Creek Bourbon and Old Bay Seasoning. PHOTO COURTESY OF CHLOE PHOTO: SHAUGHN COOPER PHOTO COURTESY OF BARREL

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