For the last several years, DC’s Craft Bartenders Guild has declared July to be Rickey Month in the District in honor of DC’s native cocktail.  And now it’s official.

On Sunday evening, DC Congresswomen Eleanor Holmes Norton unveiled a plaque commemorating the birthplace of the Rickey, and making it Washington, DC’s native cocktail. The spot is now the JW Marriott hotel, but in the 1880s, it was Shoomaker‘s, a watering hole for congressmen, lobbyists and other politicos, including Colonel Joe Rickey, who liked to imbibe in Bourbon, ice and a spritz of seltzer. One day Representative Hatch from Missouri walked into the bar and asked for the same drink–with the addition of a wedge of lime–and the Rickey was born.

Today the Rickey is made with either Bourbon or gin, and there are endless variations. One of my favorites was created several years ago by Mixtress Chantal Tseng of DC’s Tabard Inn. The historic Tabard Inn has a quaint and intimate bar, as well as a rooftop garden whose herbs find their way into the kitchen and into the glass. A sprig of fresh lavender adorns the flute of bartender Tseng’s version of the Rickey named for Paris’ Left Bank. She eschews club soda in favor of Champagne, whose bubbles carry the intoxicating scent of heady St. Germain right up to your nose….

Rive Gauche Rickey
Courtesy of Chantal Tseng, Tabard Inn, Washington, DC

1 ¼ oz. Aviation Gin
¾ oz. St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
Juice from 1/3 of a freshly squeezed lime
Charles de Fère Blanc de Blancs
Lavender sprig (for garnish)

Add first three ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Filled with ice, shake, and strain into a chilled Champagne flute. Top with Champagne, garnish with lavender sprig.

Recently I had the chance to dine at Ripple in Cleveland Park. In addition to the impressive housemade charcuterie and extensive selection of cheeses and accoutrements,  several of Executive Chef Logan Cox’s menu items really stood out for me. (I was especially loving the Crispy Soft Shell Crab dusted with cumin, as well as the succulent Duck Breast with Chanterelles and Raisins…). Each of the dishes we sampled was paired with one of Ripple’s wine selections–their well-thought out list focuses on small batch producers who practice sustainable and/organic viticulture. That soft shell crab, for instance, paired swimmingly with the 2009 Andre Neveu “Le Manoir Vielles Vignes” Sancerre–crisp, mineral driven, refreshing (albeit served a tad too chilled…but nothing a few minutes in the glass couldn’t correct.)

Liqueur de Violettes

Ripple’s creative libation menu is titled “Cocktails & Dreams,” with choices including Castles Made of Sand ($12), crafted with Chardonnay, Cucumber Soda and heat from an Espelette-infused Milagro Tequila; Pimp My Daiquiri ($12), with Flor de Cana Rum, spiced roasted lime, Liquor 43 and Uva de Troia; and a lovely bubbly cocktail named after a Willy Wonka character. The Violet Beauregard Part 2 ($11) gets its enticing aroma and flavor from Liqueur de Violettes, Aperol (although I believe Campari was used the evening we sampled it–which worked equally well,) lemon and bubbles. The use of any violet-flavored liqueur in the shaker requires a light hand so the resulting drink doesn’t taste like soap, and this one struck a nice balance between the tart lemon, bitter Aperol/Campari, floral violet liqueur and a refreshing effervescence. Ripple shared the recipe with me, so you can mix it at home–it’s a lovely start to a summer garden party, shower or luncheon. If you can’t find Liqueur de Violettes, you can use Creme de Violettes, or the new Violet Liqueur from The Bitter Truth, but keep in mind that the amount may need to be adjusted, and the color of the cocktail will have more of a purple hue.

Violet Beauregard Part 2
Courtesy of Ripple, Washington, DC

1 oz Liqueur de Violettes
1/2 oz Aperol
1/2 oz lemon juice
4 oz dry sparkling wine (Ripple uses Sete Vente Quatro, Vino Spumente)
Lemon twist, for garnish

Stir first three ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into a chilled champagne flute. Top with sparkling wine and garnish with a lemon twist.

Ripple is located at 3417 Connecticut Avenue NW in Washington, DC, two blocks from the Cleveland Park metro stop on the red line. Their phone number is 202.244.7995.

Dirty Martini's Mixin' Mondays let you be the mixologist.

Did your Monday get off to a slow (or manic…) start this morning? An area bar and restaurant has just the antidote, for today, as well as the start of each and every work week.

For those who wish to be cocktail critics and taste testers, Dirty Martini (1223 Connecticut Avenue, NW). offers—Mixin’ Mondays.  Each Monday from 10 p.m. to closing, the restaurant welcomes both their own master mixologists and some guest experts behind the bar to create brand new cocktails.  From classics to Tiki drinks to French Quarter specials—each week will have a different theme and focus on 5 different spiritis from bourbon to Vodka to Gin.

For $20, a limited number of guests will be walked through the creation of 4 to 5 cocktails, tasting each and then selecting their full sized favorite to enjoy. The best of the bunch will make Dirty Martini’s menu.  Reservations for Mixin’ Mondays may be made by calling Dirty Martini at 202-503-2640.

Looking for some flavor this Memorial Day weekend?

Head out to Lansdowne Resort in Virginia this Saturday, May 28. The resort’s restaurant On the Potomac (with a lovely patio and view of the river…) is hosting a wine tasting from 4 – 6 PM with Virginia’s Corcoran Vineyards. Join winemaker Lori Corcoran as she guides you through tastes of their wines, paired with dishes from the On the Potomac kitchen.

The cost is $39 per person, including tax and gratuity. But limited space is available–call 703.729.4073 for reservations.

Lansdowne’s wine tasting series continues monthly, and the resort has a whole host of other fun things to do this summer, including free live outdoor music, movies by the pool and a luau. Check the summer calendar of events here for more information.

Dale DeGroff is coming to DC for a memorable cocktail seminar

DC cocktail enthusiasts, mark your calendars! King Cocktail is coming to town!

I had the privilege of meeting Dale DeGroff when I took my BarSmarts certification a few years back, and also spending some time with last summer during a gin media trip to England.  He’s witty, funny, perceptive and incredibly knowledgeable about drinks–but that really goes without saying. He’s also responsible for reintroducing in the 1990s bartending as a craft and serious profession. (Need more proof? Check out his books The Craft of the Cocktail or The Essential Cocktail, which are staples on any home bar shelf.)

You can see him in person on Monday, May 9, from 6:30 to 8 at the Warehouse Theater, 1021 7th Street, NW (entry via The Passenger,) when he will present “On the Town: Life in Saloons, Speakeasies and the Big City Bar: An Evening with Dale DeGroff.” Register in advance for $40, or pay $45 at the door.

Dale will share anecdotes from neighborhood bars, notorious saloons, and the legendary drink palaces of lore. From the Gilded Age to Prohibition to Modern Times, the colorful evolution of the cocktail is unveiled with the antics, stories and music that accompanied this cultural phenomenon.

Guests will get sample cocktails representative of the various eras. The seminar is sponsored by the Museum of the American Cocktail. Register here:  http://www.museumoftheamericancocktail.org/Events/Default.aspx

On April 28 from 3-7 PM, Occidental Grill and Seafood patrons can view classic cars and sip classic libations.

Blending the old and new, patrons on the outdoor café of Washington, DC power hotspot can view a line up of antique cars – a 1930s Rolls Royce, a 1932 Morgan Three-Wheeler Four-Seater, and a 1953 Morgan Plus Four Le Mans Special Roadster – along with 2011 Aston Martins, while sipping an old fashioned cocktail and dining on contemporary cuisine from Executive Chef Rodney Scruggs, such as as Jumbo Lump Crab & Baby Artichoke Fondue, Roasted Shenandoah Lamb Loin Roulade and their signature Crab Croquettes.. Guests can enjoy these 18¢ Cocktails with bar or dinner menu orders:

Cable Car (Spiced Rum, orange Curaçao, and lemon sour, garnished with a cinnamon-sugared rim)

Last Word (Rye, Lemon Juice, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, Green Chartreuse)

Pimm’s Cup (Pimm’s No. 1, lemonade, lemon twist, cucumber slice)

Old Fashioned (sans muddled fruit)

Cherry Blossom

Now THAT’s a bargain!

Ahhhh…spring is finally arriving in the DC area, and while I have loved partaking in brown spirits and concoctions inspired by cooler weather ingredients (think apple, pear, pomegranate and spice), I’m ready to swap all that for fresh libations with the first crop of spring herbs, fruits and veggies.

Café Saint-Ex on 14^th St. is welcoming spring with creative house made ingredients and seasonal spring flavors. Several new spring additions to the drinks menu (priced at $9 each) illustrate mixologist Jonathan Fain’s cocktail creativity, including:

A Sour Thyme mixes Absolut Wild Tea Vodka, artichoke-based aperitif Cynar and house made Thyme Sour Mix, and tops it with a Saint Germain Campari foam.

Bees in a Beer adds dark cherry and Wild Turkey American honey to Lagunitas IPA.

The Ruffled Shirt starts with Saint Germain Elderflower liqueur, shakes in a few dashes of Angostura Bitters, and tops it all off with bubbly and orange zest.

When the heat is really on you can grab one of Saint-Ex’s frozen, booze-infused Poptails.

Makes you want to reach for the sunscreen and head to Saint-Ex’s patio ASAP, doesn’t it?

Hanami Hibiscus Cherry Martini at

The cherry blossoms are in full bloom, which reminds those of us in the DC area both of our longstanding friendship and alliance with Japan…and the call to action to help its citizens overcome the recent tragedy from the earthquake and subsequent tsunami

In the spirit of helping out our Asian friends in need, The Jefferson, Washington, DC has designed a specialty cocktail at Quill Lounge. The hotel will dedicate 50% of revenue from the Hanami Hibiscus Cherry Martini ($19) to American Red Cross relief efforts for Japan.

“We hope this small gesture will remind patrons of our shared commitment to support our friends in Japan, and that the donation will offer aid to those that need it most,” said Franck Arnold, managing director of The Jefferson.

Available during the capital’s National Cherry Blossom Festival (through April 10, 2011), the cherry-inspired concoction is the brainchild of head mixologist, Massimiliano Matte.

If you can’t make it into the Jefferson to try the drink, you can donate on the Red Cross website, and make the cocktail at home. The Jefferson garnishes with drink with Vanilla cotton candy and a cherry blossom–the cherry blossom (or even a cherry) will do just fine.

Hanami Hibiscus Cherry Martini
Courtesy of The Jefferson, Washington, DC

1 Orange Segment
1 tsp Granulated Sugar
1 oz. Hibiscus Flower Infusion (you can buy hibiscus blossoms in syrup from Wild Hibiscus)
1 oz. Pre-Made Cherry Mix (puree and strain fresh pitted cherries, add equal parts lemon juice and simple syrup)
1 oz. Lemongrass-Cinnamon Infused Vodka (See Note)
1 dash Licor 42
Prosecco
Lemongrass sugar, for garnish (peel the outer layers from a lemongrass stalk, chop finely, and add several teaspoons to sugar. Stir to mix.)
Cherry blossom, for garnish

Dust the rim of a chilled martini glass with lemongrass sugar. Muddle the orange and granulated sugar in a cocktail shaker. Add next four ingredients. Add ice, shake well, and strain into prepared martini glass. Top with Prosecco, and garnish with a cherry blossom.

Note: For the vodka, peel the outer layers from 2-3 lemongrass stalks. Chop, and add to a bottle of vodka, along with several cinnamon sticks. Steep for 24 hours (or to taste), shaking bottle occasionally. Strain out solids.

Redbreast 15 is pot still Irish Whiskey for the connoisseur

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

I never reach for the green beer on March 17…I’m more of a Guinness girl myself. And I’ve also acquired a taste for smooth, approachable Jameson. (Irish whiskey, incidentally, is the fastest growing spirits category, with sales doubling in the past five years. And women in my age bracket account for the market segment who’s increasingly reaching for bottles of it.)

There’s a reason Jameson is the number one selling Irish whiskey in the world–it’s just so damn easy to drink. But it’s not the only brown stuff that’s distilled at the Midleton Distillery in Dublin (one of just 4 Irish Whiskey distilleries left in existence.) Whiskey lovers wanted to turn up the volume on their whiskey enjoyment can reach for Redbreast 12 YO or the new-ish Redbreast 15 YO.

While Jameson is a blended whiskey (akin to a blended Scotch…without the smokiness as the barley for the Irish stuff is not roasted over peat), the 2 Redbreast products in the portfolio are triple distilled in copper pot stills, and aged for much longer (12 or 15 years.) Redbreast has only been produced since 1939, and stocks of it actually all but disappeared in the 1960s until it was re-released in the 1990s. Years ago, it used to be referred to as the “priests’ whiskey”–every member of the clergy seemed to have a bottle on his shelf.

Redbreast 15 was named Irish Whiskey of the Year 2007 by Jim Murray, Whiskey Connoisseur and publisher of Jim Murray’s renowned Whiskey Bible. It retails for $74.99. is distilled from malted and unmalted barley in traditional copper pot stills and matured for a minimum of 15 years in a combination of old Spanish Oloroso sherry casks and fresh American bourbon whiskey barrels.

Like all good whiskeys it is strongly flavored and assertive. Brand Manager Simon Fay calls Redbreast a “hidden gem” among Irish whiskeys. It has a cult following in New York bars, and he deems it “classic perceived for the connoisseur”–someone who may be looking for more complexity, body and flavor in their spirit.

Though both Redbreast 12 YO and 15 YO are probably best enjoyed neat or with a splash of water, you can also try them in this Manhattan riff:

Esmerald
Courtesy of Pernod Ricard
1 1/2 oz. Redbreast
1/2 oz. Sweet Vermouth
Dash of Gary Regan’s orange bitters
Orange peel, for garnish

Add all ingredients except garnish to a cocktail shaker filled with cracked ice. Stir well, and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with orange peel.

Stir with lots of ice and stain into a coup.