Cocktail of the Month: Peep Show

Folks who arrived in Washington within the last decade would find it hard to imagine what 14th Street looked like years ago. Today this thoroughfare is D.C.’s mecca for stylish dining, trendy bars and fashionable interior design stores.

Only a generation ago, this street was a seedy offshoot of U Street, dotted with ratty storefronts, questionable establishments and ladies of ill repute. Now it seems that hardly a month goes by without the opening of another chic restaurant. The “in” crowd keeps pouring in.
On the corner of R Street, a sublime nightspot with a welcoming patio pays homage to the corridor’s past. Red Light opened earlier this year with craft cocktails and decadent desserts made by an in-house pastry chef. It quickly became the dessert destination of choice for discerning diners looking for something potable with their sweets.

Making a good thing even better, Red Light recently added a new menu of savory nibbles and plates.

Whether you visit Red Light for something sweet, savory or both, the cocktails are not to be missed. As owner Aaron Gordon gleefully says, “It’s more fun to eat in a bar than drink in a restaurant.”

The sleek interior, with its restrained lighting, gives it a seductive feel. Gordon calls it “subtly risqué.” A local artist made the light fixtures. Meanwhile, the outdoor patio with its pots of fresh lavender gives the joint a European flair: perfect for relaxing and watching the modish clientele of 14th Street stroll by.

Acknowledging the area’s sordid past, many of Red Light’s cocktails have such amusing names as Street Corner Girl, Dirty Shirley and the Madame. In fact, the menu jovially lists them as “burlesque” cocktails.

If you’re looking for a drink that knows how to make an entrance, I suggest you order Peep Show. This delicious concoction arrives at the table with a flaming garnish of fresh rosemary, lighting up the patio and eliciting oohs and ahs from nearby tables. Fortunately, this tipple has the substance to match its flamboyant style.

The Peep Show cocktail combines ginger beer, bourbon, lemon and Pimm’s No. 1 Cup liqueur to create a supreme mixture with an herbal twist. Pimm’s is a mahogany-colored gin-based spirit made from liqueur, fruit and spices.

The sweet bourbon mingles well with the spicy ginger beer, while the Pimm’s and lemon give the drink an extra herbal edge. Peep Show is garnished with a rosemary stick and cucumber, a twist on the traditional serving style for a Pimm’s and lemonade cocktail – with a slice of cucumber or a sprig of mint. The rosemary is seared to help pop its fresh flavor.

The concoction is served in a metal cup, paying homage to the Moscow Mule, a classic ginger-beer cocktail served in copper mugs.
While Peep Show is the most popular cocktail at Red Light, do not overlook the other choices. Gypsy Eyes is a delicate effervescent mixture of vodka, crème de violette, lemon and Prosecco. A more hearty choice is the Mata Hari, a spicy combination of vindaloo-infused whiskey and fruity apricot liqueur. With a drinks menu as varied as the menu of snacks and sweets, Red Light offers cocktails for every taste.

Peep Show

1.5 ounces Pimm’s
1.5 ounces bourbon
1 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce ginger syrup
Muddled cucumber
Dash Angostura bitters

Top with ginger beer and garnish with a sprig of burnt rosemary.

Readers can sample the Peep Show and other cocktails at Red Light, 1401 R St. NW (on the corner of 14th Street).