Jody Kurash • August 10, 2016

Restaurants and bars are getting into the spirit with Brazilian-themed happy hours and specials for the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics …

Jody Kurash •

A fundraiser for Children’s National Health System, the premier provider of pediatric services in the metro area, the DC …

Jody Kurash • June 22, 2016

Warm weather in the nation’s capital means outdoor drinking, whether it’s on a patio or a roof deck …

Jody Kurash • May 4, 2016

What’s cooking behind the bar?

On a recent spring day, I was enjoying an after-lunch drink with a friend at Poste Brasserie in the Hotel Monaco when I was struck by an enchanting aroma coming from behind the bar. It had a fruity scent, joined with the fragrance of exotic spices. Since it was one of the first warm days after an early-April cold snap, the tropical scent tingled my senses.

As I leaned over to take a peek, I spied a pot filled with a brilliant yellow hue slowly simmering. Bartender Joel Newbraugh explained that he was preparing a seasoned pineapple syrup for one of the house cocktails, the pineapple airmail. The bouquet of spices included cardamom, turmeric and cinnamon.

The airmail is a classic, dating back to the golden age of cocktails. Even the name brings back memories of days gone by. Airmail (the service) was quite a feat when it lifted off in the U.S. in 1911. The idea of sending correspondence across the country — and later over the ocean — in a few days was unthinkable just a generation before.

Airmail eventually gave way to special couriers like FedEx and DHL — and, eventually, email. But at one time if you wanted a letter to get somewhere quickly, you went to the post office, bought an envelope with red and blue barbershop piping around the edges and attached a special stamp (often with a photo of an airplane).

Cuba began regular airmail service in 1930 and the cocktail of the same name appeared shortly afterward in a promotional pamphlet for Bacardi, then headquartered in Cuba. It is not known whether it was a Bacardi creation or copied from a Havana bar.

This delightful drink was composed of Cuban rum, honey, fresh lime juice and Champagne. It later officially turned up in in Esquire’s 1949 Handbook for Hosts. It was sometimes served with a special airmail stamp affixed to the glass.

Poste’s pineapple version, conceived by head bartender Justin Hampton, reinvents this timeless drink by replacing the honey with the aforementioned pineapple syrup, adding a sultry dimension.

The original version calls for Cuban rum, which unfortunately is not available here in the States. This rendering uses Plantation 3 Stars — a multinational rum blended with spirits from Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad. Bartender Amy Russell describes the flavor as similar to a rhum agricole (rum-distilled sugarcane juice), “but not as intense.”

The distiller says that each of the three distinct rums lends a specific character to the spirit. “Matured Trinidad rum imparts its classic elegance, Barbados delivers sophistication with a balanced mouthfeel and Jamaica conveys its unmistakable structure and rustic edge.”

The pineapple airmail is served in a champagne flute garnished with a mint leaf. While its appearance may look like a gentle mimosa, do not be fooled; this drink is definitely not tame.

On first sip, the full-bodied flavor of the rum and spice hits your tongue, mingling with the sweetness of the pineapple like happy bedfellows. Then, thanks to the lime and sparkling wine, it has a dry tart finish. The mint leaf adds a bit of coolness.

Pineapple drinks can easily become cloying, but cooking the fruit with spices curbs its sugariness. The airmail delivers the whimsical fun of a tropical drink with a refined flair.

If you want to try the pineapple airmail, you must hurry to the Hotel Monaco. Poste Brasserie is slated to close temporarily this summer, then reopen with an edgy new concept.

The Pineapple Airmail

1 ounce rum
1/2 ounce lime juice
1/2 ounce spiced pineapple syrup
Prosecco

Combine the first three ingredients in a cocktail shaker and pour into a champagne flute. Top it off with Prosecco.

Jody Kurash • March 18, 2016

Along with the hope of an early spring from Punxsutawney Phil, February also ushered in the Lunar New Year. 2016 is the Year of the Monkey, which is also my Chinese zodiac sign. In accordance, I have decided this should be a year of celebration, requiring a signature “monkey” cocktail.

Perhaps the best-known tipple with a primate name is the brass monkey, which was made famous, or infamous, by the Beastie Boys song of the same name in the 1980s.

The brass monkey wasn’t necessarily something you would order at a bar; it was a premixed bottled cocktail manufactured by the Heublein Company and sold in retail liquor stores.

A magazine ad from the 1970s tells the story of a World War II spy named H.E. Rasske who frequented a bar called the Brass Monkey in Macau. The bar was named for a brass figurine and its specialty was its self-named cocktail.

While the contents of the drink at the fictional Asian club are unknown, Heublein’s version contained orange juice, dark rum and vodka. Dark rum, when mixed with the orange juice, produced a golden “brassy color.” Variations of this recipe sometimes include triple sec, grapefruit juice, Galliano and gin.

Other chimp cocktails exist. Many of them are sweet creamy concoctions made with bananas (no doubt because of the fruit’s identification as the preferred primate provender).

For example, the mocha monkey, created by Baileys liqueur, is a frozen drink composed of Baileys, vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup and fresh banana. A slightly more potent concoction is the cheeky monkey, made with Baileys, crème de cacao and crème de banana.

The funky monkey, marketed by Bacardi, is a similar drink with the substitution of rum and coconut cream for the Baileys.
Absinthe is another common factor in monkey cocktails, perhaps due to the antiquated notion of absinthe making drinkers crazy. In 2012, during the height of the gin craze, Esquire magazine published a recipe for the flying monkey, which contained gin, lime, orange marmalade?and absinthe.

Another gin/absinthe combo is the monkey gland, created in the 1920s at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris. According to slakethirst.com, its moniker is derived from an archaic surgical technique of grafting monkey testicle tissue into humans. The practice was started by a French doctor, who was convinced that testosterone was the key to a long and healthy life. A precursor to Viagra, perhaps?

I found my signature monkey drink for 2016 in Singapore, where I went to celebrate Chinese New Year. The streets of Chinatown were illuminated with monkeys holding peaches (which symbolize immortality), and people were jammed into restaurants eating spring rolls and whole fish for good fortune.

In Singapore, I discovered Monkey Shoulder, a blended Speyside malt whisky. The name is a reference to a condition that maltmen from the distillery sometimes picked up while working long shifts, turning the barley by hand. Because this tended to cause their turning arm to hang down a bit like a monkey’s, they nicknamed the condition ‘monkey shoulder.’

Straight up, this scotch has a mild taste with hints of nutmeg and honey. The promotional materials claim it tastes like 007 wearing a tuxedo wetsuit. I also tried the ginger monkey, an uncomplicated mixture of scotch, ginger beer and orange. In Chinese culture, displaying and consuming oranges is said to bring wealth and luck (plus the spice of the ginger beer gives this cocktail an Asian twist).

If none of these tipples tickles your fancy, you can still toast the Year of the Monkey by garnishing your drinks with tiny plastic cocktail monkeys — miniature versions of the characters from your childhood game, Barrel of Monkeys. Vanity Fair last year declared the plastic cocktail monkey the “new cocktail umbrella.” [gallery ids="117186,117180" nav="thumbs"]

Jody Kurash • February 18, 2016

Aaaahhhhh! I let out a deep sigh as I leaned back in the cushy, raised lounge chair which served as a barstool at One-Eyed Jack’s, the newest bar-restaurant in Moalboal, a lazy beach town on the west side of Cebu island in the Philippines. I spent the entire day diving, watched a vibrant sunset and now I was eager to enjoy an evening cocktail.

Before I had the chance to talk to a bartender, my eyes were immediately drawn upwards to the drink list scratched onto chalkboards above the bar. Being a spirits writer, my eyes are always on the lookout for a cocktail menu, but this seemed a little too easy to spot. As it turns out, it was. After meeting the owner, Wayne Bruey, I discovered that the menu was specifically positioned to be in direct eye contact with customers lazing about on the comfy chairs. This is my kind of bar, I decided.

While many of the selections were geared towards the “party hardy” crowd, I found a few gems. I quickly found out that the positioning of the recliners and overhead menu was not the only visual trick in this joint. Colorful layered drinks appeared to be their specialty.

Take for example, the reggae-inspired Bob Marley, a tricolored offering that mimicked the hues of the Rastafarian flag. I watched as bartender Jocel Dionaldo carefully layered this creation with red, orange then green. After sipping one of these tipples, it was easy to determine that the red came from grenadine and the yellow was fresh fruit juice. But the green had me perplexed. I detected notes of candied orange and an oaky vanilla vibe, but I couldn’t pinpoint it. The flavor didn’t match any green liqueurs that I was familiar with, plus this drink packed a kick, so I ascertained there was some type of hard liquor.

I soon learned that the jungle-green layer was created from the mahogany color of barrel-aged rum blended with bright blue curacao. Being a rum lover, I was intrigued by the local Philippine rum, Tanduay. Their 5-year dark offering had the typical dark sugary and mature flavor, but it finished with slightly nutty and smoky notes.

Another visual trick was the Shark Bite. On an island catering to divers and famous for its population of whale and thresher sharks, a shark bite may be the last thing a visitor wants to experience, but at Jack’s it was a pleasurable experience.

This drink had an added bit of showmanship. It was forged by inverting a shot glass of vibrant grenadine in a tumbler, then filling the glass to the brim with ocean-blue curacao. For the performance, Wayne carefully removed the inverted shot glass, allowing the grenadine to mingle with the curacao, creating the illusion of blood seeping into the sea.

The other peculiar drink that caught my taste buds was the Duck Fart. I never got a good explanation for the name, but it featured a layered combination of Kahlua, Baileys Irish Cream and Jack Daniels. It had a sweet coffee shop smell but with lingering scents of a whiskey bar. Truly an international effort (Mexico, Ireland and USA), this concoction started off with a strong bourbon smack that was followed by the mellow notes of the coffee and cream liqueurs.

During my weeklong holiday, I managed to make it through the cocktail list, all the while enjoying the local brew, San Miguel. With live music and tasty American comfort food, like chilidogs, tacos and massive plates of fish and chips, One-Eyed Jack’s offers a bit of home for a westerner living (or vacationing) in the Philippines. Wayne hails from Austin, Texas, and he compared the people of Cebu with his crowd from Texas. “Like Austin,” he said, “The locals here love to sing and have fun and enjoy life.” And I certainly found a lot to enjoy at this rustic seashore spot.

The Bob Marley

1 part grenadine (Stirrings or homemade preferred)

1 part orange juice

1 part aged rum (I prefer Flor de Cana) mixed with blue curacao to form a green color

1. Pour the grenadine into the bottom of a narrow liqueur glass.
2. Using a spoon, gently touch the bottom layer and slowly pour the juice over to form the next layer.
3. Repeat the second step using the rum-curacao mixture.

If done correctly, this will form a layered cocktail.
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Jody Kurash •

Cinco de Mayo, trips to Mexico, summer, the beach, winter, spring and fall … these are all good occasions to drink a margarita. Obviously, I really don’t need a reason to imbibe one of my favorite (when prepared correctly) cocktails.

There’s something irresistible about the agave tang of good tequila — combined with the tartness of fresh lime, balanced out with a hint of sweetness and finished with the salty smack from the salted rim of my glass.

For those who may be a bit hesitant to sip this classic tipple in the dead of winter, I’m offering an justification that cannot be questioned: Feb. 22 is National Margarita Day.

The margarita — a mixture of tequila, lime and orange liqueur — is an uncomplicated drink. While countless varieties abound (think frozen, flavored and fruited), the basic recipe is an enduring masterwork that continues to stand the test of time.

Mystery surrounds the birth of the margarita and speculation has swirled about its inventor. Perhaps the most credible story is that Carlos “Danny” Herrera invented it at his Tijuana-area restaurant, Rancho La Gloria, around 1938, for one of his customers: part-time actress and showgirl Marjorie King, who was allergic to all hard alcohol other than tequila. He combined the elements of a traditional tequila shot — salt and lime — and turned them into a delightful drink.

When Hererra died in 1992 in San Diego, the Associated Press referred to him as the man “known locally as the man who topped a tequila concoction with salt and called it a Margarita.”

Speaking of showbiz, one story claims the drink was named after actress Rita Hayworth, whose real name was Margarita Cansino, in the 1930s, before she adopted her screen name. As a teenager, she worked as a dancer at the Foreign Club in Tijuana. Another tale alleges that it was invented in honor of singer Peggy (Margaret) Lee in Galveston, Texas.

Another credible contender, according to Smithsonian magazine, is Margarita Sames, a Dallas socialite who claimed she whipped up the drink for friends at her Acapulco vacation home. Among her well-connected guests was Nicky Hilton (Conrad, Jr.), who got the drink added to the bar menu at his dad’s hotel chain.

Whatever story is true, we do know from the oral history of people who drank margaritas that the cocktail was concocted sometime in the 1930s.

The frozen margarita was invented in 1971 when Mexican-American restaurateur Mariano Martinez converted a soft-serve ice cream unit into a frozen margarita machine at his restaurant in Dallas. The original machine is part of the collection of the Smithsonian Museum of American History.

Rumors aside, National Margarita Day is a superb reason to treat yourself to the perfect combination of sweet, salty, sour and bitter.

Being a cocktail town, D.C. has no shortage of places to celebrate on Feb. 22. Zagat, the food bible, recommends El Chucho in Columbia Heights and José Andrés’s Oyamel Cocina Mexicana in Penn Quarter. Yelp reviewers ranked Tico DC in the U Street corridor as having the number-one margarita, with Georgetown’s El Centro D.F., coming in at number four. Eater DC gives props to Aqua 301 near the Navy Yard.

If you prefer to mix your own, the key thing to remember is that the margarita is a simple drink. There’s no need to get fussy. Just be sure to use fresh lime juice and good liquor.

The Margarita

Recipe from the International Bartenders Association

1.5 ounces Tequila
I enjoy a bold flavor, so I use reposado tequila. If you prefer a milder taste, use silver. Only use 100 percent agave tequila. I like La Certeza or Cazadores.
1/2 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice
1 ounce orange liqueur
I’m fond of Solerno blood orange liqueur, but Cointreau is also a great choice.

Pour the tequila, lime juice and orange liqueur into a shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass rimmed with crusted salt (optional).

Jody Kurash • January 11, 2016

The December holidays are a time for indulgence, and — though it’s been villainized in recent years by the calorie police — a glass of spiked eggnog is a sure-fire way to get into the spirit. Insist on counting calories? Then pass on the fruitcake (and the trays of same-old-same-old cookies), and enjoy a creamy nip of spiced nog.

Eggnog dates back to pre-colonial times in England, where it was popular with the aristocracy. Dairy products like milk and eggs were costly and scarce — as were the alcoholic ingredients mixed with them, such as brandy, sherry and Madeira.

Eggnog and its holiday associations began after the drink crossed the pond. Dairy products were plentiful in the colonies, and rum (which was inexpensive due to the triangular trade) was used to spike it. When the Caribbean rum supply dwindled after we declared our independence, domestically produced whiskey or rum was substituted.

According to kitchen records from Mount Vernon, eggnog was a popular drink for George Washington to serve his guests. His version was not for the fainthearted; it included brandy, rum, rye whiskey and sherry.

Today, with the craft cocktail revolution, creative versions of eggnog abound. Several D.C.–area locales are offering their own distinctive takes on this holiday-season classic.

The most potent version just might be the Egg-N-Grog at Capital Hill’s Balkan restaurant, Ambar. Mixologist Rico Wisner’s version is made from a combination of Hennessy Black, Ron Zacapa, Chairman’s Reserve spiced rum, Hidalgo Oloroso sherry, spiced syrup, whole egg and milk. It will be available until Serbian Christmas (Jan. 7, if you didn’t know).

If the cold weather of December makes you shiver and crave a tropical treat, the next best thing to an island getaway is Puerto Rico’s version of the seasonal staple. From the land that birthed the piña colada comes the coquito, an eggnog-like drink constructed from rum, coconut milk, sweet condensed milk, egg yolks and vanilla. Latin hot spot Cuba Libre makes a delightful version featuring coconut rum and cinnamon with a toasted coconut rim.

Perhaps the most well-planned version can be found at Magnolia’s on King in Old Town Alexandria. Way back in August, mixologist Zachary Faden bottled eggnog using bourbon, rum and rye and mezcal. These cocktails have been bottle-conditioned for four months, which allows the booze to break down the proteins, round out the drink and provide a silky mouthfeel.

Finally, for sheer holiday indulgence, hop a train to Metro Center and visit the ever-elegant Bibiana restaurant. Bibiana’s classic eggnog with a twist sports a unique combination of Pedro Ximénez sherry, Bénédictine and Buffalo Trace bourbon. This tipple is part of the restaurant’s extravagant 25 cocktails of Christmas. Bibiana began counting down to the holiday on Nov. 30, introducing a new, seasonally inspired cocktail every evening until Dec. 24. Other festive tipples include the Fichi, made from Maker’s Mark bourbon, pureed figs, maple syrup and vanilla sugar, and the Hazelnut Old Fashioned, made from hazelnut-infused Filibuster bourbon, orange and cherry.

If you prefer to remain in your own abode, you can whip up a batch of eggnog presidential-style. In an article about the history of eggnog, Time magazine published George Washington’s recipe. Apparently the original did not specify the exact number of eggs, but Time suggested using a dozen.

George Washington’s Eggnog

1 quart cream

1 quart milk

12 tablespoons sugar

1 pint brandy

1/2 pint rye whiskey

1/2 pint Jamaica rum

1/4 pint sherry

Mix liquor first, then separate yolks and whites of 12 eggs. Add sugar to beaten yolks and mix well. Add milk and cream, slowly beating. Beat whites of eggs until stiff and fold slowly into mixture. Let set in cool place for several days. Taste frequently.

Jody Kurash • November 5, 2015

Halloween and the arrival of fall signify an array of delightful holiday pleasures. Whether you fill a bag of trick-or-treat goodies or carve a pumpkin, it’s the spooky season of amusement.

At one time, Halloween was mostly a child’s holiday, but those days are long gone. According to Fortune magazine, more money — $1.4 billion — will be spent on adult costumes than on children’s costumes (just $1.1 billion). Considering this trend, it’s not surprising that now there are now grown-up versions of your childhood delights.

Being a chocoholic, my favorite girlhood Halloween memories involved foraging through my bag of goodies and discarding or trading all of my non-chocolate loot. Nowadays, my tastes have evolved from Mr. Goodbar and 3 Musketeers to Belgium’s finest. A sophisticated way to satisfy your cravings is a trip to Co Co. Sala chocolate lounge on F Street NW, where the cocktail list boasts a variety of chocolate-infused tipples, including a chocolate malted milk martini, the Libido, which comes with chocolate ice cubes, and the Apollo, prepared with 72-percent dark chocolate.

Perhaps the candy most synonymous with Halloween is a bag of cone-shaped cloyingly sweet candy corn. Better Homes and Gardens magazine reports that George Renninger, a candymaker at the Wunderle Candy Company in Philadelphia, invented the revolutionary tricolor candy in the 1880s. When candy corn was first produced, it was called “Chicken Feed.” The boxes were illustrated with a colorful rooster logo and a tag line that read “Something worth crowing for.” According to the National Confectioners Association, more than 35 million pounds (or nine billion pieces) of candy corn will be produced this year.

An adult version of this time-honored sweet can be found at Cuba Libre, on 9th Street NW. The restaurant’s Candy Corn Martini is formulated from a combination of vanilla vodka, butterscotch schnapps, crème de cacao and fresh orange juice, which are layered and served in a triangular-shaped martini glass so it resembles the familiar sweet. Guillermo Pernot, Cuba Libre’s chef-partner, says, “The idea for Cuba Libre Restaurant and Rum Bar’s festive candy corn martini was inspired by everyone’s favorite Halloween candy, the classic candy corn, but then converting it into a fun seasonal drink … for adults.” As they say in Willy Wonka (quoting Ogden Nash): “Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker!”

Another universal symbol of Halloween and fall is pumpkins. Making jack-o’-lanterns is a long standing ritual and pumpkins are also used to make soups, desserts, breads and pies. One of the most anticipated G-rated seasonal inventions is the artificially flavored pumpkin latte from a ubiquitous coffee chain.

A far superior choice to quell your longings is the pumpkin spice margarita from El Centro D.F., in Georgetown and on 14th Street NW. The drink is forged from tequila that has been infused with roasted pumpkin and spices such as nutmeg, allspice, sugar and cinnamon. While these seasonal essences may seem an odd match for tequila, remember that the folks at El Centro are experts at marrying tequila with flavors. Their extensive list of tequila infusions includes grilled pineapple, serrano, lemon tea and strawberry basil.

Another option, which combines pumpkin with another fall staple, apple, is the Oval Room’s Grim Fandango cocktail, named for the video game and made from a combination of Gala apple cider, pumpkin puree, ginger root, honey, brown sugar, cloves, cinnamon stick and rum.
Finally, to cure your holiday overindulgence ills, head to Macon Bistro and Larder on upper Connecticut Avenue for their Isle of the Dead cocktail, inspired by the classic Corpse Reviver No. 2. The Corpse Reviver family of definitive cocktails were intended as “hair of the dog” hangover cures. Popular during the late 19th and early 20th century, they began to die out after Prohibition. The Corpse Reviver No. 1 and No. 2 were first listed in the “Savoy Cocktail Book” by Harry Craddock in 1930.

The Isle of the Dead is made from a combination of Damoiseau VSOP Rhum, Dubonnet, orange juice, Cointreau and Laphroaig Scotch. The combination of both rum and Scotch should pack a powerful punch — enough to scare the ghosts and goblins away until next year.

Candy Corn Martini

1.25 ounces vanilla vodka

.5 ounce butterscotch schnapps

.5 ounce crème de cacao

2 ounces fresh orange juice

Pour a splash of grenadine slowly over a bar spoon for a layered effect. Garnish with candy corn.