Jody Kurash • August 15, 2013

Infusing liquors with flavors is
nothing new. After all, it’s the
aging process in wooden barrels
that impart rum and bourbon
with their unique characteristics.
Adding fruit flavors to vodka started
a new trend that branched out to
instilling spirits with savory herbs,
spices and even vegetables.

The process of fat-washing
liquors took off with the recent
bacon craze, where crafty bartenders
added bacon and pork fat to
create a rich, unami taste. Josh
Berner, mixologist at Cleveland
Height’s Ripple has taken this
movement and pushed it a step
further, by fat washing liquors with
vegetable fats, such as olive and
sesame oils.

Ripple currently has three
fat washed cocktails on its drink menu. They
include the Basil Exposition – an olive oilwashed
vodka, green chartreuse, white wine
and basil combination, Play It Sam, forged from
sesame oil-infused gin, aquavit and a date reduction
and the Chile Manteca y Dulcet, a mixture
of bacon-infused Benevamezcal, cayenne and
toasted pecans.

Berner recently hosted a cocktail class
where participants were taught how to make
fat-washed liquor at home and mix these three
delicious tipples.

Berner demonstrated the vegetable fat-washing
process by making a batch of the sesame-oil
infused gin that is used in the Play it Sam cocktail.
The process begins by using one 750-milliliter
bottle of gin and combining it with two
ounces of sesame oil in a saucepan. Berner
melds the ingredients by cooking them over on
the lowest heat and stirring for 20 minutes. The
heat needs to stay low, because if the gin begins
to boil, the alcohol will burn off.

The mixture is then poured into a container
and placed in the freezer for at least 12
hours, until the fat is solidified. Next, using a
pre-chilled batch, Berner showed the participants
how to remove the solid fat from the gin
with a spoon and then strain it, using wither a
cheesecloth or coffee filter. Once the oil has
been removed, you are left with a smooth liquor
infused with sesame flavor.

The Play it Sam was named after what Berner
calls the correct line from movie, “Casablanca.”
“She never actually says ‘Play it again Sam,’ ”
he said. The “Casablanca” reference is due to the
Moroccan flavors found in the cocktail.

Besides sesame, this potable also features
aquavit, a Scandinavian liqueur flavored with
caraway and anise and a date reduction. The
date reduction is made taking finely chopped
dates, sugar and water and cooking it until it is
reduced into a concentrated flavor.

The aquavit was the main building block
for Berner in creating this cocktail. “I started
off with aquavit,” he said. “It’s a great liquor. It
has a wonderful flavor and it’s underused. So
I thought about what I can do with it to make
it interesting and taste good.” Berner started
researching foods to see what flavors would mix well with the caraway and anise which led him
to Moroccan cuisine. From there, he decided on
the addition of sesame and experimented with
some different fruit mixtures including cherries
and a cherry and date combination.

Another important, flavorful aspect to this
drink is the lemon twist garnish. Berner uses a
channel knife to make lemon twists that are not
only pretty, but serve an important purpose as
well. As he cut the peels over the cocktail glass,
bits of lemon oil squirt into the drink. The oil
gives off a nice scent and imparts a balancing
flavor. He also rubs the peel along the rim to
add a bit more punch.

Berner said that when he first made the drink
without the lemon peel, he was not happy with
the flavor, but once he added the lemon oil, “the
flavors popped, “he says. “A little oil made a big
difference.”

The result is an exquisite flavor combination.
The lemon lends nice citrus nose that is
quickly followed by the flavor of the aquavit,
which is tempered nicely by the dates. The sesame
kicks in with a subtle hint on the finish. Lick
your lips after one sip, and you will definitely
taste the tangy sesame. Not sweet at all, this is
a dry cocktail, which is spicy yet refreshing at
the same time.

While Ingrid Bergman did not say “Play it
again, Sam,” in the movie, you may find yourself
saying. “Again,” when imbibing this drink.
Its brisk and cool flavor will make it hard for
you to stop at one. ?

PLAY IT SAM
1 1/2 ounces sesame-oil infused gin
1/4 ounce aquavit
2 ounces date reduction
Lemon twist
In an ice-filled mixing glass, stir gin, aquavit
and date reduction until cold. Strain into
ice-filled highball glass, garnish with a
lemon twist, rubbing the peel on the rim of
the glass.
Readers may taste the Play It Sam at Ripple,
located at 3417 Connecticut Ave., NW.

Jody Kurash •

This year’s inaugural season will be one of the quietest in years. The Obama-Biden inaugural committee has announced that it is cutting back on the number of inaugural balls. There will be just two official parties plus a concert honoring military families. The cutback on festivities is meant to reduce government spending and the amount of security and law-enforcement personnel needed. This will be the lowest number of balls in the past 60 years.

If you aren’t one of the lucky elite that will be spending the evening of Jan. 21, dancing and toasting with the first family, there will be dozens of unofficial balls and parties and no shortage of restaurants and nightclubs looking to cash in on the influx of celebratory visitors.

Several D.C. hot spots have led the way with inauguration-themed drinks. Just steps from the White House, the Hamilton is offering two potables to honor our nation’s 44th President. The “Perfect 44,” a variation on a classic Manhattan, features FEW Bourbon from Chicago. If you’re Donald Trump, you may want to order the Executive Punch, made with rum from Obama’s birthplace of Hawaii, along with a slice of humble pie.

Penn Quarter’s Brasserie Beck is serving an Obama-tini cocktail with a Democratic blue hue. This festive drink is forged from Ketel One vodka, Hypnotiq liqueur, and a float of blue Curacao. Nearby at D.C. Coast, the drink-du-jour is the Sparkling Second Term made with Averell damson plum gin, Leopold Brothers New York apple whiskey, lemon bitters and a splash of bubbly cava wine. This refined sparkler is served in a cinnamon-and-sugar-rimmed Champagne flute.

If these cocktails sound a bit too stuffy for you, swing by Hill Country Barbecue where they will be offering $1 POTUS-pop Jell-O shots all day Jan. 21.

Many folks, going with the subdued nature of this year’s festivities, will choose to host soirees in their homes. In additional to the décor and menu, one of the most important elements of any Obama-themed fiesta will be the choice of cocktails. Toasting the Commander-In-Chief with a sparkling wine or Champagne is a given, but a signature tipple is a special added touch that will make your party memorable.

One of the most obvious choices to serve is the classic El Presidente cocktail. While technically a Cuban creation, this full-flavored rum cocktail includes Curacao, vermouth and grenadine. Another clever choice is the retro Blue Hawaii tiki drink. This concoction made with blue Curacao, pineapple juice, sour mix and either rum or vodka, pays both homage to the Democrats with its color and Obama’s Hawaiian roots.

My choice for a private party would be the “Yes, We Canton,” an opulent sparkling sipper created for Obama’s first inauguration by D.C. celebrity mixtress Gina Chersevani. It was the star cocktail at the Peace Ball in 2009. I was first introduced to this dignified drink at a presidential drink seminar, sponsored by the Museum of the American Cocktail. The stellar ingredient in this cocktail is Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur. Forged from baby Vietnamese ginger, Cognac. Tahitian vanilla, Provencal honey, and Tunisian ginseng, Domain de Canton adds an exotic and a dash of winter warmth and spice to this mixture of pineapple juice and sparkling wine. Elegant and easy, this recipe can be multiplied and served as a punch, freeing up time for the busy host or hostess.

No matter what your plans may be for the inauguration or political affiliation, on Jan. 21 let’s all raise a glass to what we hope will be four years of peace and prosperity.

Yes, We Canton!
½ oz pineapple juice
½ oz Domaine de Canton
2-3 oz. brut sparkling wine or Champagne.
Serve in flute. Can also be made as a punch.

Jody Kurash •

The Suffering Bastard is a curious name for a drink that I’ve seen on numerous menus in Tiki bars and Chinese restaurants. Aside from the humorous moniker, I never really gave this drink much thought. But like many popular cocktails, there’s a story behind this concoction, which belongs to a man named Joe Scialom, who was perhaps one of the world’s most famous bartenders.

The Museum of the American Cocktail and Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, the author of five books on vintage Tiki drinks and cuisine, recently hosted a lecture, “The Suffering Bastard: Joe Scialom, International Barman of Mystery,” at the Occidental Grill.

Berry’s research began after reading Scialom’s obituary in the New York Times, in 2004. He tracked down Scialom’s daughter Collette and recorded his fascinating story.

Scialom, who was educated as a pharmacist, was born in Egypt in 1910. While working as a chemist for Lever Brothers in the Sudan, he began applying chemistry principals to mixing drinks to entertain his colleagues. Here he found his calling and set out to become a bartender. His career began at the opulent Shepheard’s Hotel in Cairo, which was one of the most celebrated hotels in the world. Shepheard’s welcomed royalty, heads of state, and famous celebrities. Scialom, who spoke eight languages, dazzled the elite guests from near and far. He counted Winston Churchill, Charlton Heston, Charles de Gaulle, Conrad Hilton, and Egyptian King Farouk among his many guests.

During World War II, the hotel served as an unofficial officer’s club for the British and became an informal press club for war correspondents. When there was little news from the war, the media
wrote about Scialom’s amusing antics.

Due to wartime supply shortages, drinks were being mixed with poor quality alcohol, and guests began complaining of headaches. In response, Scialom created the “Suffering Bastard” as a hangover cure. According to Berry, the original recipe for the Suffering Bastard consisted of “Black market gin from South Africa, stolen British army-issue brandy, a homemade lime cordial, bitters brewed by a druggist across the street, and ginger ale from a Greek merchant of dubious character.”

The hotel bar, which was now referred to as “Joe’s Bar,” even featured a chart prescribing the number of Suffering Bastards needed to relieve a hangover based on its severity.

Another amusing anecdote that Berry shared involved Scialom making gallons of the Suffering
Bastard for a hungover British army that fought the battle at El Alamein. When the British won, the ever-present foreign correspondents reported Scialom’s hand in the victory.

Following these reports, the Suffering Bastard became internationally known. Trader Vic’s was the first to copy it. Then it began showing up at Tiki bars everywhere, even though the recipe was nowhere near Scialom’s original. According to Berry, Trader Vic’s version was very similar to a Mai Tai. Scialom was the consummate host at Shepheard’s.

When the hotel was destroyed, during the course of the civil unrest of the Egyptian revolution of 1952, Scialom continued to serve drinks and was one of the last to leave.

But Scialom’s popularity did not go unnoticed by the Egyptian authorities. They were suspicious
because he mingled consistently with so many important people. He was imprisoned as a spy and then later expelled from Egypt by President Gamal Abdel Nasser. While Scialom’s illustrious
bartending career continued in Puerto Rico, Havana, and New York, it was his time at Sheapherd’s Hotel that cemented his place in cocktail history.

The Suffering Baststard
Courtesy of Jeff “Beachbum” Berry
1 ounce gin
1 ounce brandy
1/2 ounce Rose’s lime juice cordial
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Ginger beer

Add gin, brandy, Rose’s, and bitters to an ice-filled glass. Fill with ginger beer. Stir. Garnish with orange slice and mint sprig.

Ingredients to make the Suffering Bastard may be purchased at Dixie Liquor in Georgetown. Scialom’s story will be published in Berry’s upcoming book, “Potions of the Caribbean: Lost Cocktails from America’s Playground”. For information visit www.BeachBumberry.com or www.MuseumOfTheAmericancocktail.com. [gallery ids="99208,99209" nav="thumbs"]

Jody Kurash • May 9, 2013

Cream liqueurs have been popular for decades. The most well known is Irish Cream, a mixture of Irish whiskey, cream, sugar and other herbs and flavors. Bailey’s, introduced in 1974 was the first on the market. It was followed by, among others, Carolans, Brady’s and Saint Brendan’s.

Many people are fond of Amarula, with its eye-catching exotic elephant label. Amarula uses a distillate of fermented South African marula fruit, cream, black tea and spices. In the Caribbean rum creams are the rage. Jamaica likes to brag about Sangster’s original Jamaica rum cream liqueur while St. Croix produces Cruzan Rum Cream.

During my recent travels through the mezcal-crazy Mexican state of Oaxaca, I was not too surprised when I encountered a wide variety of mezcal-based cream liqueurs. You may remember from last month’s column that mezcal is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from the maguey plant, a type of agave, similar to tequila.
As I was hitching from Mazunte Beach, along the Oaxacan Riviera, to the nearest commercial town, San Augustine, I noticed the collective transport truck passed a mezcal distillery. When my local bodega in town ran out of mezcal, I decided to take a ride back to the tienda and investigate.

During a scenic ride along the coast in the back of the truck, my thirst was raging from the hot afternoon sun. As I spied the spray-painted plywood sign outside the shop, I yelled for the driver to drop me off. As I walked toward the small shack, I didn’t see anyone on the premises, except for a friendly dog.

I ventured further down the gravely path towards a table lined with bottles of various colors and flavors. My next reaction was one of disbelief. Not only was there a plethora of bottles on display, there was also a sign offering, “Pruebas Gratis” (free samples) while the owner was sound asleep in a hammock.

My first thought was, “Am I in heaven?” I briefly considered loading up my backpack and catch the next truck out of Dodge, but considering how bad that could be for international relations, I timidly helped myself to a sample glass from an open bottle and woke the man who was clearly enjoying his afternoon siesta.

The owner sleepily wandered over to the table and began to give me a half-awake lecture on the different flavors of mescal creams in his collection I started off with a coffee flavor, which tasted like a white Russian with a smoky kick. The next was a minty green-colored pistachio which did not translate well. The powerful mezcal overwhelmed the delicate pistachio. My next selection, banana, went down with a sweet easy slide, like a frozen daiquiri at a swim-up bar.

The samples kept coming. There were two coffee varieties – mocha and cappuccino. While very rich, they were also heavy on the sweet side. Coconut cream, with its nutty creamy texture, made me long for some pineapple juice. As though he could read my mind, the proprietor immediately poured me a sample of a pina colada that was decadent but strong.

A brightly colored purple mixture followed. Cloyingly sweet, grape, cream and mezcal is not a flavor combination that I wanted to continue imbibing. The lines of bottles on the table seemed to be expanding. So, I knew I was going to have to cut my tasting flight short, before I forgot my way back home. I capped off the afternoon, with a taste of Oaxaca kiss, a pink tropical fruit punch flavor, reminiscent of a TGIF’s blender drink.

I thanked the owner, who had spent the last half hour entertaining me as he wrapped my purchases — a bottle of coconut cream to be enjoyed from my hammock at my beachfront cabana, mocha as a gift for my Peruvian shaman who loves his coffee with lots of sugar and a bottle of aged mezcal for nighttime fiesta on the beach.

While mescal is often noted for its high alcohol content, mescal creams are generally low-proof, averaging between 12 and 18 percent alcohol. Their strikingly pleasing flavor make them a perfect after-dinner treat. Some folks like to enjoy them over ice cream for dessert. Mezcal creams are not widely sold in the USA, but they can be purchased online. Relíquias de Oaxaca, (www.mercadoreliquiasdeoaxaca.com) has a huge selection that includes, maracuya and guanabana (tropical Latin American fruits) pina colada and coffee varieties. [gallery ids="101285,149564" nav="thumbs"]

Jody Kurash • April 24, 2013

Anyone who has ever been to Mexico has probably been exposed to tequila. Whether it was a watered-down margarita made with low-grade liquor and sour mix at an all-inclusive resort or a glass of quality handcrafted anejo at a high-end lounge, tequila and Mexico seem to go hand–in-hand.

What many outsiders don’t know is that in addition to tequila, Mexico has another similar spirit, and that depending on what state you’re in, is often the more popular option. This sister spirit is mezcal, which is often confused with tequila.

Most people’s exposure to mezcal in the States is limited. If you’ve ever drunk a bottle of “tequila” with a worm in the bottom, you’ve tasted mezcal. The worm is a marketing gimmick which is added to exported bottles. It is rarely sold that way in Mexico.
While I was traveling through the Mexican state of Oaxaca earlier this year, I had a chance to sample many varieties of mezcal.

Both mezcal and tequila are both distilled from fermented agave juice, but the preparation of these spirits is quite different. They are dis- tilled in different regions – tequila in the state of Jalisco, while mezcal is made further south with the majority of it hailing from Oaxaca. Tequila is made from only one kind of agave –blue agave. Mezcal is made from various types.

Mezcal is produced from the heart, or the pina of the agave plant. The pinas are cooked an earthen oven for about three days. This underground baking imparts a smoky flavor. The pinas are later mashed and left to ferment. The distilled liquid is later collected and aged in barrels.

Small producers, using recipes passed down from one generation to the next, make most mezcals. Because of it hand-crafted nature, one can find a variety of flavor and complexity. In Oaxaca, many brands are never sold outside the area where they were produced.

In small villages it is not uncommon to find people distilling and selling mezcal from their homes. These are often sold in recycled tequila bottles with hand-painted labels.

While staying at the laid-back beach haven of Zipolite, I watched one day when as the “mezcal” truck made a stop on the town’s only paved street. Locals formed a queue at back of the truck with empty containers waiting and have them filled. Now, that’s the type of food truck I’d like to see in D.C.!

The taste of mezcal can differ widely as many producers add flavoring agents such as cinnamon, or slices of apple, pineapple or other tropical fruits to the mash, which impart a slight, subtle flavor. (Nowhere near the powerful taste of the mostly artificially flavored spirits popular in the U.S.) Often, at the end of the distillation, a piece of the flavoring agent is added to the bottle. For example, when I bought mezcal distilled with chobocano, the bottle contained seeds from the fruit. Another common practice is adding a piece of the agave leaf to the bottle.

The quality of mezcal also widely varies. The age of both is measured the same way. Either can be made from 100-percent agave or a majority agave mixed with other ingredients. A white or clear liquid indicates a spirit with little aging, while dark un-aged liquor with added coloring is called dorado.

Mezcal or tequila that has been aged between at least two months to a year in a barrel is called reposado while anything aged over a year is anejo. Some of the best are aged from 2-4 years.

The biggest difference between mezcal and tequila is its distinctive smoky favor, almost akin to smoky single malt scotch. Mezcal’s alcoholic proof is generally stronger than tequila, which is usually watered down to conform to the 80-proof standard in the States.
While most Mexicans prefer to drink mezcal straight, I found it to be a stimulating alterna- tive to a tequila-based margarita. The strong smokiness works as an excellent complement to the tart lime.

In the U.S., the most popular brand of mezcal is Monte Alban, but if you have access to a quality liquor store there are much better alternatives. I recommend either Sacacuento or Mezcal Del Maguey.?

MEZCAL MARGARITA
•1 1/2 oz mezcal?
•1/2 agave nectar?
•1 oz fresh lime juice
?Mix ingredients well in a cocktail shaker with ice. If desired, salt the rim of your glass. Pour contents, with ice, into glass. Garnish with lime wedge.

Jody Kurash • November 6, 2012

Superfluous holidays such as Sweetest Day, National Grandparents Day and Boss’s Day are often referred to as “Hallmark Holidays,” because many believe they exist primarily for commercial reasons such as increasing the sales of greeting cards and not to truly appreciate significant people. There are other celebrations that seem downright silly, such as International Pancake Day (Feb. 21), National High Five Day (April 19) and Talk Like A Pirate Day (Sept. 19).

In the country of Peru, there is one holiday that may appear excessive at first, but is truly a celebration of national pride. This is National Pisco Day, which is celebrated on the fourth Sunday in July.

Pisco, which is considered a symbol of Peruvian nationality, is a type of grape brandy or Aguardiente, distilled from Muscat grapes. Pisco is produced and exported from both Peru and Chile, and both countries claim to be the original producers. It has become a fierce source of contention between the two nations. According to SouthAmericanFood.com, the Spanish conquistadores brought grape vines to South America in order to make wine for their own consumption and export. Distilling Pisco was an easy way to use leftover grapes that were undesirable for wine making.

The patriotic spirit surrounding National Pisco Day is amplified because the holiday falls very close to Peruvian Independence Day, celebrated on July 28, often with a toast of pisco.

I was fortunate enough to be in Cusco, Peru, to take part in the festivities for both holidays. To kick off the merriment, I was given a shot of Pisco from Lizardo Valderrama Gilt, my host in whose home I was staying. The shot had a strong and powerful grape nose to it, but it went down surprisingly smooth. Its dominate flavor was grape with notes of earthiness, spice and tart fruit with a clean and bracing finish.

To further explore this spirit, I met up with my newly minted friends, Suzanne Harle and Sabrina for a few rounds of cocktailing. We started off with the most popular Pisco tipple, the Pisco Sour, a mixture of Pisco, lemon, bitters, a sweetener and an egg white. We headed to the Crown, a second-story restaurant with a gorgeous view of the Plaza Des Armas for their two-for-one happy hour. The egg white gives this cocktail a smooth, full body while tart lemon citrus flavor is a nice compliment to the woody pisco. So good that it is hard to detect the amount of alcohol in the drink. That may explain why we left the bar wearing balloon hats.
Our second stop was the upscale Limo, one the most highly-regarded restaurants in Cusco, which boasts a three-page menu of creative pisco cocktails. Just watching the scene behind the bar proved to be entertaining, with men squeezing, pureeing, muddling, and juicing fresh ingredients.

We sampled three concoctions, one forged from eucalyptus, another from lemongrass and one made with tumba fruit. The tumba is a relative of the maracuya fruit, which is commonly eaten in Peru. The eucalyptus had a cool soothing effect, while the lemongrass mixture was refreshing and uplifting. The tumba had an exotic tropical flavor similar to passion fruit but with a little more punch.

The evening continued with more flavorful cocktails, including a fresh strawberry concoction, one blended with Peru’s potent coco leaves and a South American version of the classic Negroni with pisco substituted for the gin. The evening was capped off with a night of salsa dancing to burn off all the excess alcohol.

If you cannot make it to Peru and would like to try pisco in Washington, I recommend whipping up a few Pisco sours at home. Most liquor store will carry at least one brand of Peruvian Pisco, such as Porton, or Macchu Pisco. This classic tipple is a great way to try this interesting and versatile liquor. If you would like to try something more exotic, Las Canteras in Adams Morgan has a full menu of delicious pisco cocktails.

The Pisco Sour

Place 4 cups ice cubes
1 cup pisco
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup white sugar
1 egg white
A dash of angostura bitters

Blend on high speed until finely pureed. Pour into two glasses and garnish with an additional dash of bitters.

Jody Kurash •

Washington is going pop! In what many consider a transient city, it only makes sense that pop-up retail stores and restaurants have been making a splash in the nation’s capital. Georgetown was treated to the Bloom pop-up shop and the Water Street Project art exhibition earlier this spring. M Street’s newest dining spot Bandolero hosted two pop-up previews before opening their permanent doors.

So as the summer heat climbs to scorching levels, what could be better than a pop-up tiki bar? In my opinion, not much until scientists figure out a way to create a pop-up Caribbean beach complete with swaying palm trees and cabana boys on the Georgetown waterfront.

Well the wait is over — for the tiki bar, at least. Washington bar chef extraordinaire JP Cacheres has transformed the roof top at Connecticut Avenue’s Dirty Martini, into a groovy, open-air topical- themed bar smack in the middle of downtown’s Golden Triangle. Caceres, the chief mixologist for Dirty Martini and founder of Let’s Imbibe, Inc., has spent months experimenting and conjuring up creative cocktails for his new space.

Everything is made from scratch — from fresh-squeezed juices, homemade syrups, hand-carved ice and more than 30 varieties of rum. The cocktail menu will continue to evolve with changing specials. This spot is perfect for the summer drinker who wants something more original and cultivated than a typical piña colada.

During my recent visit, Caceres was playing with an updated version the classic El Presidente cocktail, a refreshing blend of rum, grenadine, orange Curaçao and white vermouth. The El Presidente is a Cuban-born tipple that dates back to the heydays of cocktails. During Prohibition, imbibers from the states flocked to Havana to get their party on.

While many theories about the exact origin of the El Presidente swirl, Esquire cocktail editor David Wondrich believes it was created by Eddie Woelke, an American bartender at Havana’s Jockey Club. Woelke purportedly named the drink in honor of President Gerardo Machado, who ruled Cuba throughout most of the Prohibition years.

Caceres, who is known for his creative liquor infusions, pumps up this vintage potable with a pork-fat infused rum. Caceres starts with Appleton rum, already a full-flavored Jamaican spirit, and uses a fat-washing technique to infuse the liquor with a meaty goodness.

He begins by browning the pork in a frying pan until the fat is melted and liquefied. Next, he takes a sterilized canning jar and measures three cups of rum to which he adds one cup of liquified fat. The mixture is sealed and left to rest. The infusion process takes about five day to complete. The fat and liquid will eventually separate, with the fat forming a hard cover on top of the alcohol. To complete the process, Caceres skims the solidified fat from the top of the jar and strains the liquor through a double cheesecloth.

The second secret to this cocktail is the use of homemade grenadine. Caceres does not use premade syrup; instead he forges this mixer freshly from pomegranate. The finished cocktail is served in a retro tiki mug over crushed ice and garnished with a cinnamon stick for a touch of fragrance. Caceres’ creation results in many layers of flavor. The pork- fatted rum adds a richness that is balanced by the sweetness of the Curaçao. The grenadine, vermouth and aromatic bitters all contribute a bit of earthiness, a sight tartness and subtle spice. While there is no ocean to dip your toes into, sipping this cocktail will transport your taste buds to the sophisticated luxury of a Caribbean resort.

Readers can try the El President Gordo (Fat President) and other delicious Polynesian- and Caribbean-inspired cocktails Monday through Friday, from 5 to 10 p.m. on the rooftop at Dirty Martini, 1223 Connecticut Avenue, NW. ?

EL PRESIDENTE GORDO

1.5oz Appleton VX Pork Fat Infused ()

.75oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth

.50oz Orange Curaçao

1 bar spoons Homemade Grenadine

2 dashes Reagan Orange Bitters

Build drink in a tiki mug, swizzle over crushed ice. Garnish with a cinnamon stick. [gallery ids="100902,128316" nav="thumbs"]

Jody Kurash •

The first thing I notice when I meet Big Ted is not his size. It’s his smile. It’s a friendly, welcoming type of grin; similar to the ones proudly displayed by most of the locals I meet in Saint Lucia.

Ted Barnard, or “Big Ted” as he is called, is the bar manager at the Coconut Bay beach resort, which is tucked away on the southern tip of the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia. The vacation spot, which boasts multiple bars spread out over its mile-long stretch of beachfront property, is known for its lengthy drink choices. Between the swim-up bar, the lobby bar, the nightclub, sports bar, restaurants and the tiki bar beside the well-shaded adult pool, I lose count of the different cocktails by my first evening.

Each bartender seems to have his or her favorite potions. Everything from the self-named “Terry in a Cup” to Kay’s “I Like” and Hami’s killer “Negroni,” I ask Ted to mix me the most popular tipple at the resort. He whips up a “Dirty Banana,” a delicious smoothie-like concoction forged from fresh bananas, coconut cream, rum, coffee liqueur with an optional squirt of chocolate syrup.

Because it is forged from fresh bananas, this cocktail sips more like a milkshake. Its thick texture gives it a dessert-like quality. But don’t be fooled, the dirty banana packs quite a punch thanks to three ounces of liquor. Later, I am informed that Ted has an extra-special version of the drink known as a “Filthy Banana.” When I ask him to elaborate on its contents, he slyly tells me it’s made with even more rum.

Ted likes the dirty banana because it showcases the island’s local ingredients, St. Lucian rum, bananas, coconut and Ti Tasse, a rum- based coffee liqueur that is also produced in St. Lucia.

Like most Caribbean nations, Saint Lucia takes great pride in its native rums. The flagship spirit, Chairmen’s Reserve, is blended rum concocted from a combination of continuous distilled and double-distilled rums. The result is a full-bodied spirit with just enough sweetness and a little bit of bite. The spiced version of Chairmen’s Reserve contains local spices and fruits including cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, coconut, all spice, lemon and orange. It is also rumored to include Richeria Grandis – known locally as “Bois Bande” – a bark renowned in the Caribbean as a potent aphrodisiac.

While I specifically requested Chairmen’s rum in my drinks, Ted usually blends his dirty bananas with a light locally-produced overproof rum. Hence the potency of this drink. A few too many, will have you floating off your barstool.

Unfortunately, many of Saint Lucia’s spirits can be difficult to find in the states. If you’d like to replicate the dirty banana at home, I would recommend using either Wray and Nephew overproof rum — or if you like a fuller flavored spirit, Flor De Cana seven-year-old rum. For the coffee liqueur, you may substitute Kamora. The smooth frozen tropical coconut-banana flavor is a fine anecdote for Washington’s recent scorching Caribbean-like weather. ?

THE DIRTY BANANA

1 banana, sliced

1-ounce milk

1-ounce coconut cream

1.5-ounce coffee liqueur

1.5-ounce overproof light rum

Squirt of chocolate syrup

Add ingredients to blender with ice. Blend until well mixed. Garnish with a pineapple wedge. [gallery ids="100878,127477" nav="thumbs"]

Jody Kurash • September 13, 2012

The French Quarter of New Orleans conjures up visions of raucous partying, 24-hour fun and all-out craziness. While this can be a great way for the 20-something crowd to blow off some steam, those looking for a more sophisticated and tasteful drinking experience will have to veer a few blocks away from Bourbon Street.

Unlike Washington D.C., New Orleans wears its quirkiness like a badge of honor. A classy bar does not necessarily mean stuffy or uptight. One of my favorite Crescent City spots to grab a drink is the Carousel Bar in the Hotel Monteleone.

Tucked away on the corner of Royal and Iberville on the edge of the quarter, the Hotel Monteleone is steeped in history. It has been a preferred haunt of many distinguished southern writers including Eudora Welty, Tennessee Williams and William Faulkner. Truman Capote used to brag that he was born at Hotel Monteleone, but the truth of the matter was that Capote’s mother had stayed at the hotel during her pregnancy and was transported to the hospital by hotel staff for the birth.
The Carousel Bar itself is an attraction. The circular 25-seat bar is actually a rotating carousel, which makes a complete revolution approximately every 15 minutes. While I will admit that I’ve felt the room spin after one too many cocktails, I assure you that one drink, alcoholic or not, will do the same for you here.

The carnival-like motif reminds visitors that despite the Monte Leone’s lofty setting and noteworthy past, they’re still in New Orleans, a destination that is able to combine history and fun with a shot of jazz and spice shaken up and served in a martini glass.

Literary beasts aside, this bar has it earned a spot in the cocktail hall of fame. According to the Hotel Monteleone 1938, during the height of the Great Depression, head bartender Walter Bergeron introduced the Vieux Carré Cocktail at the Swan Bar, which was the original bar on site before the Carousel bar was built. The name Vieux Carre translates to “Old Square” the official name of the neighborhood known as the French quarter.

The Vieux Carre is a mixture of rye whiskey, brandy, vermouth and Benedictine and bitters. Its formula closely resembles two other legendary New Orleans tipples, the Sazerac, (which was declared the official cocktail of New Orleans by the state senate in 2008) and the La Louisiana. All three feature homegrown Peychaud bitters as a staple ingredient.

According to the Hotel Monteleone, “It was created as a tribute to the different ethnic groups of the city: The Benedictine and cognac to the French influence, the Sazerac rye as a tribute to the American influence, the sweet vermouth to the Italian, and the bitters as a tribute to the Caribbean. Prohibition had been lifted only a few years earlier as a way of stimulating commerce.”

The rye whiskey combines splendidly with the sweeter ingredients, like the cognac, Benedictine and vermouth, while the addition of two types of bitters, give it a nice spice.

For me, a visit to the Big Easy is not complete without stop here. The bar serves as great meeting spot for locals as well as tourists. During my most recent visit in April, I was flanked on by a group of young professionals enjoying an after-office drink once one side and a professional native drinker on the other. For people watching, the bar has a magnificent big-window view of Royal Street. Because the bar rotates, you’re guaranteed a window seat every quarter hour. The Vieux Carre
Recipe courtesy of the
Hotel Monteleone

¼ oz. Benedictine
¼ oz. Cognac
½ oz. Sazerac Rye
¼ oz. Sweet Vermouth
3 Drops Angostura Bitters
3 Drops Peychaud Bitters
Lemon Twist

Place ingredients over ice in an eight-ounce rocks glass and garnish with a lemon twist.
[gallery ids="100949,130372" nav="thumbs"]

Jody Kurash • August 10, 2012

The lively piano notes danced through the air as I walked into the Warehouse Theater. I was greeted with a cocktail, more specifically, a sweet and lemony Colonial punch made from Jamaican rum and cognac. As I took my seat, I recognized one of the tunes being played by Washington’s piano virtuoso Dan Ruskinas, “Those Were the Days.”

But this was no typical theater-going experience. The main act was not a famous musician or actor, but rather a storyteller who made his mark in the world of cocktails and mixology, Dale DeGroff. In addition to the music, we were about to hear all about “Those Days, ” the golden age of bars and bartenders. DeGroff came armed with an earful of stories about the history and his experience working at some of New York’s most legendary watering holes.

If an evening of bar stories doesn’t sound exciting and entertaining, you’ve never seen DeGroff in action. Known as one of the pioneers of the craft cocktail movement, DeGroff has authored two best selling cocktail books, “The Essential Cocktail” and “The Craft of the Cocktail,” and was the recipient of a 2009 James Beard award. He has held court at the famed Rainbow Room, where he used a gourmet approach to recreate many long-forgotten cocktails.

DeGroff engaged the audience with his witty narrative, tracing the history of the drinking, from colonial-era taverns, through prohibition speakeasies, up to his personal favorites. His colloquial manner and charming personality took the audience back to a time when the local bar was an important part of the community and bartenders treated their customers like old friends. He opened the evening playing his guitar and singing a Hank Williams tune. And, of course, there was a great story behind this ditty.

With the enthusiasm of screenwriter and monologuist Spalding Gray, DeGroff launched into a tale about the first neighborhood bar he discovered in New York, Paddy McGlades in 1969. At the time, DeGroff was living at the YMCA, hoping to get his big break on Broadway, when a friend of a friend, who had a room for rent, asked to meet him at McGlades. DeGroff arrived at the bar, with his guitar, suitcase and $2.50 in his pocket, which he quickly blew through before his friend arrived. When someone asked him if he could play the guitar he launched into a rendition of “Your Cheating Heart“ to which he was rewarded with a beer on the house. He duly played it three more times for three more beers, since it was the only song that he knew all the lyrics to.

DeGroff reminisced about McGlades as if it were a long lost friend. Which it is, since a Starbucks now stands in its place. He continued with anecdotes about many storied bars, including P.J. Clarke’s (the original, not the D.C. outpost), McSorley’s Ale House, the 21 Club, the Blue Note and eventually the Rainbow Room, where in the 1980s he put together a menu of cocktails inspired by the great supper clubs of days-gone-by.

Cocktails flowed throughout the evening, each one a delightful concoction perfected by DeGroff. The experience was akin to going to a fabulous bar where you luck out and find yourself seated next to the most interesting man in the joint.

Having lived in Manhattan before moving to Washington, DeGroff actually made me a bit homesick for places like McSorley’s, New York’s oldest bar, which was a few blocks from my apartment in the East Village or the Rainbow Room, my favorite spot to take out-of-town guests, which was located across the street from my office at the Associated Press in Rockefeller Center.

Before I knew it, two hours had passed. It was time to call it a night. The evening was capped off with a Yuzu gimlet, a refreshing twist on the standard, jazzed up with Asian Yuzu juice and honey.

DeGroff’s traveling show, which is being performed as a fundraiser for the Museum of the American Cocktail, will be making stops in New York and Philadelphia. For more information, visit KingCocktail.com/onthetown.htm or www.MuseumoftheAmericanCocktail.org

YUZU GIMLET?
1 1/2 ounce Hendricks Gin?
1/4  Yuzu juice  ?
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice?
1 ounce honey syrup
?Lime wheel garnish??
Assemble ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with thin wheel of lime. Adjust sweetness with honey syrup. [gallery ids="100737,121495" nav="thumbs"]