Food & Wine

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"]

Marit Fosso •

Americans have become increasingly interested in organically grown products during the last few years. According to a survey by the Organic Trade Association in 2011, sales of organic food and beverages have grown from $1 billion in 1990 to $26.7 billion in 2010 in the United States. www.ota.com/organic/mt/business.html. As we grow more and more concerned with the quality of our food, it’s little wonder that we also have started to expect more quality from our drinks.

On March 22, the launch of American Harvest Organic Spirit was celebrated at the Hamilton on 14th Street. Behind the bar was top mixologist Todd Richman, mixing delicous-tasting specialty cocktails for the enthusiastic crowd that had showed up to taste the organic goods.

“The market for organic spirits is growing nicely, people are looking for the best quality spirits and ingredients to make cocktails with,” Richman said.

American Harvest, vodka made from organic winter wheat that is sustainably grown in Idaho, is a tasteful addition to the growing selection of organic spirits available around Washington. Several liquor stores in Washington will have the new vodka in stock. “It’s exciting to work with American Harvest as a base spirit, because the quality of the spirit and the organic nature drives me to use organic ingredients from local farms when possible,” Richman said. Among other organic spirits you can find in local liquor stores, are Square One Organic Spirits www.squareoneorganicspirits.com/index.html and TRU Organic Vodka and Gin www.greenbar.biz.

Todd Richman’s favorite organic cocktail, “Local Harvest”:

Ingredients:
2 parts American Harvest
4 fresh basil leaves
3 lime wedges
3 thin slices of cucumber
¼ part agave nectar

Muddle basil, lime and cucumber. Combine with American Harvest and agave nectar in a cocktail glass filled with ice. Shake hard and strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with basil leaf and a slice of cucumber.

Georgetowner •

As spring comes into full swing, with the last of the dogwood petals scattered about the ground, a film of pollen blanketing your windshield each morning and the faint waft of honeysuckle catching in the breeze, I am always reminded of my grandmother. In many ways she was the harbinger of every season to me, because with each turning, falling or sprouting of the leaves, her menu would change and the fridge would be stocked with a different family of ingredients. In autumn there were beets and walnuts, in winter Brussels sprouts and greens. And one of the first things to mark the spring was a mountainous bowl of fresh strawberries, which I made a break for as soon as my father stopped the car by her front lawn. My grandmother would put them in front of me (the whole bowl, usually) along with a small ramekin of powdered sugar. I would eat them, dipping them feverishly into the silky sugar, until my mother stopped me.

Shameful as it is to admit, I am of the philosophy that there is no such thing as a bad strawberry. While I do my best to eat seasonally, locally and organically whenever possible, if you hand me a shrink-wrapped pack of dried up, imported strawberries in the middle of winter, I will devour the tasteless fruits with relish. The audible snap of their small seeds between my teeth, their crisp pillowy firmness and frilled green stems, are perfect to me in whatever incarnation. So this just means that April, when strawberries actually come into season, is a month to showcase nature’s most divine of creations in its purest and most beautiful form.

“Strawberries are spring, but they don’t come soon enough,” says chef and restaurateur Ris Lacoste. “Along with rhubarb—their faithful companion—we anticipate their arrival, having reached our limit of the stored apples and pears that were once so crisp and delightful last fall. Where are they? When are they coming?”

“Come late March, I must admit that I do cheat and use California berries,” says Ris, “because I can’t wait until mid-late April when they first make their appearance in the farmers market stalls around town. Their faint nuttiness, bright caramel-like sweetness and meaty firmness are a perfect companion to the early spring, where the days bounce between cold and hot. As a light snack in the sunlight, or a sweet, fresh dessert on a late April evening after a dinner of grilled meats and a sip of rosé, they couldn’t be more satisfying.”

Strawberries, when used correctly, are wonderful additions to main courses as well. A great savory dish with strawberries is to slice them thin, toss them in a pinch of sugar, and pile with crumbled goat cheese over blackened or grilled tuna steak. The sweet-spicy-savory-smoky components, as well as the varying planes of textures and temperatures, make for a refreshing and delicious supper.

Strawberry plants are surprisingly resilient and easy to grow, and as such are grown widely across the globe, from Central America to Finland. The “seeds” on the outside of the fruit, are not actually seeds at all. They are in fact miniature dried fruits, similar to sunflower seeds (if you have access to a microscope, it’s worth taking a peak). During the strawberry’s ripening process, the cells inside the fruit enlarge and pull apart from one another, creating tiny air pockets in the gaps, which is responsible for that distinct soft-crunchy texture. However, this structure weakens quickly, especially with large amounts of rain, rendering them quick to soften.

Strawberries do have certain idiosyncrasies: thanks to their thin skin and fragile structure, they don’t have much longevity and, unless frozen, need to be eaten within a few days (which isn’t usually a problem, Ris points out with a smile). Nor do strawberries improve once picked, such as bananas or pears, so they must be picked ripe from the vine. “On the upswing, however” says Ris, “they are among the fruits with the highest antioxidant content, along with blueberries, cherries and red grapes. In other words, they are good for you.”

The California Driscolls are a far cry from the smaller local strawberries you find at the market, she explains. “But I have yet to have as good a strawberry as the wild strawberries in France. However, wherever you are, mother nature has more to do with a season’s crop than any other factor. They need limited rain and lots of sun. A rainy season like last spring will dilute them. A lack sun will render them flavorless and sugarless.

“Nothing can beat a perfect, deep red, sweet, fruity strawberry. Don’t be fooled by appearance. Talk to your farmer. Ask him if you can taste a berry before you buy. Certainly a little sugar can help almost any strawberry, but that’s not the point.”

One of Ris’ favorite memories is of homemade strawberry jam on buttered toast. “I have since instructed all of my pastry chefs to combine the flavors of toasty yeast, butter and strawberries. Strawberry tarts in puff pastry do the trick, strawberry sauce with a dab of butter in it is amazing. A recipe I use every year at this time is my friend Terri Horn’s rhubarb white chocolate bread pudding and a strawberry butter sauce. I actually use it in every season, just because I love it—I simply change the fruit. Peaches and raspberries is a good one in the summer. Pears in the fall is another.”

Terri Horn’s Rhubarb Bread Pudding
Serves 12

1 loaf brioche or challah, crusts trimmed off and cubed
6 cups rhubarb, cut into 1″ pieces
Chunks of white chocolate if desired, to preference

Custard
1 quart heavy cream
½ vanilla bean, scraped
9 eggs
6 oz sugar

Sauce
1 quart strawberries, halved
Sugar to taste
2 tablespoons butter
Reserved juice from cooked rhubarb

Place the rhubarb on a rimmed cookie sheet, cover generously with sugar and roast in the oven until just softening, 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the rhubarb in a strainer placed over a bowl and let sit until ready to use. (Reserve the juices for the sauce.) This can be done ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Whisk together eggs and sugar.

Heat cream with vanilla until boiling and temper bit by bit into egg mixture.

Strain the custard through a fine meshed sieve.

Fill a buttered mold (or multiple molds) halfway with brioche cubes. Sprinkle on a portion of cooked rhubarb. Cover with more brioche cubes. Insert 3 or 4 chunks of white chocolate into each pudding.

Pour warm custard over the brioche and let sit for 30 minutes, adding more as it sits to keep the mold full. Bake in a water bath at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, depending on size of the mold, until the custard is just cooked through and top is golden. Insert a fork into the custard and it should come out clean when done.

Let sit in the water bath until cool enough to handle. Remove the pudding from the ramekins and place on a cookie sheet. These can also be done ahead and reheated before serving. 

Meanwhile make the strawberry sauce by combining strawberries, sugar, butter and reserved rhubarb syrup in a saucepan. Cook for just a few minutes until all has melded and berries are soft. Taste for seasoning and adjust. Puree in a blender. Serve warm or make ahead and serve cold.

Gently warm the puddings in the oven before serving.  Serve with the strawberry sauce and whipped cream. If you have some creme anglaise hanging about, it is a delightful addition. Garnish with mint, fanned strawberries and a fleck of powdered sugar.

Jody Kurash •

In 2010, 17.3 million tourists flocked to Washington. According to Destination D.C., these visitors spent more than $2 billion dollars at local hotels.

Whatever their reasons for traveling — a convention, a tour of historic sights, or government affair – these visitors have one thing in common: For a short time, they will call one of Washington’s hotels their home away from home. Many of them, whether they are diplomats, job seekers or a touring musical act, will mingle in their hotel bars. For some guests, the hotel bar is useful amenity, a place to grab a nightcap within a 60-second commute from their bed. For the weary business traveler the barstool and a highball are a way to wash away the stress of the day.

As a Washington resident, one of my favorite spots to take my guests is the POV lounge at the W Hotel Washington. Forget waiting to ascend to the peak of Washington monument (it’s closed anyway), I’d rather take in the panoramic view from the nearby 11th floor terrace at the W, a block from the White House, while relaxing in a cozy chair and sipping a cocktail.

The prominence of hotel bars in the U.S. dates back to colonial days, when bartenders served little more than ale and rum. Taverns also served as boarding houses, a place where an exhausted traveler could hitch his horse and spend the night.

As hotels grew bigger and more sophisticated, so did hotel bars. According to Derek Brown, a cocktail historian and partner in D.C.’s Passenger and the Columbia Room lounges, the modern hotel emerged some time in the beginning of the 19th century alongside the first celebrity bartender, Orasmus Willard, at the City Hotel in New York. “This set the stage for bars — not necessarily the same as saloons — being situated in lobbies of hotels,” Brown says. “Guests were treated with a drink upon arrival, the ultimate sign of hospitality.

Many famous cocktails were invented at hotel bars — from the Red Snapper (or Bloody Mary, as we know it today) at New York’s St. Regis, the Pina Colada at the Caribe Hilton in Puerto Rico and the Tequila Sunrise at the Biltmore in Phoenix.

“The main reason why great cocktails and hotels are inexorably linked is that they grew up together,” Brown says. “Hotels were often luxurious and full of amenities, including top bars and bartenders. It was the perfect environment to nurture the golden age of cocktails.”

The most celebrated hotel bar in Washington is the Round Robin Bar at the Willard Hotel. In different incarnations, his gathering spot has played host to Thomas Jefferson, Walt Whitman and Mark Twain. Kentucky’s Henry Clay — who served as a Secretary of State, House Speaker and U.S. senator — introduced the Southern-style mint julep to Washington at the Round Robin in the 1800s. Since then, it’s been the signature drink of the bar. In an era where cocktail menus are ever-changing, it’s almost unheard of to see something stick around for 200 years. Bartender Jim Hewes has presided over the Round Robin since the hotel reopened in 1986. “If you want to put a drink on the map,” Hewes says, “You’ll need that level of consistency.”

Henry Clay’s Southern-style Mint Julep
6-8 fresh mint leaves, plus on sprig for garnish
1 tablespoon sugar
2 oz bourbon
1 oz sparkling water
lemon twist
superfine sugar

Put the mint leaves, sugar and one ounce bourbon in a tumbler. Gently muddle with a spoon. Add a scoop of cracked ice. Add equal measures of bourbon and sparkling water to fill glass. Garnish with fresh mint sprig, lemon twist and dust with superfine sugar.

Miss Dixie •

Cocktails, like food and fashion, are seasonal. While a properly made margarita, with fresh lime and quality tequila, is delightful and refreshing on a hot summer day, downing one while watching the snow fall, doesn’t have quite the same effect. Unfortunately for tequila lovers, many of the popular agave elixirs are warm-weather fare. While it’s true that a glass of complex, aged tequila can be a cultivated sipper on a frigid winter’s eve, a cocktail like the tequila sunrise, screams for a balmy beachside chair rather than a cozy seat by the fireplace.

Dan Searing, a partner in Columbia Heights cocktail bar Room 11, has broken tequila out of its summer rut with his Conquistador Punch. I had the pleasure of sampling Searing’s chilly concoction at the Museum of the American’s Cocktail’s December holiday party. The recipe is also included in his book “The Punch Bowl – 75 Recipes Spanning Four Centuries of Wanton Revelry.”

Searing’s original creation of lime, orange, tequila and sherry, plays up the fresh citrus fruits of winter. The stars of this cocktail are clementines, the cute little oranges that start popping up in produce aisles in mid-December. Often referred to as “Christmas oranges,” these petit fruits pack a burst of concentrated orange flavor.

During the colder months, punches forged from traditional brown spirits, such as brandy, whiskey and rum are popular refreshers. These wood-aged spirits, impart a spicy warming element to drinks.

Conquistador punch takes advantage of reposado tequila, a spirit that has been aged up to a month in oak barrels, along with sherry, a Spanish wine that is fortified with brandy to give this beverage a refined spicy profile. Searing describes his creation as having “spice and sweetness, but a citrusy tartness as well.”

The key to the drink’s robust flavor is Searing’s homemade-made clementine syrup. While most cocktails add a portion of plain simple syrup as a sweetener, Searing takes it up a notch by making his syrup from Demerara sugar, which has a darker, richer flavor and then soaking it overnight in the grated zest from two clementines. This custom syrup imparts a full-bodied, powerful orange smack.

The name Conquistador Punch comes from the multicultural ingredients. Tequila is from Mexico, and sherry is from Spain. Searing says the punch was born out of a blend of the elements from two cultures. “As we all know the Spanish came and tried to conquer the native people of Mexico, and it didn’t quite work,” he said. “Mexican culture is derived from the blending of Spanish and native influence. It’s obviously a unique culture as a result.” And Searing has obviously created a special libation from these influences.

Dan Searing’s “Conquistador Punch”

1 750-ml bottle of Corzo Reposado Tequila
1 375-ml bottle of Pedro Ximénez Sherry
1 ½ cups lime juice (about 12 limes)
1 ½ cups clementine juice (about 12 clementines)
1 cup clementine zest syrup ()
1 ice block
2 clementines, peeled, cut into small, coin shapes
Combine all liquid ingredients in a large pitcher, adding the clementine syrup last and to taste. Chill thoroughly. When ready to serve, place the ice block in a punch bowl and pour the punch over it.

() Clementine Zest Syrup:
Zest from two clementines
1-cup cold simple syrup (1 part water, 1 part sugar – heat until dissolved, chill)

Use a microplane grater to remove the zest from the two clementines. Add the zest to the cold simple syrup. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for up to 24 hours. Strain out the zest. Refrigerate any unused syrup.

Ingredients to make Conquistador punch may be purchased at Dixie Liquor located at 3429 M Street, NW, in Georgetown. Readers may sample this drink or purchase Searing’s book at Room 11 3234 11th Street, NW, in Columbia Heights.

Kerie Kerstetter • July 23, 2012

Located in the heart of DC’s Penn Quarter, Redline is best described as a sports bar gone urban chic. More than 40 flat screens jut out from the exposed-brick walls, while recessed lighting glows down on sleek tables with built-in beer taps. Afterwork crowds create a steady chatter as they gather around the bar and the maroon leather booths. The space seems to satisfy Super Bowls and dinner parties alike. Now take all preconceived notions about sports bar cuisine and throw them out the window.

Chef Frabrice Reymond has developed a reputation for crisp presentation and subtle international influences, which he fuses into Redline’s classic American cuisine. This summer, he has introduced several new items to the Redline menu.

The Ceviche is certainly the most notable in presentation, served as a medley of calamari, tilapia and shrimp inside a South African baby pineapple. The dish is inspired by Thai pineapple curry, and the hints of red onion and cilantro meld well for a refreshing twist. The Watermelon Salad combines diced watermelon with arugula, feta, black olive and mint in a balsamic reduction. Chef Reymond serves the seasonal salad within a sunburst of red endive, making the presentation as equally artistic as the Ceviche.

A fantastic surprise is the Gator Three Ways, in which alligator bites are pan-seared in three different styles. The dish is prepared with spicy chili sauce, tangy Dijon and Applewood-smoked bacon, each plated separately on crisp sweet potatoes and leaf garnishing. Other meat dishes include the grilled Lamb Lollipops, which are marinated in a cranberry port-wine reduction and served with a spiced puff pastry; the Duck Cajun-style is especially tender, served with steamed bok choy and mashed sweet potato in a vermouth tomato sauce.

A great time to sample Redline’s new dishes are during their weekdays lunch special (appetizer + entree for $15), which includes a number of the menu items. Just be sure to say hello to Chef Reymond, whose personality and French accent are equally as charming as his food. Bon Appétit! [gallery ids="100908,128469,128461" nav="thumbs"]

Walter Nicholls • June 29, 2012

The ultimate dessert for your Oscar Night party, the same high-voltage chocolate square that the top names in Hollywood will be nibbling, is available in Georgetown. Silver Spring-based Naughty Bits Brownies was chosen for inclusion in the “Everybody Wins at the Oscars” nominee gift bag. This coveted swag of goodies is given to nominees who don’t win in the top five categories.

To celebrate, Leigh Lambert, owner and creator of Naughty Bits, created a limited edition Oscar flavor—The Starlet. (For several years, Lambert and I worked together at The Washington Post food section.) No “bit player” of a brownie, it’s topped with chocolate-covered Pop Rocks and dusted with edible gold. “It’s like eating chocolate champagne,” Lambert says. Starlet will join her other six flavors, which will be given to the celebrities.

Lambert’s brownie creations are worthy of the Tinseltown attention. Some of her flavor combinations, such as the Barista Bar, has chocolate-covered espresso beans sprinkled throughout, and Living in Sin enrobes miniature peanut butter cups and is topped with salted peanuts. Others in the line-up are more daring. Shiksa marries maple-smoked bacon and toffee bits – an unusually successful pairing. Geisha Girl is the “unexpected love child of East meets West,” as she describes on her website. You might not think of wasabi, ginger and sesame being at home with a brownie, but they all work in perfect harmony.

“I love to play with intriguing flavors,” Lambert says. “I never do anything simply as a gimmick. It has to really taste good.” And they do. All the flavors, from the traditional to the more exotic are an inch-thick, generously cut and have a chewy crumb, so hard to find in brownies.

And the award goes to: Naughty Bits.

Available at:

J. Chocolatier, 1039 33rd, St. NW, (202) 333-4111
Society Fair (Cathal Armstrong’s new food emporium), 277 South Washington St., Alexandria. (703) 683-3247

For mail order: www.naughtybitsbrownies.com .

Georgetown resident, Walter Nicholls, is a food critic for Arlington magazine and a frequent contributor to Flavor magazine.

Georgetowner •

Eating an oyster is like putting the history of mankind on your tongue. Within its fluted shell, a single bivalve holds chronicles of gastronomy, culture, mythology, religion, evolution, royalty, geography and love. That and a bit of seawater.

“The Delmarva region is the keeper of much of North America’s oyster history,” says chef and restaurateur Ris Lacoste, whose restaurant in Foggy Bottom now offers fresh local oysters on the half shell throughout the weekend. A century ago, she reminds us, there were more than 150 oyster bars in the District, and the Chesapeake Bay was the largest oyster-producing area in North America. Washington was an oyster mecca.

However, because of massive overfishing, over-industrialization and disease, the Chesapeake oyster population had dwindled to about 1 percent of its population from the late 19th century, and Washington area oyster culture was nearly lost. Thankfully, due to population restoration efforts, the bay is once again home to around 180 million native oysters, and populations are on the upswing. With the help of devoted and knowledgeable oyster farmers, the history, abundance and flavor of Chesapeake oysters are once again filtering back into our culinary consciousness. The oysters that are now being farmed here are milder in complexity than their more northern cousins but wonderfully plump and meaty – perfect as they are, as well as in recipes that call for cooked oysters.

“The trick with an oyster’s flavor profile is where it lives in the water,” says Jed Foxx, sous chef and resident oyster authority at RIS. “If it lives in the ocean, it’s going to be salty. If it lives in a nutrient-rich environment, it’s going to grow fat quicker. If it’s surrounded by seaweed, it will pick up those flavors. There are almost infinite factors.”

Chesapeake Bay oysters typically come from fresher water, so they tend to have less salinity than those from other regions. “That’s an issue some people often have with them: less flavor,” says Jed. “But there’s more to look for in the flavor than how briny it is. Bay oysters can be delicious on the half-shell, but their milder, delicate flavors — sometimes woody, with hints of cucumber and sweetness — are great for cooking. You wouldn’t want to dump a cup of ocean water in your seafood stew. You just want that sweet oyster flavor.”

The other great pleasure with oysters, as we all know, is pairing them with choice libation. “Ideally, you are looking for something light, crisp and cleansing, with good minerality — qualities that compliment the flavor of oysters,” says Leah Cheston, wine director at RIS. “Rich and oversaturated drinks tend to muddle them.”

For wines, Leah recommends a good Chablis, Muscadet or Champagne. But the Chablis, which comes from the very north of Burgundy, is her favorite pairing. “The wines from that area have the natural richness of a good Chardonnay with crisp acidity and a flinty quality from the soil.” The Simonnet-Febvre is her personal pick, which is available by the glass at the restaurant.

For a beer selection, you may also be looking for lightness and crisp texture. A German Kolsch, for instance, fits this profile, with a clean yeastiness like fresh baked white bread that compliments the cool freshness of an oyster. Schlaffy’s Reissdorf, a German brew, does this expertly.

Then there’s the dry Irish stout. “Something magical happens when you mix an Irish stout with an oyster,” Leah says. “You’ve heard of an ‘oyster stout’ — that’s not an accident. It’s because they go so well together.” A stout is the fresh cracked pepper to the salt of the oyster, she explains. The contrast is remarkable. Bell’s, Murphy’s, Beamish and, of course, Guinness, all make fine stouts that pair well with oysters.

Buying Local

While there are some phenomenal oyster bars in the city — Pearl Dive, Kinkead’s, Hank’s Oyster Bar and the historic Old Ebbitt Grill are favorites of Ris and Jed — there are also great places to pick up oysters to shuck in the comfort of your home kitchen. (For a how-to shucking tutorial and a flat-out great guide to oysters of the world, pick up a copy of “Consider the Oyster,” by world champion oyster shucker Patrick McMurray. “The Big Oyster” by Mark Kurlansky, and “A Geography of Oysters” by Rowan Jacobson are also good bets.)

Wagshal’s, on Massachusetts Ave., NW, has oysters in stock every day and can special order oysters from around the region. River Falls Seafood in Potomac, Md., and Cannons Fish Market in Georgetown are also good bets. At BlackSalt Fish Market & Restaurant in Georgetown, you can take oysters home or eat them at the bar.

”To cook with oysters, you need to be respectful of their natural flavors and be sure not to overcook them,” Ris says. “If you’re using them in seafood stew, don’t add them until the last couple of minutes. Let them retain their texture and flavors.”

Jed’s fried oysters are just the ticket. The corn-based masa flour is lighter and has brighter flavors than bread flours, matching texturally and palatably with something as delicate as an oyster. Use them to make a New Orleans-style po’ boy sandwich, oyster salad, or just stick ‘em with toothpicks and dip them in homemade tartar sauce. You can’t go wrong.??So go out there and enjoy some local oysters. And as you do, please thank all those involved in the restoration of the Chesapeake for their huge effort and dedication in bringing back this gift to us and to our waters.

Jed’s Masa-Fried Oysters with Homemade Tartar Sauce
——
——

For the oysters

Fresh oysters, shucked, removed from shells, left in their liquid
Masa flour
Semolina flour, or cornmeal
Cayenne pepper (optional)
White pepper (optional)
Salt (see below)
Oil (canola, vegetable or peanut)
Lemon, cut into wedges

For the tartar sauce

Mayonnaise
Dill pickles or butter pickles, finely diced
Capers, chopped
White onion, finely diced
?A few drops of Tabasco sauce
?Squeeze of lemon
?Pinch of sugar
?Salt and pepper

Mix the mayonnaise with a balance of the ingredients to suit your palate, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Season the masa flour with cayenne, white pepper, salt and other spices to taste. Arrange two platters, filling one with the seasoned masa and the other with the semolina. Remove oysters from liquid, lightly toss in the masa and then the semolina. If the oyster is smaller and less plump, delicately clump it into a loose ball with your hand to give it extra bulk so as not to overcook.

In a skillet or frying pan, heat a quarter inch of oil on medium high. When the oil is very hot, fry the oysters for about ten seconds or less on each side, depending on the size, using tongs to flip. Don’t put more oysters in the pan than you can reasonably deal with at one time. The process is fast and you need to stay in control to prevent overcooking.

When cooked, transfer to a paper towel on a plate and let rest for a minute. The insides of the oysters should still be raw and gooey, not cooked all the way through. Serve immediately with the tartar sauce.

Salt — Before adding salt to your seasoned masa flour, eat an oyster raw and consider its natural salinity. If the oyster is naturally salty enough, you don’t need to add more.

Miss Dixie •

Many presidents have gone on to have successful careers after leaving office. Jimmy Carter formed Habitat for Humanity and went on to become a global human rights campaigner and a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. William Howard Taft served as Chief Justice of the United States.  And Bill Clinton, in addition to his charitable works, spearheaded his wife’s presidential bid in 2008

This tradition dates back to our very first president, George Washington, who became a successful whiskey-maker after his presidency. According to Dennis Pogue, vice president for preservation at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate, our founding father operated one of the largest whiskey distilleries in 18th-century America.

Pogue, the author of “Founding Spirits,” a detailed portrayal of the origins of the American whiskey industry, including Washington’s role, was the featured speaker during a recent event hosted by the Museum of the American Cocktail. While Pogue described the intimate details of Washington’s whiskey-making business, guests were treated to a number of classic whiskey cocktails.

Washington began distilling spirits as a way to generate income in his retirement. After leaving office, Washington moved back to Mount Vernon where he hired James Anderson, a Scotsman, as plantation manager. Anderson suggested making whiskey from the grain grown in the plantation for profit. Washington was skeptical at first, but after writing to John Fitzgerald, a trusted friend who operated a rum distillery, he decided to give it a go. Whiskey making began in early 1797 and by October of that year, Washington was confident enough to expand the operation.

Washington’s whiskey, a raw un-aged spirit, sold for 60 cents per gallon. By 1799, Washington’s distillery was the single most profitable part of his plantation. It was sold mostly to his neighbors, while some of it was bartered for items such as candles, oysters and shoe leather.

At this time in history, alcohol consumption was quite common. Washington himself drank, and he and Martha served punch to guests on various occasions. Washington had what Pogue calls a very modern view of alcohol. Washington knew drinking was a part of life but also knew there were drawbacks. He was forced to fire number of important employees because they could not control their drinking. He had officers during the war that got in trouble for abusing alcohol.

The distillery continued to operate after Washington’s death but burned to ground in 1814 and never reopened.

What did Washington’s whiskey taste like? According to Pogue the spirit was made primarily from rye, which was the typical type of whiskey produced the time. Washington’s recipe called for 60 percent rye, 35 percent corn and 5 percent malted barley. It was not aged, like whiskeys are today, although Washington did drink Madeira wine and was aware of the effect aging had on improving the taste alcohol.  But whiskey that time was consumed with a primary purpose of getting drunk, and aging the spirit would require a greater investment and delay of revenue.

During the event the audience was presented with a glass of “American Whiskey Punch,” a recipe developed by cocktail historian David Wondrich, who is also a contributing scholar and member of the board of advisors of the Museum of the American Cocktail. The recipe, which highlights the spicy flavor of rye whiskey, follows a longstanding formula for punch which has been cemented in the rhyme, “One of Sour, Two of Sweet, Three of Strong, Four of Weak.”

While sipping on this classic concoction, I conjured up images of George and Martha Washington entertaining guests with their hand-made spirits at Mount Vernon. According to Derek Brown, of The Passenger and Columbia Room, punch was a popular libation during the 18th century.

Washington’s distillery and gristmill have been reconstructed and are open seasonally. The fully functioning sites are located just three miles from the Mount Vernon mansion. And in limited production, bottles of whiskey produced at the distillery are available for purchase from time to time.

Visitors may learn more about Washington’s whiskey production and purchase Dennis Pogue’s book at www.mountvernon.org For more information on informational cocktail seminars, visit MuseumOfTheAmericanCocktail.org

David Wondrich’s American Whiskey Punch
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Muddle one cup sugar with the peel of two lemons.
Add 4 oz. lemon juice and 8 oz. water until sugar is dissolved.
Add 16 oz. Wild Turkey Rye and 3 cups water.
Serve over large block of ice in punch bowl.
Garnish with lemon wheels.