First Look: Punch Club
From the name alone, you might expect that Punch Club is a shabby knockoff of the 1999 movie, Fight Club. Further strengthening this likeness is the fact that Punch Club is held only once a week, on Thursdays. And although both Fight Club and Punch Club both have the potential to knock you out, the former does with uppercuts and jabs what the latter does with expertly crafted cocktails and, well, punch.
Punch is a drink that we rarely see these days. If asked, most people would either reference the Hawaiian version or the occasional non-alcoholic bowl of punch with a tub of sherbet floating in it at a holiday party. Historically, though, punch has played a prominent role in English and American alcoholic beverage consumption: a bowl of punch would be put out, and everyone would stand around drinking until there was no more punch or nobody left standing. It was a very social, convivial thing, but one can see why modern society eventually phased that practice out.
All is not lost, however: in the last few years, pioneering bartenders have realized that a communal punch bowl can be an excellent offering at a bar, and cocktail joints from San Francisco to New York have started offering a daily special bowl of punch. The Gibson, another new cocktail bar in D.C., got a mention in The New York Times for offering punch at special events.
Not to be left out, the folks that are working on opening Room 11 in Columbia Heights have decided to make use of the idle space at the Warehouse Cafe to host a weekly night of punch and cocktails. Although the Warehouse partly closed in late 2007 and significantly reduced the number of events held there, the sale of the building fell through last year. While the space is in flux, co-owner Paul Ruppert decided to let his Room 11 partner Dan Searing (of Looking Glass Lounge) try out some of his favorite punch and cocktail recipes.
The Punch Club menu is sparing: three punches ($5), three classic cocktails ($6-8), three beers ($5), and three wines ($6). In addition to the drinks, the panini press behind the bar is pumping out some tasty sandwiches ($8) made with homemade mozzarella and accompanied by a side. The first week, the sandwiches were accompanied by a salad and popcorn, and the second week with soup.
Wait, did everybody read those last three sentences? $5 punch? It would be one thing if these were overly-sweet and made with cheap rotgut vodka, but they are generally well-balanced and made with quality ingredients. The Rocky Mountain punch (champagne, rum, maraschino, lemon) was a revelation and the hot Glogg was a fantastic way to warm up on a cold winter night. The "Corpse Reviver No. 2" cocktail was one of the better renditions I've had of this drink, and a steal at $8: the pastis was balanced against the gin, with the aromatic ingredients providing additional flavor and levity.
On week two, the grilled cheese came with a piping hot bowl of kale and white bean soup, for $8. It may not come as a surprise that this sort of event would spring up when the economy is on the fritz, but it's nice to see it happening while maintaining an emphasis on quality. But when Room 11 opens in the Spring, the future of Punch Club is uncertain. If demand is sufficient at the current location, it may stay there, but it also may end up merged into a "Punch Night" at Room 11 or elsewhere (I'm voting for "Project Mayhem" as the name). Since Room 11 is tentatively slated for a March opening date, you may only have another six or seven weeks left to enjoy these great deals on classic beverages. This "First Look" may also be DCist's last.
Punch Club @ Warehouse
1017 7th St NW
(202) 783-3933
Every Thursday, 6 p.m.-12 a.m.
Room 11 (the web site, like the bar, is still under construction)
3234 11th St. NW