It’s a cold, dark night, and I’m looking for a speakeasy that should be next door to Marvin. I’m not quite sure what to do. I spy a set of ringers, with a small label next to one: The Gibson. I press it. A door opens, and the bouncer quickly waves me in. He checks ID with the low light from his cell phone; as he explains, the phone is dimmer, all the better for the incognito theme. He escorts me into the bar, where I grab a seat. The first thing I notice is how amazing the place smells: It smells like Christmas.

The space is a good match with its sister establishments, Marvin and the Eighteenth Street Lounge. Brian Miller, the designer who also worked on Marvin, has made lush appointments with intricately embossed black leather and warm unfinished wood on the bar and cozy booths. A patio will open soon in the back, and the back room sports an absinthe fountain. A chalkboard is updated with the list of drinks to give imbibers a quick view of the menu. The joint is a tribute: not to the Gibson cocktail, but to Elsworth Gibson, a much-missed D.C. native, pianist, and Eighteenth Street Lounge house band resident.

The cocktail menu is arranged by primary liquors: vodka/gin, rum/tequila, whiskey/whisky, brandy/other spirits, and bubbles. Wines are also available for those who are not interested in cocktails.The best way to start off the night is with one of the warm winter drinks — and the whisky skin is probably the best way to do that. It contains Old Famous Grouse Blended Scotch, Demerara sugar, lemon peel, and hot water; the lemon peel is held to a flame so that it warms and releases its oils. The scent of the drink is reminiscent of tea, but then the richness of the whiskey starts to come through in the rising steam and next thing you’re enjoying the caramelized hints of the Demerara and lemon.

After the warmup, it’s time to get down to business.