Mockingbird Hill’s extensive inventory of sherry will be boxed up for the summer while the space gets a facelift and a new menu. (Photo by Scott Suchman)

In a city where concept restaurants have gone to increasingly ridiculous lengths, a “sherry and ham bar” was starting to seem like one of the least far fetched. But just as we were learning the difference between manzanilla and oloroso, Mockingbird Hill (1843 7th Street NW) has announced they are closing down for the summer for renovations.

Derek Brown’s James Beard-nominated sherry outpost in Shaw will shutter on Sunday, June 26th to put more of an emphasis on cocktails. “Sherry has always been our focus,” Brown says, “but we’ve seen the way our guests use the bar, and increasingly they want craft cocktails.” As a last hurrah, Brown himself will helm the bar this Friday and Saturday, June 24th and 25th, before the design firm of Edit Lab at Streetsense takes over to remake the space.

Brown’s pop-up bar Miracle on 7th Street, which took over the Mockingbird Hill space last December with a jaunty decor punctuated by metallic toy dinosaurs sporting tiny Santa hats, clearly proved that crowds were willing to turn out in droves for themed cocktails.

Fear not, sherry and ham will still be on hand when they reopen. We’re just hoping to see a gold-painted T-Rex peeking out from behind a bottle of amontillado.