Manhattan at Bourbon Steak. Photo by Nathan Wilkinson. By DCist contributor Nathan Wilkinson
When it comes to cocktails, a classic like the Manhattan never gets old. Named after the Manhattan Club in New York, where it was first served, the potent whiskey drink is undergoing a revival in D.C. where its popularity — and price — are on the rise.
Not to be outdone by the extravagant cocktail scene in the rival city to the north, a few D.C. whiskey bars are offering select barrel-aged Manhattans that go for more than $25 a pour. That seems counter to the original intention of pre-prohibition cocktails, when the point of mixing was to improve the flavor of poor quality spirits. But the move to designer house Manhattans reflects a changing approach toward classic cocktails that focuses on giving drinkers a one-of-a-kind experience with a familiar standard.
Bourbon Steak, located inside the Four Seasons Hotel (2800 Pennsylvania Avenue NW) in Georgetown, is a prime example of the high-class cocktail movement. Head bartender Duane Sylvestre curates proprietary barrels that the restaurant obtains directly from bourbon and rye distilleries. These barrels make a Bourbon Steak BSDC Manhattan the unique experience that it is. But is it worth $25 just to try one? Sylvestre thinks so.
“Barrel aging can impart that little oxidation some consider a flaw, but it can be so rewarding in a drink,” he says. His Manhattan comes in two varieties: one with George Dickel whiskey, aged nine years, and the other with 5th anniversary edition Whistle Pig rye. It’s a tough choice to make, as springing for both will set you back half a Benjamin.
I opted for the George Dickel with a whiskey-soaked cherry garnish rather than the drier scorched orange peel and rye. Made with the standard Manhattan components of house-blended vermouth and angostura bitters, this recipe doesn’t deviate far from the original. I had my doubts that ingredients alone could make for an extraordinary drink. Where was the trendy violet scented syrup or cocoa powdered rim? But when I tasted the concoction in the chilled coupe glass Sylvestre put before me, I was a believer.
To say the finish was smooth would be a clichéd understatement. At 109 proof, the whiskey would have been too hot with alcoholic astringency to enjoy neat. But mellowed by the vermouth, the drink takes on a velvety softness like a fine-aged wine. The finish was long, with rounded dried fruit notes and what Sylvestre describes as “that nice nutty rich bottom” that comes from the lengthy barrel aging process.
Sylvestre’s hand next to the Jefferson. Photo by Nathan Wilkinson.
Sylvestre says he is happy to see the revival of classic cocktails in D.C., as he is a “spirits man all the way.” But unlike drinking whiskey or gin straight, he says that, “a cocktail is as much about presentation as it is flavor.” This is the case with another house cocktail, the Barreled Jefferson: this one is pre-mixed and then aged for a month in a white oak barrel. It’s similar to an Old Fashioned, but with carpano antica vermouth and crème de mure. Served with a single rock of ice the size of a tennis ball, it was unlike any drink I’d ever encountered. With thirteen “formats” of ice cube at his disposal, each drink can be crafted for the maximum drinking pleasure.
Photo by Nathan Wilkinson. The Four Seasons is not the only hotel in Georgetown to raise the bar on the classic Manhattan. The Rye Bar at Capella (1050 31st Street NW) offers a cocktail that features Dad’s Hat rye, Dolin sweet vermouth and Byrrh Quinquina (a French red wine aperitif) that will set you back $22 dollars. They barrel age the entire concoction for six weeks before serving.
If you suffer from sticker shock but still want to try this classic cocktail, Fiola (601 Pensylavania Avenye NW) has a $6 Manhattan on the happy hour menu that aims to please cocktail purists. Bourbon (2321 18th Street NW) in Adams Morgan, offers a choice of Haven Hill bourbon or Redemption rye in their Manhattan that that goes for a mere $12 dollars.
For something totally different, try The Bold Manhattan for $12 at Chart House in Alexandria (1 Cameron Street). This cocktail lives up to its name with Jim Beam Devil’s Cut bourbon, agave nectar and chocolate bitters. In terms of flavor, it is almost an entirely different drink—the only Manhattan I’ve had in which I could taste the charred oak of the bourbon barrel. It was dark, toasty and sweet: a little akin to the burnt chocolate flavor of an Oreo cookie dunked in whiskey rather than milk.
