By DCist Contributor Nathan Wilkinson
You’d have to be living under a rock to not have noticed that bourbon and rye have dominated the spirits market lately. According to a Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, 18 million cases of whiskey were sold in 2013—that’s up from 13 million just ten years ago. There’s also been a 104 percent rise in super premium bourbon sales in the U.S. since 2008. Oh, and you might have heard there’s even a bourbon barrel shortage. Americans sure love their whiskey!
While most drinkers will admit that they have done their part to support American distillers, you have to give credit to the craft cocktails movement for trying new things with the old classics. Niche whiskey bars are sending the message that they’ve been riding the whiskey wave from the beginning with their whiskey-themed names and cocktail menus.
Bourbon (2321 18th Street NW) in Adams Morgan is a perfect example, with four barrel-aged Old Forrester cocktails for $14 dollars. And for $100 dollars you can get your own small barrel for a table of four. I was intrigued to compare their barreled Mint Julep to the fresh-made version; it’s drier, infused with fresh mint rather than muddled, and served with a single large cube. Barrel aging produced subtler mint and oak flavors that were more suited to sipping slowly without a straw.
“That’s because it’s been in the barrel since two days before Thanksgiving,” says assistant manager Jessica Dallesasse, who prepares all the barreled cocktails. “My favorite is the Manhattan,” she says, “It’s the one you can really tell the effect of barrel aging.” Be sure to try the John Dailey, a lemonade and bourbon drink with earl grey-infused bourbon, and the Boulevarder, which is a whiskey-based version of the Negroni.
Aging cocktails is a cool gimmick; and like the whiskey boom, it’ll be interesting to see how long it lasts. The problem is convincing drinkers that the time and effort involved in the process is worth the higher price for what are already expensive drinks. That’s why you’re likely to find a mix of fresh whiskey cocktails along with barreled options.
At Georgetown’s Rye Bar at the Capella hotel (1050 31st Street NW) you can try a barreled Manhattan made with Dad’s Hat rye, Byrrh Quinquina (a bitter fortified wine), and Dolin sweet vermouth for $22 dollars, but the menu is also full of deliciously fresh rye cocktails. Bartender Radovan Jankovic explains why the Rye Bar Fizz is their most popular drink. “It has Redemption rye, Hum Martinique—a rum-based liqueur—kaffir lime juice, and I make the tonic with hibiscus, ginger and cardamom. It gives the drink a red color.”
Jankovic also serves a refreshingly tart Rye Limeade with Filibuster rye, lime juice, Campari, and a lavender simple syrup that he made himself. “The best part about the Limeade is it’s really strong; you can sip it for thirty minutes and it won’t dilute much,” he said. But don’t pass up the Smooth Ambler rye Gold And Grain made with Jankovic’s own blood orange shrub and served in a Pernod coated glass.
At Barrel (613 Pennsylvania Avenue NSE) you won’t even find whiskey in their four rotating aged cocktails this month. Lately, they are introducing bourbon drinkers to aged brandy, mezcal, and gin drinks, but there’s plenty of bourbon on the menu. Try the Amico Vecchio with Old Forrester, Punt a Mes vermouth and Campari. The bourbon takes a back seat to winey bittersweet flavors and citrus zest finish and is closer to the 2:1 whiskey to vermouth ratio of the classic Manhattan. For a stronger bourbon flavor, try any of the other six signature cocktails on the menu.
And, of course, you can try making a similarly sweet tasting Soul Kiss at home, and feel free to age it if you can get your hands on a barrel.
- 2 oz. bourbon
- 1 oz. Dubonnet Rouge
- ½ oz. orange juice
- ½ oz. dry vermouth
Shake all ingredients on ice in a shaker and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
