By DCist Contributor Nathan Wilkinson
The capital is suffering through yet another cold snap in mid-February, and it feels as if winter will never end. Bar crawlers, bitten by the wind between happy hour stops, don’t want to be reminded of the enthusiasm they had for the holidays a month and a half ago. So, gone are the rich mulled wines and spiced apple toddies of 2014. Instead, gin cocktails that are both warming and refreshing are giving us a hint of spring sunshine in a glass.
Gin is typically regarded as a spring and summer liquor because of its lightness and crisp, dry flavor. But bartenders are using different styles of gin, the oiler and aged Old Toms and Plymouth as well as sloe and fruit gins, to come up with the perfect cocktails for the changing of the seasons.
I happened upon Barcelona (1622 14th Street NW) almost by accident when I glanced this gem on the cocktail menu outside. The Bee’s Wings is a lush transformation of the Bee’s Knees. With Vermont’s small batch Barr Hill Gin, Yellow Chartreuse, lemon juice, orange blossom water, agave and egg whites, it is thick and tart—spicy, yet light on flavor—and beautifully scented drink with a whole star anise and lemon twist as garnishes. This drink really appeals to your sense of smell, taste, and texture.
Great gin cocktails at Rye Bar (1050 31st Street NW) were another unexpected find. My favorite was the Moral Hazard, which uses Greenhook Beech Plum Gin for a rich, red base. Head bartender Angel Cervantes combines the sweet gin with dry vermouth, a house made ginger shrub, and a chunk of raw ginger as a garnish for this very memorable drink. I also tried his Imperfect Martini—a cocktail that stretches the definition of Martini a bit, but they didn’t say it was perfect. It’s nearly equal parts Half Moon Gin (made with wheat and apples), Cynar, and Templeton Rye, making for a sweet tasting Martini with some spice and vegetal flavors around the edges. It’s a perfect departure from the ordinary.
I’m always looking for bars that expand my notions of an ordinary cocktail into something grand. So, I’m pleased to mention The Bombay Club’s (815 Connecticut Avenue NW) Gin and Tonic as a drink that breaks the mold. For starters, it has an asterisk and the word “spicy” printed next to it on the menu. But, like the classic Indian fare it’s paired with, you have no idea what that means until you try it. Apart from the sugar rim, the drink looks like a typical G&T, and at first taste, the tonic is drier than expected. It’s when the green chili, cardamom, lime infused Ashby’s Gin starts to prickle on your tongue that you give it your full attention.
“People definitely come here for this drink and they generally like it spicy,” says bartender Marta Chapman. “We sell a boatload of them during happy hour,” from 4-6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Bibiana (1100 New York Avenue NW) has their own take on another standard: the Hot and Cold Gin Fizz. Bartender Melvin Zaldana describes the winter version of the drink made with chilled Cold River Gin and lemon juice and topped with hot spuma. “The foam is hot and floats on top with warm lemon scents and sugar, like a meringue,” he says. “It’s a drink we have to serve fast; it doesn’t wait.”
The spring version of the drink has a greenish topping made with cucumber juice. I also liked the Belladona, made with G-Vine Gin (a funky gin made from grapes, not grain) infused with lemon chamomile tea and sweetened with lemon and pear juice. Zaldana proves with these cocktails that gin drinks needn’t be ordinary.
I have a classic gin cocktail that has a reputation for changing people’s minds about gin. Give your friends The Last Word and they’ll be too intrigued by the flavor combo to raise objections.
- ¾ oz. gin (Plymouth is a good one)
- ¾ oz. Green Chartreuse
- ¾ oz. Luxardo maraschino liqueur
- ¾ oz. lime juice
- maraschino cherry (optional)
Combine all ingredients in a shaker full with ice, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
