By DCist Contributor Nathan Wilkinson
This summer I’ve been on the hunt for new spirits and cocktails that are not just reincarnations of old classics. Let’s just say I am done with margaritas in all their various iterations. I want to see cocktail menus taking big risks and pushing the boundaries of mixology. As it turns out, a couple of Asian restaurants are daring to be different with each cocktail that they make.
Beverage Manager Phil Anova lives by this principle at Mandu (453 K Street NW) where he challenges bartenders to use a new ingredient or spirit in every cocktail. It’s an exacting standard to uphold for a menu: Nothing even reminiscent of a classic will make the cut, and once it has been done it can never be recycled on future menus. “I don’t like doing my version of a cocktail, putting my twist on a classic,” says Anova. “I do Phil.”
Mandu’s house bottled soju infusions are a perfect example of Anova’s creativity at work. “Every season we do a different infusion— this summer I wanted to do something with feta cheese,” says Anova. The blend is reminiscent of summer salted watermelon salad. “All of the oils in the feta come out in the soju, and salt mixes well with the juice,” says Anova. “I’m Filipino; we mix rock salt with fruit. I like the contrast of sweet and salt that gives a thicker feel in your mouth,” he says.
Mandu’s menu is solid. Anova let me try his cleverly named No Way Rosé made with caviar lime flavored American Star vodka, yujacha (Korean citrus) sour mix, and Chandon Rosé. The drink is bursting with spice and citrus; the caviar lime flavor (named after the round pulp in finger limes) is unlike anything else I’ve tried, and the sour mix teeters on the edge of chutney spice. Anova gave me a preview of the rest of the menu, which includes flavored ice cubes. The Real McCoy uses a blackberry basil ice cube with Real McCoy rum, Montenegro amaro, and calamansi (Philippine citrus) shrub. He also puts a tarragon ice cube in the Herbal Ice, an apricot-infused rye and dry vermouth drink with lots of complexity. Finally, Anova risked putting a Cajun spiced pineapple wedge in a minty bourbon drink called the Gambit, which is sure to surprise your taste buds.
Asian restaurants that pair their cocktails with their spicy or rich cuisine probably have some of the most original ideas on their menus. “I think what’s cool right now is you have Asian places going beyond the typical lychee Martini,” says bartender Ian Chyun of Sushiko (5455 Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD). “The craft cocktails movement itself means that chefs and bartenders are working together on the menu.”
The Sagano Saketini combines two Japanese beverages that go well with miso soup and sashimi: matcha powder and sake. “Sagano is a famous bamboo forest that is known for being very green, so we garnished it with a bamboo leaf,” says Chyun. A mid-grade genmaicha tea adds vegetal earthiness while cucumber vodka makes for a fresh finish. I like that the drink evolves toward dark cacao flavors as the matcha settles. The Shichimi Garu, named after Japanese seven spices, is the drink for those who like peppery heat. Made with Thai chili-infused vodka, citrus and pineapple juice, and topped with seven spice powder, it’s two drinks in one—a citrusy punch with warmth beneath the surface and a bouquet of spice when sipped from the top.
On the menu’s lighter side you’ll find the Yuzu spritzer, with four citrus fruits and Nobilo sauvignon blanc—more interesting than your usual patio go-to. I keep noticing a progression of flavors, some tart, some bitter, that are all undercut by the sweet perfume of sauvignon blanc. Finally, I really enjoyed bartender Zack Khalifa’s creation, Abekawa. It’s cucumber and wasabi muddled with Hakushika sake and Hendrick’s gin—a martini with the flavor of wasabi without the heat. The finish on this drink is long and clean.
For my own totally original cocktail, I submit the Japanese Tea Garden, with lemongrass and pepper spice of Bombay Sapphire East. A pot of ginger peach green tea was my inspiration.
• 1 1/2 oz. Bombay Sapphire East
• 1 oz. Republic of Tea Ginger Peach Tea
• 1/2 oz. Bushmills Irish Honey
• 1/4 oz. simple syrup
• 1/4 oz. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. ginger liqueur (Domaine Canton)
• 1 tsp. St. Germain
Shake all ingredients with ice in a shaker. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Garnish with a pineapple spear.
