Photo by Amber Wilkie.
Drink of the Week: Spanish cider
Where: ANXO Cider Club at Colony Club, ChurchKey, Thally, Pizzeria Paradiso, SER
It seems like everyone is getting in on the hard cider game these days. As we food journalists have been telling you for a while, cider is on the rise. Even big name producers like Budweiser and MillerCoors have launched their own lackluster mass market versions with Stella Cidre and Redd’s Apple Ale. But for the discerning DCist drinker, we recommend seeking out a bottle of sometimes elusive and always funky Spanish cider.
Northern Spain has been fermenting apples for centuries, but the ciders coming out of the region are almost unrecognizable to the typical American hard cider. This stuff is no “girly” beer alternative, but an intricate composition of flavors on par with wine. Spanish ciders can be almost bracingly tart and have a palpable funkiness that comes from the natural yeasts found on the skin of the apples. The dry, cloudy tipple isn’t for everyone, but if you’ve always found regular cider too sweet, it might be just the thing.
While it’s become increasingly in vogue to serve local hard cider, a number of bars and restaurants also keep some Spanish ciders on the menu as well. Keep an eye out for rotating selections at Thally (1316 9th Street NW), ChurchKey (1337 14th St NW), and Pizzeria Paradiso (Spanish cider currently spotted on the Georgetown location’s beer list).
With such complex flavors, Spanish cider also lends itself well to food pairings. SER (1110 North Glebe Road, Arlington, Va.) builds an entire four course tasting menu around the beverage. Their “TXOTO” Ritual Dinner is available for six guests every Wednesday at 7 p.m. and includes unlimited cider alongside ribeye steaks, croquettes, chorizo, and other Spanish classics for $80 (all inclusive).
You can also get schooled in the ways of cider at ANXO’s monthly cider club event held at Colony Club (3118 Georgia Ave NW). ANXO is poised to be the city’s first cidery—and one entirely devoted to cider and food from Spain’s Basque region—when it opens early next year. But in the meantime, guests can get a little teaser at their next cider club night, scheduled for November 13. The evening begins at 5:45 p.m. with a class, and the bar will be serving over twenty different ciders and a selection of pintxos (bar snacks) all night.
Small Bites
Morini Mondays are back
Osteria Morini (301 Water St SE) is bringing back their Morini Mondays special starting this Monday and running through March 28. Both classic and seasonal pastas will be available for just $10 on Monday nights. The restaurant will also be rolling out a new cocktail menu this week with an emphasis on Prohibition-era classics like the Scofflaw and Negroni.
Ain’t no party like a pork party
Celebrate all things porcine at Macon Bistro & Larder’s (5520 Connecticut Ave NW) Porktail Party on November 8 from 5-9 p.m. The kitchen will be transforming an entire hog into ten different dishes, including pork belly chips, liver mousse, stuffed trotters, sausages, and more. There will also be beer, wine, and cocktails on hand to cut all that porky goodness. Tickets are $65 and can be reserved by calling 202-248-7807 or by emailing ajohnson@maconbistro.com.
Mezcal meets gelato
If you’ve strolled down 9th Street near the Convention Center recently, you may have noticed the build-out for Espita Mezcaleria, a new Mexican restaurant boasting one of the largest tequila and mezcal selections on the East Coast. While Espita won’t be opening until January, the mezcal-curious can get a first taste of the menu at a Mole & Mezcal Tasting Dinner at Dolcezza Gelato Factory + Coffee Lab (550 Penn St NE) on November 9. The four course dinner features mezcal pairings to accompany the likes of eggplant sopes with salsa borracha and country pork ribs with mole verde de pepitas. Tickets for 6 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. seatings are $75 (all inclusive) and should be booked online.
Emporiyum yum yum
The Emporiyum, a festival of artisan food producers, returns to Union Market’s Dock 5 on November 14 for two days of deliciousness. Attendees will get to taste and shop for goods from nearly 100 different vendors hawking everything from tacos to cocktail bitters to fancy ketchup. Tickets are $15 for regular admission, though if last year’s crowds are any indication, it’s probably worth springing $25 for the early admission ticket or $40 for the VIP pass. Hot tip: use promo code “YUM” to get 10 percent off.
