America del Sur en Adams Morgan - a Trip To Ceibo

Recently I visited Ceibo, a new contemporary restaurant and cocktail / wine bar just adjacent to Marie Reed Elementary School in the southern terminus of the Adams Morgan neighborhood. 

Ceibo is the product of brothers Manuel and Chef Juan Olivera, and named after the coral flowers of the South American ceibo tree.  As you may recall, I did a piece on Mercy Me in the West End a few years ago, and the fun flavors and unique appraches of South American cuisines are of interest to me, so I was happy to visit Ceibo. The brothers have also been involved in several DC restaurant ventures, including one of my favorites, Lupo Verde. 

The restaurant occupies an old townhouse and is quite sparse inside, with clean walls, low lights, and dark furniture. I like it - not distracting, cool, reserved. These places feel like oases from the street. In fact, the main dining room is half a floor above street level, and the bar is half a floor below. 

I got started with an amuse bouche, a buñelo, made of rice flour, Swiss chard, and spinach. True to the French name of the dish, it did in fact amuse my mouth, and was a nice little start. 

Their cocktail menu is limited, as it their food menu. This is on purpose, I'm told, as the food and beverage team here wants to focus on a core set of pan-South American flavors. "We want to exeucte [the South American vision] properly" said Manuel. They don't focus too much on fancy additions or garnishes. "There's beauty in simplicity," said Manuel. 

This may be true for some of their stuff, but some of their cocktails are quite complex, including flavors like lemon verbena, yerba mate, sweet potato, and using tipples like grappa and Uruguayan vermouth. Interesting ingredients!

The thing that really piqued my interest about Ceibo, and got me out here, was a cocktail featuring grappa. Grappa is a kind of grape brandy, often made with the pomace (stems and skins and stuff leftover from winemaking). This was done to use up what would be refuse from the winemaking process. Grappa is most common in Italy, but after World War II, there was a lot of immigration from Europe to South America and that's how grappa really got introduced to the region. Now it's made all over, and the Uruguayan stuff is well done. 

If you take grappa neat, which is totally fine, it'll be quite earthy, almost like a soju, with a strong mushroom notes. It's often consumed as a digestif, meant to stimulate the gut. It's an acquired taste, so it's often mixed - usually with a sweetening agent like honey. Such a concoction is called "grappa miel" in Spanish and is a popular bar shot in South America. 

The grappa cocktail at Ceibo is called "Cedrón", a mix of Italian grappa, house-made lemon verbena syrup, lemon, and honey over ice.  

The nose is refreshing and a little pulpy, kinda like lemon oil. Taste-wise, it's quite refreshing and the house-made lemon verbena syrup really balances out the earthiness of the grappa. The cocktail itself is remarkably well balanced and not too sweet...a perennial fear of mine, fortunately not happening here. I'd highly recommend the Cedrón, and in fact would suggest having an ounce of grappa, neat, beforehand just to see the contrast.

"The idea [behind] the Cedrón is to show grappa at it's lightest, and to introduce the [drinking public] to it," said Manuel. To note, there are plenty of other grappas (grappae?) that are much stronger and more bracing. Some are even barrel aged, although I don't think they have any at Ceibo. 

Manuel also had some neat Uruguayan vermouths, which I got to try. The Vermut Flores is super tasty with an interesting root beer / cola flavor; sort of like a black Spanish vermut but a little lighter. It appears in two of their cocktails, "Boniato" and "Sifón."

Ceibo is definitely worth a visit. I would say it definitely trends a little more towards the fancy side, both in terms of presentation and quality of cuisine. They've got seasonal menus and brunch in the works, with more information at www.ceibodc.com. 

Not to miss is the cold-served veal tongue with quail eggs, parsley, capers, onions, and olive oil. Very tender, a bit gamey, and savory. The veggies taste a little smoked, and the capers are nice and crispy. Don't miss it when you go!

Third Hill Brewing Co. - "County Route 8" imperial IPA

Recently, I met up with an old buddy in Silver Spring, MD, about four miles from my house. I originally was going to walk (about an hour and a half, and a straight shot up 16th) but it was biting cold and windy so I just took the bus.

We met at Third Hill Brewing Co., which occupies a space on Georgia Ave where the now-departed Astro Lab Brewing used to be. I'd never heard of Third Hill, and by virtue of being in the F&B industry, I think I'm pretty dialed in to this stuff. 

Third Hill is the brainchild of Jason Sliter, who's been in the DC area for about 13 years.  After getting  a taste of true craft beer at Dogfish Head in Gaithersburg, he sought ways to break into the craft beer industry. Like many brewers, he got his start with homebrewing, and was able to open Third Hill last year. 

I tried a few of their offerings - all good - but I wanted to spotlight their "County Route 8". The beer is respectable 10.00% ABV West-coast leaning style imperial IPA. "A friend and I were driving on County Route 8 in Jefferson County, New York, as we’ve done a bunch, but this time I really noticed the name.  I thought 'that would be a cool band name,' but that never really happened. "

Well, now it's a beer name, so that's something. Let's dive in. 

It pours pretty thickly into the glass, and generates a sticky aroma. Solid cap of white foam, which is pretty dense. 

So, this beer definitely tastes like 10.00% ABV. Some beers hide the booze well, but this one presents it nicely. The beer is round and full, with an almost buttery flavor. There is some sweetness from hops, and a solid backbone of juicy hops mixed with a touch or two of pine. It's good, and a nice in-between beer for those who might not want super-piney West Coast stuff or East Coast juice-bombs.  

 "I think it is a great deck, patio or camping beer.  Anything outdoors really, as long as it’s responsible" says Jason. I don't know if this is the kind of beer I'd take camping, as it's pretty full and demands attention. 

About their place in the community: "We want THBC to be a place for people to escape the stress of life, connect with people and make some memories.  We hope to be a contributor to our community and a good neighbor in Silver Spring."

Commendable and true, and I look forward to more good stuff from Third Hill in the future. 

Lost Generation Brewing Co. - "Tiger Spirit" witbier

If you haven't been to Northeast DC's Lost Generation Brewing Co., you should. Led by an ensemble cast of experienced brewers and restauranteurs, Lost Generation just celebrated its first birthday and has quickly become a fixture along the Metropolitan Branch Trail (or, as it is coming to be known, the Metropolitan Beer Trail.) 

One of their standout brews lately is “Tiger Spirit”, a 4.80% ABV witbier made with chrysanthemum tea, coriander, orange peel, and Szechuan peppercorns. They're flavors not usually found it a witbier, so what's the story??

Anne Choe, the principal owner, wanted to brew something special for Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) history month last May. Lost Generation is partnering with Chefs Stopping AAPI Hate, a group started by DC chefs Tim Ma and Kevin Tien to "spread awareness about anti-AAPI violence and AAPI racism, and raise funds in support of AAPI victims, AAPI organizations and other social justice issues that support AAPI solidarity." This organization started during the pandemic when the world saw an elevated amount of anti-Asian racism. 

Anne and the team wanted to make a food friendly beer that would pair with Asian cuisine, so in partnership with Chefs Ma and Tien (and DC's own Bluejacket!) they created Tiger Spirit. The standout ingredient here are Sichuan peppercorns by 50Hertz, which Lost Generation serves as bar snacks. "The witbier style lends it self as the best vehicle for the spices we are using," said Jared Pulliam, who runs the brewery with his wife Anne. And so they popped in the peppercorns, and "we amped it up with some tea and more orange blossom fragrance. We wanted to make something you want to drink with your meal."

They brewed it last year and loved it so much they re-brewed for their anniversary, and increased the amount of peppercorns. Let's dive in.

It's straw-yellow in the glass and generates a soft aroma, with some notes of baking spice and orange oil. So far so good!

If you're worried about this being too spicy, fear not - it's soft, approachable, and not overpowering at all. The 50Hertz peppercorns certainly add a snappiness to the beer, providing a nice highlight to the base of flaked wheat / orange oil / tea. The peppercorns linger a bit on the short finish, but present more flavor than spice. 

I think they hit the mark here, looking to create an approachable beer that's crisp and light enough to enjoy with food but also something that's unique. They also sell it in pint cans, which of course I grabbed a few 4pks to enjoy / give away to friends. 

There's an evolving part of this story – the 50Hertz team (Yao Zhao and Lois Goh) are friends with famed author Amy Tan. The 50Hertz team gave Tan some Tiger Spirit and loved it, taking a photo for the Lost Generation team. "This was a nerd moment for [me], as [I] grew up reading Joy Luck Club...the way she normalized the first-generational upbringing in an Asian household really defined the person I have become," said Anne. 

So make it a point to head out to Lost Generation and have yourself a dose of Tiger Spirit, pronto! They've also got a new music series coming up, called "Live at Lost Gen", which takes place every Friday and Saturday night from 8-  11pm. You can check the events calendar here!

Beer Flight at Churchkey - A Visit to DC's Best Beer Bar

Last year, I worked Snallygaster, the big DC beer festival. As a thank-you for working in the pouring rain, setting out glassware, pouring beers, and skipping lunch, I got a $50 gift card to the Neighborhood Restaurant, which includes places like Birch & Barley and Churchkey. Churchkey! This place has the best beer program in DC, nestled in a second-floor spot just west of Logan Circle. Aside from a huge amount of drafts, they've got an extensive aged beer collection and a list of some pretty rare stuff. 

So armed with gift card, and appetite for delicious craft beer, I made my way to this oasis to try some interesting and unique beers for my first post of the new year. I wanted to get a nice spectrum of beers, and I made a point to try stuff I'd never had before and things which I thought were somewhat fun. 

Bluejacket Brewery - "Art of Almost"

This is a 3.70% ABV English dark mild-style ale, in collabortion with Good Word. Bluejacket is based here in DC. Let's take a look!

Appearance: Deep brownish red, with a bone-colored head. 

Aroma: A little sweetness, with some woodiness. 

Palate: Very soft, flat, a little thin, with some malt and a touch of smoke. 

It's actually a nice representaton of English dark mild ales - essentially beer-flavored soft drinks meant for every day consumption. This one is a cask pour, so the flatness is to be expected and in fact somewhat welcome. Don't take my comments to mean it's somehow bad; this is a faithful representation of the style.

Ritterguts Leichtenhainer Spezial

So this is a first for me - trying a Leichtenhainer, which is a historic beer style originating in Leipzig, Germany. I didn't get a chance to visit Leipzig when I was in Germany last year, but maybe next time.  It's a sour, smoked wheat beer - an interesting mashup of styles, and one I've never seen before. 

Appearance: light gold, some sticky foam. 

Nose: a bit of fruit, white peppercorns. Fresh!  

Palate - a bit sour and puckery up front; lemony, definitely a gose-adjacent style. Not funky. But here's where it gets neat - after that initial burst of sour, it smooths out and fattens up into more like a farmhouse ale. A little spice, some woodiness on the finish. White peppercorns, some dried flowers. 

Yum - very good. Not too sour, not too bitter, and a nice round character. At 4.3% ABV, it's basically a soft drink. 

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Live Oak Brewing Co. - "Pre-War Pils"

Live Oak is out of Del Valle, Texas, just outside the state's craft beer capital, Austin. This beer is based on 1912 German-American recipe and is mashed with 35% corn grits. They call it "Pre-War Pils" as it originated prior to the Great War in 1914. Tip: if you're buying spirits, you may find this timeframe called "Pre-Prohibition." 

Appearance: Very light yellow

Nose: not much here - maybe a bit of malts. 

Palate: Very light, attenuated, decent balance between crisp and buttery. I get a little bit of the corn sweetness in the back end, but nothing crazy (unlike a cornbread sour I had a few years ago that was *wild*.) 

Crushable, and would go very well with, naturally, some bratwurst. I had it with some of Churchkey's housemade tater tots. 

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Dewey Beer Co "Secret Machine: Blueberry Cranberry Vanilla Crumble"

OK, OK, bear with me - I love these kitchen-sink approaches, because more often than not, it works. The Bruery used to make weird stuff like this and I'm always a fan, even if it's not an every day beer. I get it that it's not for everyone, and that's fine, but why not try it?

Appearance: electric burdgundy, thick cap of bone-colored foam. Super sticky lacing. 

Nose: Wow, smells like candy. Vanilla and fruits! 

Palate: Smooth as silk, nice and full, but not overly sweet. Tastes like a cobbler. I get some puckery from the cranberry, naturally. It's like fresh cranberries, not the sweet pie filling kind. Almost a little tart. There's a vanilla backbone here - there but not overdone. 

It's interesting how in-balance these ingredients are. I'm not getting anything overweighted or out of whack. That being said, I could have one of these, but just one. It's a fun and funky one to try and at 7.00% ABV, not a bad sipper. 

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Wheatland Spring Farm & Brewery - "Noble Light"

This is a 5.90% ABV oak-aged export lager from Virginia. Export lagers are an older style, originally fortified for export (i.e. to survive many months in a ship's hold.) 

Appearance: Thick cap of foam, deep gold body

Nose: Not much, but some dark malty wheat

Palate: It's honestly like a dark golden ale, soft and straightforward with nice accents of malt. Pretty clean as far as that goes, with not a lot of spice. It's also not as sweet as it could be, which is a relief. 

I've been seeing Wheatland Farm around a lot lately, and am curious to see what else they've got

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The Veil Brewery -  "Apple Brandy Toast-e Coilz Imperial Oatmeal Stout"

A trip to Churchkey wouldn't be complete without trying one of the palate-wreckers they have on draft. They've got plenty of "big" beers and lots in bottles. 

This one was off the draft menu, and is a collab with Monkish, Trillium, Other Half, and Cloudwater. Occasionally you see a long list of breweries collaborate to create a beer; I always wonder how they come to a decision. 

This beer is a double oatmeal stout inspired by French toast with maple syrup. It's 12.00% ABV, likely to be super sweet and a palate wrecker, so here goes.

Appearance: Jet black with some brown menisucus. No head to speak of. 

Aroma: Bourbon barrel scents from two feet away. Strong sweetness. 

Palate: Thick, heavy, with a noticeable flavor like an apple crisp, with a heavy aftertase. I will say the finish is refreshingly short; some of these things just linger and stick. Not something you can probbaly have more than one of. Not as heavy as the Abraxas, of which I also had a taste on the house. 

Deifnintely the last one of the night! Another great visit to Churchkey.

Evil Twin Brewing Co. - "Christmas Eve in a New York City Hotel Room Royal Suite Edition"

Well, Merry Christmas. I'm not in NYC this time, nor am I in a hotel room, but this random single I got at Irving Wines and Spirits is appropriate enough for tonight. It's from Evil Twin, and is a 12.00%  ABV imperial stout made with marshmallow, coconut, vanilla, and cocoa nibs. It's sweet, definitely strong on vanilla. I can get some marshmallow in there, not much coconut. It lacks any barrel-agee notes, which I guess might be expected, but is notable given the overall format and ingredients.

A big beer - something I'd expect to have sitting on a rooftop somewhere in Chelsea, closing out the Christmas season. 

Elder Pine Brewing & Blending Co. - "Gjærkauk" Norwegian smoked amber

I visited Irving Wines & Spirits recently on my daily walk, and the owner Jesse was in the middle of receiving some new stock of beer. I immediately recoginzed the black and gold cans as beer from Elder Pine Brewing & Blending Co.  out of Gaithersburg, MD. Aside from their cool can art, they're known for Nordic-influenced beer styles and hops. 

Always one for checking out some new fresh drops, I inquired about it. One of the four-packs on the counter was "Gjærkauk", a 7.20% smoked amber ale aged in bourbon barrels for a full year. Nice! I'm a big fan of smoked beers (and even visited the ancestral home of smokebeer in Germany back in May) so I had to pick it up. One more thing about this - it was canned the day before. Less than 24 hours old, this literally some of the freshest beer you can possibly get. Sold. 

Deep amber in the glass, and generates a heavy layer of roasted and smoky notes: tracks for a smoked amber ale. No surprises here!

Where I AM surprised about is the flavor - it's not smoky at all, but sweet. There are some roasted notes there, but it lacks any true smoke flavor. Instead, there's a bready sweetness, something I'd expect more from a Belgian dubbel than a smoked amber ale. It's quite sticky, too, with lots of lacing on the glass. 

A nice fall beverage! Super fresh, a little sweet, and a nice weight - great for fans of lighter "dark" beers, if that makes sense. Fun fact about the name: in Norwegian, it means "yeast scream", referring to a tradition of Nordic brewers screaming various magic phrases / complaints into the yeast. You can read more about this here. 

Blue Duck Tavern's Fall Menu - A Must-Try!

Anyone familiar with DC's West End restauarant scene knows the Blue Duck Tavern - the airy and warm restaurant located inside the Park Hyatt on 24th St, NW. It's been on the scene for quite some time, and features a lot of farm-to-table offerings with a focus on local, sustainable producers. Recently, I had the opportunity to visit for an exquisite chef's table exposition, led by Chef Andrew Cleverdon and supported by the fantastic front-of-house team. 

While I could write for paragraps about the presentation, flavors, and intense thought that goes into each dish, I'm going to focus on two of their cocktails served prior to dinner (OK, I'll talk a *little* about the food at the end.) But I want to focus on the cocktails, devised by head bartender Alyssa Steptoe, who was on hand to introduce each libation. 

"Rum Bunny"

The Rum Bunny was the first cocktail we tried, and it's quite visually striking. The base spirit here ius apple-infused Parrot Bay rum mixed with Gosling's Black Seal rum. I'm a big fan of Gosling's as a mixer so that was good to see. The cocktail's appearance has murkiness reminiscent of mulled cider. Very autumnal.

What's interesting here is the adjuncts: house-made carrot shrub, carrot-ginger syrup, lemon juice, and a salt solution, garnished with a cayenne salt rim and a spiralized heirloom carrot garnish. As per usual with Blue Duck Tavern, most of these ingredients are crafted in-house. When working with adjuncts, especially syrups and cocktail vinegars, a delicate balance needs to be struck to ensure the cocktail doesn't become "top-heavy." Here, the rum is quite subtle, and this cocktail is remarkably balanced. The carrot garnish made it a little difficult to drink, which has a silver lining that it forces the drinker to take small sips and savor. It's not particularly vegetal, which is suprising and good!

This is what I call a "first cocktail" — a complex cocktail best enjoyed as your first of the night. 

"West End Sour"

Named for the neighborhood of DC in which Blue Duck Tavern is located, their "West End Sour" is a take on a New York Sour and the second cocktail we were served. Traditionally a sweet, short drink consisting of whiskey, a sweetener (usually simple syrup) and lemon juice, BDT's version uses yuzu, plum, and cinnamon to give it an autumnal spin. That garnet red color? Port wine, to serve as a stand-in for simple syrup. 

It's a bit sweeter than I was expecting, likely due to the addition of Port. Fortified wines are fun to use as adjuncts in cocktails, so I'm glad to see that (ask me about the use of sherry or Madeira, too!) 

The addition of yuzu, an East Asian citrus fruit, adds to the levity without fighting with the other ingredients. It's a good choice for guests who are looking for a heavier, sweeter, after-dinner cocktail. I wouldn't recommend having this with dinner. 

If you're not a fan of rum or whiskey, their fall menu also includes cocktails with clear spirits, such as a vodka/Combier/cranberry highball; and Earl Grey-based mix of gin, sparkling wine, and Licor 43 (if you haven't tried this, please do so immediately); and the cleverly-named "Tulum It May Concern", an agave-heavy combination of tequila, mezcal, pineapple, jalapeno, lime, and spiced honey. And of course they have a zero-proof option. 

And the food? Amazing. Chef Cleverdon brought out a wide sample of culinary magic, to include marrow bones, perfectly salted and savory; a whole roast duck, aged for hours and hours to make the skin crispy and the meat melt-in-your-mouth; oysters, greens, roast vegetables, and a savory sauce perfect for spooning. After a dozen passed dishes, we were served dessert - a carrot cake topped with light and soft frosting. 

Blue Duck Tavern is a fanastic spot for cocktails, date night, or a special occasion. This was my first time, and I'll certainly be back.