Lost Generation Brewing Co. - "Ask The Dead" imperial stout

I was doing some spring summer cleaning and found this bottle in the back of my closet - I mean, I knew it was there but since it was my birthday I figured it was as good of a day as any to try! It's called "Ask the Dead" and is Lost Generation's first anniversary bottle release. It's a 12.00% ABV imperial stout, aged for one full year in Catoctin Creek rye barrels. Lost Gen made two variants: one aged on pecans, and the other using Tahitian and Madagascan vanilla beans. 

Says head brewer and owner Jared Pulliam: "[Both beers were] the same base and were in the same type of barrel, but each beer was in a different rye barrel and thus took on a slightly different flavor, to which we tried to pair with the right adjunct." Mine is the pecan variant, bottle #57. Jared also hand-roasted pounds and pounds of pecans to add to the beer. 

Cracks open nicely, and poured into my new Lost Generation tasting glass.

The aroma is pretty mellow and presents some brown sugar and caramel notes. I agitated it a bit and let it come up to temp.

It's pleasantly light! I'm totally over these huge, sludgy, viscous stouts and fortunately this one doesn't fit that bill. I'm getting the pecans for sure, more of the brown sugar, and some charred wood - the rye barrel is a good choice for this beer. But it's easier drinking than you might expect for something like this.The finish is...fresh and a touch sweet; I found myself smacking my lips. The sugar / sweetness comes through at the end for sure. 

The texture and consistency is lighter than it certainly could be, and I personally appreciate it. It's only been cellaring for a couple of years, so I'm not worried that the levity is a function of overaging. I think it's just how the beer was made. Lost Gen makes mostly lighter beers, so it's fun to see something on the darker end - I hope they do more such barrel aging down the road.  

And in line with all the other cool beer names, the source of "Ask the Dead" is from Hemingway's For Whom The Bell Tolls: 

“Never think that war, no matter how necessary nor how justified, is not a crime. Ask the infantry and ask the dead.” 

Never send for whom the beer ages - it ages for thee!

Biere du Pays Nicois - "Socca Biera"

Right now I'm in Nice, France, on holiday and taking advantage of the more casual culture of enjoying wine and beer as complements to food. Today I'm enjoying socca, a traditional Nicoise fried snack of chickpea flour, olive oil, and spices. I paired it with "Socca Biera", one of the few French IPAs that I've seen on offer. It's pretty light, with some hop notes but more on the crisper side. Very little pineiness and defintiely not juicy. I feel like a lot of European craft beers follow the same sort of format, adopting Belgian or German styles with a little twist. I'm not complaining at all, this was super tasty - just an observation. It went well with the socca and the view was great, too. 

Lastest Cocktail Creation: "Susanita" (mezcal, Aperol, and Suze)

My latest backyard cocktail creation: "Susanita", a mix of mezcal, Italian red bitter, gentian liqueur, juice, and ice. Here's the recipe:

• 1oz mezcal (I used Rompe Corazon)
• 1oz Aperol
• 1oz Suze 
• 0.5oz papaya nectar 

Add all ingredients in a shaker with ice, shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass with a big ice cube. 

Then - I added my wooden cocktail smoker and smoked the cocktail using post oak chips. This isn't a necessary step but wanted to play around with the smoked idea, since I was using mezcal. 

Be warned: the papaya nectar (or if you choose another fruit juice) can make this very sweet, so no need to add simple syrup. Furthermore, you can even reduce the papaya to 0.25oz. Also, other possibilities include swapping the mezcal for tequila or swapping the Suze for an amaro.

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. 

Other Half / Monkish Brewing - "JFK 2 LAX" triple IPA

I've been seeing a lot of Other Half stuff lately, and at the risk of covering yet another, I figured I'd spotlight this as it's not something I've seen before. This 10.20% ABV triple IPA is a collaboration between Monkish Brewing out of Torrance, CA. It's made with a smorgasbord of hops: Citra, Simoce, Moteuka, Citra Cryo, Simcoe Cryo, Citra Incognito, and Motueka Hop Keif. What's interesting is that it's listed as having a "High Density Hop Charge," which isn't something I've seen before. In researching it, it looks like it was actually coined at Other Half to differentiate this process from double-dry hopping. 

This approach uses hop pellets (which are often used in brewing, vice traditional hop flowers) and cryo hops, a type of concentrated hop pellet. Other Half then uses Incognito, a hop oil extract, to deeply saturate the mixture during brewing. So using the three different formats of hops - not to mention several species within - definitely lives up to the moniker "high-density hop saturation." Let's look inside.

Cracked open this 16oz can and it pours lazily into my Fremont snifter. It generates a decent aroma, lots of sticky citrus. 

Phew, this is heavy. Quite soft, but full of flavor and a very thick mouthfeel. "Dense" is almost a good word to describe it, almost like drinking tequila mixed with OJ. Not in terms of flavor, but that same "heavy" feeling and texture. There's a wave of super sticky, super resnious hops. And lots of them. It's a little sappy, not super sweet, but delivered in a Mike Tyson punch to the palate. I'm getting mango and clementine. As expected, the flavor really lingers on the palate.

I promise this is the last Other Half I'll review for a while. I was intrigued by the name and wasn't disappointed - fans of super thick East Coast-style IPAs should definitely seek this out. At $26 for 4pk of 16oz cans (at least, that's what it was at Irving Wines and Spirits) it's not cheap, but I think stands out somewhat from the rest of the pack of 3x IPAs, what limited "pack" there is of that format. 

Ragged Branch Distillery - Special Barrel Pick for the Four Seasons in Georgetown!

Recently I attended a very fun wine event at Bourbon Steak, the restaurant in the Four Seasons in Georgetown. Aside from the delicious vino and charcuterie, I was given a behind-the-scenes look at a special whiskey only found at the Four Seasons: a special barrel pick from Charlottesville, VA-based Ragged Branch Distillery. 

This distillery, located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, was helped along by the late Davd Pickerell, the genuis behind some great distilleries I've visited: J. Reiger & Co. in Kansas City; the revival of the distillery at George Washington's Mount Vernon estate; and Virginia's Copper Fox...to name a few. We used to sell a good number of Ragged Branch products at D'Vines, including their blue label bottled-in-bond which was *super good.* So naturally, when I had the chance to try Bourbon Steak's new offering, I jumped. 

The limited-edition bottle is twice-barreled and double oaked, using charred American white oak, individually labelled and numbered: bottle #106, batch #2305. It's wheated, so a bit divergent from most bourbon that is made usually from corn. What's also different here is that this bourbon is cask strength - 126.56pf, or 63.28% ABV. 

That's a lot, if you can't tell. 

I tried it two ways - neat, initially, and then with a few drops cold water to open up the spirit. Cask strength whiskies are normally diluted down to "regular" strength (40% ABV, usually) so the process of diluting cask-strength spirits at the bar is a normal one. 

On the nose: as expected, LOTS of alcohol esters, strong oak, and...raisins. Interesting. 

On the palate: definitely wood forward, toothy wheat - like the sheaf, not the germ. Alcohol rounds out the  Of note: no leather or tobacco. No corn, just wheat all day and lots of flavor from the oak. 

Diluted: much softer (as expected) and the wheat becomes a bit sweeter. It loses its bite and although it's a bit easier to sip, I feel that it loses some important flavor notes. 

Finish and aftertaste: Alcohol, oak, raisins, and some lingering soft wheat. 

Verdict: Really good. I don't rate things or assign number scores, but as a high-octane whiskey, I'd definitely enjoy this neat and recommend it for fans of strong American whiskies. The mash bill isn't unusual and really shines through without the need for ice or water. 

Bonus - I had one of the house specialty cocktails, "Yo, You Got Beef ?", comprised of Wagyu fat-washed bourbon (using Washington State's Woodinville Distillery), Cocchi di Torino vermouth, house-made spiced orange bitters, and topped with a dried orange slice...then smoked.  

Fat-washing essentially blends lipids (here, fat from Wagyu beef) into some other substance and then the whole thing is frozen, the fat scraped off, and the other liquid retained, which keeps the flavor of the fat. In this cocktail, it imparts a refined, full-on savory flavor, pairing nicely with the wood-smoking. The vermouth is present but not overwhelming and the spice of the bitters provides a refreshing snappiness on the tongue.

Do yourself a favor and check out Bourbon Steak - it's well worth a visit for both the bourbon and the mixed drinks!

Kings County Brewer's Collective - "Demon Dragon" pilsner

I saw this single 16oz can at Each Peach Market in Mt. Pleasant, DC, and figured I'd give it a shot. It's a 5.20% ABV "Slovenian style" pilsner from Brooklyn's Kings County Brewer's Collective. That's kinda ironic since I'll be in Brooklyn this weekend! 

The label art is cool, and reminds me a lot of what Adroit Theory puts out. I will say that demon dragons, which I presume to be formidable and fierce creatures, aren't what I picture when I think of a pilsner. 

What's under the hood: malted barley, water, and a bunch of hops I don't recognize: Styrian Dragon, Bobek, and Savinjski Golding hops. Seems neat, I'm curious to dive in. 

Flavor wise, it's an interesting twist as it's a bit sweeter, and a bit heavier, than the pilsners I'm used to. It's not crisp and dry like an Italian pils, nor is it attenuated and thin like an American one. It's sort of like a light golden ale. The barley comes through pretty well and gives the beer a good structure and nice body. For me, this is more of a late summer / early fall beer, but I still enjoyed it. 

Rakia - A Look into Balkan Brandy (with Ambar Restaurant!)

One fun thing about today's cocktail culture is that consumers are exposed to new spirits and styles they may not be familiar with. Sure, one can walk up and down the aisles of Total Wine or some other place and see all sorts of unfamiliar liquids, labels emblazoned with words in foreign languages. But how many of us will buy a bottle off the wall without trying it first? Well, I will, but most of us won't. 

So this is where restaurants come in, and many places that feature world cuisine are realizing there's a curiosity on the part of consumers when it comes to indigenous spirits. Onesuch "newcomer" to the wider American scene is rakia:

Rakia is a fruit brandy common in the Balkans, usually made from plums, which have a high yield and are pretty easy to grow. Because of influence of the Balkan neighbors like Austria, Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire, rakia is also made form apricots, grapes, cherries, and quince. Pretty much any fruit can be used, but those are the most common ones. Wash the fruit, pop it in a barrel and add sugar, and let it sit. If you've tried ouzo, Metaxa, Sambuca, grappa, or even Mastiha, you're in the right neighborhood in terms of texture and presentation. Typically, it's taken neat, like schnapps, and served chilled or room-temp. 

If you've never heard of this, I can't blame you - it's not a common spirit here in the US...yet. Recently, I sat down virtually with Uros Jojic, director of operations for Ambar restaurant, to give us a glimpse into rakia and it's cultural connection to the Balkans. 

Let's start at the beginning: rakia started, and continues, as a folk beverage. “Traditionally, everyone was making their own [rakia]. Many people produced in the home, as there were few factories." Any farm or household would have the simple equipment. 

"At the end of September, after harvest when the farm work is mostly done, [people] would take some of late season fruits that are ripe and maybe starting to ferment on their own...and then distill them." So this ad-hoc distilling, essentially using "waste" fruits (not to say the fruit is bad, but maybe just leftover), was a great way to make some low-proof hooch easily. But it's not just for getting a buzz - it's part of the culture. 

"Rakia is part of the social glue in the Balkans," says Uros. "Every house has some on hand, and you'd offer rakia to guests even before water." Friends would get together over a glass or four of rakia, it would be served at lunchtime, or even in the early morning. Some households that make their own may have rakia aged in wooden barrels up to 25 years, saved or the most special occasions like big social gatherings, toasting weddings, and celebrating births.

Rakia isn't moonshine and it's not some bathtub gin. Much like the US has experienced a craft distilling boom in the last decade, there are now distilleries in the Balkans region making high-quality, farm-to-table rakia. Investments in improving distilling processes, sanitation equipment like autoclaves, and scientific controls give distillers in the Balkans the ability to make high-quality rakia for export. 

Speaking of - Ambar has around 30 types, if you're curious. There are plenty of "white" or clear rakia, but for those who like their rakia a bit sweeter, there are also variants dosed with cherry syrup. Ambar has a plum-based rakia that’s infused with honey, which they serve for dessert. Uros recommends sweeter rakia at the end of the meal, and the more bracing stuff before to open one's appetite before the meal.

Since cocktails are a great way to introduce US audiences to different spirits, the mixologists at Ambar are whipping up some rakia cocktails as well. Personally, I think the sweeter variants could replace liqueurs like St. Germain or any brandy in a cocktail (as opposed to, say, replacing vodka with rakia) but many rakia are nice enough to take center stage. Although mixing rakia with other stuff is not traditional, there's still room for out-of-the-box thinking. 

One more thing, about one of my favorite accessories - glassware. Rakia is traditionally served in narrow glassware with a metal top. Uros notes you can use a grappa glass for the finer stuff, but the narrow glasses originally served to limit the offensive aromas coming out. Fortunately, that's changing, so grab your favorite glass and try some rakia. 

 

Caves Bernard Massard - Luxembourgish white wine!

 After a lengthy stay in Paris in May, I took a train southeast to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It's a tiny country, just under a thousand square miles with less than 700,000 people...significantly smaller in population than Delaware and well under half Delaware's size. I visited the largest city, Luxembourg City, which is the home to the Parliament and the Grand Duke's palace. 

I joined a small group of folks to do a three-hour walking tour of the city, which included some samples of Luxembourgish wine. And since alcohol laws in Europe are not as Puritanical as in America, we could enjoy our refreshments outside on the main square without fear of the gendarmerie taking issue. 

The stuff we tried was Caves Bernard Massard, an estate located in Grevenmacher on the banks of the Mosel (Moselle) River. Calcium-rich clay soil and steep vineyards provide good sun and make spectacular white wines - like today's a Brut selection made of Chardonnay, Pinot blanc, and Pinot noir. I absolutely adore Pinot Blanc, as both a single varietal and in a mix, so I enjoyed this quite a bit. Refreshing, lightly acidic, and full of crisp and clean pear flavors. Very refreshing and perfect for a walkabout in an ancient European city!

Wine Tasting at Archibon - A True French Wine Experience!

Despite knowing a lot about wine, there's always more to learn and more to experience, so I booked a two-hour wine tasting event through AirBnB during my time in Paris. After walking from the 11th Arr. all the way to Sacre Coeur and through Montmartre, it was time for wine. 

Rue de Rougement

The event was held at a wine bar called "Archibon", owned by an ex-financier named Henri. The shop is located on Rue de Rougement, and of decent size, with wine crates lining one side and a series of small tables along the other. Like many of these AirBnB experiences, I was paired up with a motley group of other tourists, most of whom were American. 

After some explanation of French wine regions and a discussion about tasting notes, we dove into our spread. Along with bread, Henri served us five wines paired with five cheeses. The cheeses were:

• Saint-Félicien - soft white cheese made in the Rhone valley
• Ossau-Irraty -  cheese made of sheep's milk in the Pyrenees 
• Cantal - uncooked firm cheese produced in the Auvergne region
• Fourme d'Ambert - blue cheese from central France
• Truffled brie - made 50 kilometers east of Paris.

Henri says that these "classics" would likely be found at any Parisian cheese shop, such as those on the Rue de Bretagne in the Marais (not far from where I stay in the 10th near Jacques Bonsergeant), Rue Poncelet in the 17th Arr., by the Eiffel Tower, and of course those in Montmartre. 

I've loved French cheese for decades, thanks to my high school science teacher Mr. Sturgeon, who introduced me to "Say Cheese II", a now-defunct cheese shop on Farmington Avenue in West Hartford, CT. 

Onto the wine! We had the following in succession, with notes from Henri:

•  Sauvignon blanc from the Loire valley (Menetou-Salon) - a mix of lime / citrus / grapefruit, pear / peach / green apple and a bit of chalk 
• Chardonnay from Burgundy (Vezelay) - red apple / quince / honey, smoke / nuts and butter
• Gamay from Beaujolais (Cote de Brouilly) - red berries, floral - light-bodied 
• Pinot noir from Burgundy (Bourgogne Côte d'Or) - berries, plum / prune, smoke, pepper - medium-bodied 
• Syrah/Grenache blend from Vinsobres- this one reflects the common marriage between syrah and grenache: dark berries, prune, chocolate, medium-roast coffee.
• Cabernet / merlot blend from Bordeaux (Médoc - left bank) - oak / pepper, earthy flavors, currant / blueberry

A big part of the wine tasting was also the conversation - the group discussing their travels, their tasting notes, and how they enjoyed Paris. Really a perfect backdrop to a nice afternoon out, and next time I'm in Paris, I'll definitely be back to Archibon. You can find all the wines we tasted there, at 13 Rue Rougemont Paris, Île-de-France 75009.

                    

Brasserie Goudale - Biere Blonde a l'Ancienne // Gallia Paris - Champ Libre

Here's a French beer double feature! Thanks for Franprix, a local grocery store, for the singles of beer. I saw these while picking up my goodies (charcuterie, baguette, and cheese) for dinner. Always a sucker for beers I've never tried, I grabbed it for the princely sum of 6 euros for both.

First up is a 7.20% ABV Biere Blonde from Brasserie Goudale. I'm digging the 16oz format. It pours clear amber in the glass and generates a puffy white head. It's a little sweeter than expected, with some Belgian farmhouse spices mixed in with a traditional amber ale. It's also lighter in body than most amber ales are, which is nice for warmer weather.

Gallia: this is definitely closer to a Belgian white beer than a German-style amber. Hazy, with notes of clove and banana. Also medium-light in body, and less bready than the Goudale. There's more hops here for sure - a nice counter to the meat and cheeses I'm having. 

It was nice to have these singles and to try French craft beer - I imagine most are of these styles but it would be neat to see if there are any Euro craft cellars doing IPAs or hoppy beers. 

Beer flight in Amsterdam!

Well, I'm in Amsterdam. For those unaware, I've decided to spend about 18 days on vacation in Europe, hopping from one locale to the other and trying the local libations (among, you know, checking out places of historical, intellectual, and artistic import.) I'll be in Paris next, then Luxembourg, then German, then Lisbon, and finally (very briefly) through Casablanca, Morocco before heading back stateside. Watch this space for snapshots of my journey, and follow my Instagram @baconesque for more. 

After a morning spent at the Rijksmuseum, I headed south through the Museum Quarter for about a half-mile to Gollem's Proeflocall, a cafe on Overtoom street. I found some good reviews online for it, and they feature a broad spectrum of Euro craft brews, so why not?

The service staff was super friendly and very helpful - my server also studied for a semester at University of Maryland and knew some DC places I've been to, which was cool. The way beer flights work here is to pick one or two you are interested in, and then leave it to the staff to choose the others. You can also get cheese pairings with the beer, which I did not do (but maybe should have.) On the menu, I noticed Jopen's "Chai-ai-ai", a chai-spiced farmhouse ale, so chose that one along with Bacchus' traditional kriek. The other two, which happened to be the first two I served, were a surprise:

A "gelato ice cream" beer, in green, with a surprisingly-thin texture. Most ice cream beers are made with lactose, and thus creamy to replicate texture, but this one was thin and soft. I didn't catch the maker or ABV as it was chosen for me. But it was probably around 6.00%. 

and Maibock: malty, slightly sweet, and refreshing. Since it's May, it's a perfect outdoor beer (Maibock is "Mai", the month + "bock", the style.)

And the final two - a tart and sour kriek from Bacchus, a traditional style using cherries. I've had high-ABV beers like this before and it's nice to have one that's a little tamer (after all, it's the early afternoon!) And the "Chai-ai-ai"...that is an apt name because this thing is *loaded* with chai flavors, projecting a strong spice drawer aroma even a foot or so away. Seriously. The flavor delivers, as well, with tons of baking spices, chai, and full malt flavors with a surprisingly-snappy finish. Like the gelato beer, this is surprising as the texture is unusual given the style and flavors. Brewers tend to stick with a certain texture or style for certain flavors, and when they diverge, it's neat. 

According to my server, an Irish tourist recently visited Gollem's and chugged the chai beers, one after another. I do not advise this! It's a sipping beer, for sure, just like the gelato and the kriek. 

On the the next one! I'm a few days behind in posting since I'm so busy but I will get to it. 

     

Conrad DC's SUMMIT - rooftop season in Washington! And a goji berry cocktail

I love a good rooftop bar, and in a city like DC, it's even more impressive. With the height of buildings limited by an act of Congress, anyone finding themselves enjoying a libation atop a building will likely have a view of monuments or famous places. I recently had the chance to visit Summit, the expansive rooftop deck of the Conrad Hotel in City Center. 

First of all, it's got a great view. It seems most rooftops I've been to are part of hotels, which makes sense. The Conrad's is not readily accessible to folks off the street - to get there, you need to into the hotel, go up some elevators, exit, turn left then right then go straight, then go left again, go up *more* elevators, and then go right and you're there. Yeah. This is kind of fun since it cuts down on the amount of people that actually make it up there. Of course, this hotel is popular with trade associations and other corporate groups, so you'll find lots of those folks up there.

The Conrad's rooftop is one of the largest I think I've been to - there's space up here for probably 200 people. It's sort of U-shaped, with the bar at the nadir of the 'U'. Low couches with huge umbrellas are punctuated by raised planters, creating some natural dividers for privacy. There are seats at the bar and a few high-tops around the perimeter of the space. I chose a high-top, which gave me a nice view of Franklin Square and straight up 10th St NW up to Silver Spring. 

For beverages, I chose their "New Perspective", which consists of vodka, goji berry syrup, cranberry, lemon, and ginger ale. Stirred, I presume, and served over ice:

It's not super boozy, which I like actually in this setting. I feel like for some vodka drinks, the tendency is to overload it with booze but that's not the case here. The goji berry is the real star here, giving the drink a dash of tartness which, combined with ginger ale, makes it snappy and fresh. It's garnished with a fresh flower, which I did not eat but oftentimes they are edible. 

For vodka, they use Wheatley, which is a Buffalo Trace product and pretty decent. It's the only name-brand item in this ingredient list. It shouldn't matter, especially for vodka and especially for a drink with as many flavors as this. But it's still a good choice I think. I had their chili-encrusted shrimp as a snack and the spice/citrus pairing complemented the drink well.

Anyways, Summit is a cool spot and worth visiting. Obviously you need nice weather to fully appreciate it but it's worth a go.  I hope to be back at some point soon to try out their other cocktails...likewise, their restaurant Estuary is highly-rated and also on my list. Since for some reason Google decided to delete, irretrievably, my other photos, here's an awkward panorama. You get the gist, though!

The Conrad Hotel, 900 New York Avenue, NW