Classy Boozin’ @ Cocktail Week

May 16, 2008 by Cale  Send to a Friend

As everyone knows, I love me some tasty girly drinks with umbrellas and fruit wedges. So I was more than thrilled that our buddy Alex Nicholson sent us this in depth report. Next year we’ll get some photogs to the event. -cale

On Monday night Proof became the site of the official DC celebration of World Cocktail Week (May 8 – May 13) and a benefit for the Museum of the American Cocktail.

From the press release, World Cocktail Week is an annual event to celebrate the anniversary of the first known instance where “cocktail” was defined in print, which took place on May 13, 1806, in the New York newspaper “The Balance.” The Museum of the American Cocktail is a nonprofit organization providing education in mixology and preserving the rich history of the American cocktail. This event benefited the museum’s permanent exhibit, scheduled to open July 21st at the Southern Food & Beverage Museum in the Riverwalk Marketplace Mall in New Orleans, LA. (http://proofdc.com/news.html)

The night was all about the cocktail and the fine people that make them for us. Call them bartenders, mixologists or bar chefs, these are the people that make our nights more pleasant, our friends funnier, strangers more attractive and the days a little heavier. The talent of the night included Adam Bernbach/Bar Pilar, Derek Brown/Komi, Tom Brown/Cork, Gina Chersevani/EatBar, Justin Guthrie/Central Michel Richard, John Hogan/Hudson Lounge, Todd Thrasher/Restaurant Eve/PX/Majestic, Chantal Tseng/Tabard Inn, Rico Wisnor/Poste Brasserie and Sebastian Zutant of Proof.

The evening had a cocktail hour which featured five specialty drinks and three passed hors d’oeuvres. Following that was a five-course tasting menu by Proof’s Executive Chef Haidar Karoum, paired with another five custom cocktails. Yes, 10 cocktails. In one night. With free valet service. Some ideas are better than others.

As the crowd started to fill in people eagerly grabbed drinks and got started. My first cocktail was Adam Bernbach’s “PaRappa the Rapper Punch,” a mix of Tommy Bahama Gold Rum, strawberry, Szechuan pepper and tonka bean syrup, lime juice, tarragon and strawberry puree and Paychaud Bitters. As punch goes, this was a damn good punch. All sweet and sour with the appropriate jungle juice pink color. But Chantal Tseng’s “Zenzero Aperitivo” was beckoning. A beautiful sparkling wine cocktail with Gravella Lemoncello, Absinthe, ginger syrup and a spun sugar nest flecked with pieces of ginger. This drink was amazing and on a few occasions I found myself jamming my fingers into the champagne flute so I could grab more candied ginger. I won’t lie, I had two. Total cocktail count: Three.

Then across the room I heard the kind of screaming that can only come from a very happy woman, and sure enough saw a group of older women slurping away on a shockingly bright green drink. I was on my way and may have pushed someone into a table. Not one to wait I just grabbed the drinks that Justin Guthrie had finished making. Called the “Tarragon Gin Fizz,” it was Hendrick’s Gin infused with tarragon, lemon juice and Natakhtari tarragon soda. This would remain a favorite drink of the night and was a wonderful mix of sweetness, herbs and effervescence.

Since I was already drinking green things I switched to Rico Wisner’s “Puffin du Velay” with Reyka Vidka, fresh sour mix with agave syrup, Vervaine du Velay and sparline wine. Still herbal, but a little more astringent, this drink was pleasant but had a leaf which kept getting caught in my mouth. I’d then put it back in the drink, only to have it get stuck on my lip again. At this point I was handed “Lady Randolph’s Revenge” by John Hogan. Woodford Reserve Bourbon, homemade bing cherry and Madagascar vanilla vermouth, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, Fee Brothers Whisky barrel aged aromatic bitters and maraschino espuma. I had a sip, tasty but I couldn’t do it. Drink count: Five.

Thankfully at this point it was time to sit down. We got placed next to a very amusing group of people which included a government contractor who brought me cell phone photos of the semi-pornographic men’s room walls and on occasion would shout out “Hannah Montana!” It’s good we liked our neighbors because the meal went on for three hours.

First course was a chilled seafood and hearts of palm cocktail paired with Todd Thrasher’s “The Dr. Who” which was made from Machu Pisco, celery and jicama soda and homemade celery bitters. Apparently there was a man in the show Dr. Who that kept celery in his front pocket. While the pairing was appropriate, sometimes celery is just fine as celery. I do hate to blaspheme the legend surrounding Todd Thrasher, and I hope my criticism never bars me from getting into PX again, but well – celery. The seafood cocktail on the other hand was remarkable, filled with chunks of white fish, whole mussels, avocado and hearts of palm. I could eat that every day. Drink count: Six and hoping for a bread basket.

Second course: Sake glazed salmon with pickled honshimenji mushrooms and grilled local asparagus paired with Derek Brown’s “Hibiscus Fizz.” Made with Finlandia Vodka infused with hibiscus, rose hips, orange peel, yuzu and lemon juices and soda, this drink was sheer joy to drink. Happiness in a glass and unlikely to ever be duplicated. Drink count: Seven and I find out two tickets to see Hannah Montana cost $900.

The main course was a fork-tender braised Shenandoah lamb with a spring pea-tarragon risotto ad grilled ramps. The risotto was indulgent and full of crisp fresh carrots, while the ramps were kept very long so they looped over your fork and lent themselves to big gulping bites. This paired with Gina Chersevani’s “Cereza la Fuma” featuring Milagro silver tequila, Lillet Rouge, cherry wood-smoked white pepper meringue, agave nectar, lime juice and fleur de sel. The drink tasted like a pisco sour and a pomegranate margarita and was a pleaser. Drink count: Eight and I have started to find myself staring into my empty plate wondering why we hadn’t been given any bread.

At this point Sebastian Zutant introduces his drink and I think to myself that he looks an awful lot like Michael Cera. His drink is the “Medicine Man (a.k.a. Sebby Potter and the Teeming Cauldron of Booze” and is a delicious but un-Godly mix of Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Blandy’s Madeira, Lillet Rouge, Lustau East India Sherry, Fee Brothers Whisky barrel-aged aromatic bitters with Armagnac and port-soaked prunes. At this point I am starting to lose my sense of taste and am glad for the exceptionally strong cheese plate that comes with bread (yes!) and honey. Drink count: Nine and it’s not gotten much easier.

I was relieved to see dessert, if only it meant I could leave and climb under a blanket very soon after. My tongue at this point is starting to hurt a little and my words feel very thick. A strawberry and pink peppercorn shortcake with crème fraiche and honey lavender ice cream gets dropped alongside Tom Brown’s “Truffled Amaro Flip” with Korbel Brandy, Ramazotti Amaro, egg whites, lemon juice, truffle oil and Jerry Thomas Decanter Bitters. A flip requires a ton of shaking, so Brown got all the mixologists in on the action. While almost 10 of the top bar staff did their best Japanese Hard Shake the crowd went crazy taking photos and I heard someone shout “Shake monkey! Shake!” I don’t even remember this drink, but I know that my tongue started to blister and the lavender in the ice cream made it burn even more. I became paranoid that I had finally and permanently damaged my sense of taste, so of course kept tasting what was left of my drink. It was clearly time to leave and grab my gift bag: Drink count: 10 and a few mini bottles of gin stashed away for later. While World Cocktail Week isn’t a well-known holiday yet, give it some time and it’ll be right up there with all those excellent occasions to drink with your friends. Go ahead and mark your calendars for next year when the even returns to D.C. and in the meantime, visit any of the above mentioned mixologists and get them to make you a little something different. Not that you aren’t already on a first name basis.

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