SCENE
By Kelly A. Magyarics
Hogo's Volcano Bowl
mixes several rums with
citrus and maple syrup.
Hogo Takes on Tiki 2.0
T
om Brown's new D.C. bar is an authentic ode to Tiki. So don't expect to
see ticky-tacky kitsch in the form of thatched roofs or bamboo torches
when you vist Hogo.
Guests arriving at the bar are greeted by a mural of Bill Murray's title character
in the 2004 movie The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, painted by local artist
Bobby Moore on Hogo's exterior. Inside, rum fans sip cocktails and sharable—or
not—punch bowls amid walls adorned with a zombie Elvis tapestry and the hood
of a 1939 Pontiac painted with a topless mermaid.
"Hogo was inspired by the design philosophy of the original Tiki bars—found
art, the sense of the exotic, and rum," says Brown. Tiki Tuesdays at The Passenger,
the nearby bar that Brown owns with his younger brother Derek, inspired him
to launch an offbeat, laid-back den for those who share his propensity for the
sugar-based spirit.
RUM FUN
The word "hogo" stems from the French term for high taste, "haut-goût," but it's
also often used in the Caribbean to characterize that funky, hard-to-describe flavor
so common in traditionally aged rums.
Brown is an obsessive rum fanatic, and Hogo offers more than 75 options,
from vegetal rhum agricole to spicy and earthy blackstrap rums. He also stocks
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plenty of bottles of what he deems as
other great, unheralded spirits—tequila,
mezcal and pisco.
The bar's signature drink is Tom's Rum
Punch ($9), with El Dorado white rum,
Cruzan Blackstrap rum, Domaine de
Canton ginger liqueur, velvet falernum,
lime and nutmeg. Brown's smoky
twist on a classic Tiki tipple, the Bahía
Ahumada ($11), replaces lightly aged rum
for Fidencio mezcal, along with cream of
coconut and pineapple.
Hogo is also part of a project called
Temporary Works, which strives to
bring more late-night dining options to
the District. Rotating chefs from D.C.
and other markets have the opportunity
to serve up their twists on bar food in a
Temporary Works diner-style kitchen
located in the back of Hogo.
www.cheersonline.com
ELIZABETH PARK PHOTOGRAPHIE
DC's new laid-back, rum-centric lounge
