SCENE By Margaret Shakespeare Cocktailing in the Capital A look at Washington, D.C.'s thriving drink culture W
elections are over, let the spotlight linger. Not on statues of statesmen, but on the city's neighborhoods and places DC insiders know—on the not-so-well-kept secret that Washington (you know how secrets go in this city) has become one of the best destination bar towns in the country.
ith its bold mix of power, politics and deal-making, symbolic domes and mighty façades of government, Washington, D.C., grabs national attention every four years when elections roll around. But now that
ballots, but mixologists Derek Brown, Gina Chersevani and Adam Bernbach, all nationally recognized. They lead the craft cocktail field —each with his or her own style and following. Derek Brown and his brother Tom
Their names haven't appeared on any
opened The Passenger, a favorite industry hangout, in late 2009. Derek a few months later installed the 16-seat Columbia Room within, a romantic setting for serving up drinks and cocktail history that has become a perennial on best U.S. bar round-ups. When chef/owner Jamie Leeds opened
a Hank's Oyster Bar location on Capital Hill a few months ago, she tapped Gina Chersevani to run the gleaming white Eddy Bar there. Chersevani had already made her name
elsewhere with drinks inspired by a fertile imagination (cotton candy garnishes) and daring combinations of flavors and textures. She thinks like a chemist and works with a butcher's precision, hand- cutting and hand-shaving ice. Bernbach, who manages bars at
Proof—an eclectic restaurant popular for the depth of its wine list—and the Spanish-influenced Estadio, mixes and matches with food in mind. "This is a great culinary town—and cocktails are the crossover," he says, having concocted Estadio's slushitos, fruity, spirits-infused slushees, and flavor-doused gintonics.
BAR STARS WORK TOGETHER "Derek, Gina, Adam have kept it
The Velvet Pith at DC's Bourbon Steak.
core," with appreciation for the bar community and the way it has developed professionally, says Duane Sylvestre, head bartender at Bourbon Steak. "We all work together, follow each other and share information," he says. Sylvestre is the classic bartender,
knowing when to chat with the lobbyists, politicians, foreign dignitaries and
18 | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 www.cheersonline.com
