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Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/92599
Georgetown shoppers—all of whom are his clientele—and when to tune out. Sylvestre has developed a deep list of classics, balanced with house creations. He muddles fresh mint in his palm, with a hand smack to maximize the flavor in mojitos. He forms ice spheres. "My style of mixing drinks focuses on mechanics," Sylvestre says. "Whatever I do is for the drink, not for the attention." That's a shared attitude. "We study each other's cocktail lists," says bar master Jeff Faile, a self-described nerd, who has just added a page of negronis and another of amari to his list at Fiola. The Italian restaurant is also home to a great international wine cellar, where Barolo can be had by the glass. "We're not trying to steal each other's customers. We're all friends," Faile says of the DC bar community. Most are DC Craft Bartenders Guild members. Success has come to the industry, he and others believe, because professionals as a group have embraced the best of cocktail culture heritage and have a desire to enlighten others. That and the work hard, play hard ethic of DC. by a lingering bad economy, young professionals became majors drivers in neighborhood rejuvenation and new commerce, including the bar scene. Brian Collins, supervisor of the sprawling Bar Dupont in the Dupont Circle Hotel, says that he serves "way more neighborhood regulars than hotel guests." As such, the bar is "one of the A VIBRANT BAR SCENE In a city far less scathed than others Top, the interior of Spanish-influenced Estadio. At left, Estadio's Slushito, made with strawberry syrup, Plymouth gin, Campari and lime juice. Directly above, Estadio's Gin & Tonic features a house-made orange, thyme and bay leaf tonic. highest revenue producers for the whole property—more than the catering department." That's even with $6 Happy Hour craft cocktails and the general trend toward early closing hours on work nights. Collins also follows the farm- to-table movement, styling cocktails on Sundays with whatever is fresh from the corner farmers' market. Poste, situated at the Hotel Monaco in the spacious courtyard of an historic Penn Quarter post-office building, offers a menu that approaches organic. Herbs, www.cheersonline.com vegetables, fruit and berries are plucked from the house garden. "Talking points for servers are garden-fresh (thyme, mint, basil, chilies, etc.), organic and handcrafted," says restaurant manager Katie Miller. Weekend brunches at Poste feature a build-your-own Bloody Mary spread: Customers start with a shot and ice scoop from the bar, then add their own house-made mixers (mild to spicy), and house-pickled garnishes. Kimpton Hotels's long-running evening wine program has recently expanded at the Hotel Monaco to include cocktail samples and crafting demonstrations in the lobby. NAME YOUR PREFERENCE Distinctive drink programs all over have evolved from proprietary choices, staff personality and strengths, and sometimes from history and tradition. Name a preference, there's a bar. Looking for flights of Madeiras? Visit Quill at the Jefferson Hotel, with the nostalgic NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 | 19 \STACY ZARIN GOLDBERG