amanda mcclements

We made it to the home stretch of summer, people! It's steamy, it's stormy, and pretty much all I feel like doing is, well, nothing. So I'd like to offer up some pleasantries to help August pass with a bit more panache. Happy dog days, y'all. Cocchi Aperitivo Americano instructions: Gather friends. Pour over ice with an orange peel and sip. Or add a splash of soda for equal parts heat-beating hydration. Teak petanque set Design Within Reach, $310 instructions: Find a grassy (or sandy) spot. Pour a drink (see No. 1). Challenge your friends to a game of petanque ( keep those feet together! ), and channel the sun-drenched south of France. (This would make a killer host gift, too.) Pleasant Pops instructions: Track down the local pop pushers and go for a cooling flavor like cucumber chile or pineapple basil. And don't mind the drips. It's August. You can't help it. Wicker picnic basket Target, $46.89 instructions: Check out my recs...

Tough job: Gina Chersevani and I slurp down an excellent creation from Alex Bookless of The Passenger as judges for the Corcoran's Artini bash. Photo by Daniel Swartz for Revamp.com Channeling a work of art into a cocktail creation is no easy feat, but 11 DC mixologists made it look quite natural at Saturday night's Artini , the annual party hosted by the Corcoran Gallery of Art's 1869 Society. I had the oh-so-difficult task of judging each drink (actually, it was pretty dang hard considering how talented the field was) as part of the critics panel, along with "mixtress" Gina Chersevani, former Artini competitor Jason Strich, Corcoran director of community engagement Melissa Green, and Sophie Gilbert, assistant editor of Washingtonian. After some booze-fueled debate, we chose Joe Ambrose from W hotel's P.O.V as the Critics’ Choice winner. His cocktail "Theo’s Flower" beautifully evoked Terry Winters’ Theophrastus Garden 2  with a candied pansy ato...

If you’re reveling in the early arrival of spring, consider toasting the amazing weather by partaking in  Oyamel ’s annual Tequila & Mezcal Festival , which runs through Sunday. (This afternoon, 3/15, the bar will host a free tequila tasting from 4-6 p.m.) This week the restaurant is offering a delightful collection of tequila cocktails dreamed up by Joe Cleveland and his team, along with tasty plates designed to welcome the spring weather. One of my favorite offerings, the “El Pescador” (The Fisherman), is a refreshingly tart concoction that combines three tequila varieties with honey syrup, Orange Curacao, Velvet Falernum, Maraschino liqueur, fresh grapefruit and lemon juice. General manager Michael Iglesias lovingly refers to the drink as a “tiki-inspired tequila punch” and this sipper definitely evokes seaside longings. If you can’t make it to Oyamel this week, we’ve got the recipe, below. Mix up a batch of the El Pescador, with a si...

Sip a filled-to-the-brim glass of Bols Genever, followed by a Stillwater Artisanal Ales brew for a traditional Dutch kopstootje.  Last week, the teams from Bols Genever and Stillwater Artisanal Ales rolled into Jack Rose to school willing drinkers on the finer points of kopstootje . Don't try to pronounce it, but do get to know this centuries-old Dutch tradition of a beer and a shot. Kind of like a car bomb but a bit classier. A dainty tulip glass is filled to the brim with Bols Genever and you lean over, arms behind your back, to sip without spilling. Then you swill on your beer, in this case a Stillwater Artisanal brew specially crafted for this pairing. You may still be able to try it our at Jack Rose until the limited amount of beer runs out. Meanwhile, Jack Rose mixologist Rachel Sergi is mixing Bols Genever into a delicious cocktail, garnished with prosciutto. Here's how to make her cocktail dubbed 8675309 (Genny). 8675309 (Genny) makes 1 drink ...

Photo by Ashlie Hughes I’m a big fan of horchata, the traditional beverage made from rice and cinnamon that can be found throughout Latin America. For some time, I have searched for a local bar or restaurant to serve an alcoholic rendition. Thankfully Room 11 ’s Iris Ho read my mind and came up with a brilliant mix of housemade horchata, Corsair Wry Moon rye whiskey, and a housemade Vietnamese spice syrup. Inspired to create this “boozy milkshake” after an evening of horchatas and pupusas, Iris scoured the internet for recipes, paying particular attention to common ingredients and portions. What emerged is bigger on cardamom and more savory, but still features the traditional cinnamon hint that truly distinguishes horchata. After sampling several rye whiskeys, Iris discovered unaged Corsair Wry Moon rye and knew she had found what she was looking for. The spiced syrup, created especially for this drink, is a mix of brown sugar, green cardamom, star anise, cloves, ginger and ...

At PS 7's, Gina Chersevani combines pilsner, marigold tea and gin for a delicious winter drink. Photo by Ashlie Hughes I’m one of those people who thoroughly enjoys each and every season, and feels betrayed when any of them is abbreviated, or less pronounced than my romantic expectations. When DC’s winter chill finally sweeps in, I can’t wait for the comforting ritual of bundling up against the elements, or snuggling up by the fire with a warming libation. You may not have the fire, but plenty of area restaurants are offering a respite from the cold in the form of seasonal hot cocktails. Here’s a roundup of winter warmers to keep you toasty and happy all season long… • America Eats Tavern : José Andrés’ pop-up restaurant, America Eats Tavern, focuses on food and drink of years past. Their inspired cocktail menu offers the Apple Toddy – a glass of buttery deliciousness. The warmer combines steaming house-made apple cider and Laird’s Apple Jack, which just happens to be f...

It's never too early to start planning your New Year's Eve toast. Here are a few great sparkling cocktail recipes from the Metrocurean archives: Holiday “à la Parisienne” courtesy of PS 7's "mixtress" Gina Chersevani makes 1 drink 1/2 ounce St-Germain liqueur 1 ounce fresh squeezed grapefruit (must be fresh!) 3 dashes of Angostura bitters 3 drops of orange bitters (you can also use Fee Brothers or The Bitter Truth bitters)  4 1/2 ounces of cava or Champagne grapefruit peel In a champagne flute, layer all the ingredients starting with the St-Germain, the grapefruit juice, and follow with the Angostura bitters and orange bitters. Add your favorite Champagne or cava and twist the grapefruit peel above the glass to release oils. Add the peel to the drink. Farmer's Fizz courtesy of Jon Arroyo, executive bar chef for  Farmers and Fishers  and  Founding Farmers makes 1 drink 1 ounce Plymouth Gin 1/2 ounce St-Germain liqueur 3 dashes of orange...

Photo by Dominic Savini If you’re looking to liven up this season’s boozy concoctions, check out Root from Philadelphia-based Art in the Age . A few years back, Metrocurean picked up on a root beer revival of sorts when the liqueur originally debuted in Philly in 2009. Root became available to DC cocktail makers this summer. This full-bodied, 80-proof liqueur is distilled from organic sugar cane with strong notes of birch, citrus and vanilla bean — without an overly sweet or syrupy foundation. The recipe was inspired by an 18th century root tea drink once popular with Native Americans, which gave way to alcohol-free root beer during the Temperance movement. Also picking up lots of holiday press this season is the company's latest spirit, Rhuby . The Root sibling is based on a garden tea recipe from the 1700s made with rhubarb, beets, carrots, lemon, petitgrain, cardamom, pink peppercorn, coriander, vanilla and cane sugar. It's not available in DC stores yet but y...

Photo by Ashlie Hughes The Tabard Inn ’s head mixologist Chantal Tseng confesses that the world of fortified wines is her soft spot. That admiration becomes clear when you sip her Old Hickory cocktail — an addictively warming combination of French vermouth, Peychaud’s bitters and maple syrup, topped with an orange twist. Tseng discovered the original recipe in Robert Hess’ book "The Essential Bartender's Guide," and rumor has it that President Andrew Jackson was particularly fond of the drink. Tseng’s variation on the recipe adds a delightful dash of maple syrup, an addition she believes “sings” with the original. Since vermouth is the star of the drink, Tseng needed it to be as high quality as possible. Her choice — Dolin Dry and Dolin Rouge, two fortified wines she says “make drinks taste fresher,” “more complex” and “prettier.” The Old Hickory cocktail is available through November and makes for a perfect aperitif. Pair it with Tabard's charcuterie or arti...

Back by popular demand among Vermilion 's customers and staff, the Falcon Punch captures the essence of fall in a glass. The drink combines housemade apple and pear infused gin, cinnamon simple syrup, unfiltered apple juice and apple brandy, ginger beer, lemon juice, and a dash of bitters — served on the rocks. Laura Secker, the bar manager at Vermilion, considers the versatile concoction to be a “great cocktail for people who don’t have warm and fuzzy feelings about gin”. The Falcon Punch is sure to change their mind. Secker strives for the cocktail menu to be “seasonal, fresh, and exciting,” complementing Vermilion’s locally sourced food menu. Her inspiration for the Falcon Punch, which takes its name from a video game originating meme, came last fall when she began experimenting with apple recipes, and found herself looking for a way to make fall ingredients shine. She considers the cocktail a perfect holiday drink, but admits the recipe prep can be labor intensive. A p...

The "1959" Tomatina cocktail at Jaleo In honor of the Tomatina Festival, the world’s largest tomato festival and food fight held every year in Buñol, Valencia, Spain, Jaleo is offering up a tomato-inspired cocktail. The “1959” – named for the year the festival was officially approved — is a refreshing concoction of tomato water, fresh basil and gin created by ThinkFoodGroup’s lead bartender Owen Thomson. It runs $12. Jaleo is also celebrating the tomato with special menu items such as chilled tomato soup with strawberries and yogurt, grilled lamb T-bone with tomato confit and fried green tomatoes with Valdeón cheese now through Oct. 2. If you’re interested in hosting your own tomato-themed fiesta, check out the recipe for the "1959" below. "1959" Tomatina Cocktail courtesy Jaleo 1.5 ounces Plymouth gin 3/4 ounce tomato water, from the juice of one ripe tomato 1/4 ounce lemon juice 1/2 ounce opal basil syrup* pinch of kosher salt Combine all ingredients i...

For a refreshingly local take on all those Southern-inspired sweet tea cocktails out there, try this concoction made with a brand new vodka crafted in Maryland. Blackwater Distilling, Maryland’s first federally and state-licensed alcohol distillery in more than three decades, just unveiled its flagship product, Sloop Betty vodka , in April. The wheat- and sugar cane-based, kosher-certified vodka is crafted on Kent Island, Maryland, and just won a gold medal in a blind tasting of 28 domestic vodkas held by The Fifty Best. The Daily Pinup cocktail, named for the brand's saucy mascot, is a refreshing summer mix of iced tea, lemon, Sloop Betty and a little sweetness. Visit the website to find out where to buy Sloop Betty. Daily Pinup makes one drink 2 ounces Sloop Betty 1 ounce lemon juice 1 ounce simple syrup 1/2 ounce honey 3 ounces iced tea Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Pour into a large pint glass (don’t strain into new ice). Garnish with a lem...

The rickey was recently named DC's official cocktail. ( Read the story here .) Here's how to mix one up at home. The Rickey recipe courtesy Derek Brown 1. Squeeze the juice of half a lime into a highball glass. Drop the lime shell in the glass. 2. Add 2 ounces of gin or bourbon 3. Fill the glass with ice. 4. Top the glass with sparkling mineral or soda water. Photo courtesy JW Marriott

Author Garrett Peck, acclaimed bartender Derek Brown, JW Marriott's Donnie Sutton and DC Councilmember Jack Evans at the proclamation declaring the rickey DC's official cocktail. Take some gin (or bourbon), the juice of half a lime, a nice dose of soda and ice, and you have yourself the wonderfully simple rickey — now the official cocktail of Washington, DC. That's right, folks. We may not have voting rights, but we have our own cocktail, so take that. Thanks to the tireless efforts of writer and acclaimed bartender Derek Brown and historian/author Garrett Peck, the rickey has been revived and rediscovered during an annual summer rickey month. On Thursday, a group gathered at the JW Marriott downtown, and DC Councilman Jack Evans read a proclamation officially declaring the rickey as DC's native cocktail and naming the month of July rickey month for the District of Columbia. Derek Brown has been instrumental in getting the rickey some respect. As the coc...

Cocktails revert to a classic price on Occidental's patio this summer. The restaurant: Occidental Grill & Seafood The deal: During Occidental's new Classic Cocktail Hour, your first cocktail is a very old-school price: 18 cents with the purchase of any food item off the menu. Vintage inspired cocktails include the Cherry Blossom, Cable Car, Last Word, Pimms Cup, and A Real Old Fashioned (sans lime) created by resident sommelier Michael Williams. The deets: Occidental's Classic Cocktail Hour is offered Monday through Friday from 3 - 7 p.m. on the patio lounge and bar, and in the indoor dining room bar, as well as from 3 - 6 p.m. on the patio dining area. The 18 cent cocktail is limited to one per person when your order an item from chef Rodney Scruggs menu, like the jumbo lump crab and baby artichoke fondue, the roasted Shenandoah lamb loin roulade and the signature crab croquettes. EVENT ALERT! On Thursday, April 28, the Occidental patio will play host to a...

Gina Chersevani, who is serving as mixologist chair for Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation in DC , recently gave Metrocurean a sneak peek of what's in store for the event, including her recipe for this fresh kumquat ginger cocktail. Easy Like Sunday Morning cocktail courtesy Gina Chersevani, mixtress of PS 7's Restaurant makes 1 drink 1.5 oz Plymouth gin 1 oz ginger simple syrup (see recipe below) 4 kumquats 3 dashes Angostura bitters Over a shaker half filled with ice, smash 4 kumquats to release the juices. Add the whole kumquats to the shaker, then add the gin, ginger syrup and bitters. Shake until frothy and well chilled and pour into a Collins glass. Ginger Simple Syrup 1 cup sugar 1 cup water 2- to 3-inch piece of ginger, sliced Put all the ingredients in a small saucepan, stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes (or longer if you like a stronger ginger...

By Ashlie Hughes Metrocurean contributor It has been recorded that Dom Pierre Perignon, a French Benedictine monk, exclaimed “Come quickly! I'm tasting stars!” when tasting his newly created Champagne. What better way to spend the last few days of 2010 or the beginning of 2011 than drinking stars? Here are some DC bars that are serving up tasty bubbly concoctions. Cheers! Bar Pilar Order: The Italian Ginger, a mixture of cava, Domaine De Canton ginger liquor, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and topped with a lemon twist. Founding Farmers Order: Fraise Fling (at right), an elegant drink with strawberries, lychees, Snow Queen vodka, topped with a sparkling brut Prosecco. Or ask for the off-menu Death at the Farmhouse, a unique blend of absinthe, Champagne, Grand Marnier and a flamed orange peel. Farmers and Fishers Order: Farmer's Fizz, a delicious combination of Plymouth Gin, St-Germain, and sparkling brut wine. (Also available at Founding Farmers) * Make it at home! C...

Ashlie Hughes rounded up some fabulous sparkling cocktails around town , just in time for toasting the new year. Here's how to make the Farmer's Fizz, available at both Farmers and Fishers and Founding Farmers . Farmer's Fizz courtesy of Jon Arroyo, executive bar chef for Farmers and Fishers and Founding Farmers makes 1 drink 1 ounce Plymouth Gin ½ ounce St-Germain liqueur 3 dashes of orange bitters 1 sugar cube 3 ounces Charles de Fere sparkling wine ice In a cocktail napkin place a sugar cube and soak with orange bitters. Drop sugar cube into a champagne flute. In a mixing glass add gin, St-Germain and ice. Cover and shake vigorously, strain into the champagne flute and top with sparkling brut wine. Check out 6 spots for sparkling cocktails. Photo by Ashlie Hughes Check out 6 spots for sparkling cocktails.

Gina Chersevani's seckel pear jelly jars. metrocurean photos Gina Chersevani took the essence of autumn and stuck it in a jar. No really, that was my reaction when I tried her new jelly jar drinks at PS 7's . Order the pear version and you'll be presented with a glass holding one perfectly square hunk of ice and a jelly jar containing a seasonal concoction of Willett Rye, honey, vanilla, cinnamon and a few seckel pears. Crack open the jar and pour the ever-so-smooth drink over your cube. All you need to complete the perfect fall scene would be a roaring fire and a scenic vista of colorful changing leaves. For now, the city bar will have to do, but a drink that conjures up those images is a win in my book. The slightly sweeter fig jelly jar contains six year Willett Pot Still bourbon, Evan Williams honey bourbon, Apostoles sherry, honey, vanilla bean and plump black figs. The jars, $17.50, serve two or make a nice sized double. The South of the Pumkin Patch...