The Official-ish DC Thread

[lordsuperb]

Lyon Hall in Arlington (close to Clarendon Metro) has a great bar. Farmers and Distillers makes a good cocktail as well.

Rye is my new fav. I judge a bar on how well they make a Rye Manhattan. Up of course.

I'm a Liberty Tavern kind of guy (same owner).

 

[smittycl]

I'm a Liberty Tavern kind of guy (same owner).

My wife and I tried it but didn't like the food and the wine list was awful. Lived in far western Germany and spent lots of time in France in the nearby Alsatian region so Lyon Hall fits the bill well for us!

Now, shall we discuss how damn hard it is to get a table at Rasika?

 

[Lithonial]

Wait... There are tables at Rasika?! I thought that was just a myth!

 

[knappabn]

Any drinkers in this thread? My favorite liquor stores: 1) Ace (upper NW), 2) Sherry’s (Woodley Park), 3) Schneider’s (Capital Hill). My go-to is Sherry’s due to its proximity to my apartment. Insane selection of hard liquor, particularly amari and liqueurs.

I haven’t been to a proper cocktail bar in awhile. Drinks are so expensive and not really that much better than what I can make at home. I also dislike the trend of increasing cocktail complexity. There’s no reason you can’t make an exceptional drink with four or fewer readily available ingredients. My favorite modern classic, the Penicillin, is evidence of that.

Which has the best bourbon selection? Living in NoVA has some serious drawbacks on the retail whiskey front.

 

[smittycl]

Which has the best bourbon selection? Living in NoVA has some serious drawbacks on the retail whiskey front.

Bourbon is too sweet for me. I have family in Woodford County, KY and get inundated with the stuff. Scotch or Rye is much better IMO.

 

[smittycl]

Wait... There are tables at Rasika?! I thought that was just a myth!

I had to shift to Rasika West as it's easier to get into. Indian food is my default setting for dinner.

 

[knappabn]

Bourbon is too sweet for me. I have family in Woodford County, KY and get inundated with the stuff. Scotch or Rye is much better IMO.

Fair enough. Just looking for a good selection. The place near my office on Pennsylvania is decent, but looking for the best Whiskey selection.

 

[knappabn]

I had to shift to Rasika West as it's easier to get into. Indian food is my default setting for dinner.

Haven’t been to the West location. Similar atmosphere to the original?

 

[smittycl]

Haven’t been to the West location. Similar atmosphere to the original?

No idea on liquor stores. I tend to just keep beer at home and get cocktails while out and about.

Rasika West is nice. Same sort of vibe but the tables are not jammed too close together. Great to visit during Restaurant Week. Short walk into Georgetown from there as well.

 

[knappabn]

No idea on liquor stores. I tend to just keep beer at home and get cocktails while out and about.

Rasika West is nice. Same sort of vibe but the tables are not jammed too close together. Great to visit during Restaurant Week. Short walk into Georgetown from there as well.

I’ll have to try it out. We usually try to hit the Penn quarter location a few times a year.

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

Which has the best bourbon selection? Living in NoVA has some serious drawbacks on the retail whiskey front.

I assume you’re looking for a sipper rather than a mixer? Because I drink cocktails, the base spirit needs to be good enough, not stellar. If the places I listed don’t work, you might try looking online.

 

[smittycl]

I’ll have to try it out. We usually try to hit the Penn quarter location a few times a year.

I like Jaleo in Penn Quarter. Fado is a great Irish Pub for soccer games, cocktails and comfort food at Farmers and Distillers. New Indian place called Karma is good as well. Modern fusion like Rasika but you can actually get a table. http://www.karmamodernindian.com/

District Chophouse always nice when my steak-and-potatoes friends visit.

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

A hidden gem in Penn Quarter is Bantam King. Head there if you’re in the mood for ramen and the wait at big brother Daikaya around the corner is too long.

 

[TheSuitBurnsBetter]

Rye is my new fav. I judge a bar on how well they make a Rye Manhattan. Up of course.

Rittenhouse is my go to rye for a Manhattan. My recipe is 2 parts rye, 1/2 part Ramazotti, 1/2 part sweet vermouth, aromatic and orange bitters, 2 luxardo cherries.

 

[matty long legs]

Embracing the "ish" in the thread title and plugging my hometown, Richmond. Not only do we have excellent restaurant and brewery scenes, we have Rider Boot Co, Shockoe Atelier and Need Supply.