An online speakeasy of potent potables and other pabulam.

Actually, it’s really NOT a hard knock life, but sometimes it seems like it.

One of the funny things about looking over the past year is not just the stupid things I’ve said and then keep telling people “Hey, look at this dumb thing I said over a year ago!”? Instead, it’s how much things have changed for us since then and how much more involved in the cocktail community we’ve become.

Not that it’s hard to do.? The cocktail community – not just in DC, but also online and in other cities – is incredibly friendly and inclusive.? There’s a sense of shared joy and camaraderie, where you’re treated as you treat others.? Treat your fellow mixologists, bloggers, and general cocktailians with civility, candor, wit, and intelligence and you’ll be rewarded more than you can imagine.?? Take advantage of their trust or generosity and – well, you don’t want to know.

But sometimes you hit a stretch of time when blogging can feel like a job.? That’s not necessarily a bad thing.? If I could make this my job, making as much as I do now in my “real job”, I’d do it an a heartbeat.? Alas, at least right now, it is not to be, but one can always hope.? In the meantime, those of us here in the Den have been keeping mighty busy!

This is a lot of stuff, so we’ll put in a cut…

It’s that time again – the time when Mixology Monday raises its head and we have to say “What’s up for this month?”

Well, Stevi Deter over at Two At The Most picked this month’s topic and it’s “Guilty Pleasures”.

What’s a guilty pleasure?? Well, according to Stevi, it’s basically the cocktail equivalent of comfort food.? What do you end up with when you’re not drinking a “good drink”?

Good question, Stevi, and it’s one I’ve been wrestling with for a while.? It’s a hard decision to make.? I mean, seriously?

I answered my own question yesterday with my latest purchase.

On the right, you see my usual guilty pleasure.? As of today, our kegerator has a keg of Dogfish Head’s 60 Minute IPA.? When I’m feeling lazy, or just wanting to relax, I’m a big fan of beer.? After all, it’s tasty and it’s good.

On the left, however…

I’d just heard of this stuff this week.? It’s called Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka and it comes from South Carolina.? It’s vodka infused with what they say is the only tea grown in the United States, grown less than five miles from the distllery (I’m reading from the back of the bottle).

It’s 70 proof, but really, it tastes exactly like sweet tea except that it has a bit of an alcohol burn on the end of it.? I can drink it just straight, though they suggest on the bottle that you drink it cut with water.

A local restaurant called BreadSoda had an idea for a “hard Arnold Palmer” type drink – basically half Firefly and half lemonade.? That mix kicks butt, and I also tried mixing it with ginger beer and found that worked very well, too.

Another concoction I’m thinking of trying with it, and please keep in mind that this is only in theory so far, is…

…ahhh, you know what?? I’m not going to tell you.?? Not yet.? Come by Thursday Drink Night, maybe I’ll have it ready by then, if I’ve survived the perils of this upcoming week by then.

I am!

Tonight is Thursday Drink Night (TDN) starting at 7 PM EDT over at the Mixoloseum.? Tonight people will be trying out drinks made with honey syrup, so I’ve got to remember to make some!? Which means I’ve got to remember to buy some honey…the syrup is 1:1 honey and water.? The best drink of the night will get a bottle of St. Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram thanks to Kaiser Penguin.

Tomorrow night is our night out to celebrate an entire year – and a long year at that, the whole 366 days – of Scofflaw’s Den, from our humble origins on LiveJournal (which we imported here, but I implore you not to look at my first post, I’m embarrassed by it) to having our own domain and everything else that’s happened.

Right now, it looks like our plan is to be out at Bourbon in Adams Morgan around 5:30 – 6:00 time frame for a couple of drinks and maybe a bite or two.? From there, we’ll head over to Central Michel Richard to harass say hi to Justin and maybe have more food…

From there we don’t have any plans, but depending on who is around and what time it is we’ll be looking to see what is up.? Urbana, Tabard Inn, Bar Pilar, Cork, there are so many choices.

If you’re around and want to join us, just show up!? If you need to get ahold, feel free to e-mail us – I, for instance, will be checking my e-mail on a regular basis while we’re out.? And if you contact us ahead of time, I’ll be hooking people up with a phone number or two.

If you are a regular reader of the Scofflaw’s Den or are interested in the greater Washington DC area’s food and drink scene, you have no doubt heard about Hummingbird to Mars.? We have even written about it here.

Well, a little dust-up has occurred surrounding this speakeasy.? It seems to have started with this article by Jason Wilson which appeared in last Wednesday’s Washington Post.? His article prompted a lively discussion on local food board DonRockwell.com (you can find the discussions under the “Washington Food Section” thread of the “News & Media” topic and under “Beer and Wine” topic.)? Wilson’s article also begat this article about Hummingbird in the DCist.

Well, with all this hubbub, I hate to report that this weekend is the last weekend for Hummingbird to Mars.? Justin, Derek and Owen are honoring the reservations that were made for this weekend but after that, the hummingbird will fly the coop.

Is this directly related to Wilson’s article?? I don’t know.?? Personally, I’m sad to see the shutters close so soon.? However, I do know that Owen has law school midterms coming up – something I am intimately familiar with – and this contributed to the decision to close up shop.? Sean and I will hopefully be talking with Derek, Owen and Justin in the next few days and hope to share with you what we learn.? Although I feel very confident that DC hasn’t heard the last from these three working together!

In the mean time, I urge you to stop by Komi, Bourbon and Central and try the drinks these three have created at their respective establishments.? You won’t be sorry.? Finally, as a parting flutter of the wings, the Washingtonian has a video (and recipe) of Justin preparring his “Baltimore Bengali.”

Enjoy!