Dan Searing is a bartender, business owner, booze rep, author, husband and father. Many people would find their effectiveness as a leader of anything with so many other responsibilities impossible, but that?s exactly what Searing has done. The sum of his years as vice-president of the D.C. Craft Bartenders Guild (D.C.B.G.)?really demonstrates the passion The Punch Bowl author continues to have for the organization.

?I think that there are few things in this world as powerful as a group of people getting together to organize around a common mission,? says Searing. ?I think that?s exciting.?

In the coming month, Searing officially hands over duties to his elected successor, Gyspie Soul mixologist Jo-Jo Valenzuela. Searing and his ranking colleague, Owen Thomson, succeeded by Bourbon Steak?s Jamie McBain, leave their leadership roles to two acclaimed District barmen.

?I think [Valenzuela] and Jamie are going to do a great job as the new leaders,? says Searing. ?They are both really committed and really intelligent and people who I?m always happy to see.?

When asked about Searing, Valenzuela reflects on his kindness and willingness to teach. Sponsorship, he says, is one of the hardest parts about organizing an event. Searing can be relied on to complete that piece of the puzzle.

?It?s just a pleasure to work for him,? says Valenzuela. ?For me, it?s just really some big shoes to fill.?

The importance of an active guild representing members of the service industry should not be understated. The mission of the D.C.B.G., according to its website, mention two important characteristics of a true craft cocktail community: education and contribution.

?To contribute to the growing national and international community of craft bartenders,? the D.C.B.G. website says. And ?to encourage the [dissemination] of knowledge and innovation in craft bartending with a focus on hospitality.?

Searing embodies those values as an admirer of history and a teller of stories our society seems to have forgotten. Once, at a guild meeting, he cited a grand tradition of parliamentary procedure in saloons and taverns to move along a vote by roll call.

?There was a time and place in history where the existence of a guild of tradespeople in a city was sort of a guarantee of a minimum level of craftsmanship,? says Searing.

This is a time of transition for the D.C.B.G. It has enjoyed little competition as it neared a decade of operation. Suddenly, the United States Bartender?s Guild, a national organization unaffiliated with the D.C.B.G., has a chapter in the city. For the past year, it has acquired over 120 members. According to the president, Taha Ismail, it is the fastest growing U.S.B.G. chapter in the region.

To make things more challenging, the guild experienced what Searing calls an organizational trough in the past few years. Still, the annual Repeal Day Ball and Rickey Month Competition, organized by the D.C.B.G., continue to be successful.

Since last January, both Searing and Thomson have sought to quicken the guild. The effort, Searing says, has focused on more activities, events and educational opportunities. With the reduction of leadership responsibilities, Searing will have more time so he plans on giving back to the organization and fulfill the educational mission.

?I think that seeing new leadership takeover will give me the opportunity to spend that time in a different way,? says Searing. ?Coming up with educational events and opportunities.?

?It?s something we?ve always wanted to have more of in the guild and I think there?s an almost unlimited opportunity for further educational activities as our community gets bigger and the bartending world gets wider,? he says. ?Not everyone has to learn things the hard way.?

Searing looks on his role as vice-president with nostalgia. The D.C.B.G. has been an organization that has brought some of the leading personalities in the restaurant and bar industry. He recalls some of the more memorable moments he experienced as second in command.

?Making punch along side Dave Wondrich at the Repeal Day Ball a few years ago was pretty gratifying because he is someone I admire so much,? says Searing when asked of his fondest memories in the role.

When I admit to Searing that I have always felt lucky I got to experience his service behind the bar at Room 11 (which he owns) before his drink-making work became isolated to conventions and events. He acknowledged the absence, having not been behind the bar very much in the last few years.

?That?s my dirty little secret. I?m one of the least bartender-y bartenders in town,? says Searing. ?That relationship between bartender and patron is one that I miss very much and that I?m working on coming up with a practical way for me to have again on a regular basis.?

?I mean there are fewer things that are more satisfying to me that making something and sharing it with someone and seeing them enjoy that creation.?

There?s almost a ministerial-quality to Searing whenever he speaks. He is authoritative but warm.

?You know one of the things that I have always loved about the hospitality business is the esprit de corps,? says Searing. ?And I think there is a very strong esprit de corps in our bartending community in D.C. Even as things have grown.?

You appreciate getting a slice of his time — but, more importantly — he seems to appreciate it more.

The D.C. Craft Bartender?s Guild?s 2014 Rickey Competition on Sunday at Jack Rose Dining Saloon honored a new set of mix masters, tapsters and would-be sailors who successfully reinterpreted the city?s native cocktail.

When all was said and done, Lukas Smith of Daikaya beat out his fellow competitors with the ?Supafly Rickey.? Second place went to Dustin Beruta from Cashion?s Eat Place with the ?Vanilla-Key Rickey.? Third went to Casey Hristakos from Sixth Engine with the ?Rickey Del Mar.?

Supafly is a smooth blend of Half Moon Gin, sweet potato soda and rose blossom water. Sweet potato soda, you say? Yes, they used fermentation of the root vegetable to create the ingredient. A single (sometimes superfluous) blade of lemon grass served as garnish.

Lukas himself donned a soviet-era military hat and was surrounded by fellow bartenders dressed like loud, drunken sailors. ?Rum, sodomy and the lash? Winston Churchill said are the gist of British naval tradition. The handful of seamen behind the bar at Jack Rose seemed all too familiar with that grand tradition.

Guild president Owen Thomson and vice president Dan Searing were the masters of ceremonies. Searing held the trophy up for all to see as the winner and runner up were announced. Over 50 bars and restaurants participated from around the city.

It is difficult work judging that many cocktails. Guild organizers took nearly 20 days to round up participating bartenders to make their drink for the judges. The finalists were whittled down to seven for the main event.

?I had to drink 52 rickeys myself,? Thomson said.

2014 Rickey Competition Finalists

• Lukas Smith from Daikaya with ?Supafly Rickey?
• Dustin Beruta from Cashion?s Eat Place with ?Vanilla-Key Rickey?
• Casey Hristakos from Sixth Engine with ?Rickey Del Mar?
• Jo-Jo Valenzuela from Sixth Engine with ?Asian Wickey?
• Eve Maier from Hank?s Oyster Bar with ?Yabba Dabba Dorickey?
• Galen Odell-Smedley from Mockingbird Hill with ?High Rock Rickey?
• Brian Nixon from Rose?s Luxury with ?Rickey #7?

Some of the Napa valley hills are golden brown and bone dry from the drought that?s been afflicting sunny California the past three years. Still, there are rows of lush green grapevines filling the land making one vineyard indistinguishable from another. It is mesmerizing.

?We?re going to need some Pedialyte,? says my girlfriend, Nicole. She wants to have a bartender?s favorite cure on hand, anticipating tomorrow?s hangover.

The plan? Vacation as reward for finishing graduate school last May and celebrate an upcoming birthday. I?d never encountered the cult of the grape on Napa?s scale. I imagine joining armies of tanned winos stumbling up to every tasting room every day like the walking dead. But I ask myself, what is Napa really about?

Lunch at Auberge du Soleil one day. Birthday dinner at Thomas Keller?s Bouchon on another. Accommodations at Silverado Resort northeast of downtown Napa. Fall asleep at a pool. Visit at least two wineries. Worry about nothing at all. Simple goals.

Darioush Winery

Darioush reflects middle eastern opulence and grandeur. Tall, iconic Persian columns are topped with double horses. The entrance is flanked by small fountains dotted with blooming water lilies. They serve pistachios inside.

The 2012 chardonnay is the kind of grape juice I can latch onto. It?s no ?butter bomb? but also not strictly crisp or fruity. The wine leaves just enough lactic acid to be interesting. Fresh red fruit, minerals and creme brulee — it?s in there and delicious.

Our wine guys, Benjamin Stowe and Frank Damante, pour a few sips. Stowe explains their protocol includes a lighter b?tonage (stirring) of the lees than usual for this wine. Once a week to be exact as opposed to once a day. This interval renders just a trace of creaminess. We purchase two bottles.

Stag?s Leap Wine Cellars

The Stag?s Leap chateau is rustic and simple. Our wineman, Vic Simpson, explains that the tasting room we were in is being refashioned. The upgrade will bring a view of the vineyards that recline into the side of the mountain. It?s a view that is certainly going to impress future visitors of the 1973 Paris Tasting winner.

Simpson tastes us on the 2011 Artemis, 2011 Fay and the 2011 S.L.V. cabernet sauvignon. All three wines are rich with red fruit and spice in their aromas and taste. The S.L.V. has more body that grips the tongue. Simpson calls it a ?velvet glove? versus the Fay. (Where have I heard that expression used before?)

He then reaches for the 2010 Cask 23 and pours us a sip. That cigar box nose catches my attention. In one glass you get a playful flavor and a smooth finish. In the end, we purchase a bottle of Artemis because it?s almost as pleasing as the Cask 23 and is within our price range.

Napa Over NOLA?

There?s nothing like The Big Easy particularly during Tales of the Cocktail but California wine country was a blessing. City dwelling boozers looking for an inner quiet will find respite in Napa. It?s the kind of place that reminds you that life is good — especially with a glass of vino by your side.

D.C. Craft Bartenders Guild President, Owen Thomson, holds up to the crowd a rectangular can the size of a deck of cards. A grin spills across his face. Thomson is about to reveal the next ingredient for the contest.

?Smoked sardines,? he says. The crowd collectively cringes.

That’s the kind of curveballs participants faced at last Sunday afternoon?s Negroni Throwdown at The Gibson. The winner, Chris Martino of Barrel, faced strong competition. In the end, he emerged the champion winning a bartending spot at this year?s Repeal Day Ball and all the shit-talking privileges thereto appertaining.

E.J. Apaga of Pearl Dive, Dave Lanzalone of Iron Gate and Julien Bourgon of TNT each fell to Martino despite the various obstacles thrown his way. Apaga certainly gave the crowd their ?money?s worth? (the event was free) in the Ramos Gin Fizz round when he opened a fully charged soda syphon sending streams of cream, egg whites and gin into the air.

Jack Rose bartender and Tiki Throwdown winner, Justin Hampton, judged the final products. The barman sampled each cocktail, looking pleased with some and wincing a little from others. Guild members Jamie McBain and Jo-Jo Valenzuela hosted the show. Valenzuela pulled the event together with sponsorship from Plymouth and Beefeater.

Each contestant went through a vigorous competition structured similarly to Cutthroat Kitchen. The Throwdown?s contestants used poker chips to bid on various sabotages against one another. One participant was handicapped by having no ice for his cocktail while another was denied use of his arm and a leg.

The back patio of the RAMMY nominated bar served as a serene setting for the raucous competition. Audience members filled up on bar-b-que ribs, sliders and mushroom fritters while sloshing around frozen ?Negronis and Cream? cocktails spun by Gibson general manager, Frank Jones.

When the jigger was eliminated from Bourgon?s use, he could be seen swiftly dumping spoonfuls of spirit into his mixing glass as time ticked away. Lanzalone made use of a reusable, refrigerated ice pack to chill down his drink since he was handicapped with no ice. No one was safe from the crippling obstacles thrown at them at the event.

Apaga dove right into the smoked sardines. He muddled a poor little fish into the concoction and scooped fingerfuls of oily red sauce out of the can and into his shaker. When asked what his bloody mary-like, sardine cocktail was called, Apaga smiled.

?Fish 75.?

The chalkboard at Mockingbird Hill details the schedule for their one year anniversary.

Mockingbird Hill celebrated its one year anniversary last Thursday night with a DJ performance by Brendan Canty of Fugazi and a night filled with sherry. Chantal Tseng and Derek Brown opened the evening up just like any other. Yet unlike others, an assortment of characters and leaders in the industry came there specifically to wish the 2014 Tales of the Cocktail Best New American Bar nominee a happy anniversary.

My companion and I ordered a flight of sherry and witnessed a strong depth of knowledge by the staff. Our barman, Galen Odell-Smedley, broke down the characteristics of each glass with ease as we listened intently. The flavor profiles he pointed out were dead-on — from the honeysuckle in the Gutierrez Colosia ?Amerigo? to the brininess of the Barbadillo ?Solear.?

A bartender at Mockingbird Hill in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, D.C. explains a sherry flight.

We didn?t stay long enough to witness the main event but we got our drinks in early. The choice of musical entertainment seemed unsurprising knowing Brown?s punk-rock roots. Fugazi is, of course, a band native to the District. From the beginning, Mockingbird Hill set out to carve its own path in the city?s food and drink scene. After a year, that path has proven to be one worth pursuing.

? DLDGLG (@DLDGLG) June 6, 2014

Washington, D.C. — Bartender, Jo-Jo Valenzuela, pours the winning cocktail during the finals of the D.C. Craft Bartender’s Guild (DCBG) at Cafe Saint Ex in northwest.

“Jo-Jo! Jo-Jo! Jo-Jo!” chants the crowd. They had their champion.

City Tap House and Old Glory barman Jo-Jo Valenzuela won the D.C. Craft Bartender?s Guild?s (DCBG) Budget Booze Build-Off competition at Cafe Saint Ex Tuesday night. Valenzuela toppled opponents throughout the event on his way to the finals where he defeated Dane Nakamura of Range. City Paper?s Jessica Sidman, Washington Post?s Fritz Hahn and DCBG?s Jason Strich, declared quickly and decidedly that Valenzuela’s cocktail was the winner.

Could you make a drink with this? @cafesaintex tonight at 7pm pic.twitter.com/xqKjKQw7F0

— DC Craft Bartenders (@DCCraftBarGuild) February 25, 2014

The light-hearted contest was filled with several talented bartenders attempting to incorporate “cheap” products into the most palatable cocktails possible. The champion won a coveted bar-table spot at the 2014 Repeal Day Ball. There were plenty of oohs and ahhs during the event and certainly moments of all-out laughter.

While both finalist could barely recall the ingredients at the end of the round due to the excitement, Valenzuela managed to remember the recipe Wednesday morning. This little sipper, he calls the Mexican Slurpee, consisted of:

1 1/2 oz Absolut Cilantro
1/2 oz Southern Comfort Fiery Pepper
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
3/4 oz grapefruit syrup
Shake ingredients. Double strain into a highball glass over crushed ice. Express lemon, lime and orange zest over the top and leave peels as garnish.

The base spirits were a little insane but somehow Valenzuela made it work and walked away the champ.

Guild president, Owen Thomson, revealed the secret ingredients at the start of each round. Any opinions about these brands and their quirky flavors could be heard in a low hum throughout the audience once announced. Some speculated about which bottles would end up being used.

The notorious Pinnacle products made a strong appearance. A bottle of cinnamon roll vodka and peachberry cobbler vodka could be found among the bunch. Fresh juices were used and appreciated. And eggs, interestingly enough, were popular choices for the contestants.

Anyone looking for a more serious drink could find Dan Searing mixing up punches and passing out glasses of the stuff. He jovially answered questions about the concoction, pointing it out as a variation on a recipe detailed in his book The Punch Bowl.

Washington, D.C. — Author and bar owner, Dan Searing Jr., pours punch at Cafe Saint Ex.

Washington, D.C. — Jo-Jo Valenzuela garnishes the cocktail that won him the cocktail competition.

Valenzuela always has a smile on his face but last night he was ear-to-ear. He came out from behind the bar clutching his bar tools. Nodding his head as the crowd chanted…

“Jo-Jo!”

RT @AnthonyJRivera Congrats to @jojothebarkeep for winning the @DCCraftBarGuild #cocktail competition @cafesaintex! http://t.co/S7LvB61LPS

— DLDGLG (@DLDGLG) February 26, 2014

Anthony Rivera stands guard behind the bar at Beuchert’s Saloon. Photo courtesy of Tony Richards.

Behind the Stick is a series highlighting perspectives and experiences of Scofflaws Den?s veteran barman.

I?m dying for a drink. My eyes watch warming brown whiskies, sudsy beers, bubbly sparkling wines and more pouring all around me. A picture in my head shows me leaping across the bar, knocking over glassware and garnishes, to catch a stream of booze into my mouth. And it has only been three days into my month without alcohol.

It may seem a little strange to write about sobriety on a site dedicated to good hooch in its various forms. Yet, here I am, writing about just that.

Why not one drop of alcohol and why now?

First, February is the shortest month of the year with the second fewest intoxicant-related events behind January. Second, the bar/restaurant industry demands a life so drowned in the hard stuff I feel every so often one needs a real, meaningful break – a challenge.

I have done this exercise several times before of course. The only amendment I am making this year is starting before the Superbowl. I suppose I wanted to up the ante a little. As one of my favorite journalists, Christopher Hitchens, often said, the drink is a wonderful slave but a terrible master. Life, in many ways, can be about mastering one?s weaknesses.

The tricky part for a craft bartender is performing my job as flawlessly as possible. Guests often ask me to experiment when making their next cocktail. This proposition forces me to perform with one hand tied behind my back. After all, good chefs obsessively sample their food as they go along, tasting for too much salt, too little, proper seasoning and so on.

How do I get around this predicament as a mixologist?

Luckily, I have cultivated a skill set for building drinks without absolutely having to taste them. The classics: the Old Fashioned, Sazerac, Manhattan, Martini. I have mixed so many of these drinks I could serve them in my sleep (sometimes, in fact, I have lucidly dreamt of making them).

I also rely heavily on only the most trusted co-workers? palates. You see, ultimately I am never really certain of my own taste buds to determine if an original tipple is enjoyable. Brutal honesty can actually be scarce from folks expecting a high level of craftsmanship. In the end, the true test comes when a guest has swiftly gulped down one of my concoctions.

Lastly, I often prepare a guest for an eventual flop. Food and drink is so subjective even the best bartenders fail to meet expectations. Much of the service industry is designed to provide its customers with a high quality product. If that product does not meet a guest’s expectations, most of those establishments are happy to try with another attempt free of charge (this is often called a ?spill? or a ?comp?). I am upfront about that obligation and, particularly during this challenging month, make clear one does not have to commit to the beverage before them.

As I like to remind guests cheekily, ?besides, it?s not my booze.?

Washington, D.C. — A girl stirs an old fashioned cocktail at a bar on Pennsylvania Avenue in Capitol Hill.

Behind the Stick is a new series highlighting perspectives and experiences of Scofflaws Den’s veteran barman.

“If some of our guests had a stick, I know they’d poke me with it.”

I’ve been known to say this a few times when describing what it’s like to be a craft bartender (or mixologist). I?m implying, of course, that there?s a certain sideshow aspect to the cocktail revival. You truly are a performer on a stage when creating drinks.

Many bartenders adopt a ring leader-like persona. Others, like me, wish to commit their craft to the glass – mostly sotto voce. What’s fascinating is eventually everyone feels performance pressure from (or sadly even indignation towards) wide-eyed, mesmerized spectators. I often think how professional magicians can lose fondness for their audiences after doing the same trick nightly over the years.

Don’t take this the wrong way. I enjoy serving guests. I like displaying not only the glory of the final product but also the beautiful process of building a craft cocktail. I avoid pretentiousness and I am happy to chat with customers about all the bizarre tinctures and toys we use. I even love telling guests some of my tips for making great cocktails.

Still, sometimes the abrupt demands and precocious inquiries can get a bit overwhelming for some of us, particularly when we are busy. Here?s a scenario:

A guest watches as I pour whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters into a glass and begin to stir.

?HEY, what’s that you?re making there,? the guests asks.

?It’s a Manhattan,? I reply.

This exchange alone isn?t nearly as aggravating as when it?s been asked for the billionth time or the question is coming from a serial asker. Any good bartender learns to hide his or her annoyance. You see, from their perspective, somewhere along the way customers have taken on the habit of seeing a bartender work, pointing at a drink, and asking, ?what manner of witchcraft is this??

Admittedly, I’ve been guilty of a similar impulse. (I often look back at my intrusive interactions with craft bartenders several years ago and cringe). My curiosity overwhelmed my sense of perspective.

To be fair, it?s hard for a seasoned bartender to remind him or herself what it?s like to be in a guests’ shoes. The foodservice business has also encouraged much of the extra attention. Many restaurants now find an edge by providing more than just good fare and good service or a quick gimmick. These days the industry tries to offer guests an experience.

None of this observation really brings profound insight into some of the big problems in the world. But there’s always an interesting dynamic with each interaction between barman/barwoman and guest. We in the industry very rarely get to express our thoughts on those interactions.

Arctic Chill sent us one of their muddlers for a review so we decided to give it a try.

The product is a nice smooth metal grip with a nylon head. It’s look is simple and basic.

One of the things I liked about this muddler is its short, stout shape. I?ve come across many metal muddlers that seemed designed more like some arm-length car mechanic?s tool. I could appreciate Arctic Chill?s design in that way.

This muddler, like other metal ones, is fitted with teeth on the bottom which makes them better suited for crushing than their wooden counterparts.

Its effectiveness in crushing citrus and other ingredients definitely lives up to the message. It was quite easy to mash up a slice of orange and a cherry into sugar and bitters, if that?s something you want to do.

As most cocktailians know, muddling is really less about ?crushing? ingredients and more about opening them up.

The point is not to pulverize mint leaves into sugar when making a mojito as Bacardi commercials would have you believe.

(I suspect this misunderstanding of how mojitos are made is one of the reasons so many bartenders claim to hate making them.)

Many herbs are so delicate it takes little more than a light tap to release the oils and aromas of the plant.

So, I’m not a big fan of the tag line on the box, ?crush citrus fruits, herbs and spices with ease,? for this reason.

One other concern I would have regarding this product would be its durability over time with either being washed by hand or in a machine. Still, nothing in my review led me necessarily to believe it would degrade over time.

I generally prefer wood muddlers. They can be particularly beautiful and have an appeal the way many baseball fans prefer wood bats over metal ones. Both materials have their benefits and, in many ways, it simply comes down to a matter of preference.

The Arctic Chill muddler is great for the amateur mixologist at home. It would also work for a restaurant or bar that was simply looking for a reliable tool for day-to-day muddling.

See our videos for our a closer look at Arctic Chill’s product in action.

Every whiskey enthusiast has a collection. For the folks of Scofflaw?s Den, these collections can be large and even appear a little hoarder-ish.

So when one of us is looking to finish off a bottle you?re going to want to be around. Liquor, after all, is made to be drunken.

This week, our friend Sean Mike shared a bottle of Willett Single Barrel Rye Whiskey at The Passenger near Chinatown.

Ledroit Brands, Washington D.C.?s current Willett distributor, dubbed this share ?The Iron Fist.? How could you resist a name like that?

If you are unfamiliar about how this works, Kentucky Bourbon Distiller (KBD) brand makes entire barrels of their whiskey available for purchase. If you can afford that type of indulgence and really love whiskey this might be a great investment.

The Iron Fist was distilled in Bardstown, Kentucky and aged in oak for 23 years.

Each of these distinct Willett-labeled Ledroit whiskeys were given a unique and unconventional name. The Iron Fist?s presumed counterpart, for instance, is named ?The Velvet Glove.?

Others names include ?Orange Blossom Special,? No Chemists Allowed,? ?Cocoa Loco,? ?Suspension Bridge,? and more.

Cask strength is always a little difficult for me when trying to parse out flavors. But, one major takeaway about this particular bottle of hooch was how I felt the taste very much lived up to its name.

Caramel, vanilla, and spice are always the most obvious characteristics coming from any bottle of whiskey. Some express toffee. You could find these in this Willett.

For me, however, there was a tinge of brininess hidden at the very end which put the brakes on those sweet-associated flavors. I have mostly gotten this element from single malt scotches.

The burn on my mouth was an easy one. It never really muted the flavor and even handed them off to me in a much smoother way than many of the other cask strength whiskies I have tasted.

Most of those whiskies completely blow out my taste buds. It really gives you appreciation for dilution. This whiskey leaves quite an impression despite its strength.

Speaking of which, I really need to dilute my own collection of booze that has been collecting dust in my apartment. Maybe, it is time I shared a few bottles of my own?