Andrew Knowlton’s blurb on The Passenger is pretty much on point,

One could happily spend an evening ensconced in the up-front booths, sipping a Moscow Mule at brothers Derek and Tom Brown’s Chinatown-area bar. But in terms of speakeasy appeal, you can’t beat the reservation-only Columbia Room in the back.

It’s so hot, if you made a Ramos Gin Fizz outside, you would end up with Ramos Gin Scrambled Eggs. It’s so hot, my cigars catch themselves on fire and, much like a Bugs Bunny cartoon, turns to ash immediately. It’s so hot …

Okay, enough of that, you get the picture. One thing that always makes me feel cooler is a tall ice & booze filled beverage. And here in DC, especially in July, that drink is the Rickey.

For those who don’t know, Derek Brown explains the history of the Rickey thusly; “The Rickey is a category of mixed drinks closely resembling a highball made from a base spirit, half of a lime squeezed and dropped in the glass and carbonated water. Little or no sugar is added to the Rickey. Originally created with Bourbon whiskey in Washington, D.C. at Shoomaker’s bar by bartender George A. Williamson, purportedly in collaboration with Democratic lobbyist Colonel Joe Rickey, it became a worldwide sensation when mixed with gin.”

And because the Rickey is DC’s only native drink, the DC Craft Bartenders Guild has designated July as “Rickey Month.”

And what does this mean to you? Well, for starters, some of the best bartenders & restaurants are creating their very own version of the rickey. Those intrepid souls participating are:

Owen Thompson of Café Atlantico
Gina Chersevani of PS7′s
Chantal Tseng of Tabard Inn
Adam Bernbach of Proof
Dan Searing of Room 11
Clinton Terry of PX
Jayson Smith of PX
Justin Owens of PX
Rico Wisner of Poste Brasserie
David Fritzler of Tryst
Joey Ambrose of W Hotel
J.P. Caceres of Againn
Duane Sylvestre of Bourbon Steak
Laura Secker of Vermillion
Elli Benchimol of Chef Geoff’s (both locations)
Amy Troutmiller of Urbana
Joseph David Cleveland of Oyamel
Mike Cherner of Mie N Yu
Milton Hernandez of Bibiana
Rachel Sergi of 701
Jessica Crandall of Bourbon (Glover Park)
Theo Rutherford of Ripple Wine Bar
Alex Bookless of the Passenger
Julia Hurst of the Passenger
Alex Nichols of the Passenger
J.P. Fetherston of the Passenger and Columbia Room
Patrick Owens of Jaleo

Damn, that’s a lot of rickeys! So, other than a damn fine drink & inebriation, what else do I get from this, you may be thinking.

SHUT IT!

How about a party? Yeah! How do like them rickeys now?!?!

On August 2nd beginning at 6:30pm at The Passenger in Mt. Vernon Square (1021 7th Street, NW) there will be a Rickey party sponsored by Hendrick’s Gin and Woodford Reserve Bourbon.

What? That’s not good enough? Geez, you youngins and your whatnots . . .

Okay then, go to one of the participating establishments to sample a Rickey and get you a Rickey passport. If you visit ten contestants during the month of July, and get your Rickey Passport stamped, entrance to the finals of the contest is free. Otherwise, the event will be $10 at the door and include one free classic Rickey.

Finalists will be serving their drinks to attendees at a cash bar and competing for the grand prize of $1,000 chosen by special guest judges Ana Maria Cox of GQ, Jim Hewes of the Round Robin Bar at the Willard, Tad Carducci of Tippling Bros., Peter Smith of PS7’s and Jenn Larsen of WeLoveDC.com.

Even more important, The Scofflaws themselves will be in attendance!

Now THAT sounds like a party!

So what are you waiting for? Get out there and have a Rickey or ten.

Cheers!

Of the 17 total contestants, several are old friends of The Den.  We have,

JP Caceres of Tryst
Alex Bookless and Alex Nichols of The Passenger
Rachel Sergi of 701
Rico Wisner of Poste Brasserie
Jason Strich of Rasika
Gina Chersevani of PS7

Now I’m not going to pick a horse in this race with so many friends and supporters from which to chose.  Though, on a completely selfish self-promoting note, I’d like to point out that Ms. Alex Bookless’ libation has a very special, and delicious, ingredient.

Vote Here

Joe Riley, Coursey of Jenn Larsen

Our friend Jenn Larsen, who has been writing a We Love Drinks series over at We Love DC, has just written a piece on Joe Riley.  If you are a regular reader of Scofflaw’s Den, you know that we buy most of our spirits from Joe at Ace Beverage.  Joe is an awesome guy, a wealth of knowledge, and a great friend to the DC cocktail community.  Jenn does a wonderful job in her article and even has a few quotes from some of DC’s top drink slingers and one enthusiastic boob.

I’ll let you figure out who’s who.

Cheers!

Thought folks would like to know about this.  According to the Distilled Spirits Counsel of the United States,

NEWS RELEASE by The Distilled Spirits Council (DISCUS)

RICHMOND, VA – In a strong move toward modernizing Virginia’s alcohol laws, Republican Governor Bob McDonnell signed legislation knocking down a decades-old ban on liquor tasting events at ABC stores, according to the Distilled Spirits Council (DISCUS) which said the bill modernized an outdated law that had only allowed for beer and wine tastings.

House Bill 952, sponsored by Delegate S. Chris Jones, gives adult consumers the opportunity to sample up to three separate one-half ounce servings of spirits in any one calendar day at a pre-planned tasting event.

“In today’s economy it’s more important than ever to give customers the tools to make better purchasing decisions,” said DISCUS Vice President David Wojnar, noting that tastings are controlled events that must first be approved by the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. “Most consumers wouldn’t purchase a nice $40-$50 bottle of Scotch if they’ve never tasted it. Repealing the ban on spirits tastings is a great, modern convenience for Virginians that ultimately helps Virginia’s bottom line.”

HB 952 passed the House on February 12 by a count of 75-17 and the Senate on February 23 by a vote of 31-9. Governor McDonnell signed the bill into law yesterday and it takes effect July 1, 2010.

Forty-three states currently allow some form of spirits tasting. Thirty-one states, including Virginia, now allow spirits tastings at off-premise establishments, Wojnar noted.

The Distilled Spirits Council is the trade association representing producers and marketers of distilled spirits sold in the United States.
Website: http://www.distilledspirits.org
Contact: Ben Jenkins, Distilled Spirits Council
bjenkins@discus.org or (202) 682-8840

Well, maybe the prehistoric blue laws of the Commonwealth are actually crumbling into modernity.  One can only hope!

Cheers!