An online speakeasy of potent potables and other pabulam.

I’m guessing not here since we’ve been a bit remiss on posting as often as we’d like. We’re working on it, honest!

But things I’ve done lately:

• Cigar Advisor revamped as an online magazine. You’ll see something from me in their July issue. But they’re doing tasting competitions with a great deal on the cigars involved, and I did my first round last night. It was a J Fuego Origen Original versus a Schizo 60 versus a Trocadero Honore. The Original was good, though quite a tight draw, and unlabeled which made it hard to figure out which one it was at first. I liked the Honore at first, but it had an interesting spice taste that got a bit old after a while. The Schizo 60 was just a solid cigar, and so I voted for it.
• And it looks my “raccoon traps” – bowls with rags soaked in ammonia – are working to keep the bugger away from me!
• Plum Deluxe posted an article I wrote about upgrading your bar. Read it and comment about it on Facebook should you desire!
• If you know me, you know I like beer. That being said, I am now boycotting Rogue. It started with them suing some NOLA bartenders after they dared name their book “Rogue Cocktails” and now they’re suing a local restaurant, Rogue 24. That’s Not Cool, Rogue.
• Next Friday DC Toasts salutes African-American bartenders. You should go. I will be there. It will be fun.
• Just an FYI: Looks like neither Marshall nor I will be attending Tales this year. It’s sad, but it will be good for my wallet. I will probably write more at length on the biggest reason I’ve decided against going later, but if you’ve read my coverage from previous years (especially 2011) you can probably guess the gist of it.

Well, that’s about it for now. If you’re looking for a good brunch spot, go bug our fellow scofflaw Anthony at Beuchert’s Saloon. Order many Ramos Gin Fizzes and mimosas. Try the oxtail gravy and biscuits, because I haven’t yet but they look fantastic!

This week Eater DC has declared it their Cocktail Week. As such, they are devoting this week’s coverage to all things boozy in DC aka Drink City.

As part of their coverage they interviewed yours truly on the subject of cocktail bitters. Click here to head over and give it a read.

FIRST OFF: If you haven’t heard by now, legendary bar man Murray Stenson (left, photo courtesy John Keatley) is having heart issues. You can go to MurrayAID.org to find out more information. Locally, the Passenger will be having a benefit for him on November 5th, 5 PM to close. 10% of revenues and 100% of all tips will go towards his medical bills as Murray, like many folks in the industry, does not have health insurance.

I’ll leave the political comments off of the blog, but I will say one thing: the next day is the election, so you can go to the Passenger, booze it up, go to work late the next day and tell your boss “I was voting”. I can’t do that, because I voted early, but if you also vote early, you’ll have the sticker to prove it!

I’m just saying.

(And a special hint: both Brown brothers are supposed to be behind the bar, along with JP Featherston and Alex Bookless, so really, get your butt in there and drink yo’ face off. IT’S FOR CHARITY!)

Second, in the spirit of giving, the Passenger hosted our five year anniversary party a couple of weeks ago. We raised a couple of hundred bucks for our charities (the Museum of the American Cocktail and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation) and had an overall great time. Many thanks to our sponsors: The Passenger, Chartreuse and Edinburgh Gin, Whisked Bakery, Diep 9 genever, Catoctin Creek, and Chairman’s Reserve Rum.

Now my drink came in second to Marshall’s in voting, but since Hurricane Sandy is about to give our area a punch to the nose, it seems appropriately named and timed for me to give you my drink.

Dark Storms Travelling Slowly
2 ounces Chairman’s Reserve Rum (gold)
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1/4 ounce allspice dram
2 dashes Bittermens Hellfire Habanero Shrub
Shake ingredients together and pour into a highball glass unstrained. Top with two parts ginger beer, one part soda water. Garnish with a wheel of lime.

(Also see this news article for the origins of the acronym I used.)

Yes, it says “whiskey” here but they insist it’s “whisky”.

Third, also in the spirit of giving, thanks to Joe at Taylor Strategy I was sent a sample of George Dickel rye whisky. (No “e”! Except on the sample bottle. Oops!)

The aroma out of the bottle was nice. Kind of sweet. I poured some into a glass and tried it straight.

It’s … different than a lot of ryes I’ve had. My very first taste, I liked it at first, then the after taste I did not care for. However, my second and third tastes I liked a lot better, and got the impression it has a different over all “build” to the taste than a lot of ryes have. I haven’t played with it in a cocktail yet but I’ll probably make a Manhattan and/or a Sazerac at some point this weekend OH MY GOODNESS I FORGOT TO STOCK UP ON VERMOUTH BEFORE THE FRANKENSTORM I HOPE THERE IS STILL SOME TOMORROW AT THE STORE!

(Any rumors that I might have also done a “Gangnam Style” tasting, dancing around in my house with no pants on and listening to the song while drinking Dickel rye out of the sample bottle, may be completely and utterly true.)

So I’m off to finish preparing for Sandy’s vengeful wrath upon DC. Have a great weekend everyone! And hopefully see you November 5th!

This has been a week of site announcements! We’ve added a contributing authors page to the Den for friends who would like to share their thoughts on cocktails, mixology, the DC restaurant/bar scene, cigars, etc.

I’d like to introduce everyone to our first contributing author Ashley Schmidt. Ashley, meet everyone. Everyone, meet Ashley.

Ashley is a bartender at Jack Rose Dining Saloon in Washington, DC and will be contributing articles on Scofflaws Den from time to time. She’ll be writing about her experiences behind a small intimate cocktail bar and a faster paced high-volume cocktail bar. She’s also free to share her thoughts on cocktails, spirits and mixology in general. Here is her bio:

Ashley is a craft cocktail bartender at Jack Rose Dining Saloon in Washington DC.  How did this all begin?  She started as a shot girl on the weekends at Martini Bar in Florida and slowly worked herself up the ranks as customers took to her charm and charisma for life. Her love for craft cocktails began in Washington DC at a small craft cocktail den on Mount Pleasant Street called Last Exit.  It was here she learned the art of mixing cocktails and gained understanding of the meticulousness of each spirit’s essence. This neighborhood bar gave her the time to practice and create.  Almost a year later she would approach Jack Rose Dining Saloon to begin a new chapter in her bartending:: mixing craft cocktails and catering to high volume patrons.

Her love for bartending can be related to her love for the world of science.  In her mind, creating cocktails is like understanding the art of science; it needs to be appreciated and understood done to the smallest nitty gritty details.  Having an academic background, with a masters from Tulane in public health, she currently works another job in the pursuit of a global health career as well.  Ashley has a love for helping people and making life more beautiful along the way.  Bottoms up and cheers to discovering a whole new world.