An online speakeasy of potent potables and other pabulam.

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

Scofflaws Den has paired up with start-up Bookalokal?to offer some very intimate cocktail classes throughout the summer. And before you start getting all hot and bothered, by intimate we mean small. Classes will be a maximum of 4 guests who will get to spend a couple of hours with our chief class instructor Marshall drinking and discussing cocktails, spirits and history. The classes will be very laid back and provide attendees the chance to delve into the subject matter with very little distractions (except for the sound of cocktails being shaken!)

Bookalokal?is a company that connects local experts in various cities with people who want to experience local flavors, dishes, drinks or meals in a safe, comfortable environment. It’s free to sign up and you only pay the price of the event you want to attend. The hosts are verified by a Bookalokal employee so you can be certain you won’t sign up for an Evening with Indian Food and find a BDSM torture chamber instead.

We have scheduled three classes so far. Below are the descriptions of these classes.

Basics of Bitters
Most bars worth their salt have at least one kind of cocktail bitters on their back bar. But what are bitters? Why use them? Why does there seem to be a hundred different kinds on the market nowadays? If you enjoy cocktails and have always wondered about the mysterious dashes and drops your bartender is adding to that drink, this class will let you in on the secret! Learn the history of cocktail bitters, how and why they are used, and taste several different types of bitters. You’ll also get to try three cocktails where the use of bitters is not only called for, but essential. For those who wish to try their hand at making bitters at home, we’ll also discuss how to go about starting, what you’ll need and how long the process takes.

Home Bartending Basics
Come learn how to stir, shake and muddle your way to a successful cocktail party! You will learn the techniques of making cocktails, how to stock your home bar, and three recipes to show off your new talents. Oh, and the professional tools you use to practice your new skills? Yeah, you get to keep those! This class is a must for anyone wanting to throw a cocktail party!

Welcome to the Tiki Lounge
Summer is here and what better way to celebrate than relax with an icy, fruity, boozy tiki drink? This summer when you invite friends and family over for a cook-out and some drinks, throw in a touch of Polynesian flair by serving the best tiki drinks around! Learn the history of tiki drinks, the tricks to making them and hot Tiki became synonymous with Americana. And probably light things on fire.

Due to the limited seating in these classes, if there is demand, we will repeat them throughout the summer. We also plan on offering additional classes on various subjects and will let you know about those here and on Twitter.

Please click here for dates, times and cost of these classes.?

We hope to see you soon! Cheers!

Ragtime!

Before I even moved up to the northern Virginia area, I knew Ragtime – it was the bar we always seemed to end up at in Courthouse around 1 AM, just before last call, with a “surprise” tray of shots and a hangover the next day. Indeed, that reputation stuck with me for a while after moving to NoVA, mostly courteous of one friend who was always giving his number to the servers.

When I moved into Courthouse, though, I discovered that it’s actually a fantastic bar – not just because it’s a WVU Mountaineers bar (which made my parents happy when we went there just after my move) but because of a great staff and a constantly improving beer selection. I’ve been there hundreds of times (according to Foursquare, nearly 400 times) and probably had just about everything on the menu.

The one thing I never really drank, though, were the mixed drinks, with just two exceptions. One was when they did a martini night, and I could get a nice big glass of cold gin with extra vermouth for cheap. The other was the infamous (to us) pomegranate martini, which despite being called a martini was based off tequila. We (we being the guys) would go to Ragtime claiming girlfriends/wives wanted the pomegranate martini, but really we’d end up drinking lots of them. They were kind of addictive.

The latest restaurant by the same owners had a more focused cocktail program and Ragtime went through a time of doing flavored liquors, but still I was surprised recently when they announced their new cocktail program, focusing on classic drinks and fresh ingredients, including squeezed to order juices and housemade syrups such as orgeat. I, of course, needed to check this out as soon as I could, on a night when I wasn’t doing something stupid like drinking two or three pitchers of Blue Point Toasted Lager.

Death in the Afternoon

Fortunately, I got my chance last night finally when I was meeting a friend there (like I’m going to drink all nine cocktails in one night!).

The first thing that really surprised me was the cost of the drinks. The most expensive drink on the menu was $10, and most were $7-$8. In this town that’s a steal! But still, I’d have to try them first. Just to note: I wasn’t sitting at the actual bar, but at a high top near it. I could see the bartenders making my drinks, but I did not notice brands being used.

Death in the Afternoon – $8 – absinthe, lemon, simple syrup, champagne. I’ve had these before and never been a huge fan, but this one hit me just right – the absinthe taste was prominent, and I’m not a fan of absinthe for the most part, but the combination worked out really well. It was served in a traditional champagne coupe (see right) and was exactly the drink I needed to start off the night.

Vieux Carre

Vieux Carre – $10 (only $10 drink on the menu) – rye, cognac, Dolin Rouge, green Chartreuse, Angostura, Peychauds, lemon. First off, I was glad to see Dolin listed! That’s my favorite vermouth. As you can see in the picture, it’s served over one large ice cube and felt like a substantial drink (I did not measure, so that’s why I said “felt like”). I sipped off the top first and wasn’t impressed but liked it more as I drank out of the straw. For me, personally, it could’ve used a bit more bitters in it, but I also know the environment they’re working in – a super-bitter drink probably ain’t gonna work in a sports bar. (Really, the fact that they’re doing this menu at all is amazing and exciting to me, and makes me even more excited about football season!)

Unfortunately, they were out of mint, so the?mint julep and the?Queen’s Park Swizzle weren’t available (the latter being my next choice). So let’s stick with Hemingway!

Hemingway Daiquiri and Pimm’s Cup No. 1

Hemingway Daiquiri – $8 – white rum, maraschino, grapefruit, lime, simple syrup. This came out well-balanced as well, with a solid taste of maraschino in the back end that I thought brought the whole thing together nicely. My companion didn’t agree, as she felt it tasted more alcohol-y, but I’ve grown an appreciation for the taste of maraschino recently. It’s very easy for maraschino to overwhelm a drink so someone newer to those flavors might be hesitant at the flavor but I think after a drink or two they would really enjoy it.

My friend got a Pimm’s Cup.

Pimm’s Cup No. 1 – $7 – Pimms, rosemary syrup, lemon, ginger beer, garden garnish. Yes, technically the “Pimm’s Cup No. 1″ is the name of the liqueur in the drink, as Pimm’s makes a few varieties (which you really can’t get any but #1 in the US). I’ve never had one with rosemary syrup in it and at first was hesitant, but I grew to like it – it gave it a dry herbaciousness (is that a word?) which I think would make it more easily drinkable in quantity on a hot summer day than a sweeter version may be, though it still had a sweetness to it.

…and with that, I switched back to Toasted Lager, because I didn’t really need more liquor.

Tomorrow (Friday, May 30th) at 7 PM in the back bar they’ll be releasing some barrel-aged cocktails: Basil Hayden Manhattans and Makers 46 Sazeracs. I’m going to try to swing by because I’d like to see how they come out, so say hi if you see me!

– ?SeanMike

Back in the day, when Mr. Fawley and I were still, let’s say, “learning how to drink” at Mr. Jefferson’s University, the traditional drink was bourbon and Coke. (No, it HAD to be Coke. If you EVER say “bourbon and Pepsi” I swear to god I will get very angry in my mind and think less of you than I already do.) There was quite the debate about whether one should use Diet Coke or regular, and some people added extra stuff (amaretto, even peach schnapps by some damn strange folks), but that was the big thing. Sometimes we’d feel fancy and do bourbon and ginger ale.

Well, that’s a whole lotta sodas!

I don’t remember when I stopped mixing with sodas for the most part, but by the time we started this here site I didn’t really do it a lot. That doesn’t mean others don’t – my brother, for instance, and my dad are big fans of it. I’ve also tried to cut back on most of my sodas with the whole “diabetes” thing I’ve gotta deal with.

The other night one of my friends I play Borderlands 2 with online asked about what to mix with his bottles of Bulleit and Eagle Rare. “Don’t mix the Bulleit!” I cried, but he pointed out that he wanted something he could drink for a while. I thought about it a bit and said, hey, this could make a post.

Let’s break them down a bit by types of soda, really.

Ginger Beer – man, I do love me some good ginger beer. Bourbon and ginger beer is a great combo, in my opinion. Obviously, the traditional however is rum and ginger beer (plus a bit of lime, and you’ve got yourself a stew a Dark and Stormy). With vodka, that’s a Moscow Mule, and if you’re a type of drinker who doesn’t dig on the taste of alcohol that might be the way to go – or use a lighter ginger beer/ale, like Q.

Cola – There are so many colas out there that this can be problematic. The Fentiman’s CherryTree cola is dying for some rye, in my opinion, but I don’t know if I’d mix their Curiousity Cola (I do like to give it to non-drinkers, as it’s quite delicious). Obviously, the “…and Coke” combo is a common one, and unless you’re still in college, I don’t want to hear about vodka and Pepsi. I would consider white whiskey and RC cola, but only if you eat a Moon Pie with it too (which I have done). Fernet and Coke is a popular South American combo.

Root Beer and Cream Soda – Spiced Rum. Or most kinds of rum.

Various specialty sodas – Now here’s where it gets fun. Vanilla bean soda? I’d do bourbon, or dark rum. Victorian lemonade? Bourbon for a riff off the “Lynchburg Lemonade”. Cola made with coffee? Spiced rum or maybe tequila or Mezcal.

Sprite or other lemon-lime sodas – Well, you can make SpriTequilas, but you better be good at your mixology game. Also try gin, Pimm’s and gin, or Calvados.

Soda water – Don’t make me punch you in the throat. Really. Asking me a question like that. Just add bitters to it, I GUESS.

What combos do you like? Comment to me on Facebook or on Twitter!