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Call It the 'Slow-Drink Movement'
Adam Bernbach is behind the unique creations featured each Tuesday night at Bar Pilar.
(By Michael Temchine For The Washington Post)
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"Luckily, we were able to come down [to the other end of the bar] and get a drink [from the other bartender]," Jacobs said later. He lives a few blocks north of Bar Pilar and used to be more of a regular. "It was better before it went upscale. I don't know who they're trying to attract."
The answer, Bernbach says, is cocktail aficionados. "Spirits and the bar-going industry have become more focused on 'we're going to meet up and hang out,' and the cocktails have been pushed to the margin a bit. I think the appreciation is returning," he says.
PX founder Todd Thrasher has been pushing that message for several years. "All the good things in life take time," he explains, and the creations that Thrasher and bartender Clinton Terry whip up are certainly some of the best things around. Look no further than the rich, smoky Sherlock Holmes, a recent addition that mixes Laphroaig scotch, Lapsang souchong tea and lemon balm, or the milkshake-like Irish Flip, which combines Powers Irish whiskey, cream, sugar and eggs. It's shaken vigorously before fresh nutmeg is zested onto the bubbly crown.
Thrasher's vivid imagination leads to complex drinks: Racks of jars behind the bar contain flavored bitters, lavender syrup, raw tobacco (for the Smoker's Delight cocktail) and more, and raw eggs show up in a half-dozen menu items. Not surprisingly, they take time, so expect to wait as long as 10 minutes for a pair of drinks. The PX's intimate size (only 40 seats in three rooms) and strict reservations-suggested policy help keep waiting times down.
PX doesn't use mixes, cheap brands or even any name-brand liquor that doesn't live up to Thrasher's exacting standards. (When he found a vodka he liked better than Grey Goose, he had no qualms about kicking the better-known bottle off the shelf.) The high-end ingredients are why most cocktails on PX's menu are $12; champagne cocktails are $16.
Thrasher says his philosophy about cocktails was developed while working under award-winning chefs Jos� Andr�s at Cafe Atlantico and Cathal Armstrong at Restaurant Eve. (Thrasher also serves as Restaurant Eve's general manager and sommelier.) "A lot of people believe in cutting back the steps or taking shortcuts to save time, but chefs don't do that to get food out faster, so I don't think I should do that, either.
"I want to make the best cocktail you've ever had in your life," Thrasher adds. "But I can't rush that."
Bar Pilar 1833 14th St. NW Phone:202-265-1751 Cocktail Sessions: Tuesdays from 5 to 2 PX 728 King St., Alexandria (Entrance on South Columbus Street) Phone:703-299-8384 Bar Pilar 1833 14th St. NW Phone:202-265-1751 Cocktail Sessions: Tuesdays from 5 to 2 PX 728 King St., Alexandria (Entrance on South Columbus Street) Phone:703-299-8384
