Bars

Town Patio’s “4000 square foot outdoor space” open six days a week

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photos courtesy Town Danceboutique

“Town Danceboutique, Shaw’s iconic Gay super-club, at the corner of 8th and U, has opened a brand new stunning outdoor Patio this year. The expansive 4000 square foot outdoor space is a remarkably unique, comfortable, and an amazingly appointed outdoor full service bar serving drinks six days a week (closed Mondays). There are multiple draft beer selections, a fully stocked bar, (and, at times, an on premise food truck with it’s service window right on the Patio.) The Patio is open during the week (Tuesday-Thursday) at 6pm for happy hour and evening drinks, at 2pm on Saturdays and Sundays for daytime fun in the sun, and of course, the Patio is open on Friday and Saturday nights to create an even more dynamic, multi-faceted experience at Town. Tuesdays are Yappy Hour – a special event for guests that want to bring their dogs and enjoy the happy hour specials.

The Patio’s extensive landscaping, misting system, and bar design provides relief on hotter days…and multiple heating units make it comfortable on cooler spring and fall nights. In addition to landscaping that includes Crepe Myrtle and Japanese Elm trees, the Patio was designed using re-purposed, 100 year old barn wood from the midwest and 100 year old ceiling beams that were salvaged from the newly renovated Chocolate Factory downtown.

In a city that loves it’s outdoor bar spaces, the Town Patio is a special place with a unique design, an easygoing staff, and a perfect location.”

From the photos it looks like it’s already become a moderately popular spot…

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Legendary Zoo Bar’s Owner Diagnosed with Cancer; Bar in Danger of Closing; Daughter Launches Fundraiser

By Prince Of Petworth

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3000 Connecticut Ave, NW right across the street from the Zoo

Incredibly sad news out of Woodley Park. From Go Fund Me:

“Cheers, a place where everyone knows your name…

The Cheers show familiarized the world with the idea of a bar creating a sense of community and home. My father Steve McKinney, made this a reality in his own hometown of Washington DC with the Zoo Bar in Woodley Park DC.

Sadly, in one fell swoop both the livelihood of the Zoo Bar and my father are jeopardized after a double diagnosis of cancer – a reoccurrence of Liposarcoma in his leg and Leukemia (AML). The treatments and course for recovery would be tough on anyone, but for a bar owner who also bartends and who is not able to walk or stand strongly, one can only assume the complications and the need to ask for help.

What makes my father, Steve, and the Zoo Bar a special case is his dedication to the community and an even more special niche, the Blues community. The Zoo Bar has been a haven for Blues musicians in the Washington area to “jam” in a weekly open mic night and for bands to headline each weekend. As a customer…this is all free of charge. The Zoo Bar has remained in business for 15 years offering live music free of charge, FREE! This has been made possible because of dedication and compassion…My 61 year old father bartending 3 nights a week and using tip money to keep the bar a float.

Between the doctor’s bills and loss of revenue from not being able to work at the bar, Steve needs your help. His savings has been exhausted, credit cards are maxed out. Thousands have been spent on deductibles and co-pays, even from the initial cancer 2 years prior. All of this on top of an increased loss of business at the bar.. extreme DC weather, changing dynamic of the city and increased costs.

Without this help the bar will have to close – locals will be left without a home, Blues musicians will lose income they received from playing at the bar, the community will be lost.

Please help Steve and help keep the Zoo Bar and Blues music community stay alive!”

You can donate here.

Another Peek Inside The Royal now Open in LeDroit Park (closed today but open again tomorrow)

By Prince Of Petworth

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501 Florida Ave, NW

The Royal looking good! Thanks to a reader for sending. Please note that The Royal is “closed today, but will be open tomorrow at 7am for coffee, and dinner/cocktails later that afternoon!”

Anyone else take a taste last night?

“The drinks were fantastic. The blue is AGUARDIENTE PUNCH with blackberry, vanilla, cassis, citrus; the orange is ROYAL CUP with ford’s gin, cucumber, strawberry, ginger beer, the martini-style one was PASSION OF THE SPICE with milagro blanco tequila, jalapeno, passionfruit, lime. Innovative cocktails!”

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Classic Video Game Tournament at Ivy & Coney Tonight

By Prince Of Petworth

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From an email:

“Ivy and Coney is hosting an old school video game tournament on our sweet arcade system. Think Mortal Kombat, NBA Jams, NHL 94. Everything is sponsored by PBR. There’s March giveaways, tickets to shows, beer specials, etc. Should be awesome.”

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1537 7th Street, NW

First Taste of Mt. Defiance’s Local Absinthe at Libertine, Wednesday

By Prince Of Petworth

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From an email:

“First Taste of Mt. Defiance’s Local Absinthe at Libertine, Wednesday, June 24

Join Libertine, Mt. Defiance Cidery & Distillery, and Brian Robinson from the Wormwood Society for a first taste of local distiller, Mt. Defiance’s absinthe, Wednesday, June 24th, starting at 6:30 pm. Mr. Robinson heads the national Wormwood Society and will give a fun history lesson on absinthe while we imbibe.

Mt. Defiance is located in Middleburg, Virginia, making this the region’s first local absinthe. Mt. Defiance’s absinthe will be prepared in the traditional method, using ice-cold water dripped through a sugar cube. Or try it in a Sazarac, or a special absinthe cocktail that Jessie, the Libertine General Manager, will concoct for that evening. Special prices for these drinks and a light food menu will be offered.

After Mt. Defiance opened its cider tasting room last August, they expanded to a second tasting room for spirits in January. Their spirits product line began with rum and apple brandy, but has since expanded to apple liqueur, almond liqueur, and most recently, Absinthe!

Come on out and support local craft distilling and the growing Absinthe movement in America.

First Taste of Mt. Defiance’s Local Absinthe
Wednesday, June 24, 6:30 – 9:00 pm
Libertine
2435 18th St NW“

The Twisted Horn, coming to Petworth, Popping Up at Hank’s Oyster Bar in Dupont starting July 1st

By Prince Of Petworth

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819 Upshur Street, NW

From a press release:

“Chef/Owner Jamie Leeds is thrilled to present an exclusive look at her newest concept, The Twisted Horn, starting July 1st at the Up Bar located at Hank’s Oyster Bar & Lounge, 1624 Q St NW, D.C., 20009. From 10PM-Close every Wednesday of July, the second floor bar area will transform into The Twisted Horn Pop-Up for guests to sample the beverage program’s anticipated offerings. The crew behind the newest venture, led by General Manager Megan Coyle, just couldn’t wait any longer to start slinging craft drinks and small bites.

The pop-up will feature flavorful creations including the Louisiana Purchase (Cognac, Dry & Red Vermouth, Muddled Cucumber, Benedictine) as well as variations of classics similar to the Saboteur Sling (a take on the Singapore Sling, using savory Jalapeño & Ramp Infused Gin to balance the sweetness of the original cocktail). Microlocal snacks such as Gordy’s Pickle Jar, alongside various cheeses and charcuterie from The Twisted Horn’s menu will also be available.

Following the weekly pop-up, the permanent space is slated to open this fall at 819 Upshur Street NW in the Petworth neighborhood of The District. The seasonally driven drink list and menu will rely heavily on locally sourced and housemade ingredients to elevate the neighborhood bar into a craft cocktail experience.”

Drink City Vol. 3 – Van Hillard

By Prince Of Petworth

Drink City is written by Beau Finley.  This post originally appeared on DC Focused

Van Hillard has served drinks under a number of aliases around the District: Dr. Clock, Mr. MiG (of MiG Bar), and Hassan (of Hassan’s Rumpus Room). Ever elliptical, he currently serves as the heart and soul of the surreal, atmospheric upstairs of Adams Morgan’s Rendezvous Lounge, colloquially known as Dr. Clock’s Nowhere Bar. Drink City is a series of snapshots of people in the D.C. area who are invested in D.C.’s drinking culture.

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What brought you to D.C.?

Tunes and a desire for a new homebase. I was playing with a band out of the South and we were routinely trekking up and down the East Coast. D.C. made for a decent place to pop a squat for a little while—this was about 12 years ago. I’m cozily mired here now and too lazy to uproot anytime soon.

How long have you been bartending in the city?

Since day 3 of arrival (circa 2003 via an ad in the City Paper). It was initially at some jerky little joint that has long since kicked the bucket. Bartending off and on ever since, but profoundly on for the last four years.

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The interest in classic cocktails and craft beer has exploded in D.C. over the past few years – what sorts of trends have you noticed lately?

There’s interest aplenty [in classic cocktails] here in D.C. for sure, however I don’t go too nutso with it. The bar is itty bitty so I’m a wee restricted. I’ll generally stock a few user-friendly “quantity” beers but my selection mainly consists of chewable brews from around the DC area. Sans kegerator at the bar, so I only deal with breweries that offer bottles/cans. Port City, DC Brau, and Flying Dog are all within slingshot distance and have a sturdy set of options in the quality suds department.

As for classic cocktails, I’ve taken a few of them and given them a shave and a haircut, for example your Old Fashioned would be my Curmudgeon (fresh OJ instead of the orange, rye, dash of creme de almond, sugar, bitters).

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What sorts of things would you like to see in D.C. in the coming years?

Perhaps I’ve read too many Philip K. Dick books and/or watched too much Lynch and Godard, but without compromising the fundamentals (see: booze/beer), I adore the feeling of creating something that seems at times, outside of time and space, and the cozy camaraderie that revelers generate among themselves as a result of this feeling. I never come in and simply press *play* – the disposition of the bar (small, somewhat hidden) shifts with each bag of bones that comes through the door. There are a number of tiny elements that, if discreetly manipulated, can create a supremely unique environment. In short, I treat the place like an extension of my psyche, for better or worse.

[I prefer] a decent balance between some low-grade fundamentals (canned campin’ beer/stiff & surly rail drinks) and some fun, out there options to keep it interesting.

(See: Needle Trax: lemonade, Blue Coat gin, dash of absinthe). (more…)

Meet New Belgium’s Lead Brewer Pat Murfin and Tap Takeover at Nanny’s Tonight

By Prince Of Petworth

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3319 Connecticut Avenue, NW

From an email:

“Join us at Nannys Thursday June 18th from 7-9pm as we host New Belgium Lead Brewer Pat Murfin and the DC Homebrewers. Pat, hired at New Belgium in 2001 and a former homebrew store owner from South Carolina, and moderators John Fleury of DCist & Aaron Morrisey of DC Beer will field questions from the audience on topics ranging from brewing in small spaces to the production of sour and hoppy beers. On tap will be the rarely seen on the East Coast Sunshine Wheat, the venerable Fat Tire, Summer seasonal Snapshot Wheat, easy drinking Slow Ride Session IPA, the sour brown behemoth La Folie, hoppy Ranger IPA, and a little bit of both of the last two in the form of Hop Tart. Additionally there will be a homebrew IPA competition with guest judges and prizes for the top 3 winners. Hop(e)m to see you then!”

New Tavern Coming to Logan Circle

By Prince Of Petworth

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1410 14th Street, NW

The bizarre mish mash of Black Whiskey, Jrink and Abitissimi Fashion Room is adding another (or replacing one of ’em) according to a liquor license placard posted out front for an as yet unnamed new tavern:

“New Tavern offering live entertainment and dancing.  Total occupancy load is 132.  Summer Garden with seating for 46 patrons.”

Updates when more is known and/or a new group joins the eclectic mix.

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