DC Whiskey: Jack Rose

I've been to whiskey bars, but Jack Rose is beyond a whiskey bar; it's a temple.  Located on the edge of the hip Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington DC, the walls of this spacious "dining saloon" are stacked high with bottles.

The pickings are broad and deep.  Malt whisky advisor Roberto Cofino has done an amazing job of stocking the single malt selection with over 1,000 malts.  It's one of the few drinking establishments in the US that offers Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottlings (of which it has many), and there are countless rare independent bottlings from every region of Scotland.

The American whiskey selection is equally impressive, as could be expected given that the Saloon has two sister establishments that specialize in bourbon.  Among the 500 or so American whiskeys on the shelf, of particular interest to the true geeks are the proprietary bottlings of Willett's from KBD, including the vaunted 1983/1984 rye whiskeys from the old Bernheim distillery.  They had some of the renowned Doug Phillips bottlings, the Red Hook Rye from LeNell's and their own bottling, known as the Iron Fist (they also have a corresponding Velvet Glove but were out of it the night I visited).

How many bars can you walk into an order a 1960s era Old Fitzgerald from the Stitzel-Weller distillery?  You can at Jack's.

Prices were surprisingly reasonable for what they sell, and best of all, they offer one ounce pours for half the price of regular two ounce pours (those old Willett ryes went for $30 for a one ounce pour).  In addition, if you order your whiskey neat, they offer a choice of glasses:  tumbler, Glencairn or snifter.  This is a bar made for whiskey geeks.

If you are anywhere within 3,000 miles of Jack Rose, you have no excuse not to go there.

Jack Rose Dining Saloon
2007 18th Street NW
Washington, DC  20009
(202) 588-7388

Prohibition Era Pupusas? Jaragua and The Copper Still

The Restaurant

Jaragua is an impressive looking orange adobe building on Beverly Boulevard west of Normandie. When it first opened a few years ago, I found it pretty unexceptional. Over the years, though, it's managed to really pick up its game. It's great to see a restaurant get better rather than worse over time.

The menu is pretty standard Salvadoran but everything is done well. I like the pupusas revueltas (with just pork and cheese) which are well stuffed such that every bite yields a lava-like flow of porky/cheesy goodness. They do a good pan con pavo (the traditional Salvadoran turkey sandwich), nicely fried yuca and they have salpicon, the dish of minced beef, mint and onions that is the Salvadoran equivalent of Thai larp. It's also a really nice place to sit and have a family meal, which is not something that can be said of all Salvadoran restaurants. It's definitely worth checking out.


The Bar

There has long been a bar at the back of the restaurant, and I usually glance at it and find it, like the restaurant in olden days, pretty unexceptional, just a basic bar that never seems open, probably reserved for a later crowd who wants standard well drinks, sort of like the bar in every dim sum place in the San Gabriel Valley.

So I usually just ignore the thing, but the last time I came in for dinner, I glanced back and saw a bottle of Cynar prominently displayed on the shelf. Cynar is an Italian artichoke liqueur that is popular among the mixology crowd, but not something I expected to see at the long neglected Jaragua backbar. Seeing this, I scanned the shelf: WhistlePig Rye, Redemption Rye, creme de violette a host of bitters, a pot of fresh herbs. Something was amiss.

I strolled back and met Nancy Kwon, the new beverage director for the bar who said they were going to be renaming it the Copper Still and were already open from 8:00 pm to 2:00 am on Fridays and Saturdays, with a focus on prohibition era cocktails (natch!). While they are putting up a partition to separate the bar from the restaurant, you'll still be able to get pupusas at the bar, sort of like the Kibitz Room at Canter's, though without the divey feel.

I was there for an early dinner so I didn't get to try any cocktails, but I like the look of the place and it's a nice addition to the neighborhood, which doesn't have much in the way of craft bars. I'll report back once I check it out.


Jaragua & The Copper Still
4493 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90004
(323) 661-1985

Vegas Journal: Whiskey & Chips at Delmonico

I always try to sniff out a good whiskey list while in Vegas. Last year, the best I found was the excellent bar at CraftSteak in the MGM. This trip I was staying further up the Strip, but found a very good whiskey selection at Delmonico Steakhouse in the Venetian, an Emeril Lagasse restaurant.

The Delmonico whiskey list didn't include the absurdly upscale rarities that CraftSteak had (e.g. Macallan Lalique and malts from the '30s) or the selection of independent bottlings, but it had a very nice selection of currently available distillery bottled whiskeys. The list, kept in a small binder and divided by country and region, included at least a half dozen Springbanks and all of the currently available Ardbegs (including the Alligator). The American whiskeys included the complete lines of Van Winkle (including the 23 year old decanter) and High West. Prices at Delmonico are fairly reasonable for Vegas, and the bar staff was friendly but not that engaging about the whiskey list.

And if you sit at the bar, grab an order of the homemade truffle parmesan potato chips, which are possibly the world's best bar snack. The chips are thin cut and covered with crumbled parm. The truffle flavor is probably from a jar, but it's just lightly sprinkled and not drowned in truffle oil like so many other dishes. Each bite gives you crunchy chip, salty cheese and a bit of truffle funk....good stuff.

Whiskey Wednesday: Vegas Whiskey at Craftsteak

While I report on my Las Vegas food adventures, I wanted to give a shout out to the best whiskey bar I found on my trip. On a great tip from my colleagues at the LA Whisk(e)y Society, I headed to Tom Colicchio's Craftsteak at the MGM Grand. (You can read about the Society's decadent whiskey paired meal here).

Craftsteak has and excellent list of single malts, divided by region, as well as a very impressive selection of American whiskeys. The bartenders are helpful and will even let you nose the bottle prior to making your decision. The whiskey menu is quite varied, but includes some great deals; I found a 16 year old cask strength Mortlach bottled by James MacArthur's Old Master's for only $17.

There is also a lovely glass case of extremely rare and expensive whiskies, including some distilled in the 1930s, and while I didn't partake, they were fun to look at.

So if you're in Vegas and wanting some fine whiskey, head to Craftsteak, and I hear the food isn't bad either.

Whiskey Wednesday: LA's Best Whiskey Bar - The Daily Pint

I've complained fairly regularly that Los Angeles is short on places to drink quality whiskey. I can count on one hand the number of bars or restaurants that stock more than ten single malts. The opening of Seven Grand downtown gave us the first new bar in quite a while to have a substantial collection, but even Seven Grand's hyped whiskey list pales in comparison to a dingy bar in Santa Monica with great chops for Scotch...the Daily Pint.

Set on Pico Boulevard near the intersection of 23rd Street, right next to the Lazy Daisy cafe is the Daily Pint. Whereas Seven Grand is all kitchy, hipster simulacrum, the Daily Pint reeks of authenticity. It's medium sized for a bar, with a couple of tables, a few pool tables and a row of seats along the bar. As you sit at the bar, a long wooden shelf over your head is filled with Scotch bottles.

The Daily Pint has what I estimated to be a couple hundred Scotches, including a number of independent bottlings. There was an impressive range with a little something for everyone, though the Islay selection was less prominent than that of other regions (not a single Bruichladdich on the menu). Still, there was plenty to choose from, the atmosphere was relaxed and the bartender was attentive and polite without being overbearing. Prices range from as low as $8 for Sheep Dip (a vatted malt) to as high as $95 or $100 for older offerings.

In addition to malts, the Pint has a vast selection of beers on draught (it is the Daily Pint after all, not the Daily Dram) and a fifteen or so Irish whiskies, which is more than you'll find at most places.

If I had to pick between the Pint and Seven Grand, I'd definitely go with the Pint for both selection and atmosphere. I hope to return soon.

The Daily Pint
2310 Pico Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 450-7631

Whiskey Wednesday: Grand Old Pub -- Seven Grand

Last year, an amazing thing happened. A whiskey bar opened in LA. For years, I've wondered, what do we have to do in this town to get a decent bar or restaurant that carries more than five single malts. My yearning was heightened after I visited the Brandy Library in New York with its amazing Russian novel-length menu of single malts.

My prayers were answered with the opening of Seven Grand, downtown at...wait for it...Seventh and Grand Avenue (Actually, it's closer to Seventh and Olive, but I suppose "Seven Olive" didn't have the same ring to it). To boot, the bar is easily accessible by metro, situated a mere two blocks from the 7th and Metro station, so you don't have to drive home.

Now, as a father of two small children, I don't spend a lot of my evenings at bars, so it took me a while to get to this place, but I recently was able to log a couple of trips and give you this report.

Seven Grand is located upstairs on an unassuming and commercially sparse block of Seventh Street. The decor is a funky hunting lodge-chic, complete with mounted stag heads and other hunting kitsch. A few pool tables are lined up in the back of the relatively compact space.

The menu is certainly the most comprehensive selection of whiskey I've seen at any bar or restaurant in LA, with a good selection of Scotch, Irish Whiskey and especially Bourbon and other American whiskies.

That being said, this is no Brandy Library. Most of the offerings, particularly of Scotch, are fairly basic and there is not much in the way of hard to find or rare bottles on the menu. There do appear to be some off menu choices. The helpful bartender found a Cragganmore Distiller's Edition on the shelf that was not listed, so it pays to ask if there is something you want but don't see.

There is also a cocktail list with a dozen choices, including sours, Irish coffees, mint juleps and other traditional whiskey drinks. Though I snub most whiskey cocktails, watching the bartender carefully make them with fresh ingredients almost had me wanting one.

As a certified whiskey geek, I must point out that the drinks menu contains some inexcusable inaccuracies. Highland Park is listed under the Islay section, when it is actually from the Orkney Islands. Stranahan's, an American single malt from Colorado, is incorrectly listed under the heading of blended whiskey. Tsk Tsk Seven Grand.

Still, it's good to see a watering hole for serious whiskey drinkers in LA. It's my hope that Seven Grand will expand its repertoire with some rare and hard to get bottles that will make it a true whiskey-lovers paradise. For now, it's still the best game in town.

Seven Grand
515 W. 7th Street, 2nd Floor
Los Angeles, CA
Mon-Fri 4pm-2am
Sat 8pm-2am
Closed Sundays