Using three scenarios, we asked bartenders to make the perfect comfort drink.
“I Just Got Dumped”
The spot: Old Ebbitt Grill
Bartender response: “We’re going to make it all good. I don’t know that it will be all good, but it will be better.”
What we got: Blood Orange Refresher with Absolut Citron vodka, blood-orange liqueur, Chambord, orange juice, and Sprite, $0 (but we left a hefty tip).
How it tasted: Like spring break in Cancún . . . the perfect place to get over a broken heart?
“My Dog Died”
The spot: Round Robin Bar at the Willard InterContinental
Bartender response: He asked what kind of dog we had and told us he had a four-year-old Chihuahua mix named Puppy.
What we got: Kahlúa martini, $15.
How it tasted: Sweet and brown—like our very good fake pup.
“I Got Fired Today”
The spot: Benjamin Bar & Lounge at the Trump International Hotel.
Bartender response: “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. . . . It’s always better tomorrow.”
What we got: Lemon Drop in a sugar-rimmed martini glass, $19.
How it tasted: Sour but not too sweet, with a strong hint of gender stereotyping.
This article appears in the November 2018 issue of Washingtonian.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
