When I thirst an elegant cocktail after an atypical day, I usually venture out to that hidden oasis in Old Town Alexandria or bar hop amongst those trendy themed spots on the 7th street NW. Perusing amongst the hustle and bustle of 14th Street, I opened an unmarked door and escaped the pressures of modern day and fully transcended into the Prohibition era. The Gibson, a speakeasy from the same group behind Chez Billy, The Brixton, Marvin, Eighteenth Street Lounge and more, recently unveiled their fall/winter cocktail menu. From the ‘Hard Knock Life’ to the ‘Always Be Closing’ and the ‘Champagne Supernova’, the new cocktail menu at The Gibson is driven by complex yet balanced cocktails paying homage to various music, movies, and everyday life themes.
Santanico Pandemonium, a play on the fictional character from the From Dusk till Dawn series, is reminiscent of a smooth jalapeño margarita sans the tequila. By integrating mezcal into this libation, Ted Breezeman of The Gibson, adds a smokier profile that is balanced by the heat of the Hellfire Bitters that permeates the lime juice and frothiness from the addition of the egg white. Perfection.
Philip Ward of Mayahuel mashed up the Last Word to create one of my favorite all-time drinks, the Final Ward. I have enjoyed this classic cocktail in various forms and the version that Frankie Jones, Head Mixologist and General Manager of The Gibson, crafted is the most creative I have had by far. Inspired by author Edgar Allen Poe, this gin-based libation makes use of activated carbon transforming the drink’s hue into the likeliness of the famed Raven. While activated carbon removes toxins, the drink also boasts the quinine-containing Cocchi Rosa which has anti-malarial and anti-inflammatory properties. The floral notes from the gin plays well against the herbal green chartreuse, bitter yet crisp Cocchi Rosa and other components to provide a well-balanced cocktail with health-enhancing attributes.
My favorite drink of the night is still being perfected in the lab. One of the bartenders concocted an insane elixir composed of mezcal, angostura bitters, and Domain de Canton that reminded me of fall spice with the perfect amount of fire and smoke. Although the drink is still in the initial stages of inception, I cannot wait to sip on the final version the next time I’m there.
For those of you not in the know, The Gibson is not your ridiculously loud bar where you have to scream over troves of co-eds to get a quick drink. This elegant establishment, manned with masterful mixologists, never loses focus on the most important entity of the bar, the cocktail. These drinks are meant to be sipped not inhaled. The new menu at The Gibson is a well constructed version of cocktail couture. Whether you spirits and flavor profile you prefer, let the mixologist at The Gibson’s guide your voyage. Check out their newly updated fall menu while you can. Also, Nick Crutchfield and Frankie Jones will be hosting The Gibson Lab at Marvin on November 18th showcasing their love of whiskeys, whiskys, and cocktails. Wavy!
