Cocktails Competition at Republic Restoratives

One of my favorite Sunday activities is going to Ivy City in D.C. and checking out the distilleries in the area. There are several all quite close to each other, and I sort of create my own bar crawl (except classier). But yesterday I went specifically to visit Republic Restoratives, the only women-owned distillery in D.C. They were hosting a cocktail competition where five mixologists would each create their own signature cocktail using RR's Chapman's Apple Brandy. Guests could try mini-cocktails from each and then vote on their favorites. I immediately bought tickets. What a fun idea!

Inside Union Market. Image found here.

Since I knew we would be drinking (and that I'd be driving), a friend and I met up at Union Market first for lunch (okay, I'll admit I stopped by Cotton & Reed first for a tasting of their Allspice Dram. SO GOOD.). I enjoyed an acai bowl from South Block, which is one of my favorite things to get there. My friend got a meatball sub and soup from Cucina Al Volo, and bought me some focaccia bread to enjoy after our cocktails to soak up the alcohol (he said both the sandwich and soup were sub-par, but the bread was good). Once we were full, we made the 20-minute walk over to RR. Let the fun begin!

We all were given tickets at the door for both the tastings and the voting. Then we went station to station to try all the tastings. Here's what we enjoyed:

Zac Hoffman got bonus points for offering a snack of baguette with his homemade apple butter. And look at that flair!

1. The Washington Apple 2K19 - This was the first drink we tried, created by Zac Hoffman from La Jambe (above). Here's what he told RR about his cocktail:

"My cocktail is a reinvention of a trash classic, The Washington Apple. Beloved and feared in every college town, the simple and underrepresented apple flavored drink has been relegated to sorority sisters and chads who don’t know how to drink. But no longer, a truly pure and wholesome re-imagined “Washington Apple” has come to grace the lips of all who seek real apples, and damn good liquor. This cocktail is the final form of the original and it still puts you on your ass after a long night of dancing on tables and mirror selfies with the squad...but like, with real apples."

His cocktail contained two RR spirits (the Chapman's Apple Brandy and their Borough Bourbon), along with the apple butter, cranberry and lime juice, and bitters. I was a little confused by the lime juice: that along with the cranberry juice made the drink taste like it wanted to be a cosmopolitan. I think the lime made it taste more summery, like a margarita, and less like a fall drink, which this clearly is supposed to be. But it still was yummy!

We liked that Rachael Rosenbaum's drink was garnished with rosemary and star anise.

2. The Apple Blossom - This delicious cocktail was created by Rachael Rosenbaum, a bartender at Fat Tiger in Fells Point, Baltimore. Here's a little bit about this drink:

[The Apple Blossom is] inspired by the life cycle of an apple, the drink lends floral notes via lavender and fortified wine to represent its first stages as a blossom. Then comes the fresh, full, ripe fruit as the palate shifts to apple brandy and lemon. Finally we’re met with baking spice and sweet syrup, a nod to the apple’s ultimate end: baked homemade treats! This drink is an homage to the apple, a “thank you for your service” if you will, met with a touch of nostalgia for Mom’s apple pie.

The cocktail had a lot of ingredients, which meant a lot of flavors! Along with the Chapman's Apple Brandy, there was Calvados, the aforementioned Allspice Dram, lemon juice, dry vermouth, apple-lavender cordial, and a star anise tincture. We loved it!

3. The Chapman Double Apple - I wonder if this drink was supposed to be called "The Double Chapman Apple," since this bartender's name is Chris Chapman.

Chris considers this the perfect Fall/Winter beverage, where all of the ingredients highlight the star of the potion, Chapman's Apple Brandy. The Appleton rum brings a subtle spice and vanilla, the honey brings out more of that apple in the brandy, and the bitters blend it all together in an aromatic ballet.

This drink was stronger than the first two, perhaps because there was Appleton Rum along with orange and decanter bitters (and Chapman's, clearly). The honey in the drink was perhaps meant to cut the bitterness of the alcohol, but it didn't quite work. BUT I loved the gold flake he had in the drink; I had never tasted a sparkly cocktail before!

Glittery cocktail!

4. When Life Gives You Coconuts - Courtney Taylor-Daniels, the bar manager at Toki Underground, made this coconut cocktail for us.

When Life Gives you Coconuts was created because of a double case order of coconut cream. She found herself stuck trying to figure out what to do with an overabundance of one very specific mixer they previously only used for piña coldadas. Originally she made the cocktail with gin but then tried switching out the gin for Chapmans Apple Brandy, and was hooked. She strongly believes this cocktail can convert anyone who doesn’t like coconut to a fan!

She added Coco López, Calpico, and lime juice to the Chapman's Apple Brandy to make this concoction. Perhaps I was disappointed that the drink didn't taste like a piña colada even though it looked like one; it was the same feeling I get when I have frozen yogurt that I already know won't taste like ice cream. I wanted to like it, but even the little flower garnish couldn't save this drink for me.

His sweater says, "Leftovers are for quitters." It made up for the lack of décor on his table.

5. Johnny's Camaro - Sam Nellis from The Red Hen and All-Purpose Pizzerias created his own version of the Sidecar with this cocktail, using Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao and his own limon de Normandie to mix with the Chapman's Apple Brandy.

Sam's goal with his cocktails is always to create something that is inviting and delicious, that you can think deeply about if you want but that you could also lose yourself in and forget about the worries on your mind. "Johnny's Camaro" is one such example. Named after a song by one of Sam's mother's favorite artists, this is a drink one could throw back without a second thought, but if one digs in deeper, they'll find alluring apple, orange depth, and a sprinkle of nuttiness. Complex and simple at the same time.

While we had hoped that we had saved the best for last, this was actually our least favorite drink of the day. There were no mixers in it, just alcohol. He said something about using the ingredients to cut the acidity, but to me, that makes no sense: you can't add flavors of orange and lemon, both acidic fruits, to make something less acidic. Needless to say, he did not get our vote.

So who was the big winner? (Drum roll, please)... Rachael Rosenbaum from Fat Tiger! Her's was one of my favorites, so I'm glad she won!

This was such a fun idea. For $20, you could have a fun time tasting unique cocktails (and while we had already eaten, Call Your Mother deli was there serving bagel sandwiches for an additional cost). The event certainly drew a crowd. I hope Republic Restoratives does this again; it could be a seasonal thing! And honestly, I hope the other nearby distilleries decide to host similar events: it's so much fun and a great way to bring people into your establishment, have them try your spirits (and spend money!), and partner with other local restaurants and bartenders.

And wouldn't you know it: my prayers were answered! Crimson is hosting a similar contest on December 2, but with TWELVE cocktail tastings and food included! You can bet I'll be there!