We know D.C. Get our free newsletter to stay in the know.
Underserved is a recurring Y&H feature highlighting the best cocktails you’re not ordering.
What: The Maverick & Gueze with Beefeater 224, tamarind red bush syrup, pimento bitters, orange bitters, and sour beer
Where: Jack Rose Dining Saloon, 2007 18th St. NW
Price: $13
What You Should Be Drinking
The Maverick & Gueze asks Jack Rose Dining Saloon patrons to avert their eyes from the restaurant’s library of whiskey and try a gin-based beer-tail instead. Top Gun fans should find this feat a little easier thanks to the clever reference that swaps Goose for Gueze—the name of the sour beer from Belgium that adds spunk to the summery cocktail. To make the drink, Beverage Director Trevor Frye employs a technique he learned from Jim Meehan, author of The PDT Cocktail Book. Frye pours beer directly into the shaker and gently stirs, allowing the alcohol from the gin to break down the carbonation enough for it to be safe to shake sans explosion. “By shaking it together, you’re guaranteeing you’re not just getting beer, beer, beer, cocktail,” Frye says. “Shaking it reinvigorates the carbonation so the drink floods your palate with flavor.”
Why You Should be Drinking It
Drinks carrying a foamy egg white topper, such as a flip, are great for the winter months because they carry a lot of body. The Maverick & Gueze yields a similar texture without all that heaviness by shaking the beer. The result is a summery sipper that tastes (and looks) like a hefeweizen because it’s light, refreshing, and citrusy. The gin is practically imperceptible, which is important since Frye worries some customers are permanently turned off by the juniper-laced spirit. “Gin can narrow down your clientele because some people had that experience in high school where they threw up Christmas trees for two days after sneaking into their parents liquor cabinet.” Though it’s tempting to stick to brown booze at Jack Rose given its selection and accolades, Frye encourages people to get out of their comfort zone—at least in the summer months before it’s time to hibernate with a nice single malt.
Photo by Laura Hayes