Where: The Queen Vic, 1206 H St. NE
Bartender Response: “All our cocktails are beer cocktails.”
What We Got: A Cardiff Bluebird with Blackthorn cider, Stoli Blueberi vodka, and Sprite
Price: $7.27
How It Tasted: Faintly fruity and sweet, reminiscent of many white wines. The aftertaste was bland, like the seemingly flat Sprite.
Improv Points (1–5): 3. Much like the Welsh capital, this drink is something you never may have thought about. Still, you might want to schedule a return visit.
Where: Smith Commons, 1245 H St. NE
Bartender Response: “I would recommend a Pisco Sour.”
What We Got: Macchu Pisco brandy shaken with lemon juice, egg whites, Angostura bitters, and simple syrup
Price: $10
How It Tasted: Cool, milky, and—indeed!—sour.
Improv Points (1-5): 4. What better way to wax nostalgic for more appealing locales than with a drink as frothy as the waves on the Peruvian shore?
Where: Bar Pilar, 1833 14th St. NW
Bartender Response: “Doesn’t going back to work suck?”
What We Got: Ten Cane rum, Santa Maria al Monte amaro, housemade honey syrup, lemon juice, and Cabernet sauvignon served up with a lemon twist
Price: $12
How It Tasted: Bitter, with an herbal aftertaste and a sweet kick. The Cabernet lent a rich color and even richer, complex flavor.
Improv Points (1–5): 5. This refreshingly un-beachy rum drink brought to mind sterner locales, like Genoa, the production base of the medicinal-tasting Santa Maria.