Say Yum: The Jefferson Hosts Next Cocktail Competition ... With Tequila

One of our favorite seasonal cocktail competitions is back! Returning for its third iteration, The Jefferson is hosting their quarterly competition to find the city's top mixologist in its famed Quill bar on July 10. This time, bartenders are mixing drinks with Tequila Ocho Plata Single Estate.

Deacon had the privilege of judging the most recent iteration - a bourbon competition - back in January, and heartily enjoyed this fun event, where bartenders from restaurants like American Ice Co., PX, BOURBON Steak, and Oyamel crafted innovative drinks with The Jefferson Bourbon.

Similiar in format, this time the six mixologists will craft tequila drinks in hopes of winning the grand prize - and a few months of bragging rights.

Tickets are $50 per person, which includes a sample from each competitor’s inspired libation (guests’ votes are tallied with the judges), tastings from Quill’s own signature cocktail menu and an assortment of canapés and cheeses. Reservations can be made here and are very limited, so book now.

Quill will challenge the barkeeps to demonstrate their creativity and talent by crafting an original drink around the carefully constructed tequila spirit. Each bartender will be given 20 minutes to mix their cocktail and present it to the six judges while introducing their respective establishments and answering questions. Judges will score each drink according to a list of criteria including creativity, taste and appearance, with the collective opinion of the guests in attendance serving as the (potentially tie-breaking) seventh vote. The victor will receive a one-night stay at The Jefferson, with dinner for two in the hotel’s fine dining restaurant, Plume, a bottle of Tequila Ocho Plata, Resposdao, and Anejo, and dinner for four at Oyamel, considered one of the capital’s finest restaurants for authentic and creative Mexican cuisine.

Say Yum: Drink Up For Japan Relief at The Jefferson

You don't have to ask us twice to enjoy a specialty cocktail, particularly when that drink is from Quill lounge at The Jefferson. In celebration of the Cherry Blossom Fest and in the spirit of Japan relief, the mixologists have designed a special Hanami Hibiscus Cherry Martini – and will dedicate 50% of revenue from the $19 drink to the American Red Cross relief efforts for Japan.

“We hope this small gesture will remind patrons of our shared commitment to support our friends in Japan, and that the donation will offer aid to those that need it most,” said Franck Arnold, managing director of The Jefferson. 

Available during the capital’s National Cherry Blossom Festival (through April 10, 2011), the cherry-inspired concoction is the brainchild of head mixologist, Massimiliano Matte. 50% of the proceeds will go directly to the Red Cross. Want to recreate the concoction at home? Do this:

Ingredients:
- 1 Orange Segment
- 1tsp Granulated Sugar
- 1oz Hibiscus Flower Infusion
- 1oz Pre-Made Cherry Mix

- 1oz Lemongrass-Cinnamon Infused Vodka
- 1 dash Licor 42
- Prosecco

Preparation:
- Dust the rim of a chilled martini glass with lemongrass sugar
- Muddle orange and granulated sugar in shaker
- Add next four ingredients
- Shake well and strain into martini glass
- Add a “Red-Lightening Ice Cube” (a Jefferson Hotel-signature)
- Top with Prosecco
- Garnish with Vanilla Cotton Candy and fresh cherry blossoms

You're Invited: Oscar Party at The Jefferson

From the initial red carpet sashay to the golden Oscar wins, the elegance of the Academy Awards will once again captivate us on Feb. 27. The Jefferson is hosting a special party in Quill lounge, where Best Picture-inspired libations and special seating options will provide the perfect backdrop for the ultimate Oscar party.

Starting at 6 p.m., the bar will be serving $15 signature cocktails based on the Best Picture nominees. Care for a more luxe option? Reserved seating with premier TV viewing can be booked for $95 per person in Quill Lounge or the private East and West Jefferson Cabinet Rooms. These intimate, living room-style Cabinets, seating four and six people respectively, feature private flat screen TVs, a movie-inspired Quill cocktail, glass of Rose Champagne, and special tapas platter including a bowl of truffled popcorn, mini caviar tacos, foie gras bon-bons and mini “gold-plated” chili-cheese dogs.

Those who prefer to watch the Academy Awards from the comforts of home can try their hand at one of Quill’s Best Picture-inspired cocktails. Drinks and ingredients follow:

127 HOURS: “On The Rocks” – 1.5 oz. High West Rocky Mountain Rye Whisky, Angostura bitters, white sugar, orange zest and house-infused allspice cherries.

BLACK SWAN: “Black & White Margarita” – 3 lime wedges muddled, 2 tsp white sugar, ∏ oz. Cointreau, 1.25 oz. white tequila, ∏ oz. house-made aloe vera juice and double salt-rim of black Hawaiian salt and thyme-lemongrass infused salt.

INCEPTION: “Inception Martini” – 1 dash chartreuse verte, one dash chartreuse jaune, π oz. absinthe, 1 oz. Heavy Water Vodka, 1 oz. Blue Coat Gin and flamed orange zest.

THE KING’S SPEECH: “The King’s Crown” – ≤ oz. Crown Royal Black, ≤ oz. Kahlua Coffee Liquor, 0.33 oz. vanilla-orange flavored cream and orange flakes.

THE FIGHTER: “The Blueberry Punch” – Fresh cut lime cubes, fresh cut orange cubes, 1 tsp organic brown sugar, rum (aged a minimum of eight years), fresh blueberries and homemade ginger-orange powder.

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT: “Rose Indulgence” – 0.33 oz. raspberry puree, 0.33 oz. strawberry puree, 1 drop rose essence, 2.5 oz. Gosset Rose Champagne and rose pate de fruit pairing.

THE SOCIAL NETWORK: “Modern Cosmopolitan” – 2 lime wedges, 2 tsp white sugar, 1 oz. house-infused hibiscus flower-lemongrass-chili vodka, 0.33 oz. Cointreau Noir, ≤ oz. cranberry juice and prosecco.

TOY STORY 3: “Nutella Manhattan” – 2 dashes sweet vermouth, 2 drops Xocolatl bitters, 4 drops Angostura bitters, 1.5 oz. Nutella-infused vodka and ≤ oz. Barrel Proof Bourbon.

TRUE GRIT: “Horse’s Neck” – 2 oz. A. de Fussigny Cognac, orange zest, soda and crushed ice.

WINTER’S BONE: “Blackthorn Cocktail” – 2 oz. sloe gin, 1 oz. sweet vermouth, dash Angostura bitters, lemon peel garnish

In Case You Missed It: The Jefferson on Jetsetter

Our favorite DC hotel, now live on Jetsetter with copy from yours truly.

You're Invited: An Affair to Remember at The Jefferson

We'll admit it. Deacon sometimes plays favorites, and The Jefferson is one of them. It is, in our humble opinion, the classiest hotel in DC. Which explains why IF we were doing a big NYE celebration we'd be headed here for the second annual New Years Eve Celebration at Quill , the hotel’s elegant cocktail lounge, on Dec. 31, 2010 from 10 p.m.–2 a.m. Guests will enjoy an evening of expertly crafted cocktails featuring Chopin Vodka and will toast the New Year with Krug Champagne.

Quill’s terrace will feature a complimentary Mulled Wine station and will be the perfect spot for cigars and cognac to keep warm in the cool night air. Inside, tempting libations by Quill’s expert team of mixologists will add to the evening’s festivities while musician Peter Robinson will perform throughout the evening on Quill’s piano.  At midnight, guests will be invited onto the terrace to watch as bottles of Champagne are cut open simultaneously by saber to ring in the New Year.

For $75, guests receive admission to the party, complimentary Mulled Wine on the terrace and a Krug toast and passed canapés at midnight. For $125, revelers are guaranteed a private table in Quill’s lounge area, which will feature individual raw bar displays. They will also be privy to a tasting of three Special Club Champagnes. Considered among the best in the world, each Special Club Champagne must follow a strict set of guidelines outlining how the grapes are grown, crushed and fermented to ensure only the best is bottled.

The Jefferson’s Cabinet rooms, featuring luxurious leather seating, flat screen televisions and more, are located just off of Quill.  They will be combined as an exclusive enclave for up to 10 guests, reserved for $1,500, which includes a private raw bar display as well as a Jeroboam of Krug.  In addition to their private retreat, guests of the Cabinet rooms enjoy access to all of Quill’s festivities. 

You're Invited: Cocktail Competition at Quill

Sunday funday? Yes, please. If you're sick of World Cup madness, hie thyself to The Jefferson at their Quill bar for the first of what is to be a semiannual contest. Six top mixologists (from bars like CityZen, PX, Bourbon Steak and Proof) will compete to create the ultimate signature vodka cocktail using sponsor Heavenly Water Vodka.

Seven judges will score each drink according to a list of criteria including creativity, taste and appearance. With egos on the line, incentive to win is sure to run high, supported by a “cocktail” of prizes to include an overnight guest room at The Jefferson, dinner for two in Plume, plus $500 cash. In addition, the winning drink will be featured on the Quill menu for the next two weeks, along with a bio of the bartender behind it.

The event will be open to a small gathering of guests, invited at a cost of $50 per person. From 2-3 p.m., guests will enjoy a sampling of Quill’s own signature cocktails, served in test-tube-sized glasses and accompanied by canapés. Xavier Herit of Daniel New York City will step out of his bartender role to serve as DJ, spinning down-tempo lounge music, and will fill in for a two-hour guest turn behind the bar at Quill.

The competition stage will get underway at 3 p.m., with each bartender given 20 minutes to mix his cocktail and present it to the judges, introduce his establishment, and answer questions from the press. Pre-mixed samples of each drink entry will also be passed among the guests. At 6 p.m., Quill will reopen to the public.

Luxe Life: Washington Spa Alliance Formed

Yesterday afternoon, we had the pleasure of taking tea with several of the spa industry's leading minds at the formal introduction of the Washington Spa Alliance, at The Jefferson hotel.

The mission of the organization is is to "act as a knowledge center, connecting spa professionals in the nation's greater capital region. WSPA works to promote the exchange of education and innovation in the field, and to ensure that the highest ideals of spa are met through policy and action."

We listened to a rousing speech by Debra Szekely, founder of the famed Rancho La Puerta and Golden Door Spa, as she motivated audience members to action and shared some of her insights from more than 70 years of experience in the spa industry. “This is a singular time in our nation's history when Washington is looking closely at how our country can be healthier.” She added, “Americans increasingly have turned to spas to learn about the importance of diet and exercise, the benefits of organic plant-based diets, to re-define ideas of beauty and well-being, and to learn techniques of stress-reduction, and preventive medicine.”

Attendees and board members present included Szekely, Mary Bemis of Organic Spa Magazine, Bernard "Bernie" Burt of SpaGoer.com, Laurie Dieter of Glen Ivy Hot Springs, Mary Gendron of Middleton & Gendron, Inc., Mary-Elizabeth "Muffin" Gifford of Island Outpost, and Ada Polla of Alchimie Forever. Media included Stephanie Green of the Huffington Post, Kelly Collis Frederick of City Shop Girl and Kate Michael of K Street Kate.

We look forward to hearing more about the initiatives of this wonderful organization during the coming months and particularly during the iSpa national convention in November, this year taking place in our very own Washington DC at the Gaylord hotel.

Additionally, WSPA will hold an annual symposium as well as ongoing news-maker events, share best practices, and engage in advocacy. WSPA’s First Annual Symposium will be held at the National Press Club on March 24, 2011.

Luxe Life: Relais and Chateaux on your iPhone

If you love luxury and technology, take a gander at this latest melding - the iPhone app from Relais & Chateaux. Avail for free, this new app allows for geo-location of member properties, availability, a telephone tab that connects directly to Relais & Chateaux, proposed itineraries to help get the most out of a stay, and Google Maps. Each of the 480 properties comes complete with panoramic photo images and personalized pages, so there's no need to return to your laptop before booking. You can also forward the details to friends, in case you're interested in planning a group outing.

"Relais & Chateaux constantly adapts to the needs of its guests by offering both innovative and efficient interactive services and information. Following up on the upgrade of our central reservations and our website, the development of applications for mobile phones is the next logical step to ensure that travelers can get information anytime they wish," said Jaume Tapies, the International President of Relais & Chateaux.

We're just excited that booking at some of our fave hotels, including The Jefferson and the Inn at Little Washington, is now even easier!

In Other News: Get Thee To The Jefferson

Got cabin fever? Get thee to The Jefferson, Deacon's all-time fave DC hotel. Feb. 9th & 10th, they're offering a "snowpocalypse special," a rate of $195 per night for a Deluxe King (versus the regular $380) ...

Plume, the main resto, isn't open, but you can still enjoy drinks at Quill, the chic in-house bar, and enjoy the amazing Red Flower bath amenities.

Want to know more? Check out our Robb Report, Washingtonian, and JuliB coverage.

Call (202) 448-2300 to book!

In Case You Missed It: Deacon Goes National (With Local Info)

In Case You Missed It: The Jefferson

Deacon had the exclusive chance to preview DC's newest entry to the hotel scene, The Jefferson, before it opened to the public on Monday. More to come on our overnight, but first, here's the scoop via JuliB.

Luxe Life: Diamond Vodka

As the saying goes, Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend ... and so it stands to reason that they would be the perfect cocktail pairing, no?

Wait no longer - last night we discovered a vodka that has actually been distilled through thousands of DeBeers diamonds, aptly titled Diamond Standard Vodka.

The vodka is produced in Poland from Dankowski Diamond Rye, resulting in a pure grain Polish vodka with quadruple distillation. One of the distillations includes a diamond filtration that involves the use of thousands of DeBeers diamonds to achieve a final pure state.

The vodka is then served in a perfume-grade Saverglass bottle, accessorized with a 25mm Swarovski crystal. The vodka is currently available only in the state of Florida but should move to other states, including DC, soon. You can buy it for $79 per bottle when it hits stores.

Pricey, but it's a heck of a lot less than buying the diamonds and making it ourselves!

In Case You Missed It: August Restos

Want to know where the see and be seen types are noshing this month? Check it out, in the August "Restos" issue of JuliB.com.