Mojito makes way for L'Enfant Lemonade
Washington Post
The mojito can seem like the drink of the nightclub crowd, best served over ice and pumping techno music. In fact, the beverage is the definition of the classic cocktail, having been the potion of choice for Ernest Hemingway, Fidel Castro and Cubans everywhere long before the Nuevo Latino craze of the 1990s brought the drink to American hipsters.
So who better than a classic cocktails guy — adept at both history and simplicity — to deliver the mojito? Dan Searing, of forthcoming D.C. wine bar Room 11, is that guy.
"You don't want to make making a cocktail like deboning a chicken every time," Searing says of his approach.
For this summer, Searing, who is tending bar at the Warehouse Theater until Room 11 opens, created L'Enfant Lemonade, a masculine concoction that is witness to Washington history in the same way the mojito is quintessentially Havana.
Searing built the drink around Laird's Applejack, an apple brandy-and-grain liquor blend that counted notable Washingtonians among its fans: George Washington famously asked for the recipe, and Abraham Lincoln served it at his Illinois tavern.
Searing pairs the applejack with a bit of Lillet Blanc, a sweet wine; a bit of simple syrup; and fresh lemon juice. Rather than club soda, he tops it off with Perrier or another sparkling mineral water.
The garnish is a lemon wheel — a wink at Washington's ubiquitous traffic circles designed by the drink's namesake, architect Pierre Charles L'Enfant.
L'ENFANT LEMONADE
Makes 4 cocktails
Combine the applejack, Lillet Blanc, lemon juice and simple syrup in a small pitcher; stir to combine.
Fill 4 tall glasses with ice. Divide the drink mixture evenly among them, then top each with some of the sparkling mineral water. Stir to combine. Garnish with a lemon wheel.
NOTES: To make simple syrup, combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a slow, rolling boil, then reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes. Transfer to a glass container and let cool to room temperature. Cover tightly and refrigerate until chilled; store indefinitely.
Sparkling lemon soda such as San Pellegrino Limonata may be substituted for the lemon juice, simple syrup and mineral water.
