Fall is finally here in DC, and with that comes the arrival of fall flavors in the cocktail menu at The Gibson. Master mixologist Frankie Jones and his team have created new fall cocktails with equally creative names that came from pop culture references and staff jokes.
I’m not a huge cocktail drinker, so when I am drinking cocktails, they better be good, and The Gibson never disappoints. It’s such a great spot for a date, catch-up cocktails, or to bring that out of town friend who is a cocktail lover.
Jones created the “Domesticated me” as a nod to his recently married status, and the drink is a perfect light start. It’s wine spritzer like, but better – with white wine and Cocchi Rosa, and Yellow Chartreuse and bitters to balance the fruitiness with sour and bitter.
The "domesticated me" (photo courtesy The gibson)
If you are a scotch fan, the “Pimmp’s Kupp” (not a typo – Pimmp’s indeed!) is a good choice. A play on the traditional Pimm’s cup, it comes with Balvenie 12 scotch, Pimms, Canton, and bitters. Definitely a scotch drinker’s drink!
the pimmp's kupp
Champagne + Mezcal? The appropriately named “Why not” combines the two with pineapple syrup and bitters, making for an easy introduction to Mezcal. Why not try it! This was one of my favorites! If you enjoy Mezcal, the new fall menu has a few additional mescal based cocktails which you can try.
Harry Potter fans, the “Butterbeer” combines pilsner, egg white, biscotti liqueur and Famous Grouse (a light scotch). The beer makes the drink creamy and rich, and would be great for anyone who likes slightly sweeter drinks.
butterbeer (photo courtesy the gibson)
Other drinks on the fall list include “The Truth” – with smoky Laphroaig, cachaça, apple jack Campari and orange bitters. It’s definitely a bit crazy and boozy – can you handle “The Truth”? The “Caroline” is described as an old fashioned tiki drink – with Bourbon, pineapple syrup and some allspice, perfect for the chilly winter!
P.S: Chat up the bartenders about the names of the drinks, get the interesting details of how these came about!
The new fall menu has 23 new drinks created for the season, but The Gibson has their full list of traditional cocktails as well.
