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JW Marriott embraces sustainability, local foods with new beverage program

February 26, 2015 ·

by Leah Demirjian, special to Edible DC

Tins of appetizers, including cold-smoked tuna and prosciutto di Parma, flecked with goat cheese- filled Peppadew peppers-- a sweet piquanté variety grown in the Limpopo province of South Africa.

Tins of appetizers, including cold-smoked tuna and prosciutto di Parma, flecked with goat cheese- filled Peppadew peppers– a sweet piquanté variety grown in the Limpopo province of South Africa.

Washington, D.C.’s flagship JW Marriott hotel recently unveiled their new beverage program, Cocktails with Purpose, welcoming guests on a wintry evening with their warming signature house-infused Bourbon Manhattan cocktail: an aromatic blend of bourbon whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters, garnished with fresh orange peel. Developed in collaboration with New York-based mixologists Tippling Bros. and nutritionist Keri Glassman, the Cocktails with Purpose initiative strives to produce healthier cocktails while enriching the JW Marriott’s beverage program with fresh juices, raw honey (in lieu of refined sugars), and garnishes plucked from the hotel’s garden.

Mini glass jugs bearing the JW Marriott emblem decorated the cocktail bar.

Mini glass jugs bearing the JW Marriott emblem decorated the cocktail bar.

Well-being and sustainability are key ingredients of the JW Marriott’s food … Read More

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Foodie Guide 24 Hours #RVA

February 25, 2015 ·

by AJ Dronkers, Edible DC Digital Editor

VA Wine Expo

Edible DC booth at the #VAWineExpo with colleagues from the new Edible Richmond.

This past weekend, Edible DC traveled down to Richmond, VA as a sponsor at the Virginia Wine Expo. We were mixing, mingling, and passing out copies of our recent Drinks Issue. We also invited our newest member magazine colleague from Edible Richmond to spread the news of her pending first issue this May!

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Williamsburg Winery Gabriel Archer Reserve.

We had a chance to taste and chat with some of our favorite Virginia winemakers including Williamsburg Winery and Barboursville Vineyards. After a long day of tasting wine and a quick siesta, we needed some sustenance. So we snagged center stage bar seats at Heritage restaurant, which recently took home the prestigious “Restaurant of the Year” and “Chef of the Year” honors at the Richmond Magazine Elby Awards.

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The Heritage is located

… Read More
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#EdibleDCDrinks Event Recap

February 23, 2015 ·

by AJ Dronkers, EdibleDC Digital Editor

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Hanging garden and lighting (Photo credit: Morgan H. West)

Last Thursday, despite what the WaPo Capital Weather Gang called one of the coldest nights on record since 1934, hundreds of eat and drink local advocates turned out for the inaugural EdibleDC Drinks Invitational. We had been dreaming about pulling together an event for some time and after successfully producing four issues we felt an event held in tandem with our January 2015 Drinks Issue was the perfect excuse. We called it an “Invitational” because in addition to inviting a majority of local small distillers and chefs to participate, we wanted to include some of the best artisan producers from across the region. In the end, 30+ vendors were at our event representing VA, WV, DC, MD, PA, MN, TX, and NY!

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Ben Lyon serving up Lyon Distilling Dark & Stormy. (Photo credit: Elizabeth

… Read More
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Annoucing: The SweetShine ShakeDown Competition

February 18, 2015 ·

by AJ Dronkers, Edible DC Digital Editor

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Bartender pouring Bloomery SweetShine martinis at an event. (Photo credit: Sarah Murphy)

As if you needed another reason to be excited for the EdibleDC Drinks Invitational, we are thrilled to announce that one of our incredible sponsors, Bloomery SweetShine, will be debuting their newest flavor at our event, Cranberry Clementine! Our Drinks Invitational also marks the beginning of the SweetShine ShakeDown, a regional competition where local bars can show off their skills by creating a custom cocktail with any of the 8 SweetShine flavor. Bars will feature the drinks March 12-20 and their will be a CELEBRATION with the top 3 finalist at BoardRoom on March 24th.

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The new Bloomery SweetShine Cranberry Clementine flavor label.

The SweetShine ShakeDown competition details:

February 19th – March 3rd: Kick-off at EdibleDC Drinks Invitational. Area bars are encouraged to REGISTER FOR THE COMPETITION here!

March 3rd: … Read More

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Vodka Made with Local Honey? MD’s First Distillery in 35 Years Makes Award-Winning Spirits on Kent Island

February 9, 2015 ·

An afternoon trip to historic Stevensville, MD–a quaint little town just over the Bay Bridge on Kent Island–included a tour of Blackwater Distilling. Founded four years ago, Blackwater Distilling has the unique claim of being Maryland’s first fully licensed beverage alcohol distiller since 1972. Brothers Chris and Jon Cook, Maryland natives, became passionate about the idea of starting a distillery that would source ingredients from Maryland and organic growers–and harkening back to the days when Maryland was known as a top producer of Maryland Rye Whiskey.SloopBettyBottles

Prohibition changed all that, and the last MD distillery, Pikesville Rye made their last batch in 1973 and sold their recipe and final inventory to Heaven Hill-Evan Williams in Bardstown, KY. The Cook brothers and their team put Maryland back on the map as a distilling state when they launched their Sloop Betty Wheat Vodka in 2011.

The Cook brothers source as many of … Read More

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Oysters take center stage as Katrina anniversary approaches

February 6, 2015 ·

by Vincent Kiernan, special to Edible DC

Oysters

Downtown restaurant Acadiana recently saw an early start to Mardi Gras, as hundreds of Washingtonians gathered in homage to one of Cajun Country’s tastiest exports: oysters. 2015 marks the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf Coast oyster industry was eager to strut their stuff at an event designed to showcase the recovery of the industry following a day spent meeting with members of Congress about the current state of the oyster.

Aptly titled “Let the World Be Your Oyster!”, the night saw chefs from three New Orleans restaurants — Acme Oyster House, Zea Rotisserie & Grill, and Restaurant R’Evolution — prepare their oyster recipes to showcase the versatility of these mollusks, including Restaurant R’Evolution chef Chris Lusk’s Crispy Oysters Rockefeller.

OystersChef

While the crowd was delighted to branch out from the standard oysters on ice with lemon, the focus of the evening … Read More

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Kale Caesar Salad

February 4, 2015 ·

by Alexandra Dawson

Overwhelmingly vibrant, understatedly grand, and impressive enough to warrant “main course” status, this seasonally inspired salad is not to be missed. Made with crispy baguette croutons, creamy tahini and Dijon mustard–based Caesar dressing, sweet Bartlett pears and nourishing Brussels sprouts roasted to near perfection, this vegan salad can also be topped with thick slices of avocado and extra croutons. Brussels sprouts not only pack a huge (and, for some, an acquired) flavor punch, but also contain sulforaphane, a chemical believed to contain anti-cancer properties, and are also a great source of belly-filling plant-based protein and fiber and immune-boosting vitamin C.

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ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS & KALE CAESAR SALAD 

Serves 8, generously

Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Baguette Croutons

1½ pounds Brussels sprouts, tough stems removed, shredded

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

1 mini day-old baguette (about ½ pound), cut into bite-sized cubes… Read More

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Would you drink a beer that’s 200 years-old? Bluejacket’s Greg Engert and Beer Historian Michael Stein set out to make some of D.C.’s first beers

January 30, 2015 ·

By Tim Ebner, special to Edible DC

Okay, so it turns out that a 200 year-old beer doesn’t taste so skunk after all. Not that you should ever try a beer that’s been aged for two centuries. But if we’re talking historic beers — replica ales brewed in a similar fashion as they first were made centuries ago — then turn to Greg Engert and Michael Stein for a sip.

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(Photo credit: Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History)

Engert is the beer director for the Neighborhood Restaurant Group (which runs Bluejacket brewery and other beer bars like Churchkey) and Stein is a local beer historian and homebrewer.

The duo share a passion for both history and brewing, and recently collaborated on a few beers made at Washington, D.C.’s first brewery.

Maybe you were one of the lucky few to taste these historic beers at a special tasting held at … Read More

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Gluten Free Super Bowl? Yes! Recipes from the Virginia Gold Cup Tailgating Competition Winner

January 27, 2015 ·

Gluten Free and “Gettin’ Nauti” at the Virginia Gold Cup Tailgating Competition

by Alexandra Mannino, special to Edible DC

Editor’s note: Alexandra Mannino was the winner of this fall’s Virginia Gold Cup Tailgating Competition. Edible DC served as one of the judges for that event, and fell in love with her winning recipes. We asked if she would share them and a recap of her adventure. We were so happy she agreed and said, “Many of your #superbowl party favorites are naturally gluten-free! Try a crowd pleasing chili, a mile-high stack of nachos with corn chips, or pair a beautiful cheese and charcuterie plate with some fruit.” Her recipes are at the end of this article. Did we mention the candied bacon?

I was blessed to spend the summers of my youth in the waters of Virginia. My family’s long history of boating has evolved since my sister and I … Read More

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