Today, a peek at a very special event I attended this week to support another fabulous Virginia winery, Thibaut Janisson, and their creamy, delicious sparkling wine, Fizz. The event was held in partnership with PX Blue Light, as close to a modern-day speakeasy I have found.
We are off to beautiful Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, just a hop from Washington, DC. This section of the city has always very much reminded me of my haunts off Charles Street in the flat of the hill in Boston. When in the nation's Capitol, do not miss a visit.
This is my fabulous boss (seriously, she is), Rachel Martin, EVP of Boxwood Winery, with Claude Thibaut, founding partner of Thibaut Janisson Chateau and winemaker of Virginia Fizz.
PX Blue Light's legendary mixologist, Todd Thrasher, worked with the concentration and speed of a master, carefully crafting each Virginia Fizz cocktail with care for the guests crowded into PX to sample his luxe cocktail creations.
Todd developed a varied cocktail menu focused on all the bright, hot colors of a sparkling Virginia summer to best show off Fizz as a great sparkling wine for cocktails.
PX Blue Light
Virginia Fizz Cocktail Menu
PX Champagne Cocktail
Cavalier cherries, house-made cherry bitters, Grand Manier, Bacardi 151, and Virginia Fizz sparkling wine
Tahitian Dream
hibiscus tea, vanilla, Liquor 43, Woodford Reserve bourbon, and Virginia Fizz sparkling wine
175 Degree Cocktail
Grapefruit skins, yellow cardamon, bay leaf, Patron Silver Tequila, and Virginia Fizz sparkling wine
Summertime
Yellow watermelon sorbet, verbena fizz, pickled watermelon rind juice, cardamon, and and Virginia Fizz sparkling wine
The details at work at PX create a the snug, clandestine feel of a luxe speakeasy
tucked away off a street corner. There is, in true speakeasy style, no sign out front, and only a blue light above the door to let you know you have arrived.
The wrought iron protected shelves in the wall, looking not unlike a sorcerer's workshop, encase Todd Thrasher's self-made bitters in a dozen flavors or more. This attention to detail, this seriousness of his craft, is what sets Thrasher aside from every other mixologist in Washington, DC.
There is something about a glowing surface and cocktails in a range of enticing colors that I cannot resist. Bottles of homemade cherry bitters wait their turn in the PX Virginia Fizz Cocktail on the bar. The sweet and salty preserved lemons will make their way into The Tahitian Dream Virginia Fizz Cocktail.
PX is nothing short of a cocktail historian's tribute to drinks gone by. Small touches make the room elegant and studied but not overwhelmed with antiquities. Here, an antique absinthe dispenser sits on a former window sill, set off by the low glow of candles twinkling against dark, polished wood. PX's three rooms are filled with these small thoughtful cocktail-driven considerations.
The juxtaposition of Todd Thrasher's beautifully conceived cocktail menu against PX's ocean of rich navy velvet and dark wood walls caught my eye.
The room was jammed with happy guests holding cocktails which were no less than promised: Magnificent to the eye, dancing on the palate, and full of a delicious Virginia sparkling wine now adored by the crowd for its ability to make a great cocktails: Virginia Fizz of Thibaut Janisson.
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