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Few areas really feel as decadent as a bar on the roof of a resort. OK, possibly a pool on the rooftop is even higher, however a bar is terribly shut.
Within the coronary heart of Washington, D.C.’s capitol district you’ll discover the Conrad Lodge — a luxe Hilton property with wonderful views of the highest sights in Washington. Whereas the property opened in 2019, Covid-19 shortly shut issues down, together with the Summit rooftop bar. Happily, the venue just lately reopened — with employees in masks regardless that the venue is absolutely outdoor — and the cocktails, beer, and wine are flowing once more.
A latest journey to D.C. noticed us whiling away just a few hours on the Summit, the place beverage director Nial Harris Garcia walked us by means of the whole thing of the cocktail menu and the wine-by-the-glass checklist, which is impressed by “ladies in wine” — feminine vineyard house owners or winemakers are completely represented right here. In whole, we sampled 7 cocktails and 11 wines, together with a few snacks off the bar’s hearty meals menu.
Let’s begin with the cocktails, which appear to be the go-to on a scorching summer season day. Impressed by the sweeping views of town and revolving round native spirits and components — together with herbs which might be grown on the rooftop immediately — the seasonal menu is small and adjustments 3 or 4 occasions a 12 months. Three of the seven cocktails on the checklist are drawn from faucet, making them simple to maintain chilly and get out to patrons shortly. Of this trio, the primary simple winner is the Summit’s basic model of the Spritz, served good and chilly in a highball glass as a substitute of a wine goblet. No large twists within the recipe right here, making for a refreshing and low-abv option to begin the night. Arguably even higher is the Summit’s Froze slushie, which infuses rose wine with strawberries, peaches, and vodka to make for a decadent and fairly candy model of the newly basic cooler. The fruit is so expressive on this cocktail that it’s robust to place down, notably when the solar remains to be in full power.
The Summit’s featured cocktails are significantly extra complicated, however my favourite of the bunch was the best, the Capital View, which mix’s Maggie’s Farm darkish rum, falernum, and thyme with ginger beer, making for a richer, spicier model of Darkish & Stormy. It’s exhausting to get away from natural parts up right here — from thyme to rosemary, every little thing appears to have one thing inexperienced within the combine. The New Views cocktail lands the furthest from this theme, utilizing a rose-infused vanilla syrup because the foil for a mix of Inexperienced Hat gin, Cocchi Torino, lemon juice, and tonic — your G&T pumped up and spun out into its personal little island of taste.
Wine service on a rooftop bar is clearly directed towards lighter wines that drink effectively within the warmth, however Garcia notes that the lone cabernet sauvignon on the menu has lengthy been the highest vendor up right here. Folks drink cab whatever the climate, it appears. Some private favorites from the checklist included a dry riesling from Trefethen, crisp with a enjoyable floral end, and the fairly uncommon rose of grenache from Prieure de Montezargues in Tavel, France, a deep shade of pink with a daring taste and a surprisingly dry end. You actually can discover reds up right here and do effectively, however for my cash I’d choose the Gary Farrell pinot noir, with its surprisingly floral overtones working effectively on a heat day. (It’s additionally price noting that reds are saved refrigerated on the rooftop; whereas they heat up shortly after being poured, the primary few well-chilled sips are literally a beautiful change of tempo within the warmth.)
Conrad put us up for an evening within the resort, and I’m completely happy to report the rooms are as effectively thought of because the bar service on the Summit. Numerous area, double sinks within the lavatory, considerate lighting and local weather controls, and — better of all — a cadre of actually spectacular employees members are all useful at making you’re feeling proper at dwelling. When a freak rainshower doused my spouse and I utterly whereas wandering the Nationwide Garden, employees members met us on the door with towels, and dried our soaking moist garments for us.
Now if solely they introduced you a Spritz everytime you wandered again to your room.
950 New York Ave NW, Washington, DC. Rooms begin at $342.
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Summit the Rooftop on the Conrad, Washington, D.C.
