U Street’s Service Bar Wants Brandy To Be So Hot Right Now

The cocktail gurus at Service Bar want to boost brandy appreciation in D.C., making old school brands like Hennessy a star component in more modern-day cocktails.

U Street bartenders Glendon Hartley and Kevin Rogers have created a new pop-up series, Brandy Cocktail Room, designed to educate locals about different brandies. There’s a newly activated website, Twitter account, and Instragram feed solely dedicated to stirring up interest in the cause.

“Brandy” — an umbrella term referring to spirits typically distilled from wine — includes cognac, calvados, pisco, applejack, and armagnac. There’s evidence domestic drinkers around the country already coming onboard: From 2002 and 2015, sales of brandy by volume increased overall by 27.8 percent, with super premium offerings spiking a whopping 226.9 percent reports trade group the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. Locally, different types of brandies are served at establishments ranging from fancy French restaurants and pricey steakhouses to neighborhood wine bars.

On the last Monday of every other month, Service Bar will open exclusively for three-hour interactive sessions featuring brandy cocktails presented in various styles (aperitif, fizz, sour, stirred, and cobbler/julep). The next one is slated for May, but the team is working on getting a range of D.C. bars to co-host the series on a regular basis.

“We like to think of [Brandy Cocktail Room] as a mini pop-up where we combine the idea of cocktail hour with the enjoyment and celebration of the very diverse and delicious spirit category of brandy,” says Rogers.

• Inside Service Bar [EDC]