NoMa Newcomer the Eleanor Is Working on Hemp-Spiked Drinks

While they insist that serving pitchers of now-ubiquitous Narragansett Lager is inevitable because of all the mini-bowling that’ll be happening at nearly ready entertainment zone the Eleanor, bar staff at the NoMa newcomer have much funkier beverages in mind.

When he converted Atlas District watering hole Boundary Road into Bar Elena last year, chef turned restaurateur Adam Stein made an effort to honor the predecessor’s commitment to fancy cocktails and local beers.

This time around, Stein has brought in newly married couple Jessica Rockwell and Katie Rockwell to serve as co-general managers and drink gurus. Jessica Rockwell, who worked with Stein at Light Horse restaurant in Alexandria, Virginia, is focused on building the Eleanor’s beer list. Katie Rockwell, another Light Horse alum who also spent time at Boundary Stone and budding chain All-Purpose, tells Eater she’s looking into drinks with some curious ingredients.

A little something that Katie Rockwell says has been rolling around in her brain since a road trip through the south: recreating the sensation of shelled peanuts plopped into bottled sodas. Although she says the custom seems to favor adding the salty specimens to Coca Cola or Dr. Pepper, Katie Rockwell is toying with mixing a peanut reduction into a whiskey-soda drink. Her other scientific endeavor involves using aromatic terpenes — organic compounds found in hemp and other plants — as bitters. Katie Rockwell says the liquid extracts she gets from her cousin’s farm in Colorado contain no THC — so no one’s getting stoned from these drinks — but do add different flavors, including “piney” and “herbal” notes, to cocktails.

If all that scientific stuff sounds way too complicated, the Eleanor will also have something anyone can understand: vodka slushies. Katie Rockwell says the goal is to create a base slush from a neutral spirit that can then be cut with other liquors, mixers, and flavors at will. There is also discussion of having at least one draft cocktail on tap. And the bar will serve crushed ice exclusively: a) so as not to excessively water down drinks, and b) because it’ll be that much easier to make frosty seasonal swizzles.

Jessica Rockwell, meanwhile, wants to fill the Eleanor’s 20 taps with a mix of beers that mean something to the various staff members. The aforementioned Narragansett is a nod to Stein’s time working in New England. Jessica Rockwell counts herself as a fan of Michigan’s Founders Brewing Company, so she’s carving out room for some of its beers. She and Katie got married at DC Brau Brewing Company, so that local favorite is definitely included. As are others Jessica Rockwell and Katie Rockwell have worked with over the years, including 3 Stars Brewing Company, Port City Brewing Company, Right Proper Brewing Company, Hellbender Brewing Company, Potter’s Craft Cider, and others. Local spirits makers on Jessica Rockwell’s short list include D.C.-based New Columbia Distillers and One Eight Distilling Company, as well as Gray Wolf Craft Distilling in Maryland.

“I’m mostly looking forward to building a community,” Katie Rockwell says of their mission.

• Bowling-Crazed Bar the Eleanor Is Almost Ready to Roll [EDC]
• Pig Roasts and Crab Fests Are in the Works at the Eleanor [EDC]
• Bar Elena Founder’s Dream Restaurant Heads to NoMa [EDC]
• Atlas District Eats Up Bar Elena’s Alternative Vibe [EDC]
• Peek Inside H Street’s Playful New Bar Elena [EDC]
• Union Social, D.C’s Metro-Themed Eatery Closes [WCP]