The Official Drink of the DC Bartender

As you may know, I am a bartender in Washington DC and there is a drink that pretty much all of us love. I could build up the anticipation and leave you curious, but I’m just going to say what it is.

Drum Roll!!!!
JUST ABOUT ALL DC BARTENDERS LOVE GRAND MARNIER. Not all of us love it, but Grand Marnier (GM) is the official drink of the DC bartender.

It is like catnip to cats. We love it- it’s delicious.

So next time you want to make a bartender really happy, besides leaving an awesome tip, give them some GM. If you want some props and maybe a free drink, gush about how awesome GM is and how much you like it- we get really excited about this kind of thing. Just be warned that the free drink will probably be a shot of GM that we will do with you. Mmmm!…

When I was first learning to bartend, I heard that bartenders in DC love it. I didn’t really understand. I thought, “orange flavored booze, so what?” It didn’t take long until I was drinking it and telling everyone I wanted to marry it.

There is some ridiculous stat of consumption that I couldn’t find on Google, but DC drinks like 4 times more GM than anywhere else. Don’t quote me on this.

We had a liquor cost control meeting at my bar not too long ago and the number one thing unaccounted for because it was just given away was GM. I was less than surprised. Again, we love it, and for free, it’s even better.

What is it?
OK- I’ve gone on and on about GM and how great it is and my strong romantic feelings towards it, but I haven’t said anything about what it is. GM is an orange flavored liqueur that is 40% alcohol (80 proof). To learn about all of the ins and outs of it, check out the Grand Marnier website. And did I mention that it’s delicious?

How to Drink GM:
You are supposed to drink GM neat (no ice) but I prefer it on the rocks. There are also a bunch of shots and cocktails that you can make with it, but it’s so yummy on its own that I don’t recommend mixing it with other stuff. It’s like putting ketchup on a fine cooked steak.

If you have not tried it or don’t know what it’s like, GET TO A BAR ASAP AND DRINK SOME! AND BRING ME!!

David