ec2
 

Round Robin Bar at the Willard

 

A tradition-heavy hotel bar with a menu of classic cocktails, The Round Robin is where Henry Clay introduced the mint julep to Washington. After a dispute over the proper way to make a julep (which only a Kentuckian can understand), Clay gave the secret: “The mint leaves fresh and tender, should be pressed against the goblet with the back of a silver spoon. Only bruise the leaves gently and then remove them from the goblet. Half fill with cracked ice. Mellow bourbon, aged in oaken barrels, is poured from the jigger and allowed to slide slowly through the cracked ice. In another receptacle, granulated sugar is slowly mixed with chilled limestone water to make a silvery mixture as smooth as some rare Egyptian oil, then poured on top of the ice. While beads of moisture gather on the burnished exterior of the silver goblet, garnish the brim of the goblet with choicest sprigs of mint.”

1401 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20004

202-628-9100

Other places in Washington:

Who's been here? (show comments)