Warm up with the Whisky Brothers tasting event at the Reading Room, Feb 28th
/Kelly Young and Dan Searing
The Reading Room at Petworth Citizen is home to so many cool cocktail and drink events, and as a fan of whiskey and bourbons, the one coming next week sounds great to me.
Petworth’s own whisky expert Dan Searing is hosting “Barrel Proof Bourbon,” a class on barrel proof (cask-strength whiskey bottled straight from the barrel) that results in an extremely flavorful drink with a much higher proof — typically in the 120-130 proof range. Most whiskeys are watered down out of the barrel to reach the more typical 80-100 proof range. Some would argue that barrel proof bourbon is the purest drinking experience you can have.
On Thursday, February 28th, from 7-10pm in the Reading Room (829 Upshur St NW), join Dan and his friend and drinking / whisky connoisseur partner Kelly Young as they introduce you to wide variety of barrel proof whiskey’s, including Rough Rider Happy Warrior, Bulleit Barrel Strength, a Four Roses Barrel Strength Single Barrel Store Pick from State Line Liquor in Elkton, MD, a vintage Booker's, Stagg Jr, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof and several others.
They always start with a welcome highball, and then typically serve around nine samples in several flights. The goal is to provide a good breadth of the whiskies in any particular topic and include some rare, expensive or no longer available examples as well.
(Must be 21+ to attend)
Dan and Kelly will guide you through the tastings while teaching you about barrel proof whisky, discussing each whisky as you taste it and how it relates to the topic and its fellows in the tasting. Comparative tasting is a great way to learn more about what you like and why you like it.
You’ll leave having enjoyed some good whiskey in good company and having learned a few facts, with more confidence in your own palate and opinions.
There will be some noshes available for palate cleansing and occasionally a very small bite like a candy or piece of cheese that complements the tasting, but the focus is definitely on the whisky. Also, the Petworth Citizen menu is available before, during and after the tasting. (It’s good to eat to keep a clearer head while tasting.)
About the “Whisky Brothers”
The Whisky Brothers are Dan Searing and Kelly Young. After a trip to Scotland visiting distilleries, they came back to DC inspired to share their enthusiasm and keep the learning and excitement going. They’ve been teaching classes since 2017 at the Reading Room.
