Happy Columbus Day!  Apart from that, the blog is back.  Yes, we had a summer hiatus, but now that cooler weather has arrived, there is no need to lay in front of an AC unit clutching a glass of iced Diet Coke and thinking of reasons not to go outside.

Wow, that seems like a long time ago.  Remember those days, people?  Remember the Metro cars with no air conditioning?  The sweat that would creep down your back as you walk down the sidewalk in the sun?

Those days are gone now, but the perfect antidote to them remains.  A Moscow Mule at Russia House.

Russia House is an imposing structure with much more the recommend it, but the Moscow Mule made the trip for me.

I walked in the door of the lounge just as the sky was about to open with torrential rains…again.  As I paused for traffic at Connecticut and Florida, I felt a thunderclap overhead like a door slamming just behind me.  Time for a drink indoors!

The dark wood decor and red velvet curtains in the first floor seating area caused me to relax before I even sat down.  At the small circular table, I looked out the window at the people about to be soaked.  Poor saps, I thought.

The drink recommended by my lovely companion was the Moscow Mule.  Now, I’d had a Moscow Mule before at the now deceased Toyland (RIP).  That version was fun–gingery and fizzy, served in a jar over ice.  But that was not a real Moscow Mule.  This incarnation came out in the largest, stateliest martini glass I’d ever seen.

Chilled, the glass held a frosty mix of vodka, ginger beer and lime that went down easy.  Taking small sips from the tall glass and looking out rose-tinted windows at the lightening storm outside just had a magical tinge to it.

At $11, it’s not cheap, but it’s one of the best values for what you get in town.  Hopefully you’ll have a magical experience as well.  Nostrovia!