Stanton & Greene, just a few blocks from the Capitol on Pennsylvania Avenue, is taking inspiration from its location in the heart of Capitol Hill and relaunching itself as a craft cocktail bar celebrating the history, heritage and flavors of these United States. The centerpiece of this rebranding is a new cocktail menu that consists of two historical recipes and ten original cocktails each directly inspired by a different amendment in the Bill of Rights.  The rules for each Bill of Rights cocktail follow:

1. It should be democratic, with readable ingredient lists and accessible flavor profiles.
2. It should be innovative and push boundaries.
3. It should showcase ingredients native to North America.
4. It should reference flavors familiar to all Americans.
5. It should highlight the history of drinking in the United States.
6. It should embrace the American ethos of self-sufficiency.

The two historical cocktails are Benjamin Franklin’s Clarified Milk Punch, recorded in a 1762 letter to James Bowdoin, and Martha Washington’s Cherry Bounce, a favorite of George Washington’s. A taste of these drinks is a delicious sip of history. The list of original Constitutional Cocktails embraces the history of American drinking as informed by mixologist Remy Canario’s extensive background reading and research. The result is a menu that is highly accessible, but also full of novel flavor combinations and fresh ideas including: craft versions of two of the most humble of drink orders, rum & coke and vodka & red bull, the use of stickers as a medium to incorporate the scent of essential oils into a cocktail; ingredients with medicinal properties; and a 100% DC-local cocktail.

All of the ingredients in The District (the Sixth Amendment)–One Eight Distilling’s Untitled Gin No. 2, Calabash Tea & Tonic’s Triple Goddess Tea and honey from Rest in Bees–are produced within the boundaries Washington DC. The District will rotate regularly, and will serve as a spotlight and a showcase for beautiful local products.

“The District cocktail is a beautifully balanced tipple with the charred honey playing off of the spicier notes of our Untitled Gin No. 2.” Alex Laufer, Head Distiller, One Eight Distilling went on to praise “The Constitutional Cocktails concept is a really nice tie back to One Eight, since we’re named after Article One Section Eight of the Constitution.”

Anyone, not just Constitutional history buffs, can visit Stanton & Greene for the Hill’s best happy hour, daily from 5-8pm.