Republic Restoratives' newest release is an apple brandy
The City Paper has an article on the story behind Harvey's Market, a butcher at Union Market (1309 Fifth Street NE).
Speaking of the Union Market area, it appears that O-Ku Sushi, has applied for a liquor license at 1274 Fifth Street NE. According to their website O-Ku Sushi, which has locations in Charleston, Atlanta, and Charlotte, "celebrates authentic Asian cuisine with a southern approach." The menu for their Charlotte restaurant features some traditional sushi offerings, as well as selections such as the Potato Roll (tempura shrimp, avocado, wrapped with fried shoe-string potatoes, eel sauce, and sweet chili mango) and Salmon and Lemon Roll (salmon, lemon, crab salad, avocado, and cucumber). They have plenty of non-sushi items too, including the Sashimi Taco (salmon, tuna, and whitefish with persimmon tropical fruit salsa), a sesame roasted duck, and chicken teriyaki. Their drink menu is substantial with plenty of house cocktails, as well as beer, wine, and sake.
The application specifies a total occupancy load of 299, with seating for 175, and an additional 49 seats in a summer garden. The placarding date is today, and the protest deadline is December 18th, with roll call and protest hearing dates of January 8th and February 28th. Hat tip to Twitter user @Eat_DC for bringing this application to my attention.
On Sunday local distiller Republic Restoratives (1369 New York Avenue NE) will hold a launch party for their new Chapmans Apple Brandy from noon to 6pm. Timber Pizza will serve up breakfast pizza, and you'll be able to get made to order apple cider donuts from Migues Donuts. The event itself is free, and you can register online so you don't forget.
The press release they sent out for Chapmans lays out nicely all the reasons to get excited about the distillery's fourth product release, so I'm just going to post that below so you can read it yourself.
The orchard-to-glass story of Chapmans starts in Adams County, PA where farmer and friend Ben Wenk of Three Springs Fruit Farm grew the 2016 crop of Jonagold, Gala, Fuji, and Honeycrisp apples that were chosen specifically for this product. Within hours of cold pressing, the fresh juice was delivered to Ivy City, DC where it was fermented using a delicate wine yeast, premier cuvee, and allowed to rest on the lees for approximately two months. Lees resting originated in France and is typical of wine production but is not often embraced in spirits distillation. The process results in a richer, fuller flavor that some describe like both smelling and tasting the essence of apple.
Republic Restoratives distilled Chapmans in its dual kettle hybrid pot/column system and then carefully aged the brandy spirit for six months in a 50/50 blend of American and French oak barrels.
The Chapmans drinking experience begins with the eye- the spirit has a golden hue in the glass. On the nose, the rich aroma of baked golden delicious apple comes through first, followed by pear, white chocolate, and caramel notes. It has a medium body, and flavor profile that marries zest of Buddha’s hand with a foundation of honeycrisp apple, bosc pear, honeydew melon, and white peach. Rounding everything out is Chapman’s long finish, punctuated by notes of candied ginger that leave you wanting more.
Apple Brandy has a long and rich history in America. Early in our country’s history, people like Johnny “Appleseed” Chapman were growing and teaching others how to farm apples as a way to create and grow wealth among a new and young citizenry. Chapman was also giving young Americans a way to unwind. Notes Michal Pollan in The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World: "Really, what Johnny Appleseed was doing and the reason he was welcome in every cabin in Ohio and Indiana was he was bringing the gift of alcohol to the frontier. He was our American Dionysus."
During prohibition, Chapman’s apple orchards provoked the ire of the FBI and were systematically destroyed. Today, Apple Brandy is making a comeback in America. As the country’s first spirit, Apple Bandy has an everything-old-is-new-again Americana appeal that everyone from home cocktail enthusiasts to barkeeps will love.
“Chapmans is the living representation of everything we’re trying to do at Republic Restoratives,” said distiller and co-founder Rachel Gardner. “It was born from a collaboration with a local farmer, produced using centuries old techniques and is answering the call from barkeeps around the region for a local interpretation of America’s oldest spirit. We’re incredibly proud to release the 2016 harvest of Chapmans Apple Brandy.”
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