Photo: Jim Folliard/Gearshift Productions L.L.C.
It wasnโt easy getting onto Embassy Row last night (at least for this reporterโs taxi driver), as Massachusetts Avenue was shut down for the popeโs motorcade, en route to the Vatican Embassy. That didnโt sway SurReal Vodka owners (and husband-and-wife team) Derek and Lisa Olson, who launched their brand at the Embassy of Latvia, prominently located on Sheridan Circle.
The duo picked Washington as their first stop to reach the cityโs international crowd and local restaurants (30, including Restaurant Eve, Brasserie Beck, and Citronelle, have already signed on to serve the liquor). They chose the historic venueโonce owned by the Smithsonian and complete with dark wood beams and stained-glass detailsโbecause of the vodkaโs Latvian origins and to create a more intimate launch for their product. โWe can have a quality interaction with everyone who comes through the doors,โ said Lisa Olson.The eveningโs 200-person crowd sampled cocktails made with the boutique vodkaโs four flavors, including the Samurai, made with SurRealโs ginger peach, champagne, apple, and crystallized ginger. Menu items included fried goat-cheese balls and mac-and-cheese bits topped with barbecue chicken from Occasions Caterers. Some guests also took over a separate candlelit lounge for late-night cigar pairings.
The duo picked Washington as their first stop to reach the cityโs international crowd and local restaurants (30, including Restaurant Eve, Brasserie Beck, and Citronelle, have already signed on to serve the liquor). They chose the historic venueโonce owned by the Smithsonian and complete with dark wood beams and stained-glass detailsโbecause of the vodkaโs Latvian origins and to create a more intimate launch for their product. โWe can have a quality interaction with everyone who comes through the doors,โ said Lisa Olson.The eveningโs 200-person crowd sampled cocktails made with the boutique vodkaโs four flavors, including the Samurai, made with SurRealโs ginger peach, champagne, apple, and crystallized ginger. Menu items included fried goat-cheese balls and mac-and-cheese bits topped with barbecue chicken from Occasions Caterers. Some guests also took over a separate candlelit lounge for late-night cigar pairings.