Some of you may be wondering what happened to our gluten-free pizza party, and we’re glad you asked.  We’ve received a tremendous amount of support and feedback from the gluten-free community, and we appreciate all of it.  We’re very proud to say that we’re often listed as one of (if not THE) best gluten-free pizzas in the area.  Sadly, all good things must come to an end eventually.  But don’t worry!  Our GF pizzas are still available at all times and we invite you to join us on Tuesday nights when we offer any wine bottle for half-price with the order of any pizza- including gluten-free pizzas!

In a recent article featured in the City Paper, Alex Baca argues that Counter Culture Coffee’s far-reaching presence in the district has adversely impacted the city’s growing coffee scene.  To illustrate her point, Baca proffers two false assertions.  The first is that there is little difference between the coffees offered at different establishments using Counter Culture.  The second, that is implied if not explicitly stated, is that companies who use the resources that Counter Culture provides are doing so because they’re lazy and cheap.

The crux of the article is that,

…Counter Culture’s vast reach engenders a monochromatic coffee scene where two of every three cups from specialty java joints in the District taste the same. …“If you’re someone that loves coffee and going to different cafés, do you really want to go to the coffee shop on the corner and have their featured coffee of the month, and go to the next one and have their featured coffee, and have it be the same coffee?” says Reithmaier (District Bean Blog).

While there’s often overlap between what Counter Culture accounts serve, there’s enough variety in the company’s offerings at any given time to ensure that customers have a wealth of choices.  Not once have I found myself at another Counter Culture shop and seen only the same coffees that we offer at Tryst or Open City. The truth is that Counter Culture’s coffees don’t all taste the same and they don’t taste the same everywhere. There is more similarity between Ceremony and Counter Culture’s Sidamo coffees (they buy some of the exact same Ethiopian beans) than there is between any two coffees that Counter Culture offers.

Baca admits that while working somewhere that served Counter Culture she “never loved the coffee (I find it a bit sour and watery).” “Sour” and “watery” are descriptors I’d expect from someone who has fallen under the spell of burnt coffee cast by gas stations and mega coffee chains everywhere. Baca misses the mark by attempting to dismiss Counter Culture’s entire coffee portfolio with two adjectives that aren’t necessarily indicative of quality but rather of personal taste and are likely to have as much to do with the barista’s preparation as with the beans themselves.

Contrary to what Baca argues in her article, my relationship with Counter Culture has actually served to broaden my perspective on the coffee industry instead of narrowing it.  Counter Culture takes great pains to treat the coffee they purchase and those who grow it with incredible care – it’s built into the way they do business.  Through their outreach and education programs, Counter Culture hasn’t dominated the dialogue as Baca claims, they’ve only encouraged it and empowered us to engage in it knowledgably and responsibly.  Worth noting as well is the fact that, unlike the picture Baca paints of a coffee giant distorting our view of all things coffee to their advantage, Counter Culture’s approach is actually incredibly similar to others in the specialty world.  My own interactions and relationships with folks from Stumptown, Intelligenstia, Gimme!, Ritual, and elsewhere in the specialty coffee world, have proven that Counter Culture’s values and quality standards are shared by many, if not most, in the industry.

The article also implies that the choice of using Counter Culture is primarily expeditious.

As long as a shop sells Counter Culture coffee exclusively, the company will provide that place with extra service—at no extra charge. Want your baristas trained in espresso-making and milk-frothing? How about your espresso machines installed or serviced? What about a course instilling staffers with the all-important fair-trade, single-origin, organic ethos? Sell Counter Culture, and only Counter Culture, and you get all that for free. …Rather than taking the time to close shop and train staff, operators can ship their charges off to Counter Culture for classes like “Beginner Espresso Lab” and “Brewing Science.”

We don’t rely on Counter Culture for training, but rather use the resources available to us through their training center and knowledgeable staff to do a better job of it. Counter Culture classes are a bonus available to our baristas beyond their basic training. Their tech support helps keep our machines making great coffee but we’re not reliant on it. We’ve had multiple staff members trained by our espresso machine’s manufacturer to be able to service the machine. These resources make your coffee better. I hate to break it to you, but, most shops who train in-house aren’t closing to do so. You’re drinking their training drinks.

I want there to be continued diversity in what coffees are available in DC. Places like Qualia are important for coffee locally and I proudly display my Madcap pin and can’t wait for them to start roasting in DC. I try to get my hands on great coffee from different roasters around the world as much as I can and I understand peoples’ desire to make more of these coffees readily available in the district. At the same time, as the article admits, Counter Culture offers a lot to small businesses committed to serving great coffee. Each relationship between a roaster and retailer is unique and our relationship with Counter Culture is special -- our proximity to Counter Culture's training center alone suggests as much. Like our relationship with our guests, our relationship with Counter Culture isn't just about the coffee, it's about the people. After the better part of a decade, it's a relationship I trust.

When it comes to multiple roasters, ordering a few pounds from here and there from around the country, paying the shipping cost on it and then being able rotate the stock to keep it fresh doesn’t make sense for us. I don't think it makes sense for most places with regard to consist quality and value. What it boils down to is that I firmly believe there isn’t a better roaster closer to DC than Counter Culture in Durham, North Carolina. I also believe that consumers get the most bang for their buck when retailers make the best choices given their own definition of quality and value.  I’m not surprised others have come to the same conclusion that we have and DC is better for it.

By Noah: It has been an absolute pleasure running the beer program and creating Thursday night beer nights at Tryst over the last year. Thank you so much for the support along the way. I know I'm leaving the program in good hands, but I hope you are pleased with the progress we have made.

Brewing has moved forward and spread throughout this country in the past few years like no other time in recent memory. Focus on ingredients and processes has pushed the world's most popular drink in every far reach of our country, to an almost culinary pursuit. We have reaped the rewards at Tryst, choosing offerings tailored to the truths and whimsy we hold dear at our bar. Beer nights on Thursday has been our weekly toast to our fine brews. What started as an opportunity to spread the fun details about a featured beer quickly turned into an opportunity to meet representatives of breweries like Victory in Pennsylvania and New Belgium in Colorado. Last fall, when DC's second brewery was making moves, Tryst hosted the brewers from Chocolate City Beer for their Adams Morgan debut bringing it all full circle.

We've made some more changes to our list, going local with the DC Brau Public Ale in a can, and Alexandria's Lost Rhino Face Plant IPA and Port City Porter on draft. We also switched from the Cornerstone Copper Ale from Chocolate City to their Cerveza Nacional de la Capital on tap, and tonight, one last time, we're gonna raise some pints for a Thursday Beer Night celebrating the best local dark beer--in my mind at least--you can find. It's a Vienna Lager with lots of malts and delightful roast notes. It's creamy and smooth and goes down dangerously fast and it's $4 bucks all night.

Any of our delicious homemade pies is available for you to order and make your life just a bit easier.  Choose from apple, sour cherry crumb, mixed berry, maple pecan, sweet potato, or gluten-free peanut butter cup pie - they're just $25 each!  Email Mick (at) OpenCityDC.com with your contact information and your order by December 20 and pick up your pie on either December 22 or 23.  Have a tasty and worry-free holiday!

Through long conversations with each other about where coffee is going in DC, we put together a long list of ideas for future coffee/ espresso drinks at Tryst.. Some of which have yet to be named.

The idea to feature these drinks came about and the 'Barista Specials' board was born... Everyday, each Tryst Barista will feature a drink of his/her own discovery or creation .. Crafting an established espresso drink already requires a certain level of skill and expertise..introducing something new will undergo an even more intense level of scrutiny as these drinks have never been introduced to our region before, while some will have been conjured up from our own, wild, coffee-laden imaginations.. And as i previously stated, some of these ideas have not been named.. So we've been naming them after you.. The "Barista Specials' board regularly features a customers name plus a
recipe as our drink of the day.

So we invite you to take part in this massive coffee experiment with us as we interpret, and go on flights of espresso fancy, testing new ideas and naming our favorite ones after you.. We'd also like to extend a special invitation to local Baristas...Tryst is a community coffeehouse bar and lounge.. Coffee knowledge is a major priority and we want to keep sharing it with the local community... Local Baristas are a valuable part of our community at Tryst and we especially invite you to join us in future events.. One, in particular, will be a Barista Happy Hour once a month on Wednesdays from 3pm-9pm, where we will feature what we are calling the 'Barista 1,2,3'..  This will include 1 dollar double espresso shots, 2 dollar Cortado's, and 3 dollar Barista Drink Special of the Day.

Written by our Barista Ezzat Obaid

This is where coffee underwent its metamorphosis into that dark liquid gold that it is today.  The Muslims of Arabia were drinking coffee like it was nobodyís business, perhaps because the Koran forbid the consumption of alcohol and the energizing effects of coffee were found to be an acceptable substitute.  However, with such an awesome substance in their possession it was only a matter of time before it found its way into other areas, despite the best efforts of those in Arabia.   Beans were made infertile through various methods preventing their export from Arabia.
European travelers to the Far East brought this delicious black beverage back to Venice in 1615 where it was met with such controversy that the possible evils of the beverage was brought to the attention of Pope Clement VIII. Of course, after the giving coffee a shot it received Papal approval whereupon it spread throughout Europe like wildfire, and the coffee house culture was born.  So called ìPenny Universitiesî sprung up in London where coffee and conversation could be bought for only a penny.  With such a thriving coffee culture it was only a matter of time before beans were snuck out of Arabia, and in the 17th Century the Dutch succeeded in obtaining some seedlings.  Soon there was a thriving coffee trade going with the Dutch growing coffee in Indonesia.  The Mayor of Amsterdam presented a coffee seedling as a gift to the king of France, and this begat the worldwide spread of Coffee.
Today, coffee is the second most highly traded commodity on the planet (oil being the first).  The journey it has taken from providing Ethiopian goats and their herders with energy to becoming a worldwide phenomenon is amazing.  There is an amazing amount of information out there regarding the origins of coffee and coffee culture.  We highly recommend yíall come to Tryst, enjoy a cup of our house blend or one of our hand poured single origins and explore the world of coffee that is just a Google search away.

Written by our Barista Justin Harbison

October is honored in the US as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and for millions of Americans it’s an opportunity to mobilize and spread the word about breast cancer detection and treatment.  There are numerous walks, races, rallies and other events to bring together those who have been touched by this high-profile disease to both inform the public about the importance of prevention and early detection and to raise money for research toward a cure.  While there are many worthy organizations, I’d like to focus on just one: Living Beyond Breast Cancer.

LBBC is a patient-focused approach with an active outreach to minorities, the newly diagnosed, and those with advanced breast cancer.  Their mission is to help those with breast cancer to live as long as possible with the highest quality of life possible.  LBBC has been realizing this mission for over 20 years, and an impressive 89% of their operating costs are dedicated to the programs and services they offer to breast cancer patients.  Through a partnership with Cline Vineyards, the Cline Cashmere label is a way that you can support breast cancer patients with just the tip of a glass!  Cline has been producing their Cashmere label since 2004, and they donate $25k annually to LBBC.  Unlike many corporate donations, Cline’s contribution isn’t an “up to” amount based on how much they can sell of a “pink-washed” product – it’s a check cut directly to LBBC, independent of their sales volume.  Cline Cashmere is symbolic of their commitment to the breast cancer community.

Cline Cashmere will be available at Open City throughout the month of October.  Cashmere is a silky and wonderful blend of Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Syrah.  This is a very flavorful, smooth wine offering big cherry, raspberry and chocolate notes with hints of cracked black pepper and plum.  Come try it for $10/glass, or $40/bottle.  At that price it’s a steal, and supports something you can definitely feel good about.

And ladies, remember to check yourself monthly!  Early detection is key.

It might seem a little crazy to be outside in this nearly 100 degree weather. Some choose to stay indoors and venture out into the sun as little as possible during the record breaking heat we are currently experiencing in this city. Yet there are some for whom the heat fails to be a deterrent and others still who may even embrace it! Yes, we are referring to those crazy DC joggers that we see run by our giant windows every day—sometimes even during the worst midday heat. The importance of staying hydrated before, during and after these excursions cannot be overstated and at Open City we are here to help!

We participate in the TapIt water project, which is dedicated to “providing clean sustainable water on the go.”  You can find out more about some of the very cool stuff that they do by following their blog. http://www.tapitwater.com/blog At Open City, though, we not only provide clean filtered water, but we also make sure it is nice and cold, and of course, did we mention free? So come in anytime and refill your water bottles or just grab a glass from us and chug it down. On most weekends you don’t even have to come inside as we have a water station set up right out front.

Once you’ve recovered in that way, you might want to enjoy a cup of our delicious Counter Culture coffee or espresso drinks any of which can be iced. We also have several different kinds of flavored iced teas. If you’re curious as to different methods of iced coffees and teas there is some great information here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/dining/cold-brewing-coffee-and-tea-the-curious-cook.html?_r=1 We brew our iced coffee using the “Japanese” method. Our iced espresso drinks are made differently depending on what you order, but especially great are our iced cappuccinos (pictured above), iced lattes or iced Cubans. Chances are that as soon as you step out of the door or out from beneath our beautifully shaded patio, you’re going to be tormented by the brutal heat again almost instantly, so it might not hurt to stay and try several.

The event at the Lovely Jack Rose down the street was a lot of fun. Be sure to check out Rickey monthy around town next year.Thanks everyone for all the support and Bill for a great 2nd price prize - a very rare bottle of bourbon.

So, what is a Rickey? It is a highball of a base spirit, half of a lime squeezed and dropped in the glass, and carbonated water, with no or little sugar. It will be recognized as DC’s native cocktail by Councilmember Jack Evans and Congresswomen Eleanor Holmes Norton in a ceremony on July 17th.  It was originally made with bourbon, purportedly for the lobbyist and gentleman gambler, Colonel Joe Rickey, by George A. Williamson, a bartender at Shoemaker’s, in 1883. The drink became the most popular of its time (a majority of the limes in the country were used for the drink) when gin began to be popularly used as the base spirit.

Old Joe wasn’t too excited about the development. “Only a few years ago I was Col. Rickey, of Missouri, the friend of senators, judges and statesmen and something of an authority on political matters and political movements... But am I ever spoken of for those reasons? I fear not. No, I am known to fame as the author of the 'Rickey', and I have to be satisfied with that.” -- "Not Proud of His Honors", The Wellsboro Gazette, July 26, 1901.

Well, sorry, Joe. We love the drink and the story behind it. For the Summer Lovin’ Rickey. Hendrick’s gin and Woodford Reserve bourbon are infused with vanilla and orchid scented and smoked teas to accentuate the rose in the Hendricks and the smoke and vanilla notes of the Woodford. A touch of Victory Summer Love ale, which is made with tons of floral, whole flower hops, is added to again accentuate the rose in the gin and match the astringency of the tea. Clementine juice reinforce the citrus and rounds out the drink.

It’s complex and little odd, but refreshing on a DC summer day, which was the original intent. Joe would probably hate this drink, but I hope that he’d be pleased to know that we’re still talking about him. Even if it is because of that damn Rickey.