Todd Thrasher’s drink of choice is a rum and tonic. For years, whether it was at his award-winningAlexandria speakeasy PX, long stints at Restaurant Eve and Society Fair, or his more recent creations for The LINE’s Brothers and Sisters cocktail program, the veteran bartender and multi-year James Beard nominee sought a drinkable rum that would pair well in a tonic. He often used Mount Gay rum but saw holes he could fill in the artisanal distilling of his favorite spirit.
So Thrasher switched directions in what has been an oft-watched, decorated career: He crafted his own rum. He honed his distilling techniques at places like Kentucky’s Moonshine University. The payoff is four types of rum made in 200-gallon stills at Thrasher’s new Potomac Distilling Company at The District Wharf, all served up at the attached bar Tiki TNT. The initial lineup includes white and gold rums, one with traditional with notes of vanilla and allspice, and a lighter, earthier green spiced rum Thrasher created for his signature drink with lemon verbena, mint, and green cardamom.
“I spent the last 15 years in a suit and tie,” Thrasher says. “You get to a point where you want to do something different. When I opened PX, I wanted a quiet place where my wife and I could go and sit down and talk. At this point, I want something completely diametrically opposed: loud and raucous and fun.”
