Day ‘n’ Nite (reposado tequila, coffee, Madeira, and Japanese black sugar). | Rey Lopez The ambitious underground bar opens with next-level drinks, tempura, and an all-vinyl soundtrack Press Club Cocktail Bar debuted in Dupont Circle this month with a curated list of drinks and music to match. The polished subterranean lounge comes from partners Will Patton and Devin Kennedy, who both have extensive experience in the D.C. and New York bar scene, respectively (1506 19th Street NW). Rey Lopez Desperado (whiskey, squash amaro, and citrus oleo saccharum). Press Club, named for “pressing” of both records and food ingredients (and a nod to the nearby national institution for journalists), divides drinks into two sections: the core “track list,” and a curated four-flight “playlist” experience ($95) that features cocktail selections from the main menu along with paired snacks from the kitchen. Bites include Japanese-influenced items like tempura shrimp with yuzu kosho and furikake, onigiri dressed with Oolong tea and nori, and a refreshing cucumber salad. The tasting menu is offered by reservation, while a la carte is available for walk-ins. Food is available a la carte as well. The dozen or so cocktails at Press Club feature a spectrum of spirits and styles. The Temptation takes its cues from the margarita, mixing a base of blanco tequila with Chenin Blanc wine, mango, lime, and serrano peppers. Standing in for a Manhattan is the Devil in a New Dress, stirred up with Cognac, rye whiskey, cacao, strawberry, and Amontillado sherry. And the team says the flavors of vodka, lychee, yuzu sake, and lemon has the Paris, Tokyo showing as an early guest favorite. When it comes to mixing drinks, Kennedy describes himself as a minimalist, while Patton favors a more culinary approach with techniques like fat-washing, clarification, and infusion. In The Nights Over Egypt, for example, he incorporates a yogurt wash in an attempt to combine a parfait with a New York Sour. In addition to cocktails, Press Club also offers the “20 XO” list, a selection of XO Cognacs and vintage Armagnacs priced at $20 for a 1-ounce pour. Rey Lopez Nights Over Egypt (bourbon, Calvados, yogurt, seasonal fruit, and bordeaux). The menu is no doubt sophisticated, but Kennedy and Patton both agree that the unifying philosophy behind the drinks is that they simply taste good. “We’re not trying to show off to anybody and say, ‘look at us, we’re mad scientists,’” Patton says. Beyond what’s in the glass, Press Club purchased a custom bar well from Sweden that emphasizes execution in all parts of making and serving a drink. Cocktails are prepared with large-format ice to improve aeration and dilution and produce drinks that are as consistent as can be. “Everything we’re doing is trying very much to provide the greatest detail and technique,” Patton says. Rey Lopez Upscale bar snacks at Press Club. As part of Hive Hospitality, the Press Club team looks to carry forward the tradition of service that’s earned a collective three Michelin stars (Jônt and Bresca). The rectangular-shaped bar’s small footprint means plenty of time for conversation and questions between bartenders and guests. On a recent Saturday, the owners mixed and mingled with the full house, telling customers about their cocktails and the vast vinyl library stocked on sleek wooden shelves. “It’s not all about the drinks,” Kennedy says. “We’ve been around a while — we can make a good drink. But sometimes, it’s about the totality of the experience.” Rey Lopez Press Club partner Will Patton is also the beverage director at D.C.’s Michelin-starred duo Bresca and Jônt. Rey Lopez Press Club partner Devin Kennedy was most recently in charge of East Village’s hip hangout Pouring Ribbons.