Trouble Bird
Bar · Near Southeast ·
Creative cocktails, disco balls, intimate vibe, late-night bites
Creative cocktails, disco balls, intimate vibe, late-night bites
"Navy Yard’s 40-seat cocktail nest has quickly amassed a neighborhood following for its shimmering shooters and frozen tiki drinks. D.C. sommelier and restaurateur Brent Kroll turned to disco balls and the cocktail prowess of Silver Lyan alums Justin Cara-Donna and Andrew Hurn to transform his Maxwell Park wine bar into Trouble Bird. A crowd-pleasing “Everything Bagel Sazerac” is a best seller since day one, comprised of sesame aquavit and chive gomme. Over in Shaw, Kroll runs Maxwell Park wine bar and bubbly-fueled Pop Fizz. A weekday happy hour (5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.) and all-day Monday features $10 classic cocktails." - Tierney Plumb
"D.C. sommelier and restaurateur Brent Kroll flipped his Maxwell Park wine bar in Navy Yard into a cool cocktail bar decked out in disco balls in early 2023. Bartenders and friends Justin Cara-Donna and Andrew Hurn, alums of D.C.’s award-winning cocktail den Silver Lyan, open with a breakfast-for-dinner cocktail theme. Think: a “flapjack” Old Fashioned (bourbon and mezcal with brown butter, maple, and buckwheat bitters) and “Everything Bagel Sazerac” punched up with sesame aquavit and chive gomme." - Tierney Plumb
"Andrew Hurn, a managing partner at a Navy Yard cocktail bar, notes the science behind corn’s appeal: “Fresh off the cob, corn contains a large amount of glutamic acid and sucrose, molecules that we associate with both sweet and umami,” which enables bartenders to highlight both sweet and savory aspects of corn. He also observes that “The depth of knowledge that is found in the places where corn was first cultivated has allowed us to fully understand and utilize an ingredient like corn to its furthest potential,” framing the recent push to reconnect cocktails with source ingredients." - Lulu Chang
"Navy Yard’s 40-seat cocktail nest has quickly amassed a neighborhood following for its shimmering shooters and frozen tiki drinks. D.C. sommelier and restaurateur Brent Kroll turned to disco balls and the cocktail prowess of Silver Lyan alums Justin Cara-Donna and Andrew Hurn to transform his Maxwell Park wine bar into Trouble Bird. The inaugural “Breakfast for Dinner” drink theme features “flapjack” bourbon-and-mezcal Old Fashioned stacked with brown butter, maple, and buckwheat bitters to a crowd-pleasing “Everything Bagel Sazerac” coupe comprised of sesame aquavit and chive gomme. Over in Shaw, Kroll runs Maxwell Park wine bar and bubbly-fueled Pop Fizz." - Tierney Plumb, Travis Mitchell
"A traveling spooky-themed, award-winning pop-up called the Black Lagoon returns to the Navy Yard bar, with decorations and timely cocktails by bar industry veterans Erin Hayes and Kelsey Ramage. Drinks include the cinnamon and coconut-flavored Nosferatu’s Rise and Memento Mori with mezcal, cold brew, and Mr. Black coffee liqueur. The pop-up will be at Trouble Bird through Saturday, November 2 and can be found at 35 other bars across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico." - Vinciane Ngomsi