I have this mental checklist of activities that I like to do each December to help get me into the holiday spirit. Some are obvious: decorating my tree while listening to Christmas carols, baking cookies at mom & dad’s, and watching my favorite old holiday specials on TV. Another one of my favorite things to do around this time of year is to get dressed up and go out for a holiday cocktail. It started in my college days when my friends and I would meet at Kinkora for drinks and to exchange gifts. Kinkora was this old Irish dive, and our holiday drink usually consisted of whatever cheap beer was on tap, but they always had a Christmas tree up and a roaring fake fire going so I was guaranteed to leave the place full of holiday cheer. Later, after Robert and I had met and were living on First Hill, we enjoyed going out for a holiday drink at The Hunt Club in the Sorrento Hotel. The Hunt Club had everything you would want in a holiday bar - slightly ritzy, very cozy and a menu of old school cocktails. The past few years, we have had a harder time finding just the right place for our holiday drink. There are plenty of bars on Capitol Hill, but so many of them are too sleek and posh. More hipster-cool than cozy and festive.

This year, we decided to try Licorous for our holiday drink because it is close to home and I heard that they make excellent cocktails. Licorous is located right next door to Lark and is actually owned by the same people. Licorous has all of the elements of a posh Capitol Hill bar, but it manages to be cozy at the same time. A sleek bar, silver ceiling tiles, and retro, geometric designs provide the cool factor, but dim lighting and rust & pumpkin colored walls and drapes give it enough warmth to make the space inviting and cozy. Although it is often referred to as Lark’s little sister, and many people in fact use it as an area to sit while waiting for a table at Lark, Licorous has plenty going on to make it a culinary destination all its own. Exquisite cocktails aside, the menu at Licorous (designed by John Sundstrom, chef/owner of Lark) features inventive small plates in the same style as Lark but at slightly lower prices.

Though the menu looked interesting, we weren’t there for the food, just the holiday drink. Now, I feel the need to make a point of clarification here. When I say holiday drink, I am not talking about a beverage made with some syrupy chocolate or mint liquor and topped with whipped cream. I hate that stuff. For me, the ideal holiday drink is any sophisticated, adult cocktail that is appropriate for winter (think bourbon or brandy, not margarita or mai tai.) Licorous’ Barbaro cocktail fit the bill perfectly. The Barbaro consists of Elijah Craig bourbon with Amaro Ramazzotti, Cinzano, and Drambuie, shaken and served in a tall flared glass with an orange twist. It is a perfectly balanced drink, slightly sweet with a bitter finish. Very delicious. I also ordered the rye whiskey popovers that are meant to accompany my drink (each specialty cocktail has a matching nibble that can be ordered for an extra $2.) The popovers, which were closer in my opinion to miniature bread puddings, were very yummy. I could have easily eaten 5 orders of them. They went beautifully with my drink, and weren’t a bad match for Robert’s Knob Creek either. I think we may have found our new holiday drink spot!

Licorous is located at 928 12th Avenue and is open Monday through Saturday 5PM to 1AM.