By Gum by Golly…

*** If you are looking for my cookbook GIVEAWAY click here.

 

We are on the letter G! It’s time to share your choices and link up with our hostess and teacher Jenny for Alphabe-Thursday.

My choice for G is a Guinness in Georgetown.

A really good bartender is hard to find. I think we discovered the best bartender East of the Cascades on our recent trip to Washington D.C. There are plenty that will mix up a drink for you or pour you a beer and plop it in front of you with hardly a smile but then there’s the rare one who has panache. Someone who adds style and good conversation to his art.

 

We were on the Tour Trolley going through Georgetown when our guide directed our attention to Martin’s Tavern. We knew we’d be jumping off the trolley and strolling back to the Tavern because of it’s historical significance or because we really wanted a beer, you decide. We sat at the bar instead of a table and we were so pleased we did.

 

As luck would have it we got to meet Damon the bartender this afternoon.

 

Not only was he a great bartender but he was a good sport and posed for a photo for my blog.

 

I ordered a Guinness and look what I got…A Guinness, but not just any Guinness on draught. Take a closer look y’all and check out the head on my Guinness. Do you see what I see? Do you see the genuine Irish Shamrock?

 

I was so thirsty I almost missed it but Dear pointed it out to me and then I didn’t want to drink it but I just wanted to enjoy it. Did I tell you I’m very visual? This was the very first time a Guinness was served to me with the bartender taking the added time to design a Shamrock on it’s head.

Thank you Damon! We are sincere in saying you are one of the best bartenders we have ever chatted with. You made our Georgetown experience at Billy Martin’s very memorable! You really impressed Dear because of your classic knowledge of spirits and beer and especially the fact that you know what a Martini isn’t.

Now for you history buffs who might not enjoy booze, here’s some interesting history associated with Billy Martin’s!

There are several tables at Martin’s that boast being a president’s favorite, from Harry Truman to George W. Bush.

Booth #1 “The Rumble Seat”;

After mass at Holy Trinity in the 1950’s JFK sat in this booth reading the paper and having brunch on Sundays.

Booth #3 – The Kennedy Booth – a.k.a. The Proposal Booth

JFK and Jackie frequently dined in Booth #3. On Wednesday, June 24, 1953, having returned from covering the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth for the Washington Times Herald, Jacqueline Bouvier accepted John Kennedy’s proposal of marriage. The next day customers and staff excitedly talked about “that nice young Kennedy senator” proposing to his girlfriend the night before in their booth. Since that day, Booth #3 is known as “the proposal booth”.

Booth #6 – The Truman Booth

Harry Truman, his wife Bess and daughter Margaret sat here for many dinners when Margaret was a student at George Washington University in 1942 and he was a senator from Missouri. Margaret Truman wrote 14 mystery novels set in Washington D.C. and many of her novels included Martin’s Tavern. Murder in Georgetown, pg. 58 -“She seemed anxious to comply and they arranged to meet at seven at Martin’s Tavern.”

 

If you find yourself in Georgetown make sure and visit Billy Martin’s Tavern and say hi to Damon for us!

Here’s another G you shouldn’t miss…I’m having a Giveaway on my blog. Enter to win our MGCC cookbook with all the girls signatures!

Photobucket replaced all my photos with blurred out versions and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.

About Ellenhttps://happywonderer.com/I am a wife, mother, baba (grandmother) and a loyal friend. Jesus is my King and my hope is in my future with Him.

26 thoughts on “By Gum by Golly…

  1. What a great post for history and charm (even though I don’t really like beer, it doesn’t change the pleasure of the blog.) That Damon sure looks like an Irish pub keeper!

    I have read and so enjoyed many of the Margaret Truman mysteries. I liked Murder at the Library of Congress, and …at the National Cathedral. I like the husband/wife crime solving team.

  2. It’s always such a pleasure when someone makes an extra effort to please a customer – and even befriend them and pose for a blog post! Excellent!

  3. Wow, what a great bar and bartender! I’ve never seen a bartender put a shamrock in the head, so cool! Don’t you wonder who else sat there, before they were famous? Great G post Ellen B! Nan
    PS, Where is the castle in your header? It looks a lot like one we saw in Germany!

  4. I drink Guinness yet I’ve never had it served with a shamrock image on its head. Always nice to have an accommodating bartender… there are a few in my family! And what a history this place has!

  5. Now that’s a first! I’ve never seen anything designed on the head of a beer!
    What a lot of history in that tavern.

  6. Sounds like a great time! And love the history too. My hubby and I went to Williamsburg this weekend to visit dear friends and loved walking and taking in the charm of colonial Williamsburg!

    Blessings & Aloha!
    (…catching up on my blog reading and my “return thank you” visits…thank you sooo much for your visit…I didnt even manage to get my “once a week” post up last week! but am happy to be here this week!)

  7. What a grand link to Alphabe-Thursday’s letter “G”.

    I didn’t know they could do foam designs in beer like they do in lattes! That is soooo cool! I bet that was refreshing after sight-seeing!

    Thanks for letting us tag along. I’m marveling over the foam thing. Yeah, I might officially need to get out more!

    Thanks for linking.

    A+

  8. Hi Ellen,

    First off…what a great blog you have!

    I just returned to town an just getting to see this wonderful blog. In fact, if it is not to late, I am going to sign up for the give away for the cook book. If I win, maybe a recipe or two may find their way onto our special list.

    I wanted you to know that I am really happy that Damon was able to make your trip to Martin’s Tavern and Washington, DC extra special!

    I must say that we strive to treat everyone this way by all our staff, however, I must say that Damon is an exceptional bartender and host and I am real happy that he has joined our family here.

    I hope that the next time you return to Washington and Martin’s that you will let me know so that I can say hello.

    Oh, one more thing. I really love the pictures you took too. If it is not to much to ask, I would love to get copies of them so we can put on the website etc. My email address is billy@martinstavern.com

    We are working on linking your blog site to our website too.

    All the best!

    Billy Martin

Leave a comment