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Hotel Sofitel Washington DC
Serving as Editor-In-Chief of THE VENUE Magazine for the past couple of months has been a dream come true. I spent four years at Hampton University earning a Bachelor of Arts in Print Journalism and another two at Bowie State University where I earned a Masters in Public Administration. Having gone to two historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) has kept me on my toes and forward on everything from politics to fashion. As the magazine of decadence, THE VENUE is pushing to be a forefront publication, providing a venue for all artists to put their stamp on their respective industries. Starting with a dream, the magazine is plunging full force ahead and not looking back. Having interviewed the likes of Marlon Wayans , to having articles about everyone from Zoe Saldana to Dave Franko, we are proving that we are here to stay. The vision of THE VENUE intertwined with the belief in the hearts of the staff, will make us a top luxury and entertainment magazine going beyond the Washington, D.C. area. Indeed, THE VENUE DC will one day be UNIVERSAL, worldly known because that is how we do! We are not trying to replace any magazine that is doing their thing; we are just trying to add a new swagger to the industry. Who doesn’t like swagger? I know I do. We are not just about stilettos and musicians, models, and making paper. We are about providing knowledge to an industry that was made to expand. Day-to-day things change, and we are about keeping you up-to-date. So check out our website www.vergomedia.com every month, and look out for our launch party because it will be one hell of a ride. We hope that you will be along for the journey – Bonnie and Clyde style. Signing out ~
Monica House EDITOR
EXCUTIVE PUBLISHER
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LUXE
The smoke has cleared and the ashes have settled. After puffing our way through an entire year of taste tests, the editorial team at THE VENUE DC has chosen the Top Cigars of 2014.
The Ashton Virgin Sun Grown brand has established itself as a benchmark smoke among full-bodied enthusiasts. Its launch in 1999 brought a newfound interest to Ecuador Sumatra wrapper. Everyone speaks of the wrapper with Ashton VSGs. The leaves for these smokes were grown in the cloud-covered foothills of the Andes mountains by Oliva Tobacco Co., the Tampa, Florida, company that has brokered cigar tobacco for decades. Fuente takes the leaves that grow near the top of Sumatra-seed plants and ferments them in bulks, bringing out the oils and increasing the darkness. The result is a strong, oily, flavorful leaf that leaves an impression on the palate. It’s one of the benchmark brands for Ashton Distributors Inc., a company owned by the Levin family, which has sold cigars since the 1950s.
LUXE
Buenaventura cigars are new to the pages of Cigar Aficionado, and likely to be unknown to many of you reading this entry. The brand is small and rather new, having made its market debut in October 2012. It comes from Andreas Throuvalas, a former European cigar retailer and the owner of the boutique company Curivari Cigars International. Curivari cigars got their start in Europe, and had no U.S. distribution until Throuvalas brought the brand to America in 2010. They have had a small but dedicated following, and have their share of scores in the high 80s. Buenaventuras have an old-school look, with vintagestyle cigar bands and simple yet elegant packaging. The smokes are Nicaraguan puros, made with a mixture of tobaccos from Jalapa, EstelĂ and Condega. Curivari makes all of its cigars with Nicaraguan tobaccos, but it typically shies away from using tobacco from Condega, which might explain the standout nature of the Buenaventura blend.
LUXE
Davidoff cigars have been made in the Dominican Republic under the watchful eye of Hendrik Kelner since the early 1990s, and the vast majority of those cigars have been a mild- to medium-bodied blend of locally grown filler and binder leaves wrapped with creamy, light Connecticut-seed tobacco. With today’s cigar aficionados having developed a tremendous appetite for Nicaraguan cigars, Davidoff’s new leaders aimed at expanding their footprint, and Nicaraguan tobacco became the target. But rather than opening its own factory in Nicaragua, or contracting out a brand, the Davidoff team opted to make a different move and import tobacco from Nicaragua to its Dominican factory. There, they used tried-and-true construction and quality control methods to bring an entirely new taste profile to the venerable Davidoff brand.
LUXE
The Aston Martin Vanquish, the ultimate grand tourer, the stunning product of 100 years of Aston Martin Power, Beauty & Soul. How to enhance the character and capability of our Super GT? Simple; the same engineering expertise, the same dynamic performance, the same world-leading design - but the thrill of open top driving. Proportion, presence, purity. Vanquish Volante delivers the most beautiful bodyshape in its class. Subtle changes needed extensive design work. All new aerodynamically tuned decklid and tonneau. New full-height windscreen with glass directly meeting roof. First fully carbon-fibre skinned Volante. Taking something away allowed us to add so much more.
Producing the same range-topping performance achieved in Vanquish Coupe in Vanquish Volante was an engineering challenge – a challenge we passed. Powered by the same AM11 V12 engine, acceleration of 4.1secs and peak power of 573PS ensures this is the quickest accelerating Volante we’ve produced. It’s also the stiffest with a body which maintains all the dynamic agility of Vanquish Coupe.
Harnessing the power of AM29 V12 engine is the all-new Touchtronic III ZF eight-speed automatic transmission. Touchtronic III sets new standards for performance and shift speed. With eight gears produced by four gear sets and five shift elements - always operating at their optimum level - you’ll experience exceptional shift quality and even faster acceleration. 568 bhp of power. Eight gears shifting in just 130 milliseconds. The 2015 Vanquish Volante is honed for a truly remarkable driving experience.
LUXE
The new Tradition Supreme 108’ evolves Benetti Class range lines by introducing innovative new design features and functions. The main novelty is the three-deck layout (a unique feature for a 108 foot yacht) which increases comfort and enhances on board habitability, while the perfect separation of guest and crew areas ensures the utmost privacy. The full-height windows and low profile gunwales amplify the natural lighting of the interiors and create continuity with the outside world. A peculiarity of the wheelhouse are the new vertical section windows that deliver exceptional visibility, while giving the yacht the typical profile of a large ship. The sun deck, with a carbon fiber hard top and roll bar, is decorated for the first time using loose furniture that totally eliminates the need for structural fiberglass elements. This solution offers the Owner, family and guests the utmost flexibility in
ONE ON ONE
806 15th St NW, Washington, DC 20005 (202) 730-8800
Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square offers exclusive luxury accommodations in the nations capital. Discover Sofitels art de vivre within our elegant hotel marked by distinctive style superb cuisine and incomparable service. Enjoy the best of everything in DC at our downtown hotel situated at the corner of Lafayette Square bordering the White House. Savor a contemporary twist on traditional French cuisine at ICI Urban Bistro or relax in our chic lounge Le Bar.Enjoy the best of everything in DC at our downtown hotel situated at the corner of Lafayette Square bordering the White House. Savor a contemporary twist on traditional French cuisine at ICI Urban Bistro or relax in our chic lounge Le Bar.Select from 237 rooms on 12 floors including 16 suites and one presidential suite all featuring Sofitels luxurious feathertop and duvet sleep system - SoBed. Indulge your taste at ICI Urban Bistro offering French comfort food using the best local ingredients.
ONE ON ONE
ONE ON ONE
ICI Urban Bistro in Lafayette Square offers a contemporary twist on traditional bistro cuisine. Featuring French comfort food using the best local ingredients our DC restaurant is the perfect place to mix, mingle and share.
Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square features a fitness center, complimentary WiFi, valet parking, in-room spa services and more. For more information about our new in-room spa services, please contact our concierge.
Be inspired by creative event planning at Sofitel hotel venues: intimate soirĂŠes to lavish banquets, boardroom meetings to product launches that make a splash. menus blending French and tastes, champagne cocktails, ...a world of possibilities for event planners.
WINE MASTERS
THE ART OF THE CELLAR Since taking over as cellarmaster of Nederburg in 2001, Razvan Macici has shown a remarkable versatility in building both the reputation and portfolio of the Paarl winery.
Macici has proved equally adept at making red, white and dessert wines for which Nederburg had become especially well-known under Günter Brözel, and he has continued to win kudos for wines across the range, from accessibly styled, popular offerings to those targeting connoisseurs. His conversancy with sweet wines owes much to family tradition. He grew up in the vineyards of Dealu Mare, about 70 km from Bucharest. His father, Mihai, a prominent Romanian winemaker, made his award-winning name with noble late harvest wines on the famous Pietroasa Estate in the area. This was also the winery where Razvan cut his teeth after graduating as a winemaker. It provided the foundation for his next step, which was to gain wider experience in Western Europe before moving to South Africa in 1997 to make white wines for what is now Distell. However, he has given as much focus to other wines in the Nederburg portfolio, working closely with the viticultural team responsible for the vineyards from which its wines are sourced, whether from Gansbaai, Darling, Durbanville, Philadelphia, Simondium, or Paarl. While raising Nederburg's profile with Shiraz and Sauvignon blanc in particular, he is equally excited by the potential of Carignan and Grenache recently established at Nederburg itself. They form part of an initiative to experiment with Mediterranean varietals and include Malbec, Mourvèdre, Tannat, Tempranillo and Verdelho as the winery addresses a more adventurous market as well as the need to prepare for the impact of climate change. He experiments widely with wood and was also responsible for introducing Eastern European oak to the cellars, while returning to larger oak for some wine styles in a bid to impart a subtler wood influence. Under his leadership, the winery has expanded production to accommodate over 20 000 tons of grapes a year, focusing simultaneously on popular and specialist, micro-vinified wines. While meeting a growing domestic and off-shore demand for Nederburg’s everyday wines, he has augmented the range with Heritage Heroes, a hand-made ensemble of gourmet wines individually named in honour of a personality who has played a major role in shaping the winery’s reputation, as well as the small-edition Ingenuity blended wines accented on innovation. The Ingenuity Red, for example, was the first local blend to bring together three Italian varietals, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and Barbera, while the eight-way Ingenuity White is believed to be the first of its kind. HE WAS CROWNED THE 2012 DINERS CLUB WINEMAKER OF THE YEAR, A TITLE HE SAYS MARKS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS IN HIS CAREER. The brand has been growing exports, not only in traditional European markets and in the US, but further afield, from Angola to Brazil, from China to New Zealand.
THE INSIDER
The best sushi transcends the sum of its parts, achieving self-evidence by way of pure ingredients and honest process. Whether it's meticulous, traditional edomaestyle, or a modernized, experimental take, Washingtonians are fortunate to have some of the best seafood available--even if much of it comes with a Gulliver-sized carbon footprint and prices to match (some restaurants attempt to offset these offerings with local, sustainable options). Arguments abound as to the superiority of a particular style, but wherever your allegiances lie, sushi in Washington DC is as diverse a cuisine as the city itself. Every bite is a promise; a dream that we too can be Jiros, even if just for one day
THE INSIDER
4822 MacArthur Blvd NW, Washington, DC 20007
THE INSIDER
Since opening in 1992, Sakedokoro Makoto has been instrumental in introducing a true Japanese dining experience to the DC Metro area and has been recognized nationally as one of the best restaurants in America. Sakedokoro means "Place of Sake" and Makoto simply means, Harmony. We serve an Omakase (Chef's Way) style of Japanese dining which is not the same as Kaiseki. The latter is the most formal form of dining in Japan dating back centuries. Kaiseki cuisine has strict rules and regulations as to what to eat, when and how. Omakase on the other hand has been more of a "freestyle" of executing the cooking technique. One philosophy both styles share is that food should be to fill the soul not the belly. The concept and philosophy behind the Sakedokoro is that the food is created to enjoy with good Sake. We follow this philosophy as we create each dish. Even though we serve limited Sushi as part of our A La Carte Lunch Menu and Dinner Tasting Menu, we are Not a Sushi Bar. We keep our selection of fish simple and fresh. Our sister establishment upstairs, Kotobuki can provide you with all your diverse Sushi cravings.
ON THE BUBBLE
Green is Gorgeous Interview by: Dan Deevy Written by: Rocco Passafuime
Z
oe Saldana started out her career with films like Center Stage, Drumline, Pirates Of The Carribean: Curse Of The Black Pearl, The Terminal, Guess Who, and Vantage Point. Now she has fully established herself with two enormously successful films, respectively as Nyota Uhura in the Star Trek films and as the Na’vi Zeytiri in the highest grossing film of all time, Avatar.
Now the 36 year-old’s latest role is in the latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Guardians Of The Galaxy. In the film, she plays Gamora, a green-skinned alien, who is part of a ragtag team out to protect the galaxy from villains, which also includes the Earthling, Star-Lord, played by Chris Pratt, the warrior Drax The Destroyer, played by Dave Bautista, the treelike Groot, played by Vin Diesel, and the talking raccoon bounty hunter Rocket, played by Bradley Cooper. Saldana was asked to compare her to Neytiri. “I feel they’re very different,” Zoe feels, “Neytiri grew up in a household where she was loved and she was held as a child. Gamora was taken sort of like the lost boys of the Sudan. She was taken from her village, from her planet and forced into a life of violence and crime. So there’s this pain that follows her wherever she goes, but there’s this last hope that she has that she can possibly get away. So I did try to find some similarities between them, but I don’t think they would play together in a playground. Gamora’s a hustler, Neytiri doesn’t even know how to lie. And I wanted her fighting technique to be very, very different. Obviously, when you show up and you’re sort of like the last person cast and everybody’s just ready to go, the stunt coordinators have already designed the fights and they already have the stunt women working on what you’re going to do and you sort of come in and you just add your last little tweaks. I just didn’t want Gamora to look like any typical action person that’s just like very martial artsy and just does that Underworld jumps and lands and the ground breaks and s***. I wanted her to be a little more graceful and teak; very classy in the way that she fights.” “And my husband, one of his colleagues was showing us as I was sort of doing research for Gamora,” she adds, “She was showing us her last collection of work she was going to do that wasn’t yet ready for the public, but she basically recorded this bullfighter from Spain dancing a duel, a fight, and sort of leading the bull with his sword and his cape. And she shot it in 60 frames per second, so it was very slow and I’ve never seen somebody move so, so smoothly. And it was just such a seductive dance and I thought, well that’s Gamora. She’s a woman and she just has to be very seductive in the way that she tricks her enemy into falling into their own death. And I thought well that’ll be interesting, too. I’ve never done that. So when I told that to James, he thought oh yeah, yeah, yeah, go for it, go for it. It was hard telling the stunt people because they’re so hard and they think that girls are stupid. So when you walk in like into this testosterone-driven like rehearsal place and you’re like well she does fencing and she’s a bullfighter. But then, they realize they didn’t really have a choice and they adapted it.” Zoe was asked to talk about the physicality of her action scenes and whether she was already prepared in her training. “Actually, I stepped down from the training,” Saldana reveals, “I’ve done so many action movies and I was sort of like looking at last summer thinking oh my God, I’m in love and I just want to chill and go to Italy and eat pasta. And then all of a sudden, James calls and he’s like, “Hey, you want to be in Guardians and be green, work six day weeks, for five hour sessions of makeup and yeah, be an alien again.” And I’m like, ‘Ohhh.’ So then I did it, but the training process, after I kind of figured out where she was going to be spiritually, there’s muscle memory in all of the things that I’ve done in the past seven or eight years.”
“So I was able to kind of relax with my body and work the stunt coordinators, but not excessively like I’ve done on other films,” she continues, “And I remember it was really funny because Chris was like, you know, I know that you’re very, you know, you’re very stunty and you’re agile and everything so, you know, just be yourself, just go with it, whatever. And I remember like around the third take, he’s like, ‘No, just take it easy on that. Maybe just, you know, like there’s your mark, baby, like just stand on your mark. Don’t go a little over ’cause when you kick it’s like the that heel’s like, ohh.’
PROFILER
1337 CONNECTICUT AVENUE, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20036 | 202-827-8980
The Gryphon, Washington DC's premier destination social house. The Gryphon DC features an assortment of premium aged meats, a full raw bar and specially crafted cocktails to accompany the "something for everyone" dining atmosphere.
PROFILER
The Gryphon has ditched any trace of a sports bar and reopened in Dupont as a "meat and raw bar social house." Instead of 31 flatscreen TVs, there are now only nine—most of which you can't see because they're hidden behind mirrors. The restaurant initially opened in March 2013, but closed about three months later. Co-owner Tony Hudgins previously told Y&H his team rushed the restaurant’s initial opening and the service wasn't up to par. But more significantly, he says, the owners realized that the initial sports bar concept didn't mesh with the upscale vibe they wanted the place to have. The changes were too big to make without closing. Back in September, Hudgins dubbed the retooled restaurant a "high-energy steakhouse." But it turns out that's what neighboring restaurant STK is calling itself. Now, Hudgins says The Gryphon is not a steakhouse, although it will have ribeyes and New York strips. Instead, he's calling it a "social house." He explains: "For us, as the owners, the way we dine is large groups... We're connected to each other through the food. It's our way of family-style dining." Chef Joseph Evans, a veteran of Smith & Wollensky, oversees the kitchen of The Gryphon as well as sister restaurant Lost Society. Most items on the menu are dubbed "social bites" and include things like roasted bone marrow with shallot mustard jam, lobster gnocchi, and prosciutto-wrapped monkfish. Steaks are marketed as feeding two people and sliced to share unless guests indicate otherwise. What was once an office has been converted into a room for dry-aged meats that guests can peek into from the dining room (see below). The raw bar is also a new addition, with a variety of oysters and clams, ceviche, and shrimp or lobster cocktails. The restaurant will have a DJ on weekend nights, but Hudgins says the place is not trying to be a nightclub. Brunch has already begun on Saturdays, and lunch will commence in the coming weeks. Happy hour includes half off every drink from 4 to 5 p.m. The price bumps up a dollar from 5 to 6 p.m. and a dollar more from 6 to 7 p.m. Prices go back to full price after that.
Homeland Spy The International Spy Museum recommends advance passes to avoid waiting in lines and ensure tickets are available for the date and time you wish to visit. Tickets are in highest demand on weekends and holidays, particularly between 10am and 2pm. Tickets are most likely available Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays or daily after 2pm. Advance tickets are available for purchase at the ticket desk inside the museum during visiting hours. Advance tickets are also available through TicketMaster, by phone (800-551-SEAT), online (www.ticketmaster.com) or at TicketMaster outlets. Standard TicketMaster service charges apply. All advance tickets are date and time specific.
THE SOCIAL
800 F St NW, Washington, DC 20004 (202) 654-0950
THE SOCIAL
There is a room in the International Spy Museum, a unique museum of espionage in downtown Washington, wherein the fates of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, as well as some of the other major players in the Soviet effort to steal atomic secrets from the United States, are introduced in a series of back-lit panels accompanied by a solemn voice-over. When the final panel flashes the headline -- "Reds Have Atom Bomb" -the recording intones the single word: "Outcome?" This is followed by another man's voice, counting backward from 10 to 1, a countdown that gradually fades out as a second voice continues the countdown in Russian. The room then lights up with a flash of apocalyptic red as the floor beneath you trembles with an ominous rumble. If the none-too-subtle point is to scare the bejesus out of you -- or, at least, drive home the importance of safeguarding American military secrets -- it very much hammers it home. And that's not even the most effective, or chilling, point made by the place, which attempts to offer information on everything and everyone from Francis Gary Powers (the American U-2 spy plane pilot shot down over Soviet territory in 1960 while photographing missile installations) to Austin Powers and from Sun Tzu (author of the 2,400-year-old "The Art of War") to Robert Hanssen. The ultimate head trip may be the eavesdropping station that allows visitors to pick up a pair of headphones and listen to conversations captured by bugs secreted at one of two locations around the museum. Startlingly enough, it's completely legal. These are only a couple of the things that powerfully pull the rug out from under you as you travel through the museum, one of whose overarching themes seems to be: All is not what it seems. In addition to such examples of subterfuge as fake coal hollowed out to contain explosives and the soon-to-be infamous "rectal tool kit" (a kind of Swiss Army Knife that operatives would stash, as the name implies, where the sun don't shine), visitors are asked to adopt a cover identity upon arriving, with a new name, age, birthplace, etc. As you move through the museum, you are confronted by digital "border guards" at interactive stations who interrogate you to see how much you remember while trying to trip you up. The museum's strongest points, then, are those made subtly (for instance, that lying for a living isn't as easy as it sounds).
THE SOCIAL
In describing the museum's mission, museum director Peter Earnest breaks it down into five mnemonic categories: enlightenment, engagement, education, entertainment and entrepreneurship (the last coming from the founders' hopes that the institution will one day become self-sustaining). Yet there is one "E" word -- ethics -- that seems conspicuous by its absence here. While the moral implications of lying, stealing and, in some cases, killing as a career choice form a sort of subtle through-line to the stories that are told here, there is no gallery or display case to specifically address that issue head-on. And while the museum is structured as a collection of thematic narratives, it often feels as though we are being presented with only one side of the story. Take, as an example, the description of museum board member Jonna Mendez, a former chief of disguise with the CIA, who calls her onetime employer "a remarkable group of people trying to do the right thing." At the risk of sounding treasonous, couldn't that phrase apply equally well to the KGB . . . at least from their point of view? While the idea that there is a single, valid notion of right and wrong (i.e., ours) might strike some as merely patriotic, it comes across as a bit strange in a museum that purports to be international. So does the museum's dominant focus on the Cold War, to the virtual exclusion of such big-time intelligence rivalries as those between India and Pakistan, or between Israel's shadowy Mossad agency and the Arab world, or between communist China and everyone else. One agency substantially missing here, at least when compared with the OSS, CIA and the FBI, whose agents figure prominently, is the NSA. Outside of the museum's cryptological galleries, the National Security Agency's employees seem largely invisible. But that's unsurprising, considering that the supersecret institution's initials are often said to stand for No Such Agency. All in all, though, with an eclectic collection that includes a replica of James Bond's Astin Martin (complete with tire shredder) and the mailbox once used as a signal site at 37th and R streets NW by CIA turncoat Aldrich Ames, the International Spy Museum intelligently addresses both the very real dangers and the enduring allure -- the sex appeal, if you will -- of spycraft. It does what it intends to do, which is to make you think a little bit, and to make your heart beat a lot faster.
MIXOLOGY
MIXOLOGY
Manufactured using grapes from the Grande Champagne territory of Cognac, Louis XIII de Remy Martin is blended from 1200 eaux-de-vie, some more than a century in age.
MIXOLOGY
MIXOLOGY LOUIS XIII DE RÉMY MARTIN Its name evokes the landmarks of history. The famous personalities who made it theirs – Chanel, Picasso, Churchill or de Gaulle – and the great occasions of which it was a part, from the maiden voyage of the Normandie, the world’s most luxurious liner, to the supersonic splendour of Concorde. Its carafe is a history in itself. A mysterious decanter unearthed on the site of a 16th century battlefield, whose precise origin and purpose will likely never be known. And yet, with its extravagant forms and regal fleur-de-lys emblems, it seemed predestined to hold this most extraordinary of cognacs. Now, however, as you raise your glass, it is not the past that preoccupies your mind, but the present that seduces your senses. For Louis XIII is unlike any cognac have ever experienced before. It tempts the eye with rich, warm hues of mahogany, characteristic of long-aged eaux-devie. It teases the nose with unmistakable woody notes, evocative of century-old oak casks. And then, all at once, it explodes in a firework of flowers, fruits and spices, a dizzying alchemy of extremes.
MIXOLOGY
LOUIS XIII, A LEGEND IN THE MAKING To create the legend that is Louis XIII, the House of Rémy Martin draws on the long tradition of crafts- manship it has nurtured since it was founded in 1724. First comes the terroir, that mysterious blend of soil, climate, vines and man. For Louis XIII, the terroir is Grande Champagne, the smallest and most prestigious of the six cognac-producing districts, where the exceptionally chalk-rich soil and specific microclimate provide uniquely favourable conditions. And within Grande Champagne, the grapes Rémy Martin selects for Louis XIII come from just four villages, where they are cultivated by the region’s most respected growers. Once pressed and fermented, the grapes are distilled twice over to produce eaux-de-vie. Alone among the great cognac houses, Rémy Martin retains exclusively the traditional method of distillation on the lees in small copper stills, since it is convinced that this is the only way to reveal both the subtlety and the intensity of Grande Champagne eaux-de-vie. .
MIXOLOGY
Only then can the crucial processes of aging and blending take place. Louis XIII is an intricate alchemy of 1,200 of the finest eaux-de-vie that Grande Champagne can produce, each one contributing its own individual nuances and character. The Cellar Master whose responsibility it is to create this most elabo- rate of blends must be at once a craftsman, an artist and a visionary, for it is on his work that the future depends. He knows that he will never see the culmination of his craft – indeed, three generations of Cellar Masters preside over the making of a single bottle of Louis XIII. The eaux-de-vie are aged in century-old “tierçon” barrels of Limousin oak, which are laid down in the limestone-walled cellars of Le Grollet, the historic home of the Rémy Martin family. Over the years, they may be moved from one cellar to another, transferred from one barrel to another, to ensure they develop harmoniously and reveal their full aromatic potential. And throughout, time will do the work it alone can do. Only after a hundred years of aging and blending, blending and aging, will the “tierçon” barrels yield up their treasure. In order to reveal and enhance the previous elixir, the exquisite crystal decanter is hand-blown, individually numbered and ringed with 24 carats of fine gold. A unique work of art requiring the talent of 11 exceptional craftsmen
HOME & DESIGN
Armani Casa
ARMANI/CASA: 10 YEARS OF LIFESTYLE With Armani/Casa, Giorgio Armani presents his ideal for living, his dream of the perfect environment: an intimate and comfortable space in which to relax, unwind and entertain. This is achieved through the synergies of a home collection ranging from furniture to accessories, textiles and decorative objects, blending together to form a sophisticated atmosphere. Armani/Casa’s distinctive style incorporates a harmonious combination of different inspirations and design codes. A natural predilection for the style of the Thirties and Forties and for the cultures of the Far East is a recurrent theme. Precious materials, sophisticated finishes, splendid textiles and immaculate details lie at the root of Armani/Casa’s aesthetic philosophy – an expression of a cultivated stylistic code that, while untouched by seasonal trends, is nevertheless the result of contemporary research. During its 10 years of existence, Armani/Casa has never ceased to evolve, develop and grow into a comprehensive collection of furniture, accessories, rugs, lamps and textiles, and now also offers innovative concepts for the kitchen and bathroom. It allows the creation of many different stylistic atmospheres, which can best respond to the variety of different wishes and desires of consumers for their residential needs. The unifying principle throughout is one of essentiality and sophisticated elegance.
HOME AND DESIGN
HOME AND DESIGN
Available in one single size, it has been designed for the use of a home coiffeuse and so it has a simply but functional design for this purpose. It has a large table top (120x50 cm) with curved lateral sides, on all versions both front sides have a metal outline in Pale Gold. In front there are three mechanical drawers for storage use with the classic Armani Casa metal handle. The 12 cm high top is supported by two tubular metal legs with square section on the two external sides. The coiffeuse Glam is available in two finishes; Twisted Banana Tree (with Orange Lacquer inside the drawers) and in Rubelli Fabric Faro col. mud (with Metallized Grey Lacquer inside the drawers). In order to make it a complete coiffeuse, a well-lighted round mirror is fixed on the top with a diameter of 40 cm. The mirror is able to rotate on both axes and in two ways; up and down, left and right. The details on the mirror are finished in Pale Gold and on the external round perimeter of the mirror in satin glass is backlit through a LED system from inside which provides a warm colour of light. This strip of light is on the same level with the mirror, so there’s no thickness. The lighting goes on with a motion sensor on the mirror, so the user only has to move his hand in front of the mirror and the light goes on. The power cable comes out on the lower part of the left leg and is suitable for EU, UK, US wiring. Another interesting feature of this mirror is that a round magnifying glass is included inside the mirror on the right side. This element permits the user to have an enlargement lens for special use. All the aesthetical details of this coiffeuse make the Glam a very precious and glamorous item of big visual impact. Made in Italy.
HOME AND DESIGN
HOME AND DESIGN
Cylinder-shaped frame with folding seat. Frame lined with Patinated Linen; Black Maple Wood folding top. Inner details and drawer faced with beige mother-of-pearl colour acrylic material. The seat element is upholstered and only available with the Havana ivory fabric. Made in Italy.
HOME AND DESIGN
HOME AND DESIGN
Chaise longue with rounded armrests. Non-removable upholstery; available in one version with foot and armrests in Shiny Santos Rosewood and all soft leathers and A/C Rubelli fabrics in collection. Made in Italy.
STYLE
Hands Off Photography by GL WOOD Styled by MICHAEL TUCKER Model MANON at WILHEMINIA Makeup FUMI NAKAGAWA Hair SHINYA NAKAGAWA
THE BLODES Jacket and Dress
STYLE
SALLY LAPOINTE dress
STYLE
HERVÉ LÉGER BY MAX AZRIA dress
STYLE
SALLY LAPOINTE sweater CHENG dress
STYLE
THE BLONDS dress HERVÉ LÉGER BY MAX AZRIA dress
STYLE
ERIN BARR coat PIERRE HARDY shoes
STYLE
SALLY LAPOINTE dress THE BLONDS belt HERVÉ LÉGER BY MAX AZRIA harness
MODEL PROFILE
Name: Wankaego (Theresa Runyon) Nickname: Kaego / The Queen of Trill Hometown: Orlando, FL Zodiac: Gemini Measurements: Bust – 34 | Waist – 25 | Hips – 39 Ink: # of tats – Seven Name of artist – G Name of shop – Heavenly Ink Which was your first tattoo – My name when I was 16 Biggest Tat – Back piece of a Japanese Koi Fish Bio: Mesmerizing, captivating, and charming are just a few adjectives that describe Wankaego, a World Star Hip Hop (WSHH) Honey from Orlando, Florida, who has both male and female fans across the World. But Wankaego is more than just an influential model. She is a recording artist with pure raw talent. Wankaego has an impressive blend of qualities that separates her career from many established artists within the industry today.
MODEL PROFILE
THE LAYOVER
Civil Cigar Lounge The 93-seat lounge was founded by the proprietors of W. Curtis Draper, the oldest tobacconist in the District. It’s a manly atmosphere, as you might expect of a cigar bar, but not excessively so. High-backed leather chairs and hints of burgundy exude “boys club,” but modern design elements like crimson upholstery and narrow stripes of shelves keep it young, and prevent it from crossing over into no-girls-allowed territory.
THE LAYOVER
The menu offers some small plates you can’t find at Range, like a broccoli rabe pizza, and lamb tagliatelle. You can also order charcuterie from Range’s salumeria. The bar, managed by Dave Hammerly, is stocked with plenty of cognac, bourbon, scotch and armagnac. But wait, isn’t there a smoking ban in D.C. bars? Yes, but there’s an exception under the law for tobacco bars, which must generate 10 percent of their annual revenue from on-site sales of tobacco products. As for those cigars: Connoisseurs will be able to purchase from a curated selection from Nicaragua, Honduras and the Dominican Republic. And if they shell out for an annual lease, they can keep them in a humidified locker. Private rooms are also available for rental. The lounge boasts a ventilation system that replaces 100 percent of the air every two minutes, keeping the smoke from lingering too long. However, if the bar gets crowded with smokers, nonsmokers may still feel a little uncomfortable. But if that’s the case, they can always head to Range, next door.
THE LAYOVER
LIFESTYLE
If you're running a tech startup, chances are you've heard of FoundersCard. It's essentially the "black card" for entrepreneurs, offering up perks, networking opportunities and something even more coveted: an aura of exclusivity.
A Founders Card membership brings discounts at more than 250 merchants that cater to the tech crowd, like Virgin Atlantic -- the airline of choice for many in Silicon Valley -- and the Ace Hotels mini-chain, where Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg likes to crash. Even Apple has signed on, giving FoundersCard members access to its "preferred pricing" program, which offers a smattering of discounts and freebies. The concept was hatched two years ago by Eric Kuhn, who set out to create the kind of loyalty card he wishes he'd had during his first entrepreneurial stint. Back in 1999, Kuhn founded Varsity Books, an online textbook retailer that raised scads of money, went public and then went bust. The ailing company got kicked off the Nasdaq exchange after its share price plunged. After years of rebuilding -- and a re-listing on Nasdaq -- Kuhn sold the company in 2008 to textbook distributor Follett Corp. for around $3.8 million. Kuhn says his dot-com roller-coaster ride was the inspiration for FoundersCard. "I modeled it after the way I was traveling when I was running around," he says. "I always wanted to stay in great places and to be able to take advantage of upgrades." FoundersCard cultivates ties with merchants, especially hotels, that are popular with the tech set. There are currently around 5,000 cardholders, but it's a gated community: potential members must apply and submit details on
LIFESTYLE
their professional qualifications. The acceptance rate hovers around 65%, Kuhn says. Membership isn't cheap. The card carries a $495 annual fee (plus a $60 sign-up charge), though almost no one pays full price. Get a referral and you'll qualify for a discounted rate, currently $295 a year. Is it worth it? For startup founders on a budget, discounts on fancy hotels and luxury goods probably won't pay off. Few of FoundersCard's perks are exclusive. Apple, for example, offers its preferred pricing pretty widely to employers and membership organizations. "I was thinking of getting one but I don't think it would be worth it. I don't travel enough," says NYC on Rails founder Avi Flombaum. In a Quora thread on the card's pros and cons, TechStars co-founder Brad Feld chimed in: "I've got one but I've never used it." But some entrepreneurs -- especially dedicated road warriors -- love their FoundersCard. The company's networking events for members are often a tech scene who's who, with recent gatherings in San Francisco and New York drawing attendees from Facebook, Foursquare, Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) and hot startups like Milk. "A lot of the early adopters were pretty prominent names in tech," says Colin Nagy said, an advertising executive at digital creative agency Barbarian Group.
LIFESTYLE
Philip James, the founder of private-sale wine and food site Lot18, says the discount on his AT&T bill alone is enough to pay off his annual fee. He's been a member for two years. "A lot of the lifestyle and business benefits are actually useful to a small company," he says. In Lot18's early day he used the card's UPS discount to save up to 32% off shipping costs -- a concession usually reserved for bigge businesses. Catering to its tech audience, many of FoundersCard's perks are offered both by and for its members. The card features discounts on errand service TaskRabbit because TaskRabbit's founder is a cardholder. The same goe for transportation app GroundLink, whose general manager is a member. 0:00 / 2:49 Outsource your errands to a TaskRabbit Retailers don't pay for inclusion. FoundersCard makes its money primarily from annual membership dues, Kuhn says. It also picks up corporate sponsorship for some of its networking events. For James, those events are a prime marketing venue. He's attended several, and Lot18 has been a sponsor fo some. "Getting in front of wealthy people -- or in the case of founders, one-day wealthy founders -- and people who like wine is a part of our marketing tactic," he says. Nagy, who has been a member for years, says the biggest challenge will be maintaining "the entrepreneurial spi as FoundersCard expands and draws in more members. "The exclusivity and the vetting process will be important," he say
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HAPPY HOUR
“the Tap & Parlour @ Bohemian Caverns is a fresh and unique neighborhood bar and lounge nestled in the heart of U Street. Blending the artistic soul of U Street with the eclectic sensibilities of the District, the Tap & Parlour @ BC offers a relaxed, friendly and diverse atmosphere where everybody knows your name. Enjoy our extensive bar offerings and unbeatable happy hour, watch the game, relax in the lounge, read a book or wax poetic – whatever you are in search of for laid back leisure, the Tap & Pour @ Bohemian Caverns is where the community connects.” And according to their Web site every month you’ll be able to vote on what beer you’d like to see on tap: “One of our main goals at the Tap and Parlour is to engage with our neighbors on U Street and customers to make sure we are giving them the services and products they want. So when we were selecting beers to have on draft, we figured that would be a great way to allow our customers to make the Tap and Parlour their very own. Each month we will give the public the ability to vote for their favorite beer to put on draft. The Tap and Parlour will reserve one slot on our draft beer menu for The People’s Choice. Come by the Tap and Parlour and cast your vote for your favorite beer.” 2001 11th St NW, Washington, DC 20001 (202) 299-0800
HAPPY HOUR
This edition of happy hour is brought to you by CIROC Vodka , Ciroc vodka has released a selection of cocktail concoctions to assist in your many celebrations. The list of libations includes refreshing drinks infused with pineapple, lime juice and coconut that are simple and perfectly suited for the season. Ciroc premium vodka would like you to celebrate life responsibly
How to make Muddle strawberries in a shaker. With a muddler, press down on 5 strawberries in a cocktail shaker to extract the juices and flavour. Add ice to the shaker. Add ice cubes to the shaker. Add CĂŽroc Vodka, lemon juice, pomegranate and sugar syrup. Using a jigger, measure 50ml CĂŽroc Vodka, 15ml lemon juice, 7ml pomegranate juice and 25ml sugar syrup into the shaker. Shake until cold. Shake the mixture vigorously until the surface of the cocktail shaker feels chilled. Strain into a glass. Using a cocktail shaker, strain into a martini glass. Garnish with orange peel. With a sharp knife and a chopping board, cut a piece of peel from an orange and twist it over the edge of the glass to garnish.
HAPPY HOUR
Cîroc Coconut Coco Loco 1 1/2 ouces Cîroc Coconut 1 1/2 ounces pineapple juice Directions Fill a glass with ice. Combine Cîroc Coconut and pineapple juice in a cocktail shaker. Shake well and pour over ice.
HAPPY HOUR
Cîroc Coconut Capriosca
4 slices lime, plus extra for garnish 2 spoonfuls sugar 1 slice raw ginger 1 1/2 ounces Cîroc Coconut Directions Combine the lime, sugar and ginger in a cocktail shaker and muddle. Add Cîroc Coconut, shake and pour into a glass. Garnish with lime.
HAPPY HOUR
Cîroc Coconut Skinny Mojito 6 mint leaves 1 1/2 ounces Cîroc Coconut 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 ounce lime juice 2 ounces soda water Directions Place mint leaves in bottom of a highball glass. Add crushed ice, Cîroc Coconut, sugar, and lime juice, and muddle. Add soda water and garnish with mint leaves.