Juniper Cocktails & Kitchen opens on the Square
Young couple opens cocktail bar in Downtown
Juniper Cocktails & Kitchen opened July 29, bringing craft cocktails and European-style tapas just off the Georgetown Square. Engaged couple Hannah Matthews and Andrew Newport started it with the goal of opening a welcoming cocktail lounge and kitchen that remains open after the restaurants on the Square close.
“We always like to say that while we’re not fine dining, we are refined dining,” Mr. Newport said. The atmosphere of the place is upscale but guests are allowed to wear casual or formal attire, he explained. “We don’t have that fine dining style but we still have fine dining expectations,” he said.
The tapas menu features small plates including patatas bravas, risotto and beef tenderloin. The cocktail menu has a mix of classics and their own twist on things. Ms. Matthews and Mr. Newport met while they were both bartending at a restaurant in Georgetown that has since closed. Ms. Matthews said over the course of a year and a half, they discovered that they worked well together.
After that restaurant closed, Mr. Newport decided he wanted to open his own place and asked her to come be the bar manager. The couple’s moms got together and did a lot of the interior decor in the restaurant.
“We worked for many months on the cocktail list,” Ms. Matthews said. “We knew we wanted to have a couple things that were kind of homage to the classics, a couple things that we kind of made ourselves.” Her favorite drink is the tequila-based Oaxaca Old-Fashioned.
“You really, really, kind of can’t beat the presentation,” she said. “It comes on a glass ashtray with this torched cinnamon cigar.”
The most popular food item is the beef tenderloin, which is served with housemade chimichurri and robuchon potatoes — which are basically richer mashed potatoes made a special way, Mr. Newport explained.
Juniper Cocktails & Kitchen served 150 guests on their opening day. This is more than they expected considering that they hadn’t done any advertising. The location is great because it attracts a lot of foot traffic, Mr. Newport said.
“We put our heart and soul into [Juniper],” Ms. Matthews said. “Andrew, especially, worked so so hard. I’ve never seen anyone work harder. You know, it’s a family thing and we just hope that people will love it as much as we do.”
Mr. Newport and Ms. Matthews are getting married on October 11 and are having their rehearsal dinner at the restaurant. The bartenders are currently coming up with a surprise “Wedding Bells” cocktail.