Cleveland Park's Ripple Infuses Cocktails With Fat (WATCH)

Cleveland Park's Ripple Experiments With Fat-Infused Cocktails (WATCH)

WASHINGTON -- The inventive and irreverent minds over at Ripple, a farm-to-table eatery in Cleveland Park, aren't afraid of the "ick" factor. That's clear with the restaurant's recent experimentation with cocktails infused with fat, otherwise known as a calorie-counter's worst nightmare.

Josh Berner, bar manager at Ripple and noted fatty cocktail-phile, told The Huffington Post there really isn't anything to be afraid of. Fat makes dishes more flavorful, he explained, and the same goes for drinks. The latter even has a historical bent: A recipe for "Tudor Buttered Beere" from 1588 calls for ale mixed with spices, sugar, egg yolks, and, of course, butter.

Back in July, amid the frenzy surrounding the theatrical release of the final installment of the Harry Potter franchise, Ripple first gained attention for its fatty cocktail exploits with an interpretation of butter beer, a drink made famous by the book-inspired series. Ripple's version nixed the eggs and sugar and instead used cinnamon, Port City Optimal Wit -- a Belgian white beer brewed in Alexandria -- and a house-made butter syrup.

Since then, Ripple has been experimenting with a variety of fats, including olive oil (watch Bern make an olive oil-infused cocktail above), duck fat and bacon. Berner said that he and the Ripple booze team, which also includes sommelier Maurice Cherry and beer director Dave Delaplaine, are always trying out new fat-infused drinks that could very well show up unannounced as a drink special. If you're interested, drop by and cross your fingers.

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