As a Real Estate Agent in D.C., VA, and MD, in addition to selling houses and helping people find their home, I feel it is my duty to connect to the Shaw neighborhood around me. In this interview, I speak with Derek Brown, Owner of the highly acclaimed bar(s), The Passenger (Located on 1021 7th Street, NW) (Photos courtesy of Jim Webb)
Kevin:
Derek, before we get into the content of your bars, let’s start with
a little bit about yourself, if you wouldn’t mind.
Derek:
Sure. I was born in D.C. and raised in Maryland. I have
a lot of love for D.C. and I think it is a great, great city.
Kevin:
How did you become interested in the bar scene?
Derek:
I started bartending 10 years ago and fell in love with the
profession. In a broader sense I love spirits and alcohol, and I love
what they do for a community. Now, some people see the negative effects
of alcohol—which there can be—yet the reality is that a community celebrates,
mourns, converses, and shares experiences around alcohol: many of these
experiences bring people together.
Kevin:
So you kept that in mind when choosing to build your own bar?
Derek:
When we built The Passenger, the environment we wanted to host was not
confined to partying. We wanted the bar to be a centerpiece
for the community. Bars get stigmatized for being party-centers, and
bars are definitely a place to celebrate, but they are so much more. For
example, I met my wife at a bar! And people say, “Oh you can’t meet your
future partner at bars anymore.” But it happens! Another example:
the idea for The Passenger was created over drinks while my brother and I
were at a bar. Business happens over drinks. Socializing obviously
happens over drinks. So, I love bars because they allow a community the
space to make it the community’s own. You know, we are a district
identity bar for a reason: “God Save the District” is on the window
for a reason. We care about this city.
Kevin:
Why was The Passenger built?
Derek:
I had been working as a bartender and then sommelier in some of D.C.’s
best restaurants. I really enjoyed the experience. About three
years ago the opportunity to own my own restaurant greeted me and...
I have not looked back. That being said, it’s a hard job.
Many people idealize the position of owning your own bar as something
glamorous. Well, to set the record straight, you basically become the
head busboy (laughs). It’s hard work, [but] it’s good work.
Kevin:
What are the dynamics like working with your brother as a business
partner?
Derek:
My brother and I get along great. We bring different things to the
business because we are both different people. You know, I am more
“book-ish” whereas he’s the guy with all the tattoos (laughs). Since
our personalities are so different, we engineered two different spaces within
one: The Passenger and The Columbia Room. Bottom
line? We both have the same ultimate goal: making customers
happy.
Kevin:
Regarding spirits, when did your interest transform into a study?
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| The Passenger |
Derek:
The first moment I stepped behind a bar everything changed. I love the spontaneity, creativity, history and social interaction from
behind the bar All of these dynamics translated into my dream job.
I guess I really began to lean toward the profession when, during my
seven-year college-plan, I started studying more about bartending and cocktails
than I did for school. And I did well in school.
Kevin:
What were you studying in school?
Derek:
Anthropology, which is a great discipline to apply to this job.
Moreover, the job itself is an ongoing study in anthropology.
Kevin:
Anthropologists study the diversity of human nature and the relativity of
cultures. How do you allow your bar to proliferate an inclusive
environment?
Derek:
Well, that’s funny because bars can host so many different personas.
You know, you had bars near the steel mills in Pennsylvania for steel
workers and you have bars in New York City for intellectuals and writers.
Bars can easily draw a certain crowd. We wanted to create an
atmosphere which allowed people to make the space their own. Make it your own. You can talk
about a New Yorker article or you can come in after a hard day’s work
with a beer and a shot to refresh. The only time our bar feels one
way or another is Friday and Saturday nights. The entire rest of the week
our customers make it their own. That’s what we want.
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| Derek Brown in the Columbia Room |
Derek:
All of those businesses are great. Shaw is like that. That’s
the beauty of Shaw. We all have a lot of respect for each other and we’re
laid back. I hope that continues.
Kevin:
Why did you choose Shaw?
Derek:
Truthfully by its opportunity. Paul Ruppert already had
this space. It was the Warehouse Theater. Before that, it was a
hardware store dating back to the 1890s owned by the Rupperts. That
is pretty significant. So anyway, we had this opportunity and we
took the space. At first we were really scared. We were nervous
about too few people showing up. Then we opened, and Shaw just poured
through the doors. Looking back now it’s easy to see how naïve we were.
We weren’t aware initially, but eventually we became aware of the people
involved in this renaissance, like Alex Padro (Chair of ANC 2C), who have been laying the
seeds for Shaw’s growth for so many years. Shaw has amazing people.
We were lucky to establish The Passenger when we did.
Kevin:
So please make this clear for anyone who may be reading the blog who has
not visited The Passenger. It’s one space, and you have two main bars
inside that space (The Passenger and The Columbia Room) but you also have two
more bars in addition to that (The Vegas Room and The Train Car).
 | |
| The Train Car |
Derek:
Right. Our space is basically divided into two bars: The
Columbia Room and The Passenger. The Vegas Room is a much smaller
component within The Passenger.
Kevin:
Why is it called The Vegas Room?
Derek:
Originally we used it to count the money there at the end of
the night, and it also had a poster of Vegas. I still can’t believe it,
but someone stole the poster!
Kevin:
They probably thought money was behind it (laughs).
Derek:
The Train Car developed into a cool concept only after we pondered for a
while about what to do with such a peculiar space. At first, we weren’t
sure what to do with such a thin room. Then we decided to make paired
seating for a more intimate environment. It’s a great date spot on the
weekends. When people see it, the light bulb goes off as to why it’s
called “The Train Car.” The Columbia Room is much more of a
service-oriented environment, like a “chef’s table.” It’s more
personalized.
Kevin:
The Wall Street Journal talks about you using a thermometer when you make
some of your drinks.
Derek:
29-31 degrees Fahrenheit! (laughs). Yeah, it’s part of my
nature to be scientific with things. I remember when I started bartending
11 years ago and wondering, “Who is the greatest bartender? What makes
the best Martini?” Well, paying particular attention to the minutia of
things absolutely plays its part. After traveling extensively through
America, Europe, and part of East Asia, I have met many “best bartenders.”
I think it’s a worthwhile goal to aspire to the craft that some of these
masters have perfected. I remember when I sat down for the first time
with a dry martini: gin, vermouth, and bitters. I just thought,
“Wow, this is exceptional.” And in my Aristotelian nature, I believe
there is something called “perfect” and it is possible to attain through
drinks. I have been trying to perfect the dry martini for some time.
I’ve gotten close.
Kevin:
While reading over some other interviews in which you partook, it seems
you hold Japanese bartenders in high esteem.
Derek:
Japan has some incredible bartenders. Just incredible. There
were three bars in particular that just blew me away. The care, and level
of attention to detail, was amazing. That being said, I still believe
America has the best bartenders. There’s some national pride in my hunch
here, but I know we have the best overall.
Kevin:
How do cultures present different styles behind the bar?
Derek:
Well, for example, in Japan their hospitality is so impressive. In
America, there is the distinct swagger of the bartenders. You know,
bartenders have to be smart because, ultimately, you are in a corner—a
fishbowl—sometimes surrounded by really big drunk people. And you have to
tell them “NO” sometimes. And that isn’t easy (laughs). Other
cultures are different. Japan doesn’t have swagger, per se…it has
exemplary service.
Kevin:
What do you get out of your traveling?
Derek:
There are just so many beer, wine, and spirit producers. Last year
I travelled once every month. I try to see 12 different cities a year.
It’s just a great way to share the products I find elsewhere, continue
experimenting with variations on the theme, and get influenced by
different types of alcohol (no pun intended). This year I am going to Cognac, and I guarantee when I get
back I’ll just be obsessed with Cognac for months and months. My friends
are always sick of me talking about this stuff (laughs).
Kevin:
What is something most don’t know about the world of alcohol?
Derek:
That the world of liquor is full of crap. There are so many
terrible drinks and over-priced liquors. That’s why I write for the
Atlantic, Op-eds for the Post, and Entrepreneur Magazine: I
constantly want to educate people so they don’t get screwed wasting their
money. You know, $1 out of every $100 in America is spent on alcohol.
What I want our business to do is bring people quality-oriented products
so they can enjoy their lives better.
Kevin:
On a final note, what do you want to say to Shaw?
Derek:
I feel extremely blessed to live in the greatest country in the world, in
the best city in the world, and to own a business in the best neighborhood in
the world. That is really what it is about.
Kevin:
Very well said. One more thing. Since you have
Aristotelian beliefs, and Aristotle had his “immoveable object” as the highest
attainable state of mind, do you have an “immovable favorite” for
a drink?
Derek:
Oh yeah. GQ and Time have said that I make the best martini.
It’s because it’s my favorite.
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