Thomas “T” Leggett of The Roosevelt (Photo by Jay Paul)
If Chief Justice John Marshall were a 20-something alive today, you might find him playing cornhole with his friends on Monument Avenue’s grassy median, sipping a summery concoction. At least, that’s how I imagine the modern version of his 19th-century Quoit Club, a social club that gathered during the summer months to toss quoits (think horseshoes) and drink.
Only today, they probably wouldn’t have a private bartender.
Marshall’s mixologist was black freedman Jasper Crouch, whose famed Quoit Club Punch now graces the menu at The Roosevelt. Bar manager Thomas “T” Leggett learned about Crouch’s rum punch from cocktail historian David Wondrich’s book, “Punch,” and fell in love. Despite its age, the drink feels appropriately contemporary on The Roosevelt’s menu.
“I thought, ‘Man, I’m putting this on my menu and it’s never coming off,” Leggett says. He makes the crowd-pleasing punch in batches every week, a blend of Jamaican rum, American brandy, rainwater Madeira, lemon and sugar.
The ingredients are approachable, but the Madeira wine “gives it complexity, layers, and makes it fun for us. It’s something we’re proud to serve.”
