Words of “Wisdom”: Erik Holzherr Mixes It Up

Mixologist Erik Holzherr, owner of Wisdom Bar, offered these pearls of wisdom: "Do what you love and figure out a way to get paid for it."

The former Air Force pilot's life wish was to own a bar, so this little "gypsy-eclectic" spot at 1432 Pennsylvania Ave. in Southeast (his own description) is a dream come true. 

It's also "basically [his] living room," he said.

Furnished with personal items picked up on travel around the world, Holzherr thinks his hole-in-the-wall gem is just what the neighborhood was lacking. 

"I chose Southeast because it's up-and-coming," he boasted.  "We're on the edge, but this area truly represents DC." 

Open just over a year, he has already proven to be right. With mixology credits like winning the Corcoran's Artini contest and clientele that seeks out Wisdom's more unconventional cocktails, there is truth to the claim that Wisdom is mixing things up.

"If I didn't own a bar, I'd probably feel like I was too old for most bars," Holzherr admits. So instead, he shares his dream as if he is welcoming guests into his home: changing his favorite drink often, using his own paintings to decorate the bathroom and hiring his sister as a bartender. 

And if nothing else, he has created a unique spot in a neighborhood with growth potential. There certainly is wisdom in that.

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