After years on the upswing , Washington DC has become a cocktail powerhouse rivaling city likeNew York , London , andNew Orleans . Bars are mixing low - key classic , cut edge initiation , and everything in between . And more than ever , DC mixologist are utilizing eminent - quality spirits , squeezing their own juice , and making their own sodas , mixer , infusions , bitters , and garnishes . The city also countsa smattering of serious distilleriesinside its border , furnish bartenders with an armoury of local liquors to foreground .
An inauspicious downside to cocktail becoming better , however , is that they ’re also start out more expensive . Finding a good drink for under $ 10 is a job , and pay $ 15 for a cocktail is no longer laughable . gratefully , though , a number of drink live up to the price . Here are the game - changing , must - chatter bars in DC that cocktail lovers need to experience .
Archipelago
U StreetArchipelago was one of DC ’s first adoptive parent of the modern tiki revival . The space , while subdue , is still kitschy enough with its playful interior decoration , classic tiki glassware , and snazzy cocktail garnishes that add to the flair . The bill of fare let in classic like the Mai Tai and a frozen piña colada alongside more adventuresome options like the Truck Bed Funeral , with mezcal , Navy - intensity rummy , spill the beans cordial , Citrus paradisi , and cinnamon . Archipelago also do a tasty selection of intellectual nourishment straddling tropical and Asian influence , including ham and cheese sliders on Hawaiian bread , dan dan noodles , and addictive crab rangoon dip .
Astoria
Dupont CircleThe squad fromCopycat Co.has play together tongue - tingle Sichuan food and artful cocktail at this visual smasher of a streak pep up by New York City ’s Waldorf - Astoria Hotel . The cocktail menu ( all $ 14 ) is structured around classics like the Caipirinha and Moscow Mule , with related suggestions offered for guests looking to branch out . Bartenders are also eager to work with you on a novel experiment to conform to whatever humour strikes .
Bar Charley
Adams MorganBar Charley is the kind of cocktail streak to go to when you do n’t know what you need . The menu is extensive , especially when it comes to variations on Manhattans , martinis , and Old Fashioneds . There are also riffs on tiki creations that function from “ productive and creamy ” to “ fruity and exotic , ” not to mention the Suffering Bastard cocktail on tap . For a show - end visual , order up The Stepdad , a brooding concoction of VSOP Cognac , Cynar , redolent bitters , and cedar tree Mary Jane . The food for thought menu is set up as a sort of neighborhood chophouse , with affordable cuts of beef along with modest plates and appetizers like pimento cheese and Korean - style chicken wings .
Barmini
Penn QuarterChef José Andrés is one of the biggest culinary groundbreaker in the human beings , and his magic trick does n’t stop in the kitchen . Barmini is the voguish familiar to the boundary - bending two Michelin - asterisk minibar restaurant next doorway . It ’s not a flashy place to drink , but you ’ll feel damn fancy , and it ’s a great place for a particular date or a festivity with friends . The sleek bar also serves some capricious and tasty tapas , such as a foie gras waffle with peanut butter and honey .
Columbia Room
ShawColumbia Room possessor Derek Brown is one of the premier leaders of the DC cocktail scene , and a founding member of the city’sCraft Bartenders ’ Guild . His signature bar ’s master appeal is its seasonally changing tasting menu , a ticketed $ 85 four - cocktail experience paired with light bite . Those who prefer to roll without reservations can snag a drink in the indoor " strong drink library , " or in the outdoor punch garden .
Dram & Grain
Adams MorganDram & Grain is no longer the low-spirited - key speakeasy it was when it opened beneath Jack Rose in 2014 . After a hiatus last year , it ’s moved to a Modern , sleek , and much larger space in the cellar ofThe Imperial , Jack Rose ’s highly expect sister restaurant . Creator Director of Beverage Andy Bixby has developed a fare that ’s heavy on homemade soda ash , syrups , and extract and not afraid to get a little weird . fixings and recipes can sound extraneous to even the most veteran drinkers , so do n’t be shy leaning on faculty for advice . taste the Fresh - Baked , with Wild Turkey Rare Breed , baked citrus amaro , bastioned Ceylon cinnamon tree drum roll , Trinity bitterness , acido , and amere sauvage . Or go for one of the streak ’s touch classics , like the Teahouse Tipple , with Bombay Sapphire Gin , Nigori Nipponese rice sirup , lemon , ball white , Cocchi Americano , and yuzu espuma .
The Gibson
U StreetThe word " speakeasy " gets thrown around a batch these days , but it ’s a pretty liable description in this case ( except for , you know , the legality element ) , as guests enter through an unmarked door off 14th street . The Gibson opened in 2008 and continues to be one of the steady trailblazer of the District ’s cocktail boom . barman here are master of classic cocktail , so do n’t feel bad if all you palpate like is an Old Fashioned . The crapulence list rotate seasonally . This winter , for example , features the Kink in My Telemetry , serve warm with Jamaican rum , Averna , vanilla , lemon , and chocolate bitter .
The Green Zone
Adams MorganThe Green Zone is Washington ’s destination for Middle Eastern cocktails – a welcome addition to a city as international as DC . Drinks go from floral and light to strong and drunken , incorporating regional ingredients like pistachio syrup , apricot , jump , and mint . The two - story bar hosts live on DJs on weekends and has a small patio for multitude watching along 18th Street . A low nutrient menu of Middle Eastern bites – like Chinese parsley and garlic batata harra fries – keeps hunger in check .
L’Annexe
GeorgetownFrom the atomic number 30 bar to the snug back depository library , L’Annexe tender a advanced cocktail safety with European touches . The signature beverages here are made with business firm John Barleycorn infusion like turmeric root gin , melon vodka , and Cognac with lemon tree peel . It ’s also somewhere to savour a well - made martini or Sazerac with a stave of small home like hummus , bitch tartare , mushroom toast , or grilled skewer .
Morris American Bar
Mt. Vernon TriangleMorris American Bar takes cocktails earnestly , but it ’s no traditional speakeasy . Its sunny atmosphere start with the sheer marquee and pass to the shining interior , style with pastel blues and playful lighting . Morris ’ bartenders hand - carve ice , and pay tending to every drink point – from glassware to temperature . The menu changes seasonally , and bartenders are always helpful to mix up something for any predilection or druthers from the extensive feeding bottle selection . There ’s no standing room , so be prepared to wait if you ’re with a great group or visiting at blossom times .
Round Robin Bar
Metro CenterSome cocktail bars focus on pre - Prohibition and Civil War - era cocktail , but Round Robin Bar does n’t have to pretend – it ’s been in operation since 1850 . It may not be the buzziest spot in townsfolk , but it ’s tough to compete with the genuinely old - school smell of sipping a mint candy julep surrounded by decennary of political story . The bar ’s age has n’t slug conception , though . The cocktail list has plenty of nods to current trends , such as the No Borders , with reposado tequila , mezcal , Ananas comosus , gingerroot , and habanero tincture . If you get athirst , reverse to bar fare like crab cake sliders or chocolate truffle oil color and Parmesan fries .
Serenata
Union MarketSerenata sit at the center of La Cosecha , the challenging Latin American food and retail hall nearby Union Market . The cocktail bill of fare is one of the most divers in the city , get up by country and highlighting indigenous hard drink and ingredients wherever possible . A honorable pick is the Duende Tango , a Dominican - urge blend of of age rum , Mama Juana , Aperol , Scotch , orange bitters , and olive . classic make an appearance , too , so palpate costless to enjoy a Ti Punch or Cuba Libre while nosh on measure bite that include rum chicken liver hair mousse or avocado toast with charred chorizo .
Service Bar
U Street / ShawAn all - Clarence Shepard Day Jr. menu featuring $ 7 daiquiris and Old Fashioned has made Service Bar a popular occlusive along the U Street corridor . The eternal sleep of the drawn-out menu is organized by spirit , with choice from tequila and mezcal to rum , whiskey , and brandy . And that ’s not to mention the “ hyper - seasonal ” selections that change often based on ingredient accessibility . deep-fried chicken is the other attracter here , whether it ’s by the piece , bucket , or as a crispy , Buffalo - style sandwich .
The Passenger
ShawIf you ca n’t make up one’s mind between a mezcal negroni or a vodka sodium carbonate , head to The Passenger . This relaxed bar always has a chalkboard fare of extra cocktail with alone ingredients , not to cite Chartreuse on tap . But you wo n’t feel out of place place an old standard or a simple mixed beverage . Craft beer and wine-colored are available , too , along with a small menu of bar food like a half locoweed , quesadilla , and poulet wings .
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Courtesy of Astoria
Courtesy of Archipelago
barmini|Courtesy of Greg Powers
Columbia Room|Courtesy of Obi Okolo
Dram & Grain|Courtesy of Rey Lopez
Courtesy of The Gibson
Courtesy of Morris American Bar
Courtesy of Service Bar
