D.C. has placed in the top ten of many an arbitrary list, but none made the city prouder than its designation as ninth drunkest city in America. What can we say? D.C. loves — nay, needs — its booze. When a simple beer won’t do, the city is replete with bars that offer cocktails, both creative and traditional, to fill the hole that only fancy alcoholic drinks can plug. Here, according to DCist’s staff, are the 15 best in the D.C. Update! We now have 16 cocktails on the list.
Estadio. Photo by Dracisk.
ORANGE-THYME GIN AND TONIC AT ESTADIO: I love gin’s refreshing flavor in the summer but sugary tonic water can overpower the subtle dimensions of a nice spirit. Estadio makes its tonics with fruit and herbs that play nicely with the underlying flavors in a particular variety of gin. In this case, bartender Adam Bernbach pairs orange thyme tonic with the citrus flavors in Old Raj gin. The pale peach-colored cocktail is a revelation of what a gin and tonic could be: herbal, floral, and refined. — Alicia Mazzara
Estadio is located at 1520 14th Street NW.
OLD FASHIONED AT BOURBON: Don Draper mimicry, blah blah. Whatever. A pair of bars named after a specific type of alcohol would be quite the scandal if their bartenders couldn’t mix a basic cocktail based on the namesake spirit. Or, they’d be typical for Glover Park and Adams Morgan. Fortunately, Bourbon is atypical for those party-hearty neighborhoods. And while Bill Thomas’ Talmud-like bourbon list is the main allure, ordering up a bourbon-based cocktail—especially during a happy hour—will result in a rocks glass full of that golden-hued elixir that comes about from the proper balance of sugar, Angostura, lemon peel, and whiskey. —Benjamin R. Freed
Bourbon is located at 2321 18th Street NW in Adams Morgan, and 2348 Wisconsin Avenue NW in Glover Park.
CAIPIRINHA AT RUMBA CAFE: I’m not really much of a cocktail drinker — my stomach can attest to my love of those bread smoothies known as craft beers — but thanks to the Rumba Lounge, I’ve fallen for caipirinhas. I like mojitos, but this Brazilian cousin has an equally light taste and I’m quite appreciative of the cane sugar in my drink. — Valerie Paschall
Rumba Cafe is located at 2443 18th Street NW.
ADULT GINGER ALE AT NAGE: When a regular Dark and Stormy won’t do the trick (probably a rarity), Nage’s Adult Ginger Ale takes it up a notch with rosemary-infused rum, ginger syrup, Port City IPA, and club soda. It has spicy ginger but the herbal and bubbly additions make it extra summery. Bonus: it’s one of its select $6 cocktails during happy hour from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. —Nicole Dubowitz
Nage is located at 1600 Rhode Island Avenue NW.
BLOOD & SAND AT HANK’S OYSTER BAR & LOUNGE: Even the heartiest scotch swillers out there sometimes like a little sweetness with their pain. If you’re just dipping your toe into those peaty waters, this classic 1920’s Blood & Sand cocktail is your ticket. The trouble is finding a bartender in this town who will both bother to make it, and not let it taste like codeine syrup. Happily, Hank’s has it on the menu, and uses top-notch ingredients — starting with Johnny Walker Black — to fashion the perfect smoky glass. The scotch is mixed with cherry herring — a Danish liqueur — sweet vermouth and fresh squeezed orange juice. Ask for blood orange, if it’s in season. —Catherine McCarthy
Hank’s Oyster Bar & Lounge is located at 1624 Q Street NW; 633 Pennsylvania Avenue SE; and 1026 King Street, Alexandria, Va.
An unnamed cocktail at The Passenger. Photo by Benjamin R. Freed.
UNNAMED COCKTAIL AT THE PASSENGER: Here’s the important part to remember—The Passenger, Derek Brown’s wood-paneled mainstay of creatively named and crafted drinks and habit-forming bar snacks, grows basil on the roof. I walk in on Tuesday night and approach my friend Julia Hurst, who’s tending bar on a night the listed drinks are dedicated to Elmer T. Lee, the just-departed father of single-barrel American whiskey. But I ask for a drink worth writing a couple hundred words about. So, Julia disappears behind the bar to head up to the roof, and reappears a few minutes later, handing me a tumbler filled with some green-tinted concoction topped off with a cluster of freshly cut basil leaves. And this is not the shriveled up basil one finds in the produce section; these are aromatic husks, topping off a glass filled with Beefeater gin, simple syrup, lemon juice, and Manzanilla sherry. It’s floral and savory and refreshing on a humid summer night. The drink has no name—it was invented on the spot—but remember this: There is basil on the roof of The Passenger, and you want some in your drink. —Benjamin R. Freed
PIMM’S CUP AT THE PASSENGER: Pimm’s No. 1 Cup is a popular cocktail base at Wimbledon, but one need not be a tennis buff or an Anglophile to enjoy the Pimm’s Cup at The Passenger. It’s a good summer drink; very light with lemonade, lime juice and ginger ale but just enough spice from the liquor to keep it from veering into the overly sweet territory. The cucumber slice is a nice touch as well. — Valerie Paschall
The Passenger is located at 1021 Seventh Street NW.
FRANCO AMERO DIGESTIF AT HOTEL TABARD INN: With all the hubbub going on over at Tabard Inn, the wonderful bar at this D.C. institution could get lost in the mix of politics and ownership. Even though Chantal Tseng now spends most of her time at D.C.’s house of sherry Mockingbird Hill, Tseng’s drink merits mention and more than occasional consumption. This digestif combines the spiciness of rye with a Bonal Gentiane-Quinquina, which is a sweet digestif in a fortified wine base. Think cherries with a slight quinine bitterness to throw your tastebuds for a delicious loop. A bitter is dotted in the drink to accent the herbaceous qualities and is usually completed with a brandied apricot. After a nice dinner (or let’s be honest – just because), I often want this digestif as this is far more appealing than your traditional dessert. I support the employees of Tabard Inn and I support this drink. — John Fleury
The Tabard Inn is located at 1739 N Street NW.
Bar Pilar. Photo by gingher.
BEES IN BEER AT BAR PILAR: For a whiskey or beer kind of person, the idea of drinking a cocktail can seem pointless. Why drink something with so many ingredients when beer and whiskey taste so great on their own? The cocktail solution to this is the Boilermaker, which Bar Pilar has elevated with its Bees in Beer. The drink combines an IPA with honey whiskey and adds honey comb as a garnish. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as drinking the delicious mixture then having some sweet alcohol-soaked honey comb to eat afterwards. — Sarah Anne Hughes
Bar Pilar is located at 1833 14th Street NW.
COLORBLIND AT RIPPLE: News flash: It’s extremely hot outside. In times like these, when seconds outside can leave you drenched, you want a drink that won’t make you feel any grosser. Ripple’s Colorblind combines cucumber-infused vodka, rhubarb-tarragon soda and lime to create an extremely refreshing drink perfect for summer’s most disgusting months. — Sarah Anne Hughes
Ripple is located at 3417 Connecticut Avenue NW.
BIZ MARQUEE AT ROOM 11: Room 11 always knows what I want, and in this case it’s a fine beverage served with a dash of 80s one-hit-wonder turned Yo Gabba Gabba star. The combination sounds like it shouldn’t work: rye whiskey meets aperol (a bitter Italian spirit), earthy sage, puckery lemon, and sea salt. But magically it all balances out, with the salt heightening the sweetness and tempering the bitter. The resulting libation tastes bright, fresh, and unexpected. Sort of like Biz Markie on a kid’s television show. — Alicia Mazzara
OLD FASHIONED AT ROOM 11: It’s a smokier version of the old fashioned made with bourbon, a syrup of burned sugar, and a flamed orange peel — a cool flourish where the oils in the peel quickly flame up. It’s not always on the menu, but you can ask for it anyway — they use a special sugar though, so you may or may not be in luck. —Andrew Wiseman
Room 11 is located at 3234 11th Street NW.
Photo by Kevin Harber.
ADULT MILKSHAKES AT TED’S BULLETIN: The boozy Adult Milkshakes at Ted’s Bulletin combine two of the best vices: cocktails and dessert. When you’re looking for a buzz and to indulge, they meet all the requirements. The “adult” part of these milkshakes includes, not only the adult beverage aspect, but also more adult flavors. Vanilla and chocolate boozy shakes aren’t on the menu, but rather more thought-out options like Twisted Coconut (coconut rum Key Lime Pie, coconut rum Bananas Foster, banana rum), Grasshopper (Kahlua and creme de menthe), and Bailey’s Caramel Macchiato. Even if you don’t call this a cocktail, you’ll call it delicious. — Elisabeth Grant
Ted’s Bulletin is located at 505 8th Street SE.
EL CODO AT EL CHUCHO: When one typically encounters any sort of alcoholic beverage other than beer on draft, it usually raises some eyebrows. But don’t be deceived by the El Codo — El Chucho’s on-draft margarita. It does not skimp on quality. The en masse-produced Mexican cocktail at this Columbia Heights cocina combines silver tequila, triple sec, and fresh-squeezed lime juice for a tart and not-too-sweet concoction that’s as good, if not better, than any other margarita found in the city. I also suggest opting for a chili lime salt-coated rim to add a smoky kick to your cocktail. At $5 a pop, it’s easy to slam down three or four before you’re tempted to leap over the bar, stick your mouth under the tap, and just let it run. — Matt Cohen
El Chucho is located at 3313 11th Street NW.
EIGHT WEEKS TILL THE SLAUGHTER AT THE PIG: Nevermind that it’s thrilling to order a beverage that sounds straight out of a Cormac McCarthy novel. Beyond that, this concoction’s combination of infused Maker’s Mark, Bulleit Rye, Vya Sweet Vermouth and bitters culminates in one of the most delicious (and Herculean) Manhattans I’ve had in this town. And, as the priggish Hollywood director character in The Godfather said, “I’ve had ’em all over the world!” Yes. the Slaughter is a bit on the expensive side, but really not that much more than other fancy, far less stimulating cocktail fare around town. Go for it. Indulge. Put some hair on your chest. Get branded. Also, nothing makes whiskey and vermouth slide down easier than the smell of salted, smoked meats, which The Pig has in spades. Look out for the changing happy hour specials, when you can occasionally steal the Slaughter for cheaper. — Alexis Hauk
The Pig is located at 1320 14th Street NW.
LA PALABRA AT JACK ROSE DINING SALOON: While Jack Rose is well known for an immense library of whiskeys, the two-leveled saloon also does cocktails that showcase a range of flavors that don’t involve America’s favorite brown liquor. The La Palabra features Beneva Mezcal Joven, which gives off the same assertive smokiness as its older brethren, but has a slightly sweet flavor and less oak. This mescal joven lends itself to pairing beautifully with yellow Chartreuse’s citrus and honey elements. Add a little bitter cherry from the Lazaroni and some lime for punch, and you have yourself a wonderfully balanced drink that is layered, complex, and yet dangerously easy to drink – especially with this heat. Even I often skip the beer and look for a cocktail to keep cool. — John Fleury
Jack Rose Dining Saloon is located at 2007 18th Street NW.
