Halloween is just around the corner, and the spooky spirit has taken over the District. Between the new year-round Halloween bar on H Street and the latest 7th Street pop-up bar, this time centered around Brothers Grimm fairy tales, it’s easy to get lost in the cobwebs. That’s why this year, we rounded up the top of the most over-the-top Halloween specials we could find, ranging from frighteningly festive to spine-chillingly spooky.
Jungle Juice, But It’s Okay, It’s Halloween
Bar Deco, 717 6th St. NW
At this rooftop bar, guests are instructed to think of the $12 Halloween Punch as a “Halloween candy bowl but way better, because … cocktails.” Made from Knob Creek Rum, Roku gin, angostura, falernum, and ginger, you’ll have to put on a brave face to get yourself a drink. Hint: it’ll be located on the bar, under dark shadows surrounded by swaths of dry ice. It’s only available on Halloween.
Didn’t Snow White…almost die from a poison apple?
PUB Grimm, 1843 7th St. NW
PUB Grimm is the latest pop-up bar to take over the 7th Street space, this time transforming the space into a frightening version of the Brother’s Grimm fairytales. There’s plenty of eccentric drinks to choose from, but the $13 Snow White-themed “The Fairest Apple”—made from Smooth Amber American Whiskey, maple, apple cider, vinegar, and bitters—stands out for the tall, bone-chilling skeleton glass it’s served in. The bar is open through Nov. 30.
A Corpse-Reviving Cocktail
Morris American Bar, 1020 7th St. NW
A cocktail for the walking zombies among us—or those who need a little hair of the dog—the classic Corpse Reviver #2 will be on the menu at Morris’ first-ever Halloween party on the 31st. Sip on the drink made from gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc, lemon, and absinthe while you get your Tarot card read, participate in the costume contest, or dance to a live DJ. Other similarly spooky cocktails include the Late Night Reviver, made with gin and fernet; the Zombie, made with two kinds of rum; and the tequila-and-blackberry El Diablo.
14th Street, but make it spooky
Estadio, 1520 4th St. NW
Estadio transforms into Espookio once again for the bar and restaurant’s annual Halloween makeover. Montaditos become monster-ditos, bocadillos become boo-cadillos—you get the picture. Then there’s the booze—sorry, boos, menu. Order the restaurant’s specialty slushitos, this month in varieties like the Sea Monster, with tequila, blue curacao, crème de violette, and green apple. There’s a pumpkin version, naturally, with pumpkin, pumpkin ale, scotch, and lemon. It all ends with the Halloween Spooktacular Party on Oct. 31 at 7 p.m.; $31 tickets will get you passed festive treats, a costume contest, and spooky cocktails (via a cash bar).
Six Halloween Beers, One Bar Tab
Franklin Hall, 1348 Florida Ave. NW
If you’re ready to get your creepy-pumpkin-themed-brews on, head to Franklin Hall off of 14th Street. From now until the 31st, a whole range of specialty beers on tap include Rogue’s Dead n’ Dead, Great Lakes Brewing Company’s Nosferatu, Raven Beer’s Dark User, Stone Brewing’s Enter the Night, Pale Fire Brewing’s Deadly Rhythm, and Downeast Cider House’s Rum Barrel Aged Pumpkin Cider.
Please, Please Don’t Donate This Blood Bag
Beetle House, 816 H St. NE
At the city’s first year-round Halloween bar, you can get a $16 fruit-punch flavored cocktail packaged in an eerily realistic plastic blood bag, complete with IV straw. What’s in the sweet, fruit punch-flavored drink? Per the packaging, it comes from a volunteer donor.
Any Questions?
Lapop, 1847 Columbia Rd. NW
Commonly known as the SNL breakout character portrayed by Tom Hanks, the David S. Pumpkins will be offered at Lapop in Adam’s Morgan—and it could be the most over-the-top pumpkin cocktail we found. For $14, it’ll feature Four Roses Bourbon, fresh pumpkin puree, housemade mulled brown sugar syrup, a whole egg, and freshly grated nutmeg.
Private Halloween Globe
The Next Whisky Bar, 2650 Virginia Ave. NW
If you’re looking for an all-inclusive, out-there Halloween evening, how about sipping Halloween cocktails in a private, intimate Igloo Globe on the patio of the Watergate Hotel? From Oct. 25- Nov. 2, reserving one of the eight person globes decked out in spooky fashion is free with a $50 drink minimum. For the venue’s Creepy Chic Halloween Soiree on Oct. 31, reservations will go for $200. That’s in addition to the general $99 ticket fee, which comes with a full buffet, unlimited beer and wine, and Halloween-themed cocktails for purchase. Oh, and there’ll be a candy bike cart for all sorts of trick-or-treating needs.
This post has been updated with clarifications about the Next Whisky Bar’s offering.
