Yes, it’s tough to get out of the habit of ordering the same booze every time you go to a bar. But you should make an effort to do so—you could be missing out on some seriously delicious drinks. Step away from that pinot grigio and instead order a fino sherry. Or ditch the dirty martini and try a Trinity instead. To help expand your mind, and palate, we asked the folks behind some of D.C.’s bars what drinks they recommend to get you out of your comfort zone.

Experiment with unexpected combinations
Chris Hassaan Francke, owner of The Green Zone

To owner Chris Hassaan Francke, The Green Zone is not just a bar, but a lab where he and his team construct elaborate cocktails infused with Middle Eastern flavors. Those drinks include the Ibn Fadlan, made with Akvavit, sherry, apple brandy and apricot, and the Double Apple, made with Calvados and Arak. “I think those are the drinks on the menu that I think people should be ordering more, that don’t get ordered enough, because they’re combinations you don’t get elsewhere,” he says. Besides the drinks at The Green Zone, another off-kilter drink Francke champions is a good ‘ol fashioned El Presidente, a cocktail made with Cuban-style rum, white vermouth, and dashes of grenadine and Curaçao. “A lot of people think rum and vermouth is weird and that it can’t be good, but it’s absolutely delicious,” he says.

Try gin in a Twentieth Century
Dominic Prudente, general manager of Denson Liquor Bar and Harold Black

According to Dominic Prudente, gin cocktails don’t get as much love as they should. As a veteran bartender, one drink that he calls his personal favorite is the Twentieth Century cocktail. “It kind of hearkens back to the golden age of transportation,” says Prudente. “It was named after a train that ran between the early- to mid-20th century, and it not only has gin, but Lillet Blanc, citrus, and crème de cacao, so it has a nice, citrusy chocolate undercurrent that you don’t find often in cocktails.” For fans of the Aviation, Prudente suggests ordering what he calls its “cousin drink,” the Last Word. “The drink was originally made at the Detroit Athletic Club, and that’s got some green chartreuse along with citrus and maraschino as well,” he says. “It’s definitely a fun one.”

Instead of a dirty martini, try the Trinity
Chantal Tseng, bar manager at Petworth Citizen’s Reading Room

Every weekend at Petworth Citizen, literary buffs and cocktail aficionados alike head to the bar’s Reading Room to try out drinks made by Chantal Tseng as part of her Literary Cocktail series. Outside of the experimental book- and author-inspired cocktails she whips up each week, Tseng advocates that people try drinks with a low ABV, one being the Trinity. “The Trinity is dry gin, dry vermouth, and sweet vermouth that’s garnished with an orange peel,” she says. “It’s just heavenly, and so many people haven’t really had the exposure to it.” Another drink Tseng recommends, the Jungle, is similar to the Trinity and made with London dry gin, sweet vermouth, and fino sherry.

Not all dessert wines are cloying
Stacey Khoury-Diaz, owner of Dio Wine Bar

When she’s dining out, Stacey Khoury-Diaz likes to skip right to dessert—at least when it comes to wine. But at her H Street outpost, Dio Wine Bar, dessert wine isn’t quite as universally loved. “It doesn’t get ordered very much just because I think a lot of folks aren’t familiar with it, or certain styles that fall under that category can be a little intimidating,” she says. Recently, Dio added a Bertola fino sherry from Díez Mérito that Khoury-Diaz says is a good introduction to dessert wine. “I know a lot of people think sherry is very sweet, and there are certain ones that are, but a fino sherry tends to be a bit drier and it’s rich in texture and flavor,” she says.

Order a Belgian beer without the buzz
Nick Farrell, spirits director at Neighborhood Restaurant Group, and Greg Engert, beverage director, partner, Neighborhood Restaurant Group

Not all Belgian beers have a high alcohol content, says Greg Engert, beverage director and partner for Neighborhood Restaurant Group, which includes The Sovereign, Churchkey, and Bluejacket. Lambics are a fine choice for drinkers who appreciate a Belgian beer, but don’t want to get plastered by a high ABV. “Lambics show Champagne-like effervescence and remarkable complexity with an ABV that clocks in below 6 percent,” he says. “These are spontaneously fermented and oak-aged for years before blending and release.” A couple lambics Engert suggests are an Oude Gueuze and Oude Kriek. Beyond beer, Nick Farrell, spirits director for NRG, suggests giving the anise-flavored aperitif pastis a try, specifically absinthe. “Properly diluted and chilled, there’s no better aperitif after a long day, and specifically in the winter, with its warming spices and bittersweet anise flavors,” he says.

Don’t forget about the classics
Lukas B Smith, creative director and partner of Cotton & Reed; beverage director of &Pizza

Lukas B. Smith has built a storied rum empire in D.C. through Union Market distillery Cotton & Reed. But despite his prowess for making some of the city’s finest drinks, what impresses him the most is a bar’s ability to make simple, traditional offerings. “I would be impressed if someone had a Jack Rose on their menu with a good grenadine recipe that was distinctive,” says Smith of the drink made with applejack brandy, lemon or lime juice, and grenadine. A lover of classic cocktails, Jack Rose is a drink that Smith champions along with the Sidecar, French 75, and the Southern Cross cocktail. “The Southern Cross cocktail is a drink that I’ve been trying to bring back,” he says. “It’s essentially a 50/50 rum,-cognac sidecar with lime. This choice is no surprise considering that I make rum.”

Give merlot a chance
Niki Lang, partner and sommelier at Maxwell Park

One of the most memorable scenes from the 2004 movie Sideways was when lead character Miles shouts his disdain for merlot. “If anyone orders merlot, I’m leaving. I am not drinking any fucking merlot!” he exclaims to his friend Jack. Niki Lang, partner and sommelier of Shaw’s Maxwell Park, says the movie might have tainted people’s perceptions about merlot, but it shouldn’t be dismissed. “It’s a little more approachable than cabernet, but it still has all the structure, and it’s more complex than malbec,” says Lang. “And it has a bit more red fruit than [cabernet and malbec], which makes it more interesting as well,” she says. Lang suggests a 2015 Remhoogte, Simonsberg/Stellenbosch from South Africa or 2016 Can Feixes, Penedes from Spain if you’re looking to try something new.

Level up your gin and tonic with a Spanish Gin Tonic
Erik Holzherr, owner and general manager of Wisdom

When you walk through the doors of Capitol Hill gin bar Wisdom, owner Erik Holzherr says to be prepared to step out of your comfort zone. “We have people coming in now and ordering martinis because we have this extensive gin and vermouth selection,” he says. “We try to break it down and make it very welcoming and comfortable for people who are a little timid and not used to ordering one.” Besides martinis, Holzherr’s drink of choice is a Spanish Gin Tonic, which he describes as a mix between a gin and tonic and sangria, loaded up with citrus, herbs, citrus peels, etc. “At Wisdom, we serve it up in a supersized goblet with a lot of ice, gin, and tonic, and a mix of fresh botanicals,” he notes.