Brilliant Bourbon: A Go-To Guide for Bourbon in the District

Happy National Bourbon Heritage Month to all you bourbon drinkers out there. We have set out to celebrate this month in style, with everything from exclusive interviews with Buffalo Trace Distillery’s CEO and master distiller to a comprehensive list of the best places to drink bourbon in DC (see below). We even featured Pearl Dive Oyster Palace’s Bardstown Derby on our cover, a fruity cocktail made with Buffalo Trace bourbon. Whether you’re a longtime imbiber of American whiskey or you’re looking to change up your usual drink order, you’re bound to find something that will excite your taste buds in the District.

Acadiana: 901 New York Ave. NW, DC; www.acadianarestaurant.com

b DC Penn Quarter: 801 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, DC; www.burgersbeerbourbon.com

Barley Mac: 1600 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA; www.barleymacva.com

Barrel: 613 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, DC; www.barreldc.com

Basin Street Lounge: 219 King St. Alexandria, VA; www.219restaurant.com

Black Jack: 1612 14th St. NW, DC; www.blackjackdc.com

Black Whiskey: 1410 14th St. NW, DC; www.blackwhiskeydc.com

BLT Steak: 1625 I St. NW, DC; www.bltrestaurants.com

Blue Duck Tavern: 1201 24th St. NW, DC; www.hyatt.com/corporate/restaurants/blue-duck-tavern/en/blue-duck-tavern-home.html

Boundary Stone Public House: 116 Rhode Island Ave. NW, DC; www.boundarystonedc.com

Bourbon: 2321 18th St. NW, DC; www.bourbondc.com

Bourbon Steak: 2800 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, DC; www.fourseasons.com/washington/dining/restaurants/bourbon_steak

Civil Cigar Lounge: 5335 Wisconsin Ave. NW, DC; www.civillounge.com

Copperwood Tavern – Shirlington: 4021 Campbell Ave. Arlington, VA; www.copperwoodtavern.com

Crimson Whiskey Bar: 627 H St. NW, DC; www.crimson-dc.com

Denson Liquor Bar: 600 F St. NW, DC; www.densondc.com

The Dignitary: 901 Massachusetts Ave. NW, DC; www.marriott.com/hotel-restaurants/wasco-marriott-marquis-washington-dc/the-dignitary/5641402/home-page.mi

District ChopHouse & Brewery: 509 7th St. NW, DC; www.districtchophouse.com

Dram & Grain: 2007 18th St. NW, DC; www.facebook.com/DramandGrain

The Gibson: 2009 14th St. NW, DC; www.thegibsondc.com

Harold Black: 212 7th St. SE, DC; www.haroldblackdc.com

Hill Prince: 1337 H St. NE, DC; www.hillprince.com

Jack Rose Dining Saloon: 2007 18th St. NW, DC; www.jackrosediningsaloon.com

Kelly’s Irish Times: 14 F St. NW, DC; www.kellysirishtimesdc.com

Little Miss Whiskey’s Golden Dollar: 1104 H St. NE, DC; www.littlemisswhiskeys.com

Lost & Found: 1240 9th St. NW, DC; www.lostandfounddc.com

McClellan’s Retreat: 2031 Florida Ave. NW, DC; www.mcclellansretreat.com

The Next Whiskey Bar: 2650 Virginia Ave. NW, DC; www.thewatergatehotel.com/the-next-whisky-bar

Occidental: 1475 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, DC; www.occidentaldc.com

The Partisan: 709 D St. NW, DC; www.thepartisandc.com

Featured Spot: Penny Whisky Bar
618 H St. Suite 200, NW, DC; 202-802-5125; www.pennywhiskybar.com
Seductively looming above H Street in the heart of Chinatown, the Penny Whisky Bar is a breath of life found in a building you’ve been walking by for years. With an exclusive whisky list and the caliber of bartending mastery that has made Washington, DC a national destination, Penny Whisky Bar is going to be your first thought for happy hour and the last name you’ll ever need to learn for quality cocktails way beyond whisky.

The Pig: 1320 14th St. NW, DC; www.thepigdc.com

Prequel: 919 19th St. NW, DC; www.prequelrestaurant.com

Reliable Tavern: 3655 Georgia Ave. NW, DC; www.reliable-tavern.com

Root Cellar Whiskey Bar: 515 15th St. NW, DC; www.pineadc.com/rootcellar

The Royal: 501 Florida Ave. NW, DC; www.theroyaldc.com

The Rye Bar: 1050 31st St. NW, DC; www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/washington-dc/dining/the-rye-bar

Shelly’s Back Room: 1331 F St. NW, DC; www.shellysbackroom.com

Smoke & Barrel: 2471 18th St. NW, DC; www.smokeandbarreldc.com

Takoda: 715 Florida Ave. NW, DC; www.takodadc.com

Featured Spot: Truxton Inn
251 Florida Ave. NW, DC; 202-733-4952; www.truxtoninndc.com
Truxton Inn, located in Bloomingdale, is the neighborhood’s premier cocktail bar. Offering original and classic cocktails, they also carry seasonal wines and a few select beers. Their happy hour specials are $6 Old Fashioneds, $5 house red and white wines, and $3 Narragansett cans offered all day on Monday and open until 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Other daily specials include $10 original cocktails on Sundays, seasonal beer-and-shot combinations on Tuesdays and half-priced wine bottles on Wednesdays. Enjoy your drink and company at the bar, at one of the tables inside or outside on the brand-new patio.