Step Inside A World-Renowned Mixologist’s 2 D.C. Bars

Ryan Chetiyawardana offers top-notch, sophisticated cocktails at D.C.’s Silver Lyan.

We need to talk about Riggs DC. Every time I visit this Richardsonian Romanesque masterpiece holding court in the heart of Penn Quarter, I’m struck by its design and history. In a city expanding in a non-stop parade of shiny mixed-use apartment buildings and themed rooftop bars, there’s no replacement for classic Washington charm. You can’t manufacture character — and Riggs, built in 1891 and tastefully renovated and reopened by Lore Group in 2020, has it in spades.

The award-winning craft cocktail bar Silver Lyan elevates the contemporary-meets-classic vibe to the next — or in this case, lower — level. As you descend the lobby staircase into the former “bank of the president’s” vault, you feel as if you’ve entered a heist movie, gotten stuck in an escape room or simply decided to check on the family jewels. Yet instead of a stocked safety deposit box, you soon encounter the lush ruby red-hued crown jewel of the D.C. craft cocktail scene. On this particular evening, I’m sampling Silver Lyan’s latest menu with none other than the mix master genius-in-chief himself, Ryan Chetiyawardana a.k.a Mr. Lyan.

Chetiyawardana has been at the forefront of the cocktail industry for over a decade since launching White Lyan in London in 2013. Known for his experimental and avant-garde approach, he earned the title of International Bartender of the Year in 2015. At Silver Lyan and Café Riggs, he continues his commitment to innovation and sustainability while pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in a glass.

“It took about nine months to ideate and create the new menu,” he says as the first drink arrives.

Mr. Lyan’s imaginative concoctions veer somewhere between classic and a science experiment. The King Pausa is made with Belvedere, green coffee, green malt, woodruff sherry, purple olive and no lemon. It’s not only a riff on the standard espresso martini, but it also infers how the first espresso coffee was invented for Italian laborers during their fast break or “pausa.”

“Every cocktail on the new menu is based on themes of movement, exchange and migration patterns of humans and nature,” he says as we move on to the next cocktail: the Superman #2, served in Pokal glass and made with Hendrick’s Gin, oak wine, oolong, flinted strawberry and green pea.

If NASA made cocktails, Chetiyawardana would not only build rockets and plan complex trajectories, he’d helm the space craft. Superman #2 was influenced by the Apollo missions’ use of gravity assist or slingshot maneuvers to gain speed.

“Like how Superman flew around the planet backwards to turn back time,” he jokes with a hint of mad scientist in his eye.

FRAY TIP: For an original twist on the classic espresso martini, try the King Pausa.

Listening to Mr Lyan describe his drinks is like listening to a scientist. Just some of the ingredients in his recipes include kelp, bee larvae and bone marrow from an emu. He utilizes techniques as varied as using peat to smoke local butter and employing wood bark as the aromatic base for kombucha fermentation. In sum, come for the drinks, stay for the chemistry lesson.

For a layperson like me, I can only simply state they are damn good cocktails. Air Bee n Bee — made with Tequila Ocho, almond blossom, hay-smoked bee larvae, mango vinegar and Mosel riesling — is equally as clever.

“It was inspired by seasonal and semi-permanent bee hives in California,” Mr Lyan says. Of course it was.

Meanwhile, the earthy tasting Perkin’s Purple Punch mashes up antler with LINIE aquavit, elderberry, clarified green apple and smoked cream. Perhaps best enjoyed after a day at the hunt.

FRAY TIP: Like DJs and cocktails? Silver Lyan features a roster of the city’s top spin doctors every Thursday.

The elaborate ideation and eloquent execution never veer into kitsch. Like the vintage grandeur of Silver Lyan’s velvety confines, the menu is a mix of time-honored favorites with a twist of idiosyncratic flair. No large shared goblets, long straws or tiki mugs here.

As the tasting winds down, one of the cocktail enthusiasts at the table asks Chetiyawardana what his classic go-to drink is.

“A gin and tonic with Beefeater or Bell’s Scotch whiskey,” he says. It reminds me of a Picasso quote, “Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”

The evening at Riggs would not be complete without a stroll upstairs into the former bank lobby to withdraw for an evening meal at Café Riggs where Lore Group Executive Chef Wolfgang Birk, who also leads the kitchen at Lyle’s, oversees the seasonal menu. The historic marble lobby — with its elegant European sensibilities and modish design details, like plush chairs and gold hues — provides a perfect complement to the local and luxurious menu. It also embraces Chetiyawardana’s ethos of sustainability, with an emphasis on reducing food waste and implementing environmentally friendly practices.

I had the chance to try the new spring offerings, featuring a perfectly prepared crispy snapper with a side of Japanese nasu, topped off with Paris-Brest and black tea cake for dessert. Like the surroundings, it was the perfect mix of classic and contemporary.

FRAY TIP: Swanky brunch, anyone? Café Riggs serves brunch every weekend, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., complete with bottomless mimosas delivered via champagne cart.

With its stylish grandeur and top-flight food and beverage offerings, there is no place quite like Riggs in Washington. Whether it’s for a group night out for “those in the know” or a date over seductive cocktails, the one-two punch of drinks and dinner at Silver Lyan and Café Riggs is hard to beat and well worth the investment.

Riggs Washington DC, Café Riggs and Silver Lyan are located at 900 F St. NW, DC.

Café Riggs: riggsdc.com/eat-drink/cafe-riggs // @caferiggs

Silver Lyan: silverlyan.com // @silverlyan

Want to discover more about D.C.’s innovative and ever-changing drink culture? Join the District Fray community for exclusive access to beverage experiences citywide. Become a member and support local journalism today.

Michael Clements