Read Our Winter 2022 Issue

There’s no place quite like Disco Mary. Swathed in millennial pink with mirrored surfaces at every angle, “Viva La Mujer” prints stand alongside whimsical mushroom sculptures and prayer candles. Presiding over the patio space is its shimmering namesake, a mirror-bedazzled Virgin Mary offering a spiritualized, selfie-ready moment for guests. Since opening at the end of… Read more »

It seems like the biggest trend in drinking these days is not drinking. Bar menus are increasingly offering thoughtfully crafted sober options billed as zero-proof, nonalcoholic, booze-less and spirit-free. There’s a burgeoning industry of NA beer, wine, spirit and bottled cocktail producers; and dry or alcohol-optional bars are popping up across the country — including… Read more »

Classic cocktails form the foundation of modern-day mixology. Drinks like the Manhattan and the margarita endure as crowd-pleasing bartending staples, having been perfected and replicated throughout the decades. But that familiarity doesn’t mean they need to be boring or unimaginative. In the D.C. region, bars and restaurants are finding new inspiration in these ageless recipes,… Read more »

4:35 to 5:45 p.m. I arrive close to opening on a frosty Wednesday evening. 600T’s first reservation is at 7 p.m. and I’m told they’re expecting a slow night. You wouldn’t know it by the organized chaos: ice cutting, fresh juice and syrup preparation, cocktail batching, popcorn popping and the pitter-patter of tiny feet (the… Read more »

Note: Due to ever-changing Covid policies and the smaller spaces of many speakeasies, several speakeasies that would’ve joined this list are taking a pause until they can safely reopen. For all of the below, please check for hours, safety protocols and whether reservations are required. The Roaring Twenties blared as a post-pandemic party. Those decadent… Read more »

Kelly Phillips is a writer, collector and sharer of stories. As cofounder and hospitality director of Destination Unknown Restaurants, Phillips is known for several new restaurants around the District including Espita, Destino, Taqueria Las Gemelas and Ghostburger. But it was storytelling that drew her to the restaurant business in the first place.  “I grew up… Read more »

Building a cocktail is a lot like cooking. When done well, ingredients and flavors come together to create something greater than its parts. Like your favorite foods, cocktails come in all flavors. Some are fruity, some are bitter. Some are spirit-forward sippers, while others are icy and refreshing. When out at a bar, it can… Read more »

Laurel Oldershaw is an athlete, mixologist at two of D.C.’s most prominent cocktail bars — Allegory and Serenata — and the founder and GM of Bay Leaf Bitters, a sports and cocktail bar that celebrates and highlights women, trans, nonbinary and genderqueer folks in sports. The bar currently operates as a pop-up concept with the… Read more »

There’s a certain kind of magic that takes place in a cocktail bar, when complex ingredients meet fancy tools in the skilled hands of a mixologist. Perched at the bar, you might watch in awe as the maestra mixes and shakes, stirring and blending with exotic instruments, plucking organic items from jars and carefully adding… Read more »

On the surface, cocktail infusions may seem simple: Take a fruit, spice, nut or other element and steep it in alcohol to create a layered flavor. Start experimenting and novice bartenders will soon discover infusions require a delicate balance between art and science. Get the inside scoop from some of D.C.’s cocktail pros. It’s All… Read more »

I quit drinking in 2007 because I was on a fast track to total destruction. I had only just turned 24 and my life felt over without the so-called magic elixir of alcohol (so dramatic, I know). But I had to stop, even if it seemed impossible. I didn’t have a road map or guide… Read more »

The mastermind behind the Columbia Room, a previous designee of “Best American Cocktail Bar” by the Spirited Awards, Derek Brown has just authored his second book devoted to the craft of the American cocktail. In “Mindful Mixology: A Comprehensive Guide to No- and Low-Alcohol Cocktails with 60 Recipes,” he rewrites the script of cultural expectations… Read more »

Over the past three-plus years, Samantha Kasten hasn’t been shy about her sobriety. From Instagram posts cataloging alcoholic alternatives to her recent attempts to burgeon the booze-free scene in the DMV, Kasten has discovered a burning desire to explore the world of low and no-ABV cocktails and other forms of pseudo-booze. “When I finally got… Read more »

D.C.’s own Disco Mary and Binge Bar serve up booze-free realness with their creative nonalcoholic concoctions. Try these recipes at home to see for yourself just how delicious zero-proof cocktails can be. Infographic by Amanda Weisbrod. Hover over image to zoom.   Print the downloadable PDF here. Enjoy this piece? Consider becoming a member for… Read more »

Given all the reasons people might have had to drink during the pandemic, the nonalcoholic beverage industry skyrocketed in 2020 and 2021. In the past year alone, nonalcoholic sales totaled more than $330 million, according to a recent Forbes article. Confined to couches, people started exploring ways to drink without the buzz — and Lyre’s… Read more »

Ever since Dry January was introduced to the U.S. in 2013, the sober-curious movement has grown from a niche community to a full-blown cultural shift. But what does sober-curious even mean? And how exactly does one practice mindful drinking? Find the answers to these questions and learn more about where the nonalcoholic beverage industry has… Read more »