Nue

“Nurture”

This spectacle of a drink—which comes in a swiveling glass on a bed of moss under a smoke-filled cloche—is part of a new lineup of “multisensory” cocktails created by Jeremy Le Blanche, known for avant-garde creations at Fantom in New York. But the earthy and bright combination of tequila, amaro, matcha, cardamom, lemongrass, and lime is stunning even without the theatrics.

 

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Cana

“Romeu e Julieta”

One of the best dishes on the menu of this Brazilian bar is the cheesy fried tapioca squares with guava sauce. The same traditional flavor combo is incorporated into one of the best cocktails: a rum-and-sherry milk punch infused with cream cheese, young Gorgonzola, and guava purée. The result is just sweet enough, with savory undertones, and finished with a lemon twist atop a big, clear block of ice.

 

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Minetta Tavern

“Le Premier Jardin”

Keith McNally’s Greenwich Village Tavern, replicated here in Union Market, has an old-school brown-liquor-and-martini vibe. But this more demure cucumber-and-gin cocktail, sweet with falernum and French apple liqueur, is our favorite after-work pick-me-up.

 

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Genki Izakaya

Highballs

A sharp fizz and translucent blocks of cylindrical ice make for some of the most stunning highballs around. We’re still thinking about a version infused with toasted coconut and pandan, but this Japanese izakaya has an entire lineup in flavors ranging from hibiscus to hojicha, plus a classic Suntory Toki whiskey option.

 

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L’Ardente

“Naked, Famous & Frozen”

This blush-pink slushy may look like frosé, but it drinks like an Italian-leaning riff on a modern classic, the Naked & Famous. L’Ardente beverage director Micah Wilder blends tequila and aperol with strega—a herbaceous Italian liqueur—and guava, creating a surprising year-round hit.

 

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Baan Siam

“Hanuman’s Leaf”

The star of this electric-green cocktail is pandan, a tropical leaf with nutty, floral depth. Steeped into a liqueur and mixed with rum, ginger beer, and lemon, it’s bright, refreshing, and perfectly tuned to cut through the Thai menu’s spicy, funky heat.

 

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Barmini

“Big in Japan”

The cocktail lab next to José Andrés’s Minibar is now in its bar mitzvah year, and this wonderful drink has been on the menu since the place opened in 2013. Somehow, the bartenders coax something floral and musky out of a blend of Nikka Coffey Grain Whisky, dry vermouth, Drambuie, and Salers gentian liqueur. It’s decorated with a wakamomo, a preserved baby peach the size and color of a Cerignola olive.

 

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Eebee’s Corner Bar

Old Raj Martini

Like everything at this wildly popular nostalgia-fest of a bar, the martini offerings at Eebee’s are refreshingly straightforward—classic, 50-50, perfect, or dirty. An option to upgrade to Old Raj, a saffron-infused Scottish gin, is accompanied by a parenthetical “(yum)” on the menu. We agree.

 

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Tapori

“The Tapori”

Tapori’s subcontinent-inspired Negroni riff is deceptively simple: Indian single-malt whiskey, sweet vermouth, and Campari, with a dash of tamarind and chai spice. Among Dante Datta’s sophisticated cocktail offerings here, this one stands out for its simplicity.

 

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Providencia

“Cumbre del Volcán”

The mezcal Negroni is now practically a staple in its own right, but this take from Erik Bruner-Yang’ and Paola Velez’s hip cocktail bar does its volcanic name justice. The subtle flavors from plum, strawberry, mint, and cacao extracts brighten up all the smokiness.

 

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Casa Teresa

Sangría Roja

Given chef/owner Rubén García’s devotion to trendy Spanish vermouth—his downtown restaurant’s drinks list has 25 of them—it comes as no surprise that the place’s sangria is imbued with a bold red Catalonian vermouth. The base is a mashup of Tempranillo and Garnacha from a Spanish grower, scented with herbs and finished with a house-steeped cordial of grapefruit and orange. Served in an oversize goblet over ice, the not-too-sweet red elixir is complex and full of oomph.

 

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La’ Shukran

“Zanjabeel”

Chef Michael Rafidi’s ultra-hip French/Middle Eastern bistro and bar turns a penicillin cocktail into something far more interesting by combining anise-flavored arak with Scotch, one of the most consumed spirits in the Middle East. Ginger, saffron, and pineapple add to the complexity, with some za’atar sprinkled on top.

 

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Lucky Danger

“Elixir of Immortality”

“I like to bring my culture behind the bar,” says beverage director Sunny Vanavichai. She channels the bold, savory-spicy flavors of nam pla prik—the classic Thai dipping sauce built on fish sauce, palm sugar, bird’s-eye chilies, and lime—into a briny base for this funky cocktail. Tequila and lychee add brightness and sweetness, striking a balance that’s become one of our favorite sips.

 

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Service Bar

Heirloom-Carrot Margarita

Glendon Hartley and Chad Spangler’s U Street hangout is the best of both worlds: a bar that doesn’t take itself too seriously (Katy Perry on the speakers, friendly servers) with a cocktail menu that isn’t messing around when it comes to deliciously creative drinks. Take this riff on a classic marg, which is somehow made infinitely better with juices from many hues of carrot.

 

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The Green Zone

Mint Lemonade

Is there anything more refreshing than this frozen mint lemonade, inspired by a staple of cafes across the Arab world? The frosty-frothy green drink, served with a big sprig of fresh mint, is perfect on its own, but you can also spike it with vodka, gin, or rum.

 

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Jane Jane

“Golden Cadillac”

Boozy milkshakes are typically a bad idea (hello, insta-hangover). That’s not the case with this Logan Circle cocktail bar’s creamy creation with hints of chocolate and orange. It’s not overly sweet, and the Italian digestif Galliano gives it a subtle, low-ABV hum.

 

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The Fountain Inn

“Rebellious Old-Fashioned”

Thomas Jefferson once said that “no man this side of the Atlantic” poured a better bottle of Madeira or sherry than the innkeeper who ran the original Fountain Inn, dating back to 1783. Today, the Georgetown tavern uses both fortified wines in its version of an old-fashioned, which you can customize with your choice of rye or bourbon for a small upcharge.

 

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Your Only Friend

“Clean Dirty Martini”

Columbia Room alums Paul Taylor and Sherra Kurtz turn the dirty martini into an umami bomb at their Shaw cocktail bar and sandwich shop. The secret: an MSG-and-lactic-acid-infused olive brine that’s clarified in a centrifuge, plus some dry fino sherry paired with the vermouth. A pickled pepper is the perfect garnish.

 

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River Club

“Gin Basil”

This is the cocktail of our day-drinking dreams—lemony, frothy, and not too sweet. Its slight vegetal quality comes from basil-infused gin, celery juice, and celery salt. At night, try it during the Georgetown Mediterranean spot’s weekday happy hour (5 to 7), when it’s discounted to a mere ten bucks.

 

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Arrels

“Smolder and Sip”

This Spanish dining room’s golden concoction, poured over crystal-clear square ice cubes, is a novel take on an old-fashioned. Basque whiskey, aged in Iberian oak with hints of malted barley and citrus, is enhanced with burnt-sugar syrup and gets a hit of spice from angostura bitters. The result tastes rich, toasty-sweet, and unlike any other old-fashioned we’ve had.

This article appears in the March 2026 issue of Washingtonian.