Evil twin: Spend a sinister evening at Birch & Barley and/or ChurchKey on Monday—beginning at 7, the adjacent restaurant and bar are both hosting events with Denmark’s Evil Twin beer.
Chef Kyle Bailey and pastry chef Tiffany MacIsaac have concocted a seasonal five-course menu to pair with the brews ($73 per person); the upstairs bar will feature 14 Evil Twin brews by the glass. Call 202-567-2576 for details.
Election night: Whether you run red or blue, there are plenty of election-night food and drink specials around town to distract you from the returns on Tuesday. Consult our continually updated guide to election-night specials (along with this preliminary list of ten spots celebrating in style (think all day and night happy hours). If you want to get started early, try these politically themed specials (and even more) on Monday before the big day.
Served up: Join us for The Washingtonian’s fine spirits event, On the Rocks, on Wednesday at 6:30 at the Renaissance Hotel in Dupont. Dress to impress and plan to mingle over sips of premium Scotch, bourbon, tequila, gin, vodka, and more. Tickets are typically $85, but use the promo code “friendsfamily” when purchasing online and receive a 25 percent discount.
Celebrity chef tour: The Source hosts the Washington leg of the James Beard Celebrity Chef Tour on Wednesday at 6:30, with an all-star lineup of culinary talents including Vikram Sunderam (Rasika), Cathal Armstrong (Restaurant Eve), and Spike Gjerde (Woodberry Kitchen) preparing a six-course menu for guests. The evening also starts with a cocktail reception featuring drinks mixed by the area’s top bartenders, and bivalves from Rappahannock Oyster Bar. Tickets are $210 per person, and can be purchased by contacting Erica Frank at 202-637-6106 or erica.frank@wolfgangpuck.com.
Swirl and sip: Spend Friday evening tasting vino at the annual Swirl & Sip event at the Whittemore House in Dupont. The grand tasting is $59, and includes plenty of wines and snacks from the likes of Panas Empanadas and Cocova chocolates; you can also purchase bottles you fancy for Saturday night.
Novemberfest: As with Oktoberfest, plan to drink plenty of beers on Saturday at Rustico in Alexandria, which is hosting an outdoor block party with 40 seasonal brews starting at noon. There’s no day drinking on an empty stomach, so you’ll also find dishes like grilled oysters, beef stew, and pork shoulder sandwiches. Tickets are $25, and include ten tickets to spend on drinks and food; additional tickets can be purchased at the event.
Beerathon: If taking down 26 beers at 26 different bars over the course of Saturday sounds like a feat you can accomplish, then sign up for the DC Beerathon. Stops include El Centro, Stoney’s, the Science Club, and more. Tickets ($65 per person) include the price of beer, plus a $20 credit for Uber.
Lamb master: Urbana chef John Critchley is the DC king of the lamb cooking competition, Lamb Jam, and is hosting a feast on Sunday at 5 to show off his stuff. The $40 tickets include dishes such as slow-roasted leg over polenta, meatballs, and merguez-sausage-topped pizza, plus wines and Flying Dog brews.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
