Bloody Mary Bar
Poste
555 Eighth St., NW; 202-783-6060
The make-your-own experience at this Penn Quarter brasserie begins with a base spirit—plain vodka or a house infusion with fresh horseradish and spicy chilies (our favorite) or bacon. Then you’re off to a fixings bar, where jars of tomato juice, pickles, fresh vegetables, spices, and hot sauces inspire creative concocting.
Champagne Crusta
Bistro Bohem
600 Florida Ave., NW; 202-735-5895
This Eastern European cafe’s refreshing take on a crusta, a
150-year-old brandy drink, combines Cognac, Cointreau, and lemon juice in
a glass with a sugared rim, topped off with Russkoe Igristoe—a Polish
semisweet sparkling wine—and a lemon twist.
Mimosa Flight
Cork Wine Bar
1720 14th St., NW; 202-265-2675
Mimosas have be-come a brunch cliché, but Cork takes an
original approach with flights of three glasses, each featuring a
different juice. A recent favorite showcased grapefruit, orange, and blood
orange.
The Hemingway
Brasserie Beck
1101 K St., NW.; 202-408-1717
With grapefruit and lime, maraschino liqueur, and a healthy
dose of rum, this easygoing daiquiri is a perfect pick-me-up. The Belgian
spot—typically more attuned to beer—turns out a flawless rendition in a
martini glass with a lime twist.
The Titanic
Trummer’s on Main
7134 Main St., Clifton, Va.; 703-266-1623
No matter when you’re dining at this elegant destination, the
cocktail to order is the house specialty, a bracing mix of vodka,
sparkling wine, and slushy elderflower sorbet. We also like the mellow
Sage, with Plymouth gin, elderflower liqueur, and fresh herbs.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
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.
