Are you ready? It’s going to be a big weekend. We’ve already filled you in on brunch happenings, how to eat like Obama, how to throw a DIY inaugural party, places to drink late, and a whole mess of specials—and now we have more! Here are additional cocktails, menus, and other offerings, organized by neighborhood. Have fun.
Adams Morgan
Tryst
Head to the Adams Morgan hangout to sample any of four $7 tiki drinks—a Mai Tai, a Dark and Stormy, a rye-based Eastern Sour, and a Navy cider with rum, fresh lime juice, and hot cider.
Alexandria
Brabo
At Robert Wiedmaier’s upscale restaurant in Old Town Alexandria’s Lorien Hotel, you can get a Commander-in-Chief cocktail created by sommelier Matthew Carroll. The combo of Dewar’s Scotch whisky, Cockburn’s Special Reserve port, Dolin dry vermouth, and orange bitters costs $12 and will be available through February.
Capitol Hill
Belga Cafe
Top Chef: Seattle contestant Bart Vandaele has drink specials—including a blueberry vodka number inspired by the First Lady—along with dishes such as both hot and cold foie gras, oeufs brouilles and salmon, and Lobster for Michelle with fresh herbs, garlic butter, and saffron risotto. Hmm, does someone have a crush?
Columbia Heights
The Coupe
Among the bars serving booze until 4 AM on inauguration weekend is this Columbia Heights spot, which will also have face painting for the kiddies during brunch Saturday through Monday. More adult offerings include the rum-based Obama-rama and a rickey variation in honor of 44. Look for a $12 beer and burger (also available in veggie) special, too.
Dupont Circle/Downtown
Boqueria
This Spanish tapas spot takes some inspiration from America to create special menus of drinks and small plates available until January 22 and including variations on steak and potatoes and apple pie. On the 19th and 20th, a $35 down payment buys you unlimited brunch tapas and beverages. Boqueria also extends evening service until midnight.
On Monday the 21st, the restaurant opens at 11 and will toast term two with a complimentary Mai Tai for all guests.
Firefly
Friday through Sunday, recently remodeled Firefly will offer a late-night and drink menu, with happy hour beverage specials from 11 until close and food specials honoring Obama’s Chicago past available until 1 AM. Chef de cuisine Todd Wiss has devised a Chicago-style dog ($5 during HH, $15 at lunch) with traditional toppings. Not to be outdone, bar manager Jon Harris took inspiration from both Chicago and POTUS’s birthplace for special cocktails, which are $7.50 during the late-night HH ($13 regularly) and include the Southside (gin, lemon, and mint). Firefly is also open for brunch on Monday the 21st.
The Hamilton
This massive restaurant, bar, and concert space will serve drinks until 4 AM on the 17th through the 21st, and the kitchen will remain open until 3 AM serving the full—and massive—menu. Choose from two special cocktails in honor of the president: the Perfect 44, with Few bourbon (made in Chicago), two kinds of vermouth, and rye-soaked cherries, and the Executive Punch, with two kinds of rum, ginger, pineapple, grapefruit, and maraschino juices, and Angostura bitters.
iCi Urban Bistro (806 15th St., NW)
The eatery in the Lafayette Square Sofitel is cooking up a tasting menu during inauguration week. Available from January 17 to 22, the $65, four-course menu includes options like New England fish chowder for JFK, Virginia ham to honor Thomas Jefferson, meatloaf for Nixon, and so forth.
P.J. Clarke’s
The 1600 K Street, Northwest, eatery has a special featuring one of Obama’s favorites—a cheeseburger with Dijon mustard—with a side of mac and cheese and a 312 Wheat Ale from Chicago brewery Goose Island, all for $16.44.
Round Robin
At the Willard’s classy drinks destination, bartender Jim Hewes honors all 44 presidents for every inauguration with cocktails named for each—those cost between $5 and $15. For the 2013 celebration, he is serving five $15 drinks: the Presidential Mojito (dark rum, raspberry, fresh fruit, mint, and lime); the Electoral Collage (Kahula, Bailey’s, and Grand Marnier); the Blue Hawaiian (aged tequila, blue curaçao, and fresh lime); Lincoln’s Hot Spiced Cider (Red Stag bourbon, Cointreau, and spiced cider); and the Camelot Daiquiri (dark rum, triple sec, and fresh lime).
2100 Prime
Head to Mass. Ave for a special inauguration menu: three courses, $115 with wine pairings, inspired by presidents Ford, Reagan, Clinton, Johnson, Carter, and Kennedy.
Urbana
The P Street bar and restaurant celebrates the weekend with a late-night happy hour from 10 to midnight Saturday and Sunday. Scarf $8 pizzas as you sip $4 wines, Yuengling, and Peroni. Goose Island offerings cost $7. Special inauguration cocktails are $8 during happy hour ($12 regularly) and include a rum-based Hawaiian Punch and the GOP208 cocktail with Canton liqueur, blood orange juice, and Prosecco.
Zentan
The 14th Street Kimpton restaurant serves food and drink until midnight on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Josh Berner, formerly of Ripple, has created two cocktails in honor of the occasion. There’s the No. 44, with cordial, rye whiskey, absinthe, and orange bitters; and Valor, Purity, and Justice, featuring cinnamon-and-cayenne-infused tequila, lime, blue curaçao, chocolate, and salt. Intense, huh?
Georgetown/Glover Park
Mayfair & Pine
The Wisconsin Avenue bistro will be open Monday and serving a special to-go breakfast sandwich and coffee combo. Call ahead and they’ll have it ready for you. The number is 202-333-2090.
Serendipity3 (3150 M St., NW)
The ice-cream-centric restaurant celebrates the inauguration with a lobster pasta dish: The $25 entrée involves fresh pappardelle, Maine lobster, and creamy brown butter sauce.
Penn Quarter
Oyamel
In addition to a “bear broth” fish soup, “loom loom” salmon, and a Mexican plate lunch, José Andrés’s Mexican restaurant has two $10 specialty cocktails: Isle de Azul, with white rum, blue curaçao, coconut liqueur, mezcal, pineapple juice, lime juice, and coconut sorbet; and the First Lady’s South Side (oh, my!) with tequila, beet juice, lime-lemon verbena syrup, lime juice, and mint leaves.
Paul
If you
plan to attend the swearing-in ceremony on Monday, you can stop by Paul
Bakery’s Penn Quarter location (801 Pennsylvania Ave., NW)—it opens at
6:30 AM.
Poste Modern Brasserie
This sceney indoor/outdoor spot will feature beers from Obama hometowns past and present: Kona Brewing Pipeline Porter from Hawaii, Chocolate City Copper from DC, Goose Island’s Matilda, made in Chicago, and so on. Those cost between $6 and $9.
Zaytinya
In addition to a special brunch, Andrés’s Mediterranean restaurant will be mixing up a $14 drink called the Second Term, which combines bourbon, apricot eau de vie, lemon, vermouth, and honey syrup and involves a Cryovac machine.
Various
Dolcezza
The local gelato chainlet will scoop up special flavor for
the weekend: peanut M&M and fresh cream. It’s $5 for a small, $10.50
for a pint, and in all likelihood extremely delicious.
Jaleo
The tapas stalwart—which has locations in downtown DC, Bethesda, and Crystal City—will feature special menu items such as soupy lobster paella, Catalan veal stew, and tortilla de patatas “new way.” There are also two celebratory cocktails priced at $14. The rye-based Proclamation Cocktail features cinnamon syrup, raspberry vinegar, pomegranate juice, and lavender bitters; there’s also El Presidente, with barrel-aged rum, white vermouth, Grand Marnier, and pomegranate grenadine.
