Daiquiri Time: Start your weekend early with Derek Brown and the Columbia Room. This Thursday, Brown will host guest bartenders Julio Cabrera of The Regent Cocktail Club, John Lermayer of Sweet Liberty and Simon Ford of 86 Spirits Co. for a Daiquiri Time Out as they present different versions of the Cuban drink using Caña Brava Rum. The cocktails start flowing at 5:30 pm, and end at 7:30 pm. All Daiquiris are $8.
Spring Wine Fling: Wine lovers can sip through a variety of specials during the week-long Spring Wine Fling from the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (it ends Sunday). Participating bars and restaurants pour a global range of blends, either three wines for $15 or five tastings for $25. Check out the list of participants and make reservations online (if needed).
Drink Like Hemingway: Discover the Lost Generation (of cocktails) with author Philip Greene on Friday as he guides guests through the cocktails and ex-pat culture in Paris and Pamplona through the lends of Ernest Hemingway’s travels. The class is held at the Shakespeare Theatre Company from 6:30 to 7:30. Tickets are$50 (which includes four drink samples) and Greene’s books will also be available to purchase at the event for a separate cost, including his latest, To Have and Have Another.
Cocktails in Cuba: Drink your way through history this Saturday at the National Archives Foundation with chief spirits advisor Derek Brown of the Columbia Room. The event is the launch of the Archives’s History Happy Hour series, which delves into drinking culture during important historical periods. The first focuses on Cuba and the United States, starting at 2:45 with a reception and panel seminar with Julio Cabrera, John Lermayer and Simon Ford. Tickets for non-members are $60, and members $50.
Bar Wars: This Sunday, see your favorite DC bartenders go head to head at Range for Cocktail Warz. Guests can watch Dupont Circle’s Rebellion and Shaw’s Service Bar compete to win $500 by making cocktails using Whistlepig Rye Whiskey, and sample the cocktails alongside bites from the bar and specials on food and drinks. The fun begins at 9 pm; tickets are $10.
Upcoming Events
Vietnamese pop-up: Former Rose’s Luxury chef Anna Vocaturo and partner Sarah Bui are behind Doi Dua a modern Vietnamese pop-up. The latest iteration is their Back from Saigon tasting menu after visiting Bui’s family, hosted at Shopkeepers Gallery on H Street, Northeast. Dinners of six-plus courses are served in two time slots (6 pm and 8:45 pm) around a communal table for up to ten guests, and are $85 per person (wine and beer are available for additional purchase). The first dinner is Monday, March 27 followed by April 3, April 17, and May 1. Get tickets here.
Milksteak Dinner: Fainting Goat‘s chef de cuisine John Kerschensteiner hosts a special Milksteak Dinner on Tuesday, in which 16 guests can try delicious dairy cow steak (it’s a thing) along with roasted carrots, hassleback potatoes and more. The three-hour dinner begins at 6:30 pm and tickets are $65, not including tax or gratuity. Ticket sales end Thursday, March 23.
Dinner at the Kimpton Carlyle: On Monday, treat yourself to a four-course prix-fixe dinner at The Riggsby featuring wine pairings from Alphonse Mello. Guests can sip alongside dishes like crayfish boudin with pine nuts, lamb ribs, and ricotta panna cotta. Dinner begins at 6:30 pm. and tickets are $140 per person.
Sydney is an editorial fellow at Washingtonian Magazine, where she writes about history, news, food, and events. A recent graduate of the College of William & Mary, she is interested in writing and videography. You can follow her on Twitter @sydneykmahan
