Wind down your week with a mojito at Cuba Libre on Thursday for National Rum Day and enjoy half-price rums and rum drinks for happy hour. The special promotion includes cocktails mixed with the cane-based spirit, as well as flights from 4 to 7 PM. Try a twist on the classic mojito with mango, passionfruit, or grapefruit twists.
On Thursday, the Made in DC program kicks off its pop-up market at the District Wharf. The market will feature a rotating selection of products from DC-based artisans and retailers, including craft cocktail syrups and garnishes from True, Mason Dixie biscuits, succulents by Urban Jungle, and much more.
Head to Alexandria on Friday to kick off their version of Restaurant Week 2018. More than 50 Alexandria restaurants throughout Old Town, Del Ray, and West End plan to feature $35 three-course dinners or dinner for two, while more than 25 restaurants offer $15 or $22 per person lunch deals. And the most recent addition: per-person brunch specials at 15 restaurants ($15 to $22). Get the full list here.
Get ready for a culinary trip around the globe with the World Cultural Food Festival on Saturday, which bills itself as the “largest outdoor cultural food festival” in DC metro area. Taking place at Freedom Plaza in front of the Wilson Building, the diverse celebration includes food vendors from 18 countries including Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Serbia, and Yemen. The offerings amount to over 200 traditional dishes, and you can enjoy folk dances and art and craft vendors from 11 to 7 PM. Admission is free; food and drink are sold separately unless you get a VIP pass ($35) online.
On Saturday, venture near the National Arboretum for Pig & Barrel, a joint weekend party by Supreme Core Cider and One Eight Distilling from 2 to 6 PM. The cidery and distillery have collaborated to create Supreme Core’s new Ivy City Goldrush cider, aged in bourbon barrels One Eight uses for its Untitled whiskey. Party-goers can sample ten original ciders and special cider cocktails from One Eight, as well as Sloppy Mama’s barbecue and live music from DC band Surprise Attack. Tickets are $15.
Crab lovers can take a trip to National Harbor on Saturday for the Chesapeake Crab, Wine & Beer Festival. The food fest features over 65,000 crabs matched with 50 beers and wines (sorry, no vegetarian options). Package prices and times vary, though passes for all—especially all-you-can-eat—are selling out quickly. Check the website for more info.
DC Beer Week kicks off on Sunday (see below), but you can get an early taste at Pizzeria Paradiso’s Summer Fest Beer Festival on Saturday in Dupont Circle. Taste unlimited pizza and beer from 11:30 to 3:30 PM. Breweries like Fonta Flora, The Bruery, and Grimm will offer an intriguing draft beer line-up, while you snack on classic slices like the spicy Atomica or the savory Genovese. Tickets are $80.
And one of our favorite weeks of the year arrives on Sunday: DC Beer Week. The seven day celebration kicks off at the DC Brewers’ Guild Lager Fest at City Winery from 1 to 5 PM, and continues on with tap takeovers, tastings, educational seminars, beer pairing meals, and other events throughout the city. Check out the full (almost dizzying) list of events, and prepare to drink plenty of water with your brews.
What’s better than a $22 Restaurant Week lunch? Brunch. It’s the same price, but you don’t have to rush back to work (and plenty of places include mimosas and other cocktails). Here are our top picks for your weekend meal.
And heading into the week…
Get “absinthe minded” on Monday at The Royal’s cocktail pop-up, where guest bartender Will Patton of Bresca will treat guests to $8 absinthe cocktails, absinthe fountains, and greey fairy jello shots from 8:30 PM to 1 AM. The boozy adventure is the latest in the “Royal Knights” spirits and cocktail exploration series.
On Thursday, learn how to make small-batch sausages from 6 to 8 PM with Union Market meat purveyor Harvey’s Market. The hands-on class includes all the tools and meats necessary, and you’ll leave with a small batch of pork sausages to take home. Tickets are $40.
