Stave Off the Chill: TheList’s List of What You’re Drinking

Sweater weather, meet shaker season. The DMV’s bars are trading beachy spritzes for cider highballs, smoky mezcal riffs, and hot-toddy cozies all made for crisp nights. We’ve rounded up the most sip-worthy fall beverages that are shaking (and stirring) the season.

Thirsty for more outdoors? Patio Pleasure and Up On The Roof (here, and here).
Martini mood? Our Martini Guide is here.
Need something snug? Slip into our Underground Bars roundup, here.

Holiday happenings and pop-ups are here. Plus your Thanksgiving plans, made here.

Want this week's best food? Go here.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR 

NEW & NOTEWORTHY: 

Canned Cocktail Magic: Social Hour Applejack Crisp is a limited-release, ready-to-drink canned cocktail made with Laird's Applejack, sparkling New York apple cider, and a blend of baking spices like cinnamon, clove, allspice, and cardamom. The cocktail is described as crisp, cozy, and refreshing, with an ABV of 11.5%. Learn more here.

This Hour is Happy (Happy Hour Alert): This holiday season, both Cane and St. James are serving up traditional Caribbean food and drink. Starting with Trinidad’s answer to eggnog, Ponche de Crème is a Caribbean milk and rum punch made with Angostura 7-year rum, egg yolks, milk, lime zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and Angostura bitters, which will be available for $16 at both St. James and Cane. What sets this version apart is its bright lift of fresh lime oil, which cuts through the creaminess and gives a signature citrus note not found in American or Latin egg-based holiday punches. 403 H St NE, Washington, DC 20002; cane-dc.com

Kicking Down the Barn Door:  SILO Distillery in Windsor has relaunched under the helm of former head distiller Erin Bell. From spirits to cider, the distillery aims to serve up barn-to-bottle bevs that showcase the best of what local growers have to offer. This includes 100% Vermont-grown corn vodka, russet apples from nearby Keene, New Hampshire, and more. Coming soon are fan-favorite varieties, including Cacao Vodka, made in partnership with Embue cacao of Brattleboro, Lemon Vodka, Maple Manhattan and Aisling tank-aged Wheat Whiskey. silodistillery.com

A Queen’s Tasting: La Boheme has created a new series called The Show Must Go On: A Queen-Inspired Tasting Experience. Step into the spotlight with a four- or six-course tasting menu inspired by the drama, decadence, and defiance of Queen. Optional wine and cocktail pairings await, each as dazzling as a guitar solo and as layered as a Freddie Mercury lyric. Sip with Killer Queen, toast to Bohemian Rhapsody, and let the flavors crescendo like a rock opera. Book it here. 

Grape School: Sip Smarter: Beauty Champagne & Sugar Boutique has started Grape School, a new monthly program designed to make wine education approachable, fun and community-centered. Beginning January 2026, Grape School will take place on the first Monday of every month from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM at Beauty Champagne & Sugar Boutique. The first event is January 5 – Malbec with Andrew Stover. 576 S 23rd Street in Arlington; beautychampagneandsugar.com

This Will Wake You Up (Brunch Alert): Corso Italian in Shirlington just launched a new $29 brunch, now featuring a full Espresso Martini Menu and new bubbly flights. Try different martinis like the Classic – Vodka, espresso, Kahlua, Baileys; Pinkie – Strawberries & Cream Baileys; Tiramisu – Amaretto + ladyfinger; Nutella – Frangelico + hazelnut; Affogato – Classic topped with vanilla gelato. corsoitalian.com

Cozy Classics: Tiffany’s Bar & Bistro is celebrating the holiday season with a special holiday movie cocktail menu. Inspired by classic holiday movies such as The Grinch, Home Alone, and White Christmas, you can enjoy a selection of $19 themed cocktails alongside festive Christmas decorations throughout the restaurant. Try the Sisters Sisters made with pisco, curacao, fresh lemon juice, vanilla syrup, and egg whites;The Grinch served with Belvedere, fresh pineapple juice, and sour apple schnapps; and more. 709 H St NE, Washington, DC 20002; tiffanysbistrobar.com 

Mexican Favorites: Pascual just launched a new lineup of cocktails at the hearth-focused Mexican favorite. Highlights include the “Si Whey” (palo santo sotol, whey, blood orange, lemon), “Mole Old Fashioned” (mole negro infused mezcal, empirical pasilla chile, plum wine, cacao bitters), “Falling Empire” (Mexican play on a Roman highball with Abasolo whiskey, Fernet Vallet, Xila Amaro, ginger-honey, lime), and “Oro de Senora” (Mezcal, sweet corn, apple, burnt canela, nutmeg, lime). Every Monday, Pascual fires up a new take on the trompo to serve as a reminder of how fun and limitless their Mexican kitchen can be. The base of the taco is always Pascual’s masa tortillas made in house with a switched up protein combo every week. 732 Maryland Ave NE; pascualdc.com

NOT NEW, BUT NOTEWORTHY: 

Vin Voyage: Josephine has a new Vin Voyage Club: two, four, or six bottles of varying sophistication, right at your door. Each month, you’ll take an educational journey through the landscape of France without ever leaving home. Join here. 

Wicked-Inspired: Just in time for the return of Wicked to sweep the nation, Thompson Restaurants is serving up two spellbinding, limited-time cocktails inspired by everyone’s favorite witches - one good, one wicked. From November 15 through November 30, guests can toast to friendship, rivalry, and everything in between with Glinda’s Toss Toss and Elphaba’s Elixir, each glittering with edible shimmer and served with a sugar-rimmed finish. The Glinda’s Toss Toss is made with Tito’s Vodka, lemonade, grenadine, and edible glitter, topped with a sugar rim that shines as bright as her crown.The Elphaba’s Elixir is made with Patrón Silver Tequila, blue curaçao, pineapple juice, and orange juice, with a swirl of edible glitter and a sugar rim worthy of the Emerald City. Thompsonrestaurants.com

Bird is the Word: Service Bar’s Bird Menu takes you on a global journey through imaginative cocktails inspired by avian species and the story of “SB,” a grounded bird in search of flight. Each cocktail was crafted by a member of the Service Bar team, who chose a bird as their muse to guide the drink’s flavor, origin, and narrative. From the Barn Owl’s midnight party to the Penguin’s rescue in an oil spill, the Satanic Nightjar’s survival amid destruction, and the Kiwi’s humble sacrifice, SB’s story is a whimsical migration celebrating curiosity and the bonds that make flight possible — in every sense. 926 U St NW; servicebardc.com

Stay Smooth: South Block is kicking off the holiday season with two brand-new, limited-time smoothies launching Dec. 2, both crafted with real ingredients and signature no-shortcut blends — no sorbet, no syrups, no ice. Try the S’more Gains Smoothie — A campfire classic, but make it protein-packed or the Mint Chip Smoothie — Your favorite winter mint meets better-for-you fuel. southblock.com

Martinis & Weenies: The Dabney Cellar’s new “Martinis & Weenies” special is here! Spring for a fun Martinis & Weenies combo with selections like the Gibson (neversink dry gin, mancino secco, onion) and the “Autumn Olive Boudin Blanc” (sweet potato brioche, yellow dijon, purple sauerkraut, relish, & onion). To keep the “weenie” theme going, guests can also opt for their “Pig in a Blanket” (morcilla, brandied apple, five spicejus). 1222 9th St NW; thedabneycellar.com

Let’s Snug:  The Snug with The Macallan at The Ritz-Carlton has recently opened. This intimate venue is D.C.'s newest must-visit luxury destination, built around a curated, bespoke experience. The space features one of the largest regional collections of The Macallan, including limited-edition expressions like Art is the Flower and TIME : SPACE Mastery. It also offers specialized small plates from Chef Enrique Limardo and upcoming premium Macallan tasting experiences. The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C. | 1150 22nd St NW Washington, DC 20037; sevenreasonsgroup.com

A New Liquid Time Capsule: District Still & Supply Co., the capital’s newest underground speakeasy, has opened. Inside, District Still & Supply’s “liquid time capsule” cocktail program resurrects pre-Prohibition classics and recasts them as journeys through time and taste, where the familiar meets the unexpected. 918 F Street NW; districtstillandsupply.com