Curious Cocktails: TheList’s List of Bountiful Bevvies
Fall drinking season in the DMV has begun and no matter what the calendar says, we're all in (well. some of us, comeback summer!). Wine lists swing toward reds and bigger, bolder whites, spiced and barrel-aged cocktails start showing up on every menu in town, hot toddies and warm ciders make their comeback, and bartenders start leaning into fall ingredients like apple, pear, cinnamon and squash from local farms. Even beer gardens and breweries shift into cool-weather mode with Oktoberfest pours and fire-pit on the patios.
Here at TheListAreYouOnIt.com, we've rounded up all the can't-miss fall sipping finds and happenings around the DMV right now.
Make a night of it with a show + a great pre or post-theatre cocktail or dinner with our theatre + dining guide (here)
This week's list of The List's favorite food finds is right here
From cocktail pop-ups and wine tastings to brewery events + fall beverage happenings around the region, we've got those covered here
Looking for cozy sipping season? Check out our Patio Pleasures + Up On The Roof roundups featuring patios, rooftops, courtyards & outdoor cocktail spots all across the DMV — now with fire pits and blankets.
So much more glass-raising goodness below:
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Glass in Session: BoozeBruvas is bringing back Glass in Session, a series of hands-on cocktail classes featuring seasonal drinks, special guests, creative activities, and bites. Upcoming classes include Punkin! (October 18), Conjuring Spirits (October 29), Autumn Spice featuring Brotha Whiskey (November 8), and Friendssipping (November 19); eatonworkshop.com
Calm for a Cure: Even Keel Spa will host its 5th annual Calm for a Cure Free Day of Care on Sunday, October 18, offering complimentary massages, facials, and other treatments to individuals living with cancer. This year, the event expands to 4 locations, including Crofton and Columbia. Through the Harmony Foundation, the initiative now provides free treatments year-round to cancer patients and their caregivers. Local restaurants Preserve in Annapolis and Garten in Severna Park are also supporting the cause with special pink drink offerings; evenkeelspa.com/calm-for-a-cure
Chefs for Equality: One of DC's premier culinary fundraisers returns October 19 with this year's "United Plates of America" theme, bringing together top local chefs, mixologists, and restaurateurs for collaborative dinners benefiting the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. Hosted across six venues, the event features chef-driven dinners, cocktail pairings, and a new dedicated cocktail experience at Silver Lyan. Tickets are on sale now; chefsforequality.org
Rustico 20th Anniversary: Rustico and Buzz are celebrating 20 years on Slaters Lane in Alexandria with a family-friendly fall festival on Saturday, October 24, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Festivities include a patio cookout with hot dogs, brats, and giant pretzels, live music, craft beers, wine, cocktails, kids’ activities, and complimentary popcorn and spiced apple cider. Guests can also enjoy a dog adoption event with the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, Halloween treats for costumed kids and dogs, and a costume donation drive benefiting Carpenter’s Shelter; rusticorestaurant.com
Start Your Engines, DMV! Grand Prix Race Day Takes Over City Ridge: DC Motorsport Community is bringing race-day excitement to City Ridge on Sunday, October 25, with closed-street car and motorcycle displays, free outdoor viewing of the United States Grand Prix from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., and a sunset DJ after-party. Guests can upgrade to a $160.00 rooftop VIP experience featuring pool access, complimentary Tito’s cocktails, premium bites including oysters, caviar, and Wagyu, and exclusive race viewing. The event also features specialty cocktails and tastings, with 10% of VIP ticket proceeds benefiting Becky’s Fund; dcmotorsportcommunity.com
20 Years of Central Michel Richard: Central is celebrating its 20th anniversary on Saturday, November 7, at 7 p.m. with a special evening honoring the legacy of Chef Michel Richard. Chefs David Deshaies and Cedric Maupillier will reimagine Richard’s signature dishes as passed bites, alongside an open bar and silent auction. Tickets are $150.00 per person, with proceeds benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; opentable.com
NEW & NOTEWORTHY:
New in the Navy Yard Neighborhood: Restaurateur Daniella Senior’s 5C Hospitality, the team behind Colada Shop and Elegancia, is opening Bar Nuestro on October 28 at Urby in Navy Yard. The Latin-rooted, European-inspired bistrot features a menu from Culinary Director Claudio Foschi and Executive Chef Harper McClure, with creative cocktails like the Fluffy Mango Margarita and brown-butter Negroni. The menu is entirely peanut- and tree nut-free and prepared without seed oils; barnuestro.com
Boo Alert…Bewitching Cocktails: NoMa’s Mediterranean restaurant Eunoia is celebrating Halloween with 2 limited-time cocktails inspired by the staff’s favorite spooky movies and traditions. The Bewitched combines vodka, lime, pineapple, charcoal, and pomegranate, while the I.C.U. features whiskey, black cherry, ginger liqueur, jalapeño, bitters, and an edible eyeball. Both are available through October 31; eunoiadc.com
Bourbon x Bone Marrow = Delicious: Blue Duck Tavern Lounge is introducing a new bourbon and bone marrow pairing, available nightly through December 31. Guests can enjoy Chef Andrew Cleverdon’s Wood Oven-Roasted Bone Marrow with onion bordelaise, pink peppercorn, and rye crumble, alongside their choice of Four Roses Single Barrel, Woodford Reserve, or Angel’s Envy bourbon.; blueducktavern.com
A Bit o’ Movies: The Bit is hosting weekly Saturday Movie Nights, screening a different film on repeat beginning at 4:00 p.m. Guests can enjoy popcorn, rotating drink specials, and the bar’s full food and cocktail menus. The series kicks off with Beetlejuice, followed by more Halloween favorites throughout October and holiday films in December. Select screenings will be chosen by guest vote, with upcoming titles announced on Instagram. Reservations are available on Resy, with walk-ins welcome; bitdc.com
Is Chardonnay and Candy Corn a Good Pairing?: Little Blackbird is getting into the Halloween spirit with 5 candy and wine pairings available October 15th through 31st. Guests can enjoy combinations like Chardonnay & Candy Corn, Lambrusco & Peanut Butter Cups, Snickers & 10-Year Tawny Port, Skittles & Dry Rosé, and Sweet Tarts & Blanc de Blanc; littleblackbirddc.com
Spice is Nice: The Fountain Inn is embracing the season with a fall cocktail menu inspired by classic recipes and D.C. history. Highlights include the Rebellious Old Fashioned with baking spices and a choice of whiskey, the Vanilla Beane Highball with vodka cream soda and strawberry coconut foam, and the Sam “The Man” Burns Grasshopper Ramos with crème de cacao, crème de menthe, cream, and egg white; fountaininndc.com
Autumn-Inspired Cocktails at Nue: NUE is welcoming fall with 4 new cocktails blending seasonal ingredients and Southeast Asian-inspired flavors. Highlights include Verdant Lake with jasmine, bergamot, rum, soursop, and pandan foam; Luck of Autumn with rum, persimmon, and warm spices; Bitter Purity with plum, gin, and tea; and The Forbidden Fruit with apple, Japanese whisky, yuzu, and pine honey. Guests can pair their drinks with comforting dishes like Bò Kho Pappardelle, Chili Oil Wontons, and Coconut Curry Risotto, also available on NUE’s new Unlimited menu; nuevietnamese.com
Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Pink-rita?: Throughout October, Inca Social is serving pink margaritas in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Proceeds from each margarita sold will benefit The IIIB’s Foundation, which provides Bosom Buddy Baskets filled with resources and recovery items to women recovering from breast cancer mastectomy surgery; incasocial.com
$6 Craft Pours: After more than 15 years in Logan Circle, ChurchKey is launching a new weekday happy hour, Monday through Friday from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Specials include craft beer pours, martinis, Old Fashioneds and daiquiris, and beer flights, plus a burger and fries combo from Chef Hamilton and a mix-and-match deal featuring 3 snacks; churchkeydc.com
Slater Run Wines Win: Upperville’s Slater Run Vineyards is celebrating Virginia Wine Month following a string of recent accolades, including being named a finalist for VinePair’s Next Wave Winery of the Year. The vineyard recently completed a 4-array solar system that powers its winery, tasting room, and barns at 100% net zero impact. October events include Early Mountain’s Virginia Wine Month celebration on October 4 and a locally sourced 3-course wine dinner with Provender Kitchen later in the month. Slater Run’s wines have also recently earned honors across several competitions, including a Diamond and Best of Class for its Pétillant Naturel Sparkling Rosé; slaterrun.com
Teas’n You: Vietnamese café Teas’n You has opened its 2nd location and first in Maryland in Rockville, serving creative coffee and tea alongside Vietnamese-inspired café fare. The extensive drink menu features Vietnamese-sourced oolong matcha, Vietnamese Egg Coffee, Ube Cream Cold Brew, Strawberry Matcha Dalgona, and seasonal sips like Pumpkin Chai Milk Tea. Food offerings include Basil Popcorn Chicken, a Taiwanese Chicken Sandwich, and house-baked pastries, with an emphasis on options for a range of dietary needs; teasnyou.com
Winetoberfest: Lulu’s Winegarden is welcoming fall with the return of Winetoberfest from September 18 through November 8, transforming its indoor and outdoor spaces with grape vines, gourds, harvest baskets, and amber-hued foliage. The seasonal pop-up pairs the décor with German, Austrian, and Alsatian wines, cowboy boots filled with Festbier, and fall cocktails like pumpkin pie Negronis, apple cider margaritas, and Concord grape spritzes. The festivities also include a CRUSH walkaround tasting on September 20, featuring unlimited tastes of 25+ fall wines, all-you-can-eat breakfast tacos, and discounted take-home bottles for $55.00 per person, with sessions at 12:00 and 2:00 p.m.; luluswinegarden.com
NOT NEW, BUT NOTEWORTHY:
Drinks with Umami: The Naisho Room at Watermark Hotel is shaking things up with 3 new cocktails. Kira Kira combines Japanese whisky, ginger beer, and citrus for a refreshing sip, while Pearl of the Orient features Roku Gin, Nigori sake, lychee, and a delicate foam. For something more tropical, Placebo blends white rum, amaretto, pineapple, coconut, and honey; thenaishoroom.com
Make It Spicy: Cordelia Fishbar is welcoming fall with a new lineup of seasonal cocktails, including the Spiced Apple Sangria, featuring bourbon, Cabernet Sauvignon, apple cider, orange, cinnamon, and clove, and the Persimmon Sour, made with Barr Hill Gin, spiced persimmon, and lemon; cordeliadc.com
Watermark Shakes Up the Season: Watermark Hotel has debuted its fall cocktail menu, featuring the Hibiki No Takara Old Fashioned with bonito fish scale bitters, the pineapple-forward Kurosuri, Earl Grey Fizz, and the award-winning Silent Garden; thewatermarkhotel.com
Teas’n You: Vietnamese café Teas’n You has opened its 2nd location and first in Maryland in Rockville, serving creative coffee and tea alongside Vietnamese-inspired café fare. The extensive drink menu features Vietnamese-sourced oolong matcha, Vietnamese Egg Coffee, Ube Cream Cold Brew, Strawberry Matcha Dalgona, and seasonal sips like Pumpkin Chai Milk Tea. Food offerings include Basil Popcorn Chicken, a Taiwanese Chicken Sandwich, and house-baked pastries, with an emphasis on options for a range of dietary needs; teasnyou.com
Yes, We Like Coladas: Fall Edition: Colada Shop is welcoming fall with a limited-time menu blending Cuban flavors with seasonal favorites. New sips include the Plantain Spiced Latte, Churro Café con Leche, Banana Espresso Martini, and playful Cuban Sandwich Martini, while the food lineup features Mushroom Croquetas, Plantain Soup, Pastelón “Cuban Lasagna,” Calabaza Muffin, and Flan de Coco. The fall menu is available now at all Colada Shop locations while supplies last; coladashop.com
Penn State Class on Wine: Penn State Extension is offering “Winemaking Basics: The Art and Science Behind Quality Production,” a new self-paced online course for beginning winemakers, grape growers, and winery staff. The approximately 8-hour course covers fermentation, wine chemistry, red and white wine processing, filtration, sanitation, bottling, sensory evaluation, and preventing common wine faults, with a certificate available upon successful completion. Registration is $314.25, with a 25% discount for those who register before January 2027, and the course can also count toward Penn State’s Food Science Certificate Program; extension.psu.edu
2026 Is Going To Be An Exceptional Year for Champagne: Following the earliest harvest ever recorded in Champagne, the Comité Champagne is reporting an encouraging outlook for the 2026 vintage. Despite historic spring frosts, drought, and 5 summer heatwaves, grapes arrived healthy, ripe, and well-balanced, with notable freshness, concentration, fruit intensity, and finesse. While it is still too early to assess the finished wines, the organization says the harvest has the potential to produce great, and potentially very great, Champagnes, with the raw material’s balance recalling historic vintages including 1921, 1947, and 1959; champagne.fr
Barrel of Fun: Capitol Hill’s longtime whiskey bar has refreshed its cocktail and food menus, putting a new spin on classics while staying rooted in its whiskey and bourbon expertise. New drinks include the Brown Butter Old Fashioned, Black Manhattan, Freezer Martini, and tiki-inspired Port Light, alongside updated food offerings like Biscuits and Charcuterie, a Fried Cod Sandwich, and new bar snacks. Happy hour runs Monday through Thursday from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. and Friday beginning at 2:00 p.m., with discounted Old Fashioneds, Manhattans, whiskey, beer, wine, and bites. The weeknight lineup also brings $10.00 Mystery Happy Meals every Monday, featuring a surprise beer, shot, and toy, plus rotating cocktail specials throughout the week; barreldc.com
