Not Just Pumpkin Spice: TheList’s List of Good Sips

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? Keep the sunsets going on Patio Pleasure and Up On The Roof (here, and here).
Feeling flighty? Browse our Flights list, here.
Martini mood? Our Martini Guide is here.
Need something snug? Slip into our Underground Bars roundup, here.

Ill-affected by the shutdown? At least there's some fun specials to cheer you up, here.

Want this week's best food? Go here.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR 

Farewell Celebrations: After six unforgettable years of shaking, stirring, and celebrating the flavors of Latin America, Serenata will officially close its doors on Saturday, November 2, 2025. To mark the occasion, the bar will host a Goodbye Celebration Night at 6:00 PM featuring live DJ sets, guest bartenders, and one final toast with the community that has made Serenata a beloved gathering place. While Serenata’s story is coming to a close, the space will continue its tradition of creativity and hospitality. Beginning November 11, 2025, the venue will transform into a Holiday Coquito Bar, a festive Puerto Rican and Latin American–inspired pop-up featuring Coquitos and other seasonal drinks.  

DCCK Capital Food Fight: DC Central Kitchen's Capital Food Fight, presented by Tyson Foods, is set for Thursday, November 6th at The Anthem. The annual fundraiser for DC Central Kitchen includes a thrilling stage show featuring the rising stars of DC’s culinary scene, tastes from dozens of top restaurants from across the region, and appearances from some of the biggest names in food. More info here. 

Together We Dine: DMV, let’s get back to the table. Starting October 1, the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) launches Together We Dine, a month-long initiative to rediscover favorite spots, explore new ones, and rally around the restaurants that feed our communities. More info here. 

NEW & NOTEWORTHY: 

It’s All Golden: Afternoons become golden at Dupont Circle with Barbouzard’s newest happy hour. Sip and savor the very best of the Riviera with barside $10 speciality cocktails or $14 martinis paired with luxurious bites, including salted cod dip, lamb merguez, and a generous raw bar selection. 1700 K St. NW, Washington, DC; barbouzard.com

Hora Dorada: Eunoia’s barside Golden Hour brings the spirit of the Mediterranean and the flavors of the Yucatan to the heart of NoMa. Indulge in chef-driven small plates starting at $6: rice chicharron with avocado purée, flour gorditas with pork and tomatillo, and cheese boards adorned with seasonal fruits and housemade focaccia. Bites are paired with $9 wines, $6 beers, and $8 cocktails, including the bar’s signature white and red sangrias, house Old Fashioned, and Eunoia margarita.  320 Florida Ave. NE, Washington, DC; eunoiadc.com

Wine Club Alert: Northside Social Falls Church invites guests to join its Monthly Wine Club, designed for wine lovers to sip, savor, and explore. Members receive two curated bottles of wine each month, complete with seasonal themes and tasting notes, and are invited to a monthly pickup and tasting event. Additional perks include a Northside Social wine carrier bag, exclusive and early access to upcoming wine dinners and ticketed events, 5% off retail wine purchases, and extended happy hour privileges. Membership is $50 per month plus tax. northsidesocialva.com

(Real) Pumpkin Spice: Dolcezza's fall lineup features a pumpkin spice syrup made from 1,800 lbs of heirloom crookneck pumpkins grown at Beiler’s Heritage Acres Farm in Lancaster, PA. The pumpkins were oven-blistered in-house with dark brown sugar, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and clove to create the syrup featured in pumpkin spice chai, lattes and more. dolcezzagelato.com

A Smashing Happy Hour: Astro Beer Hall recently refreshed its menu with new signature smashburgers and value-driven happy hour specials. Happy hour is available Tuesdays through Fridays from 4-6 pm at the two-story beer hall alongside its full food and beverage menu. During happy hour, guests can enjoy $2 off all beers, including the locally brewed Haxan from Right Proper Brewing Company andDueling Grounds from DC Brau. Seasonal brews such as the Pumpkin Blend Cider from Downeast Cider House are available now through the end of the fall season. 1306 G St. NW, Washington, DC 20005; astrobeerhall.com

Why Should Candy Just Be for the Kids: Why should kids get all the treats on Halloween? Little Blackbird indulges adults with a collection of wine & candy pairings and cocktail & candy pairings.  Fourteen wine pairings are being added to the menu. They will be available through Saturday, November 2, 2024. Wine pairings are priced from $11 to $19 for a piece of candy and either a 3.5-ounce or six-ounce wine pour. The list of Halloween and Autumn-inspired pairings and tasting notes is below. 3309 Connecticut Avenue, NW; .littleblackbirddc.com

What is a Wonderwall, Anyway?: Press Club has unveiled the latest iteration of their popular “Playlist” tasting menu – a curated flight of cocktails and bar bites all inspired by an iconic album. This iteration honors Oasis’s landmark album, (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?, which just celebrated its 30th anniversary, and is timed to the wildly popular OASIS LIVE ‘25 reunion tour that goes through November. Try the drinks like Some Might Say (Jack Daniels, Apple Cordial, Amontillado, Sakura & Cremant): A reimagined whisky highball featuring an apple cordial made of apples from Blackrock Orchard and Jack Daniels, a nod to Liam Gallagher’s line, “you only drink Jack Daniels when you’re with us.” Wonderwall (Caravedo Pisco, Earl Grey, Moscatel, Orange & Lime): Inspired by the famous London cocktail, the Breakfast Martini, this rendition is infused with different expressions of citrus grown in various oasis-like climates for a sunny take. pressclubdc.com

Chef Uchi’s Specials: Bar Japonais has new fall-inspired drinks. Try the Chef Uchi’s special, Uchi-Sans Midnight Kōhī with Haakku Vodka, Café Shochu, Benedictine, Crème de Cacao and Espresso. New additions also include the Autumn Rouge, with Tokii Black, Nocino Walnut Liqueur, Kabosu, Cinnamon, Hibiscus and Egg White, the spiced Le Bad Bunny, with Bacardi, Yuzu, Kotta Pandann, Lime, Carrot and Ginger, and the Pomme Pomme with Apple-infused Haku Vodka, Calvados, St. Germain, Lemon, Butternut, Chamomile and Nutmeg. For non-alcoholic options, the housemade Cinnamon Hibiscus Soda and Butternut Chamomile Soda, are the perfect autumn-inspired drinks.1520 14th Street NW; barjaponaisdc.com

Fall Spirits: Bar Chinois has new fall drinks. Among the standout additions to the cocktail menu at both Bar Chinois locations is the Fall in Normandy, made with Claque-Pépin Calvados, Combier Banana, Amara di Angostura, Cinnamon and Lime – the ideal option for an autumn-spiced daiquiri to get into the fall spirit. Other new drinks include the perfectly-balanced Fumée Créole, with Mezcal Amarás Reposado, Poblano, Orgeat, Honey, Saline and Lime, the smooth Fashionably Late, with Wild Turkey 101 Rye, Red Berry Campari, Zirbenz Stone Pine and Cocchi Rosa, and the Bay of Biscay with Pineau des Charantes, Macallan 12, Italicus, Pineapple and Yuzu. 455 Eye Street; barchinoisdc.com

Feed Me, Seymour: Buffalo & Bergen is sharing a menu of cocktails inspired by The Little Shop of Horrors - available all month! Raise a glass to drinks like Suddenly Seymour with Gin Green Chartreuse, Basil, Gin, and Lime or the Wink Wilkerson’s Weird World with Dark Rum, Pomegranate, Cranberry Spiced Maple, and Lemon. buffalobergendc.com

Show Me Your Hand: Show of Hands is shaking up the season with a fresh cocktail menu that reinvents the classic highball. Dubbed “High Baller, Shot Caller,” the collection features effervescent, flavor-forward creations layered with housemade syrups, exotic tinctures, and playful finishes. Drinks include Melon Pop, a Japanese whiskey, plum sake, shiso melon syrup, vermouth, lemon hop bitters, yuzu, and soda water. Bright, citrusy, and subtly smoky, and more. 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue; theroostsedc.com

C’mon Get Happy (Happy Hour Alert): Acqua Bistecca, Washington D.C.’s new Italian-inspired steakhouse, invites you to unwind midweek with its signature Happy Hour. The drinks menu highlights house cocktails such as the Positano (mezcal, lime, raspberry-basil granita), the Atrani (tomato-washed gin, grapefruit, club soda), and the sparkling Amalfi (vodka, pear, lemon, prosecco), alongside $10 wines and $6 Peroni. 10 Ridge Square, CityRidge Development, Washington, D.C.; theminagroup.com

NOT NEW, BUT NOTEWORTHY: 

Wine Wednesdays: Josephine's is having a weekly midweek wine ritual: four rotating bottles at 50% off. The list changes every Wednesday to spotlight producers Josephine loves—think crisp whites, soulful reds, and a surprise gem or two—curated to pair perfectly with dinner or a laid-back catch-up at the bar. 109 South Saint Asaph St., Alexandria VA; josephineoldtown.com

Paging Danny Lee: Singing Tiger is open in Hotel Nell in Union Market, offering a late-night destination where inventive Asian-inspired cuisine, craft cocktails, and private karaoke rooms come together under one roof. The menu includes creative drinks with Asian-inspired flavors, like the Baritone Burn made with five-spice butter–washed Japanese whiskey and the Kimchi Killa martini. Zero-proof options such as Berry Basil Bliss offer the same thoughtful approach without alcohol. 411 New York Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002-7025; opentable.com

Wintoberfest: Fall is the wine world’s anxiously-awaited harvest season, and the start of Oktoberfest. So Lulu’s Winegarden, beer garden-style wine bar just off U Street, is bridging the two celebrations with “Winetoberfest” – an autumnal pop-up from September 24-November 9. You can enjoy harvest wines, apple cider margaritas, cowboy boots of Oktoberfest festbier, and new fall fare while surrounded by grape vines, gourds and amber-hued foliage. 1940 11th Street NW; .luluswinegarden.com

We Love When It’s Cheesy (Happy Hour Alert): Cheesetique just launched a new happy hour with $5 - $9 food and drink specials from 3 - 6 PM. $9 signature drinks, including the Apple Martini, Oink Fashioned, and Del Ray Buzz. 2411 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301; cheesetique.com 

New Coffee Line:  Yellow has collaborated with Lost Sock Roasters in Washington, D.C. to source, develop, and roast two blends that are unique and exclusive to YELLOW. Sungold is 70% washed Colombian + 30% washed Ethiopian blend with a sweet, approachable profile and tea-like structure. Poppy is a deeper 80% washed Brazilian + 20% natural sundried Ethiopian blend that’s chocolatey, nutty, and full-bodied with a touch of natural sweetness. Order here. 

Tuesdays Are for Wine, Too: Mallard launches Wine Tuesdays, featuring 50% off select bottles from our curated list. Perfect for pairing with dinner, catching up at the bar, or discovering a new favorite without the splurge. mallarddc.com