Glover Park is home to this chill basement hangout filled with pool tables, shuffle board, darts, good beer and a menu anchored by solid deli sandwiches and bar snacks. Happy hour drinks are $5 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily, and its patio tables are prime real estate for neighborhood people watching (maybe with a frozen cocktail) when the weather’s nice.

Middle Eastern ingredients go into the cocktails at this Adams Morgan bar born out of a long-running pop-up. The frozen lemonade brimming with fresh mint and vodka (or gin) is a can’t-miss. A menu of snacks like Syrian muhamarra or Lebanese falafel go well with any beverage. Lots of reggae helps foster a fun, loose atmosphere.

This multi-faceted Adams Morgan bar and restaurant boasts a whiskey list with literally thousands of options. An open-air roof deck sprawls across the third floor, which serves draft beer and allows for good views of bustling 18th Street NW below. The food menu features Southern comfort fare such as deviled eggs and crispy chicken skins. Jack Rose’s beloved basement bar Dram & Grain recently resurfaced under next-door sibling spot Imperial.

Named after a gentle Civil War general, this dim, date night staple in Dupont Circle has amassed a loyal following for barrel-aged cocktails and an eponymous Manhattan. Bar manager Brian Nixon’s seasonal menus, also spotted at Bloomingdale sister bar Truxton Inn, include tropical tipples and D.C.’s classic Rickey.

The Passenger is the move for a straightforward (and damn good cocktail) without the over-the-top gimmicks and tricks. Drink specials are scribbled on a chalkboard menu and the bartenders are happy to mix up just about anything from the impressive bottle selection. There’s a beer list with a handful of local picks, and Puerto Rican is available from Qui Qui upstairs.

Housed inside a graffiti-tagged brick building, Last Call is cocktail ace Gina Chersevani’s dream dive bar, complete with affordable drinks and a no judgement vibe. Drinks include party starters like $3 Jell-O shots along with an $8 draft old fashioned and fun combos like the $10 hard seltzer and Fireball pairing.

Beverage director Andra “AJ” Johnson is the managing partner at this pan-Latin cocktail bar at the center of La Cosecha market. The varied drink menu has a particular focus on tequila, mezcal, rum and other ingredients from around South and Central America.

After an extended pandemic closure, the more than 50 draft lines at Chuchkey are flowing again, much to the delight of beer fans across the city. The brews, which touch on all styles and regions, are curated by beer director Greg Engert, who shapes the suds menus across Neighborhood Restaurant Group projects, including Bluejacket, Shelter at the Roost, and the annual Snallygaster festival. Snacks, sandwiches and tavern-style pizzas make it easy to build a meal while sipping.

Copycat Co. founder Devin Gong does more than design drinks at his busy H Street cocktail bar. Gong’s bar menu schools customers in the history behind classic cocktails such as Manhattans, martinis, smashes, and mules. Chinese dumplings and grilled meat skewers are also available alongside textbook dry martinis. Astoria, Gong’s newer bar in Dupont, mimics Copycat’s drink list but serves a food menu full of Sichuan dishes.

Acclaimed mixologist Ryan Chetiyawardana, known as Mr. Lyan, chose Washington and the posh Riggs Hotel as the location for his first U.S. bar. The red plush underground lounge is fit for a luxe night out. And many of the drinks, like the fennel seed gin-infused Half-Smoke Rickey, have a local inspiration.

This family-run Irish pub near Union Station has been in business since 1974 and still serves perfect pours of Guinness. The iconic bar also boasts a proprietary Irish whiskey that goes down smooth, along with about 100 other Irish whiskeys to sample. Nightly live Irish music is back on the schedule, and traditional dishes like corned beef and cabbage, fish and chips, and shepherd’s pie fill out the menu.

The team behindBarrel(itself worth a visit for all things bourbon and whiskey) expandedin Capitol Hill in 2019with the debut ofa mid-century style wine barshowcasing a strong cross-section of European labels picked by general manager and sommelier Robert Morin. Cocktails make an appearance, too, including classics like the Sazerac and New York sour. Barrel chef Walfer Hernandez is also manning the menu at the Eastern, pairing drinks with an assortment of charcuterie, cheese, dips, salads, seafood, and sandwiches.

Nationally recognized mixologist Todd Thrasher’s massive endeavor on the Southwest Waterfront attracts tourists, locals, and service industry types alike. The multi-level tiki bar and happy hour spot offers cheeky, frozen rum and Coke in a can, classics like a Zombie or Mai Tai, and an extremely potent T.N.T. Problem Forgetter (bourbon and Thrasher’s spiced and overproof rum, apricot liqueur, coconut cream rum, honey, and lime).