Alexandria Restaurant Unveils New Embedded Whiskey Bar

Thirty-year-old neighborhood restaurant Union Street Public House recently transformed an interior bar into a drinking den dubbed 1986.

The 1,200-square-foot space is named after the year the surrounding watering hole cropped up in historic Alexandria, Virginia. Management estimates that the updated area can accommodate around three dozen drinkers; it plans to operate the parlor from 5 p.m. till closing Wednesday through Saturday.

Although it’s billed as a whiskey bar — management says to expect “100 expressions of whiskey from around the globe” — other spirits are also in play; expect to find rum and tequila mixed in with the assembled bourbon, rye, and Scotch. The bar is also keen on whiskey cocktails: featured selections include vanilla-spiked Jameson and cold brewed chamomile tea (Irish Brigade), a tequila-rye concoction bolstered by Ancho Reyes chile liqueur (Border War), and a bourbon- and Campari-fueled Boulevardier.

Bar snacks include popcorn flavored with everything from cheddar cheese to country ham, Buffalo-style chicken wings, relish-topped hot dogs, brisket sandwiches, and fried oyster rolls.

Status: Certified open. 121 S. Union Street, Alexandria, Va.; website.