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2 Birds One Stone

Bars Where the Vibe Lives Up to the Drinks

These bars have a mood that is as important as the cocktails.

by Tim Ebner Oct 15, 2015, 12:00pm EDT

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2 Birds One Stone

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by Tim Ebner Oct 15, 2015, 12:00pm EDT

Sometimes drinking requires a good scene to accompany the drink. Around Washington, D.C. there are a variety of environments, some with views and others with style, that can set the mood for a cocktail or two. Here now is a round-up of some of the best bars where the mood matches the quality of the drinks.

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2 Birds 1 Stone

This is one of the better basement bars in D.C. Adam Bernbach and crew put a lot of effort into designing the menu each week (the menus themselves are playfully designed by Adam) and so are the drinks.

1800 14th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20009

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Also featured in:

Barrel

Head to the basement of Barrel. The Elixir Bar is a speakeasy without all the rules and reservations, and the drinks rotate week-to-week.

613 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington, D.C. 20003

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Beuchert's Saloon

Take a sip and stare into the eyes of Mike & Ike, two very large taxidermied Bison that are mounted to the back bar at Beuchert's. The bar is going for a 1920s era theme, and many of the cocktails, like the Bee’s Knee, harken back to the Prohibition-era.

623 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington, D.C. 20003

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Copycat Co.

Head up the stairs and grab a stool at Copycat Co. The bar’s cocktail menu changes weekly. It’s extensive but also approachable for first-timers.

1110 H St NE, Washington, D.C. 20002

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Also featured in:

Daikaya

Clearly, attention to detail was a priority when crafting this Japanese-style izakaya. The moody bar features sketches of Japanese food comic Oishinbo, one of many little touches that help create Daikaya's vibe.

705 6th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20001

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Dram and Grain

It may take some patience, but Dram & Grain, the reservation-only, basement bar beneath Jack Rose is worth the wait. Ask the hostess to add you to the list, and head there on a Tuesday night when Lukas Smith tends bar. He serves a menu of creative cocktails that changes each week.

2007 18th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20009

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Also featured in:

Maketto

At night, the first floor bar area of Maketto turns into a see-and-be-seen hotspot. It’s the perfect perch to sip on a cocktail, before or after dinner.

1351 H St NE, Washington, D.C. 20002

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Also featured in:

Masseria

The outdoor lounge and bar area of Masseria has a West Coast coolness factor. The restaurant serves up small bar bites and has an extensive cocktail menu that doesn’t require a trip around the tasting menu.

1340 4th St NE, Washington, D.C. 20002

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Also featured in:

Off the Record

The cocktail menu leans old-time, classic at Off The Record. This is the basement bar beneath the Hay-Adams Hotel. Expect impeccable service, well-made drinks and a lounge setting with a political insider or two.

800 16th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20006

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Also featured in:

Pearl Dive Oyster Palace

The indoor/outdoor bar at Pearl Dive is probably the best perch to people-watch on 14th Street. Order up the Pearl Cup, a playful take on a Pimm’s Cup.

1612 14th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20009-4307

Also featured in:

PX

Todd Thrasher knows a thing or two about a good, boozy drink. Before going, grab a reservation online. After all, this is a limited seating, speakeasy-style bar.

Open in Google Maps

728 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314

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Quill

Quill is tucked into the Jefferson Hotel and one of the ultimate cocktail getaways. The drinks that bartender, Rachel Kling, serves up are some of the best in the city, and the saloon style setting is accompanied by live piano.

1200 16th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20036

Visit Website

Also featured in:

The Red Hen

Pasta may be the main draw here, but take a seat at the cool, centrally-located bar and order a cocktail before dinner. The menu is priced at $10 a drink, and the wood-burning grill, which is nearby, will keep you toasty as the temperature dips.

1822 1st St NW, Washington, D.C. 20001

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Also featured in:

The Round Robin Bar

The Round Robin Bar at the Willard Hotel has a special place in D.C. history. This is the bar where Senator Henry Clay ordered up the first mint julep in D.C. The bar still makes this classic cocktail on request, and has a real D.C. feel to it.

1401 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20004

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Also featured in:

Wicked Bloom Social Club

Wicked Bloom seems like a secret that only the neighborhood knows about. The bar only recently opened and serves cocktails with names like the, Teach Me How to Dougie — a mix of rye, housemade vermouth, and bitters. The feel is sort of a library/lounge vibe.

Open in Google Maps

1540 North Capitol St NW, Washington, DC 20002

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2 Birds 1 Stone

1800 14th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20009

This is one of the better basement bars in D.C. Adam Bernbach and crew put a lot of effort into designing the menu each week (the menus themselves are playfully designed by Adam) and so are the drinks.

1800 14th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20009

Visit Website

Barrel

613 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington, D.C. 20003

Head to the basement of Barrel. The Elixir Bar is a speakeasy without all the rules and reservations, and the drinks rotate week-to-week.

613 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington, D.C. 20003

Visit Website

Beuchert's Saloon

623 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington, D.C. 20003

Take a sip and stare into the eyes of Mike & Ike, two very large taxidermied Bison that are mounted to the back bar at Beuchert's. The bar is going for a 1920s era theme, and many of the cocktails, like the Bee’s Knee, harken back to the Prohibition-era.

623 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington, D.C. 20003

Visit Website

Copycat Co.

1110 H St NE, Washington, D.C. 20002

Head up the stairs and grab a stool at Copycat Co. The bar’s cocktail menu changes weekly. It’s extensive but also approachable for first-timers.

1110 H St NE, Washington, D.C. 20002

Visit Website

Daikaya

705 6th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20001

Clearly, attention to detail was a priority when crafting this Japanese-style izakaya. The moody bar features sketches of Japanese food comic Oishinbo, one of many little touches that help create Daikaya's vibe.

705 6th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20001

Visit Website

Dram and Grain

2007 18th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20009

It may take some patience, but Dram & Grain, the reservation-only, basement bar beneath Jack Rose is worth the wait. Ask the hostess to add you to the list, and head there on a Tuesday night when Lukas Smith tends bar. He serves a menu of creative cocktails that changes each week.

2007 18th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20009

Visit Website

Maketto

1351 H St NE, Washington, D.C. 20002

At night, the first floor bar area of Maketto turns into a see-and-be-seen hotspot. It’s the perfect perch to sip on a cocktail, before or after dinner.

1351 H St NE, Washington, D.C. 20002

Visit Website

Masseria

1340 4th St NE, Washington, D.C. 20002

The outdoor lounge and bar area of Masseria has a West Coast coolness factor. The restaurant serves up small bar bites and has an extensive cocktail menu that doesn’t require a trip around the tasting menu.

1340 4th St NE, Washington, D.C. 20002

Visit Website

Off the Record

800 16th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20006

The cocktail menu leans old-time, classic at Off The Record. This is the basement bar beneath the Hay-Adams Hotel. Expect impeccable service, well-made drinks and a lounge setting with a political insider or two.

800 16th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20006

Visit Website

Pearl Dive Oyster Palace

1612 14th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20009-4307

The indoor/outdoor bar at Pearl Dive is probably the best perch to people-watch on 14th Street. Order up the Pearl Cup, a playful take on a Pimm’s Cup.

1612 14th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20009-4307

PX

728 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314

Todd Thrasher knows a thing or two about a good, boozy drink. Before going, grab a reservation online. After all, this is a limited seating, speakeasy-style bar.

Open in Google Maps

728 King St, Alexandria, VA 22314

Visit Website

Quill

1200 16th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20036

Quill is tucked into the Jefferson Hotel and one of the ultimate cocktail getaways. The drinks that bartender, Rachel Kling, serves up are some of the best in the city, and the saloon style setting is accompanied by live piano.

1200 16th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20036

Visit Website

The Red Hen

1822 1st St NW, Washington, D.C. 20001

Pasta may be the main draw here, but take a seat at the cool, centrally-located bar and order a cocktail before dinner. The menu is priced at $10 a drink, and the wood-burning grill, which is nearby, will keep you toasty as the temperature dips.

1822 1st St NW, Washington, D.C. 20001

Visit Website

The Round Robin Bar

1401 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20004

The Round Robin Bar at the Willard Hotel has a special place in D.C. history. This is the bar where Senator Henry Clay ordered up the first mint julep in D.C. The bar still makes this classic cocktail on request, and has a real D.C. feel to it.

1401 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20004

Visit Website

Wicked Bloom Social Club

1540 North Capitol St NW, Washington, DC 20002

Wicked Bloom seems like a secret that only the neighborhood knows about. The bar only recently opened and serves cocktails with names like the, Teach Me How to Dougie — a mix of rye, housemade vermouth, and bitters. The feel is sort of a library/lounge vibe.

Open in Google Maps

1540 North Capitol St NW, Washington, DC 20002

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