Bar manager Israel Mendez makes all the sweet, spicy, and sour syrups that go into cocktail glasses rimmed with chile de arbol-laced tajin spice or worm salt. This bar, just north of Columbia Heights, is part of the Taqueria Habanero group, which means chef Dio Montero came up with the food menu of regional Mexican entrees like braised pork ribs in black mole sauce. Pickup, delivery, and on-site dining are all available.

Adams Morgan got a year-round slice of paradise in summer 2019 with a second-story beach bar above the Game Sports Pub. The tropical perch pairs a Polynesian-meets-Filipino menu with rum-heavy tiki drinks served in funky glassware. Order takeout or claim a seat on its wooden deck out front.

Located in the historic Manhattan Laundry Building, this cavernous American beer hall from design and management group Tin Shop (Tall Boy, Church Hall) draws regulars for 24 drafts, liter-sized pours, and flatbreads and jumbo soft pretzels to soak it all up. Reserve a seat inside or outside Thursdays to Sundays or order takeout.

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 people watching along 18th street below. The food menu features comfort fare such as buttermilk biscuits with ham and pimento cheese. The Dram & Grain speakeasy in the basement has moved to the bottom floor of the Imperial, a massive sibling spot a few blocks south.

Service Bar draws a consistent crowd of regulars, visitors, and bar industry friends to U Street with inventive cocktails and friendly bartenders. During the pandemic the tiny bar took the party outside with seatings across a built-out patio. The drink menu is arranged by spirits and makes use of seasonal ingredients wherever possible. Fried chicken remains a fan favorite, and a recent update to the menu includes heartier entrees like steak frites and eggplant Parm. Order takeout here. The partners are opening an anticipated Peruvian restaurant, Chelita, coming to Blagden Alley this year.

The go-to cocktail den from Jackie Greenbaum (Little Coco’s, soon-to-reopen Quarry House) unveiled a flower-filled back patio lined with umbrellas and string lights during the pandemic. The 70-seat, al fresco expansion hosts weekend brunch and dinner nightly, serving core classics like a wagyu beef burger and steak frites alongside a long list of cocktails and tiki drinks. Reserve a seat or order takeout.

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. Order takeout or reserve a seat online.

Beer lovers seek out this Shaw spot for its festive atmosphere and glass boots full of German beer. The taps are most loyal to Weihenstephaner, but there are also pours from locally owned Right Proper Brewing Company and DC Brau Brewing Company next to imports from Leffe and Warsteiner. Group chef Jerome Grant has begun remaking the dinner menu, adding short rib melts and crabby poutine alongside pretzels and doner kebabs. Pickup and delivery are also available. A sibling location in Navy Yard has an outdoor beer garden with an Airstream trailer selling all cans.

The bar at this rum distillery near Union Market is a popular gathering place for cocktails from well-established D.C. bar manager Lukas B. Smith. That includes a classic daiquiri and the Redbeard, made with with Cotton & Reed white rum, lime, Campari and ginger beer. The lime green Cocomotion, a frothy, fermented take on the piña colada, remains a top seller. Don’t be shy about ordering dry-spiced rum neat or on the rocks, either. Its tasting room and patio are open daily, and takeout is available here.

The popular gay bar in Logan Circle offers a “XL” happy hour daily until 8 p.m. with $5 beers and wines and $15 bottles and pitches. Walk up for to-go service or hang out on its lengthy back patio. Head upstairs to (unaffiliated) brick-lined Black Whiskey for a wide selection of the brown spirit.

Beverage director Andra “AJ” Johnson is the managing partner at this pan-Latin cocktail bar at the center of La Cosecha market. Happy hour around the bar (and at outdoor tables) includes $6 daiquiris from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Margaritas and a “Hotel Nacional” (aged rum, pineapple, apricot, lime) come in single serving or “flasks” for three with bites like empanadas and elote Caesar salads. Order online for takeout and delivery via third-party apps.

Houston-area native Chris Svetlik has been building a community of Tex-Pats since he co-founded the Republic Kolache pop-up. His Truxton Circle cantina segues from coffee and some of the city’s best breakfast tacos by day into margaritas (agave or spicy) and “pico back” shots (pico de gallo juice and tequila) that accompany a dinner menu full of nachos, enchiladas, and fajitas. “Outlaw hour” (4 to 6 p.m.) brings $4 Modelo and $7 margs. Patio seating is available Wednesday to Saturday, or order takeout daily.

This showy, award-winning cocktail bar from Drink Company co-founder Derek Brown in Blagden Alley seats drinkers across its airy punch garden Wednesday though Saturdays. Customers can pair mezcal Old Fashioneds and bottled cocktails with stellar sandwiches from bar manager Paul Taylor’s pop-up, Your Only Friend, with takeout and delivery available, too. Its plush spirits library and mosaic-backed tasting room remain closed for now.

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 remains on pause during the pandemic, but diners can still get their fill on traditional dishes like corned beef and cabbage, fish and chips, and shepherd’s pie.

There’s something dreamlike about the setting at José Andrés’s Barmini, which is outfitted in striking white with wild accents like a cactus couch. The cocktail lab, where reservations are recommended, has a lengthy menu featuring more than 100 classic and experimental cocktails. Part of the fun is watching bartenders use cutting-edge technology and general wizardry to craft drinks right in front of patrons. Some change color, others arrive still smoking, and cotton candy may very well be an ingredient. Small snacks that appeal to gourmands are also available. Reserve a seat here.

The team behind Barrel expanded in Capitol Hill in 2019 with the debut of a mid-century style wine bar showcasing a strong cross-section of European labels picked by general manager and sommelier Robert Morin. Along with expected throwbacks (a Sazerac and Old Fashioned), the cocktail list includes lesser-known classics like a Kalimotxo, a mixture of red wine and Coca-Cola popular in the Basque region of Spain. 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. Reserve a seat for indoor/outdoor dining.