Upper Northwest got a very blue sports bar last month that slings beer-and-shot combos, margaritas, and a meaty menu from Guatemalan chef Omar Marroquin (a “Triple-Double Overtime” cheeseburger is not for the faint of heart). Latin restaurateur and fellow Columbia Heights native Aldo Cruz also runs nearby pool hall Toro Bar. The Bull’s bar, stocked with tequila, mezcal, and whiskey from small-batch distillers, serves classics and one-off cocktail creations from its staff any night of the week.

A longtime player in the D.C. nightlife scene planted a multi-level Southern lounge with bottle service at the same Adams Morgan address where club Chloe enjoyed a wild run back in the day. Owner Henock Andargie, who managed the Avenue in Mt. Vernon Triangle when it was an electronic music hotspot in the mid-2000s, draws a scene-y clientele to weekly events like Sunday brunch that extends into a late-night R&B party.

Eastern European skater vibes spill into Spacycloud’s new downstairs bar, which throws frequent fundraisers to help Ukraine. Bartender Luis Aliaga’s cocktail list highlights Eastern European spirits from Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Lithuania, and Ukraine (Russian brands were pulled from the shelves to stand in solidarity with the war-torn country). A strudel-inspired cocktail mixes potato vodka with apple brandy, apple sous, honey syrup, lemon, rosewater, and egg white powder before the glass gets a coating of sugar and cinnamon around the rim. Colorful accents and Eastern European art make for an immersive background next to the live music from Eastern European musicians humming within the space. Reservations and more info here.

Classic cocktails and edgy art pieces anchor a new European coffee house-style bar that brings new light to the LGBTQ+ scene. The lively, but unfussy, new spot comes from Spencer Hurd, who spent several years in Germany working for the U.S. government and fulfilled his dream to do a cocktail bar modeled after his favorite gay café in Mannheim, Germany. Tucked in a mere 600-square-foot space, Licht offers a menu of popular cocktails, several bottled beers, and a trio of wines. A handful of savory snacks stand by to accompany the drinks.

Adams Morgan’s sleek new cultural hub comprised of a bright barber shop, retail store, and cafe also houses a surprise speakeasy past an unmarked, white tiled door. Once upstairs, members and guests meet a matte black cocktail bar and lounge called Out of Office. Drinks that rotate quarterly celebrate its team’s favorite “OOO” travel destinations. Options include “First Time in Milan” — a tart take on the Italian negroni with gin, Cynar, and Montenegro liqueur, and a rum “Montego Bay” offers a Jamaican twist on a Mexican Paloma ($18 each). A reservation link to secure entrance into the 30-seat hideaway is intentionally hidden on its site (but to save time, here it is).

Bloomingdale’s Pub & the People just unveiled a ‘70s-chic basement bar that welcomes just 25 customers at a time to chill out with barrel-aged cocktails and a massive vinyl soundtrack. The retro party pad is filled with darts, a real pay phone, vinyl bar stools, wood paneled walls, and throwback cocktail names like a “Trapper Keeper.” To start, Side Door is open on Friday and Saturday nights, from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m., with food from upstairs served until 10 p.m.

Songbyrd’s new digs in the former Coconut Club space in D.C.’s Union Market neighborhood combine a live music venue with a restaurant and bar serving beer, wine, and cocktails in a vibrant spot with 17-foot ceilings, large roll-up doors, and a swath of outdoor space. Plus, there’s a jukebox and events like live DJ nights, album release parties, and trivia nights.

Logan Circle’s flashy Mexican newcomer from Oaxaca-born, Mexico City-based chef Alam Méndez Florián added a sultry, subterranean bar simply named Mezcal Room. A dimly-lit drinking den dotted with flickering candles and leather stools stars 16 agave cocktails ($15), each pictured on a bingo card with descriptions on the back. Options swing from an approachable mezcal negroni to experimental “El Alacrán” with Mexican sotol liquor, tomatillo, and chile. Mezcal fans can also saddle up to the bar to sip its rare inventory, including Maiz 64’s own mezcal, presented in clay cups on a slate board. Don’t miss Florián’s short, but unique, downstairs bar bites (read: grasshopper tacos).

The neon-lit, downstairs counterpart to Barracks Row’s monster-theme Kaiju Ramen is a dizzying ode to Tokyo nightlife, complete with strobe lights and artistic nods to iconic Osaka landmarks. The energetic, 30-seat bar pours a hefty assortment of sakes alongside specialty cocktails and beers. Some of the cocktails have familiar Japanese place names, like the Okinawa Southside, a mix of Japanese Roku gin, mango, yuzu, mint, and egg white. The beer menu is full of Japanese beers, including a couple rice lagers. The sake list includes about six sparkling sakes.

A swanky new rooftop bar with rare, unobstructed views of the the U.S. Capitol popped atop the new AC Hotel Washington DC Capitol Hill Navy Yard last month. An all-weather patio with a fireplace, fire pits, and a retractable canopy means there are no bad days to take in the expansive views (plus plenty of indoor seats too). Cocktails include the bar’s eponymous cocktail with Macallan 12, Benedictine, Dubonnet Rouge, and bitters. For snacks, a kale caesar salad gets a lift from black garlic; white cheddar and apple butter sit next to Iberico ham; and spicy tuna is combined with avocado, fish eggs, wonton chips, and gold leaf.

Filled with beach cruisers, frose machines, corn dogs, and all kinds of arcade games, the Southwest Waterfront’s new Boardwalk is doing a good job entertaining both adults and their kids. A 120-foot bar that does a loop around the length of the facade is the Wharf’s biggest indoor-outdoor drinking station yet. A daily, three-hour happy hour includes $5 beers or hot dogs and $8 adult “happy meal” combo (a 10-ounce High Life, whiskey shot, and popcorn).