DC Restaurants Celebrate The 50th Anniversary Of Apollo 11 Moon Landing

Although it was one small step for man, it will be one giant sip for DC’s discriminating diners as Top of the Gate, Red Pump Kitchen, and The Occidental celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing. While Neil Armstrong famously planted the American flag on the moon’s surface, guests of these spirited venues can toast the most famous space mission with some culinary and liquid courage of their own. Would-be rocketeers can jump to the Pump this July at Red Pump Kitchen and pilot their taste buds over a Moon Shot cocktail, fueled with Honey Habanero Moonshine, Aperol, Cranberry, Lime and Simple Syrup. The downtown Charlottesville restaurant, where guests savor artisanal Tuscan-inspired cuisine, will also celebrate with a special pie-from-the-sky pizza. The pie-surprise is a monthly tradition rising with each full moon at the Red Pump Kitchen, and this one’s sure to lead to a brave new galaxy of flavors. At the DC dining institution, The Occidental, generations of political luminaries, sports stars, and visionaries, including legendary astronauts like Buzz Aldrin smile down from framed portraits that adorn the walls, just as they have for over a century. In tribute, Head Mixologist, Frankie Jones, shoots for the sky with his Infinity and Beyond cocktail, which shimmers with edible glitter and shines with the subtlety of Ketel One Cucumber Mint, Chareau Aloe Liqueur, St. Germain, and Butterfly Tea. At the Top of the Gate, the bustling bar on the roof of the Watergate Hotel, guests will achieve lift-off with the Moonwalker cocktail, infused with every astronaut’s favorite fuel – Tang. Complementing the libation is a sensational Moon Crunch dessert inspired by the classic moon pie. Interpreted by Executive Chef Sébastien Giannini, it features an out-of-this-world combination of moon-hued Macarons and Ice Cream sure to send palates to the stratosphere. What better way to see the stars in a bar this summer than from Top of the Gate, whose dazzling panoramic view of the Washington, DC skyline also spans the Kennedy Center, the Potomac River, and the nation’s most iconic monuments.