Bottoms Up! The List’s List of Beautiful Beverages

Spring Ready? The DMV is trading hot toddies for spritzes, rosé, and cocktails that taste like sunshine. Bars are opening their windows, patios are filling up, and beverage pros across the region are shaking, stirring, and pouring the flavors of the season.

At TheListAreYouOnIt.com, we’ve rounded up the can’t-miss sips and spirited experiences to welcome spring in style.

-Make a night of it, see a show and grab a great pre- or post-theatre drink or dinner with our theatre + dining guide (here).
-This week's list of The List's favorite food finds, here.
-From cocktail pop-ups to wine tastings and brewery events, spring drinking events are blooming everywhere (here).
-You don’t need an excuse to visit a woman-owned business or celebrate women history month…here’s the list.

So much more refreshing, glass-raising goodness below:

MARK YOUR CALENDAR 

Napa Valley Barrel Auction: The Napa Valley Barrel Auction takes place Friday, June 5, 2026, at the newly reimagined Robert Mondavi Winery, opening in May. Featuring more than 100 participating vintners, the Barrel Auction brings together wine enthusiasts and winemakers for a day of tasting wine directly from the barrel and bidding on lots. More info here. 

Blue Duck Tavern Anniversary:  Blue Duck Tavern will toast 20 years in the nation’s capital as one of the city’s most iconic restaurants in June 2026. To honor this monumental occasion, nationally recognized chefs, who formerly spearheaded Blue Duck Tavern, will return to prepare their signature dishes for a special dinner gathering accompanied by merrymaking over 2006 vintages from Blue Duck Tavern's Sommelier selections. The five-course feast will take place on Wednesday, June 10, with a champagne reception and hors d'oeuvres at 6 p.m. blueducktavern.com

NEW & NOTEWORTHY: 

Drinks Going for the Gold: Atlas Brew Works's Bullpen Pilsner won gold in the American-Style Pilsener category at the World Beer Cup. With a 4.7% ABV, Bullpen Pilsner features subtle floral and earthy hop notes paired with a clean finish. Light, crisp, and refreshing, it’s the perfect craft lager for a sunny afternoon in the baseball stadium. The beer was previously named a 2025 US Open Beer Championship Gold Medal Winner and 2022 Great American Beer Festival Bronze Medal Winner. atlasbrewworks.com

Minetta Martini (Happy Hour Alert): Minetta is unveiling its signature Martini Hour, a new offering set to elevate the pre-dinner special in Union Market District. Designed for everything from post-office cocktails to leisurely evenings with friends, Martini Hour will be offered at the bar Sunday-Thursday, from 4:30pm-6:30pm. Guests can enjoy a proper martini or one of seven variations for $10 ($19 during regular hours), plus a curated selection of bites ideal for an early evening rendezvous. 1287 4th St NE, Washington, DC; minettataverndc.com

Tide Tiki PopUp: Hi-Tide Lounge’s Tiki Bar Pop-Up is officially open and it's bringing a vibrant, tropical escape to Old Town Alexandria for a limited time.Running now through August 31, the pop-up transforms the space with festive Tiki décor, island-inspired cocktails, and a specialty menu. On the drinks side, the menu leans into bold, tropical flavors with cocktails like the Mai Tide (a bright rum blend with orgeat and citrus), Smuggler’s Mist (mezcal with coconut cream and pineapple), and Saturn’s Daughter (gin with passion fruit and falernum), plus large-format punch bowls designed for groups, and plenty of zero proof options. 101 N Union St Unit B, Alexandria, VA 22314; volasdockside.com

Forget Breakfast, Cocktails at Tiffany’s: Tiffany’s Bar & Bistro recently introduced a wide selection of spring-inspired cocktails. Cocktail enthusiasts can enjoy playful drinks such as the Lion’s Bite stirred with cognac, strawberry, almond syrup, Campari, and San Pellegrino Limonata; the Galata Sunset made with vodka, mastiha (a traditional Greek liqueur made from mastic trees grown on the island of Chios), cucumber, basil, fresh lemon orange blossom, and prosecco; and the Summer Light crafted with chamomile bourbon, Heering cherry liqueur, fresh lime, and ginger beer. 709 H St NE, Washington, DC 20002; .tiffanysbistrobar.com

Shaken or Stirred: Lucy is expanding its cocktail menu with a wide-ranging selection of martinis. The menu features riffs on well-known iterations of the iconic cocktails, house specialties, and offers guests the option to create a bespoke martini. Options from the new menu include the Left Bank-inspired Rive Gauche (Citadelle gin, Dolin dry vermouth, Critone chardonnay and St. Germain); the Highland Whisper (Tanqueray n.10, Noilly Prat dry vermouth and Kilchoman scotch). 1350 Florida Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009; lucybardc.com

Spring in a Glass: Blue Duck Lounge and Blue Duck Tavern have new spring cocktails just in time for the arrival of warmer weather. Newcomer libations from the bar include the Under Pressure with Mandarin-infused vodka, Combier, Basil Eau Di Vie, black pepper syrup and lime juice, garnished with dehydrated mandarin and espelette-mandarin sugar rim; So Long, Farewell with Hendricks gin, toasted black pepper syrup, lemon juice, basil leaves and two slices of cucumbers, muddled; and more. 1201 24th St NW; blueducktavern.com

Italian’s Back on NY Ave: Rosselli has opened with Michelin-starred chef Carlos Cardona as the executive chef. The Italian name Rosselli literally means "rose," the flower. 1100 New York Ave, NW; Rosselli.com

New & Improved: Mélange, Chef Elias Taddesse's celebrated restaurant in Shaw, today announced a new partnership with Lou Bernard, Beverage Director of Michelin-starred Mita, to lead and reimagine the restaurant's bar and service program. All offerings are backed by a cocktail program that includes creative expressions like the kibbeh-washed Old Fashioned, a nod to Taddesse’s culinary heritage and innovation. 2108 8th St. NW; melangefoods.com

Flora Garden Pop Up at Lulu’s: Lulu’s Winegarden will soon celebrate DC’s long-awaited spring season with the return of its popular “Flora Garden” – a springtime pop-up bringing floral cocktails and petaled patios to the U Street bar. Lulu’s is showcasing a bouquet of spring flavors and spirits in several creative floral cocktails, including the edible flower-topped First Bloom with botanically-driven Citadelle Jardin D'ete gin, elderflower and Aperol; a slightly-savory garden margarita infused with black pepper tequila; a shiso-pineapple crush; a spicy-citrusy sour with yuzu and jalapeno aguardiente; and a bubbly Chandon Hugo Spritz. 1940 11th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001; luluswinegarden.com

NOT NEW, BUT NOTEWORTHY: 

Virginia is for Lager Lovers:  Virginia Tourism Corporation and Devils Backbone Brewing Company have a new partnership surrounding Devils Backbone’s flagship beer, Vienna Lager: a collaborative “Virginia is for Lager Lovers” logo will appear across all Vienna Lager packaging beginning in April 2026. The co-branded “Virginia is for Lager Lovers” campaign is a spin on the iconic original logo and slogan, “Virginia is for Lovers,” first introduced in 1969. dbbrewingcompany.com

Beer. Shuttle. Game.: Atlas Brew Works and Redbrick are making game day easier with a complimentary shuttle service for all weekend Washington Nationals home games in April, including this Friday’s Home Opener (April 3). Running Friday through Sunday, the shuttle will transport guests from Bridge District directly to Nationals Park. Pickup will be conveniently located right outside the Atlas Bridge District Brewery & Tap Room, with drop-off near the First Base line along Potomac Ave SE.

What Is Game Night?: Astro Beer Hall recently introduced the interactive and team-based JEOPARDY! Bar League to its weekly event lineup. Every Thursday beginning at 7:30pm only at the DC location, Jeopardy enthusiasts can join the beer hall to play two hours of Jeopardy emceed by trained hosts, featuring official Jeopardy content and chances to win prizes. Try local brews such as The Hopfheiser Brewing Company’s Old Time Lager and Solace Brewing Company’s seasonal Bloom Goes the Dynamite, available for a limited time this spring. Hand-crafted cocktails and mocktails are also available alongside seltzers and wines by the glass.  1306 G St NW, Washington, DC 20005; astrobeerhall.com

Arak without Alcohol: At Tapori, Bar Director EJ Apaga set out to challenge the predictable world of spirit-free cocktails, and to create something that truly drinks like an extraordinary adult beverage. Frustrated with the current state of non-alcoholic cocktails, which often use lemonade, ginger or capsaicin as a base, he drew from his experience with Arak. The result, after three months of refinement, is the Pom Star Soda: a sparkling, crystal-clear, non-alcoholic arak-inspired drink with layered spice, balance, and a distinctly grown-up profile. 600 H Street NE; taporidc.com

There is No Bottom (Brunch Alert): Bar Chinois, the French-Chinese fusion restaurant, put a truly signature spin on their seasonal cocktail menu for spring with a special bartender showcase. Selections include the Bijou de Gansu, with rye whiskey, toasted rhubarb, strawberry-cinnamon honey and soda, the Citrus Paradis with Cazadores Blanco Tequila, grapefruit, basil, orange blossom and Stiegl Radler, and the Le Rubis with Citadelle Rouge Gin, Strega, blueberry, honey and lemon. 455 Eye Street, NW; barchinoisdc.com

Martini Hour (Happy Hour Alert):  Elegancia has a new Martini Hour, a stylish and elevated take on the classic happy hour, celebrating the timeless cocktail through a Latin lens. From Tuesday through Friday, you can enjoy a curated selection of handcrafted martinis for $10 each, including the Mango Martini, the Espresso de Olla Martini, and a Classic Vodka or Gin Martini. 1280 4th St NE, Washington, DC 20002; Elegancia.com