New Ways To Shake or Stir: TheList’s List of Beverages

Fall drinking season in the DMV has begun and no matter what the calendar says, we're all in (well. some of us, comeback summer!). Wine lists swing toward reds and bigger, bolder whites, spiced and barrel-aged cocktails start showing up on every menu in town, hot toddies and warm ciders make their comeback, and bartenders start leaning into fall ingredients like apple, pear, cinnamon and squash from local farms. Even beer gardens and breweries shift into cool-weather mode with Oktoberfest pours and fire-pit on the patios.

Here at TheListAreYouOnIt.com, we've rounded up all the can't-miss fall sipping finds and happenings around the DMV right now.

Make a night of it with a show + a great pre or post-theatre cocktail or dinner with our theatre + dining guide (here)
This week's list of The List's favorite food finds is right here
From cocktail pop-ups and wine tastings to brewery events + fall beverage happenings around the region, we've got those covered here
Looking for cozy sipping season? Check out our Patio Pleasures + Up On The Roof roundups featuring patios, rooftops, courtyards & outdoor cocktail spots all across the DMV — now with fire pits and blankets.

So much more glass-raising goodness below:

MARK YOUR CALENDAR 

Glass in Session: BoozeBruvas is bringing back Glass in Session, a series of hands-on cocktail classes featuring seasonal drinks, special guests, creative activities, and bites. Upcoming classes include Conjuring Spirits (October 29), Autumn Spice featuring Brotha Whiskey (November 8), and Friendssipping (November 19); eatonworkshop.com

Rustico 20th Anniversary: Rustico and Buzz are celebrating 20 years on Slaters Lane in Alexandria with a family-friendly fall festival on Saturday, October 24, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Festivities include a patio cookout with hot dogs, brats, and giant pretzels, live music, craft beers, wine, cocktails, kids’ activities, and complimentary popcorn and spiced apple cider. Guests can also enjoy a dog adoption event with the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, Halloween treats for costumed kids and dogs, and a costume donation drive benefiting Carpenter’s Shelter; rusticorestaurant.com

Start Your Engines, DMV! Grand Prix Race Day Takes Over City Ridge: DC Motorsport Community is bringing race-day excitement to City Ridge on Sunday, October 25, with closed-street car and motorcycle displays, free outdoor viewing of the United States Grand Prix from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., and a sunset DJ after-party. Guests can upgrade to a $160.00 rooftop VIP experience featuring pool access, complimentary Tito’s cocktails, premium bites including oysters, caviar, and Wagyu, and exclusive race viewing. The event also features specialty cocktails and tastings, with 10% of VIP ticket proceeds benefiting Becky’s Fund; dcmotorsportcommunity.com

Best Buddies: Best Buddies Virginia & DC will host Homecoming: Two Parties, One Purpose on Friday, October 30, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. The inclusive gala features Best Buddies participants teaming up with local chefs to create tasting dishes, alongside bites from restaurants like Taco Bamba and The Salt Line, live music from Bootsie and the Groove, and a silent auction. Gala tickets are $200.00, with proceeds supporting friendship, employment, and leadership programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. A concurrent $10.00 Student Homecoming Dance will feature a DJ, costume contest, and sensory-friendly activities.; bestbuddies.org

20 Years of Central Michel Richard: Central is celebrating its 20th anniversary on Saturday, November 7, at 7:00 p.m. with a special evening honoring the legacy of legendary chef Michel Richard, who opened the restaurant two decades ago. Chefs David Deshaies and Cedric Maupillier, two of Richard’s longtime collaborators, will reimagine his iconic dishes as passed bites, giving guests a taste of the culinary legacy that helped shape Washington’s dining scene. The celebration will also feature an open bar and silent auction. Tickets are $150.00 per person, with proceeds benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which provides treatment and support to families at no cost; opentable.com

Capital Food Fight: DC Central Kitchen’s annual Capital Food Fight returns November 12, bringing together top chefs, local restaurants, and celebrity guests for a night of food and friendly competition. This year’s battling chefs include Scheyla Acosta, Anthony Jones, Brian Lacayo, and Robbie Reyes, with appearances by Eric Adjepong, Tiffany Derry, Andrew Zimmern, and more. Guests can enjoy bites from participating restaurants while supporting a great cause, with 100% of event proceeds benefiting DC Central Kitchen’s hunger relief and culinary job training programs; capitalfoodfight.org

Four Seasons DC Wine & Dine: The fifth annual Wine & Dine returns November 12 through 13, bringing together celebrity chefs, local culinary talent, and exceptional wines and spirits in support of MedStar Health’s lung cancer research initiatives. The celebration kicks off November 12 with a Culinary Showcase at Bourbon Steak DC from 6:00 tp 10:00 p.m., featuring chef action stations, passed bites, and wine and spirit tastings from chefs including Michael Mina, Lorena Garcia, Douglas Keane, Quentin Welch, and Jillian Fitch. On November 13, guests can enjoy an intimate 4-course celebrity chef dinner with curated wine pairings; web.cvent.com

NEW & NOTEWORTHY: 

Capital Social Hour: Located inside Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill, Article One is introducing Capitol Social Hour, available Monday through Friday from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. The new happy hour features Capitol-inspired cocktails, including the D.C. Sour, Constitutional Collins, House Vote Margarita, Capitol Old Fashioned, and Potomac Mule. Guests can pair their drinks with small plates like the A1 Smash Slider, Chesapeake Bay oysters, baked lobster roll, and crispy garlic chicken, with suggested wine and beer pairings; hyatt.com

Late Night in Bethesda: Chef Mike Friedman’s Roman-inspired restaurant is introducing a new late-night happy hour featuring martinis, beer, wine, and half-priced spritzes. Specials are available in the bar and lounge Sunday throguh Thursday from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m.; aventinocucina.com

New in the Navy Yard Neighborhood: Restaurateur Daniella Senior’s 5C Hospitality, the team behind Colada Shop and Elegancia, is opening Bar Nuestro on October 28 at Urby in Navy Yard. The Latin-rooted, European-inspired bistrot features a creative cocktail program with Build Your Own Martinis, $10.00 Tiny Tinis, the Fluffy Mango Margarita, and a brown-butter Negroni. Guests can pair their drinks with dishes from Culinary Director Claudio Foschi and Executive Chef Harper McClure, including Yuca Beignets, Oxtail Mafalde, and Pork Chop Milanesa. The entire menu is peanut- and tree nut-free and prepared without seed oils; barnuestro.com

Boo Alert…Bewitching Cocktails: NoMa’s Mediterranean restaurant Eunoia is celebrating Halloween with 2 limited-time cocktails inspired by the staff’s favorite spooky movies and traditions. The Bewitched combines vodka, lime, pineapple, charcoal, and pomegranate, while the I.C.U. features whiskey, black cherry, ginger liqueur, jalapeño, bitters, and an edible eyeball. Both are available through October 31; eunoiadc.com

Bourbon x Bone Marrow = Delicious: Blue Duck Tavern Lounge is introducing a new bourbon and bone marrow pairing, available nightly through December 31. Guests can enjoy Chef Andrew Cleverdon’s Wood Oven-Roasted Bone Marrow with onion bordelaise, pink peppercorn, and rye crumble, alongside their choice of Four Roses Single Barrel, Woodford Reserve, or Angel’s Envy bourbon.; blueducktavern.com

A Bit o’ Movies: The Bit is hosting weekly Saturday Movie Nights, screening a different film on repeat beginning at 4:00 p.m. Guests can enjoy popcorn, rotating drink specials, and the bar’s full food and cocktail menus. The series kicks off with Beetlejuice, followed by more Halloween favorites throughout October and holiday films in December. Select screenings will be chosen by guest vote, with upcoming titles announced on Instagram. Reservations are available on Resy, with walk-ins welcome; bitdc.com

Is Chardonnay and Candy Corn a Good Pairing?: Little Blackbird is getting into the Halloween spirit with 5 candy and wine pairings available October 15th through 31st. Guests can enjoy combinations like Chardonnay & Candy Corn, Lambrusco & Peanut Butter Cups, Snickers & 10-Year Tawny Port, Skittles & Dry Rosé, and Sweet Tarts & Blanc de Blanc; littleblackbirddc.com

Autumn-Inspired Cocktails at Nue: NUE is welcoming fall with 4 new cocktails blending seasonal ingredients and Southeast Asian-inspired flavors. Highlights include Verdant Lake with jasmine, bergamot, rum, soursop, and pandan foam; Luck of Autumn with rum, persimmon, and warm spices; Bitter Purity with plum, gin, and tea; and The Forbidden Fruit with apple, Japanese whisky, yuzu, and pine honey. Guests can pair their drinks with comforting dishes like Bò Kho Pappardelle, Chili Oil Wontons, and Coconut Curry Risotto, also available on NUE’s new Unlimited menu; nuevietnamese.com

Winetoberfest: Lulu’s Winegarden is welcoming fall with the return of Winetoberfest from September 18 through November 8, transforming its indoor and outdoor spaces with grape vines, gourds, harvest baskets, and amber-hued foliage. The seasonal pop-up pairs the décor with German, Austrian, and Alsatian wines, cowboy boots filled with Festbier, and fall cocktails like pumpkin pie Negronis, apple cider margaritas, and Concord grape spritzes. The festivities also include a CRUSH walkaround tasting on September 20, featuring unlimited tastes of 25+ fall wines, all-you-can-eat breakfast tacos, and discounted take-home bottles for $55.00 per person, with sessions at 12:00 and 2:00 p.m.; luluswinegarden.com

NOT NEW, BUT NOTEWORTHY: 

Spice is Nice: The Fountain Inn is embracing the season with a fall cocktail menu inspired by classic recipes and D.C. history. Highlights include the Rebellious Old Fashioned with baking spices and a choice of whiskey, the Vanilla Beane Highball with vodka cream soda and strawberry coconut foam, and the Sam “The Man” Burns Grasshopper Ramos with crème de cacao, crème de menthe, cream, and egg white; fountaininndc.com

Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Pink-rita?: Throughout October, Inca Social is serving pink margaritas in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Proceeds from each margarita sold will benefit The IIIB’s Foundation, which provides Bosom Buddy Baskets filled with resources and recovery items to women recovering from breast cancer mastectomy surgery; incasocial.com

$6 Craft Pours: After more than 15 years in Logan Circle, ChurchKey is launching a new weekday happy hour, Monday through Friday from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Specials include craft beer pours, martinis, Old Fashioneds and daiquiris, and beer flights, plus a burger and fries combo from Chef Hamilton and a mix-and-match deal featuring 3 snacks; churchkeydc.com

Slater Run Wines Win: Upperville’s Slater Run Vineyards is celebrating Virginia Wine Month following a string of recent accolades, including being named a finalist for VinePair’s Next Wave Winery of the Year. The vineyard recently completed a 4-array solar system that powers its winery, tasting room, and barns at 100% net zero impact. October events include Early Mountain’s Virginia Wine Month celebration on October 4 and a locally sourced 3-course wine dinner with Provender Kitchen later in the month. Slater Run’s wines have also recently earned honors across several competitions, including a Diamond and Best of Class for its Pétillant Naturel Sparkling Rosé; slaterrun.com

Drinks with Umami: The Naisho Room at Watermark Hotel is shaking things up with 3 new cocktails. Kira Kira combines Japanese whisky, ginger beer, and citrus for a refreshing sip, while Pearl of the Orient features Roku Gin, Nigori sake, lychee, and a delicate foam. For something more tropical, Placebo blends white rum, amaretto, pineapple, coconut, and honey; thenaishoroom.com

Teas’n You: Vietnamese café Teas’n You has opened its 2nd location and first in Maryland in Rockville, serving creative coffee and tea alongside Vietnamese-inspired café fare. The extensive drink menu features Vietnamese-sourced oolong matcha, Vietnamese Egg Coffee, Ube Cream Cold Brew, Strawberry Matcha Dalgona, and seasonal sips like Pumpkin Chai Milk Tea. Food offerings include Basil Popcorn Chicken, a Taiwanese Chicken Sandwich, and house-baked pastries, with an emphasis on options for a range of dietary needs; teasnyou.com

2026 Is Going To Be An Exceptional Year for Champagne: Following the earliest harvest ever recorded in Champagne, the Comité Champagne is reporting an encouraging outlook for the 2026 vintage. Despite historic spring frosts, drought, and 5 summer heatwaves, grapes arrived healthy, ripe, and well-balanced, with notable freshness, concentration, fruit intensity, and finesse. While it is still too early to assess the finished wines, the organization says the harvest has the potential to produce great, and potentially very great, Champagnes, with the raw material’s balance recalling historic vintages including 1921, 1947, and 1959; champagne.fr