The Most Popular Cocktails and Bars in D.C.

According to a recent survey of the drinking habits of Americans, Washington D.C. ranks first in heavy drinking. Whether or not you think this is a good thing, it certainly lends some credibility to D.C.’s opinions on the best cocktails and bars. So check out these ranking from America’s top drinkers.

Generally speaking, the most popular cocktail is the Old Fashioned. To make this drink, the bartender mixes some sort of brown booze -- whiskey, bourbon, or rye -- with sugar and bitters. For this beverage, a place like Service Bar DC will charge you about $7. That’s about double what they’ll charge you for other popular drinks, which should really tell you something about the desirability of Old Fashioneds.

Next up in popularity is probably the Moscow Mule. This concoction is made by combining vodka with ginger beer and lime, and serving it in a copper cup. It’s hard to say how much of its popularity comes from the cup itself, but you won’t find many bars diverting from the tradition. If they do decide to vary the recipe, as in the case of Stoney's on L Street NW, they’ll mix in some blueberry syrup and call it a Blue Mule.

Also popular is the steady vodka and soda. Places like Nellie's Sports Bar report that this cocktail maintains its place as a popular drink because it delivers a buzz with a minimum of fat. If you’re looking to stay fit and competitive, and you still want to keep up with all the rest of the drinkers in this city of top drinkers, perhaps the vodka and soda has your number.

Bars like Del Mar serve up classic formulas like the gin and tonic with an extra twist of ginger, star anise and cardamom. Punching up your classic gin and tonic with these ingredients will cost you $10 at happy hour, and people are lining up to get them.

“One important detail for any successful bar involves inventing signature cocktails” says Paul Michaels, CEO of National Bartenders. Sometimes the name of the cocktail itself can lead to success. Consider the drink called Becky Just Got Her Hair Did, served at Hank's Cocktail Bar. This drink mixes Absolut elyx, lemon, pumpkin seed and nuts, nutmeg, cinnamon, and egg white into something resembling a latte mai tai.

Speaking of names of drinks leading to more orders, there’s the Does Ginger Make This Healthy? Served at the Fairmont, this cocktail is based on whiskey, ginger-honey syrup, lemon, bitters and orange peel. They say the honey comes from bees on their rooftop, which is pretty cool.

Rounding out the most popular cocktails in D.C. is the humbly-named Sake served at 600t. This basement bar below Florida Ave NW mixes Hakutsuru Junmai Ginjo sake with a number of wines including plum, brut, Cynar, and Copertino Italian red. For this mix, they’ll charge you $12.