Renowned for her palate, Tess Rose has your back! These DC mezcal bars and restaurants made the cut.
Washington DC is sometimes overlooked as a great food and beverage city. But with a revolving door of foreign diplomats and a healthy immigrant population, our nation’s capital and the surrounding areas are actually quite rich in diverse cuisines and interesting fusion concepts. For the agave obsessed, there are a few destination options, each with its own charm. Here are four establishments where you’ll find the best mezcal in DC.
For the best variety of mezcal in DC: El Chucho
The hipster atmosphere and comfort food menu of this neighborhood bar offer a casual and laid back setting to indulge in what is probably DC’s biggest selection of agave spirits. The people behind the bar may not be able to tell you every detail about every bottle (just given the massive selection), but they approach the category with respect and curiosity and always have something interesting to say about what you’re sipping on. If you’re hunting for new finds or want to try as many different expressions as possible, this is an ideal stop.
For elevated food and the best mezcal pairings: Amparo Fondita
Chef Christian Irabien is regularly celebrated in the media for good reason: the food is fresh, interesting and, most importantly, downright delicious. The vibes are laid back but sophisticated, with a staff who are both passionate and informed. Their thoughtful mezcal collection is built to complement the food and create lasting impressions. The guac and margs are always on point, but aficionados will also want to ask for bespoke pairings for the seasonally rotating specials, including some exclusive bottles not available elsewhere. Absolutely one of the best DC mezcal bars.
For sneaky good deals: Taco Bamba
Taco Bamba has a large collection of quality spirits, many of which are offered at prices that feel like you’ve time traveled back in time to the 2010’s. The aim of their program is to introduce people to quality agave spirits, which means they keep the good stuff affordable. The folks behind the bar will be able to direct you to customer favorites, including the exclusive special batch they did in collaboration with Rey Campero–an ensemble of espadín and cuishe that’s absolutely delicious! To highlight some of their back bar gems they recently kicked off a series of low cost guided tastings and other opportunities to sample some of the best mezcals on the market, so keep your eyes on their socials for event announcements.
As a downtown tourist: Oyamel
Originally pioneered by chef Jose Andres, Oyamel is an institution and a reliable spot for good food and drinks. Oyamel is conveniently located within walking distance to many destination museums. Pop in for an interesting, but not overly complicated, agave cocktail or a or neat pour in this consistently pleasant environment with good service. With a couple orders of guac and tacos, Oyamel makes a great pit stop to refuel for more museum hopping.
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