Raise A Glass To Dad On Father's Day At These Bars And Restaurants In And Around Washington, DC
Father's Day is your chance to say "Thanks" to dear old Dad. Yes, there are dads who love being served an expensive meal or griling burgers and steaks, but others prefer a good stiff drink or bottle of rare, fine wine. If your dad falls into the latter category, we've compiled a list of fun activities centered on potent potables with just a smattering of gluttonous pursuits. Here's to you Dad!
ENO Wine Bar
Mark Twain once said, "I never smoke to excess – that is, I smoke in moderation, only one cigar at a time." If cigars and wine are two of your dad's favorite sins, take him to ENO Wine Bar in Georgetown on Father's Day. From 4 to 11 p.m., ENO will open their outdoor patio and offer cigar and wine pairings served with locally sourced charcuterie. ENO's party lets Dad choose one of five cigars that can be paired with four wines hand selected by ENO's talented sommeliers.
The cigars include:
- Flor de Antillas, $17
- Cohiba Toro Tube, $30
- Montecristo Epic Toro, $35
- Padron Family Reserva, $35
- Davidoff Nicaragua Robusto, $50
The chosen wines include:
- Weingüt Markus Huber Grüner Veltliner Traisental DAC Austria 2013, $11
- A to Z Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Oregon 2013, $15
- Abadia de Acon Joven Tempranillo Ribera del Duero Spain 2013, $11
- Scopone Brunello di Montalcino DOCG Tuscany Italy 2007, $12
Foggy Ridge Cider
Long before hard cider was trending, Diane Flynt, co-founder and cider maker at Foggy Ridge Cider in Dugspur, Virginia, was making artisanal cider that rivaled any made in France or Spain. Like wine, Foggy Ridge ciders are aromatic, complex, and enticing. In 2015, The New York Times voted Foggy Ridge "America's Favorite Cider;" Diane Flynt was a 2015 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Award Semifinalist for Outstanding Wine, Beer, or Spirits Professional; and when Esquire magazine voted Virginia "Food Region of 2014," Foggy Ridge Cider was front and center on the list of top food and drink purveyors. Treat your dad to a free tasting at the Foggy Ridge Cider House on Father's Day or have some delivered to his door. If you buy five bottles of cider from the cidery's online store you get the sixth bottle for only $1.
Quill
We applaud Quill at The Jefferson Hotel, for their beefed up, three-course Father's Day menu, but think that dads with a penchant for good drink will appreciate the new Indiana Jones cocktail series. Inspired by National Geographic Museum's exhibit, Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archeology, each month Quill features a different cocktail (check their Facebook Page for each month's new drink). June's special drink is the Blood of Kali, and it's a riff on the classic Blood and Sand made with Monkey Shoulder Scotch Whisky, house made cherry brandy, Imbue Bittersweet Vermouth, and fresh lemon and orange juice.
Tupelo Honey Café
Southerners appreciate a well-made drink and Tupelo Honey Cafe in Arlington, Virginia really delivers. Moonrise Brunch is served Friday and Saturday from 10 p.m. to 12 am (think of it as the answer to boozy breakfast for night owls) and includes tempting treats like blueberry pain perdue, bacon biscuit sliders, and other breakfast-inspired small plates accompanied by fantastically garnished drinks like the Queen Mary. This regal concoction includes house-made Bloody Mary mix, roasted yellow tomatoes, garlic, Demitri's Classic Bloody Mary seasoning, fresh squeezed lemon juice, and your choice of vodka or moonshine. Be prepared for the gargantuan garnish, which includes fresh lemon and lime wedges, pickled okra, pimento cheese-stuffed olives, grilled shrimp, maple pepper bacon, celery, asparagus, pickled jalapeño, cherry tomato, and a lime salt rim.
Summer Whitford is the D.C. City Guide Editor at The Daily Meal and the DC Wine Examiner. You can follow her on Twitter @FoodandWineDiva.