Washington, DC New Menu Report: 8/24/16

Burgers and booze take center stage in the District this week and if you love local beer, spicy rye spirits, and hip cocktails, you can indulge at three fantastic venues. Turkish food and political cocktails are on the edge of Chinatown and the convention center, an iconic dining saloon offers beer aged in rye-infused barrels, and TV celebs hawk vanity burgers at classic burger joints.

Jack Rose Dining Saloon
Beer and spirits lovers can't ever get enough of the hand-selected booze at Jack Rose Dining Saloon and its latest offering is a new Barrel Collaboration Series entitled "Ryes of DC," which it kicked off on August 15 with an exclusive DC Brau "Reaper Madness" event. This six-part series forges the worlds of rare beer and iconic rye whiskeys sourced by owner Bill Thomas. First up is DC Brau's "Reaper Madness" – featuring the brewery's hard-to-find Space Reaper. The series will continue with parts two (Atlas Brew Works Willett Barrel-Aged Rowdy Rye), three (Denizens Willett Rye Barrel-Aged Denny's Delight Red Saison) and four (Port City Willett Rye Barrel-Aged Porter) launching simultaneously on Monday, September 26 for DC Beer Week.

These will be followed with the release of parts five (Right Proper Willett Rye Barrel-Aged Baron Corvo) and six (TBA 3 Stars beer) whose dates and details will be announced later this fall.

Ottoman Taverna
Politics permeates everything in D.C., and that includes cocktails. To keep up with the presidential banter, Ottoman Taverna has created politically themed cocktails that are will keep people hydrated, as Election Day gets closer. Thanks to the potent genius of beverage director Angel Cervantes, guests can sip The Pantsuit, made from a combination of vodka, lime juice and house-made fresh peppermint shrub, topped with sparkling wine, or try The Side Sweep, which is made with gin, muddled fresh basil, strawberry, raspberry, lime-honey water, and blue raki. Both cocktails are $14 each and will be available from Tuesday, September 6 through Election Night, Tuesday, November 8, during lunch and dinner service.  The restaurant will be conducting informal polling weekly to see which cocktail is outselling its lively competitor. 

Shake Shack
If you love TODAY show's Al Roker and burgers, you still have a few days left to head to any Shake Shack across the U.S. and sample the Roker burger. For one week only, August 22 to Friday, August 26, the Roker burger can be purchased ($7.49) and make a difference because one dollar from every Roker burger sold goes towards No Kid Hungry. The burger features a 100% all-natural Angus burger topped with Niman Ranch BBQ pulled pork, double American cheese, red-eye mayo, and pickles. Look for it at all our local shacks (DC, Pentagon City, and Baltimore). 

For more Washington DC dining and travel news, click here. Summer Whitford is the D.C. Editor and a food, drink and travel writer at The Daily Meal. You can follow her on Twitter @FoodandWineDiva and on Instagram at thefoodandwinediva. Read more of her stories here.