Where to Drink in Washington, DC's Shaw Neighborhood - Imbibe Magazine Subscribe + Save

Where to Drink in Washington, DC’s Shaw Neighborhood

Southern EfficiencyWhat’s old is new again in the nation’s capital, namely in the city’s long-overlooked Shaw neighborhood. Formerly home to D.C.’s renowned jazz scene, the neighborhood had been in decline since the 1970s, but that’s changed over the past two years, with a fresh crop of bar and restaurant openings. With some of D.C.’s most notable spots for drinking and dining, Shaw is once again the place to go for a night on the town.

The Wydown
Modus Operandi: When they prepared to open Wydown in Shaw last summer, owners Chad and Alex McCracken—two coffee-loving brothers from St. Louis—set out to create one of D.C.’s most state-of-the-art cafés. A custom-made pour-over bar features a rotating roster from coffee roasters around the country, and a tiny kitchen in the back pops out fresh pastries every morning. The owners have eschewed wi-fi, making the atmosphere wonderfully old-school, so you can settle in with a cup for a few precious moments of quiet. Coordinates: 1924 14th St. NW / 202-507-8411 // thewydown.com

2 Birds 1 Stone
Modus Operandi: This 60-seat subterranean cocktail den opened in the summer of 2013. Bar director Adam Bernbach’s hand-drawn drink menu is an attraction all its own—past iterations have featured tiki-themed motifs and black-and-white, 1940’s-style cartoons. Cocktails are always inspired and ever-changing; recent favorites include the Bizzy Izzy, a bracing combo of rye whiskey, oloroso sherry, lemon and pineapple; and the Macuso, with cachaça, Chartreuse and spicy ginger beer. Coordinates: Lower Level / 1800 14th St. NW // 2birds1stonedc.com

Eat the Rich, Southern Efficiency (pictured), and Mockingbird Hill
Modus Operandi: The Passenger owner Derek Brown cemented Shaw’s role as the “it” neighborhood when he opened three bars there last year. Mockingbird Hill is inspired by the Spanish table, serving mangalica ham and manchego along with almost 90 sherries and sherry-centric cocktails. Eat the Rich is an oyster bar with Martinis, (housemade) Clamato-spiked beer and a hard-rock edge, and Southern Efficiency is an ode to bourbon—it even shows up in the bar snacks, like the pressed smoked ham with bourbon jelly. Coordinates: 1839 7th St. NW / 202-316-9396 // etrbar.com; 1841 7th St. NW / 202-316-9396 // whiskeyhome.com; 1843 7th St NW / 202-316-9396 // drinkmoresherry.com

Right Proper Brewery
Modus Operandi: Since turning from the pre-med track at Georgetown to follow a beer-focused path, Right Proper Brewery owner (and D.C. native) Thor Cheston has made his name known in the city’s beer scene. In December 2013, Right Proper poured its first pint, and they’ve been pouring head brewer Nathan Zeender’s rarely repeated brews ever since. Glasses are stamped “Made in Shaw” to emphasize the neighborhood connection, and many beers pay homage to the area, like the signature “Ornette” (as in Coleman), a farmhouse beer Zeender created using a blend of Belgian yeast. Clocking in at just 3.7 percent ABV, it invites you to linger over a second (or even a third) glass. Coordinates: 624 T St. NW / 202-607-BEER // rightproperbrewery.com

Ivy & Coney
Modus Operandi: Homesick Chicagoans and Detroiters can gather at this bar to chow down on coneys and swig Stroh’s (or Bell’s Two-Hearted) while watching Cubs games. Ivy & Coney opened in January and was designed by Detroit transplant Chris Powers, ex-Chicagoans Josh Saltzman and Adam Fry, and D.C. native Jamie Hess to focus on a simple combination: a shot, a beer, a coney and the game. Regulars can take advantage of the bar’s liquor-locker option—reserve a locker, and the bar will sell you your favorite bottles at industry prices and store them for you to enjoy whenever you come in—which lends an everybody-knows-your-name air to an already-welcoming spot. Coordinates: 1537 7th St. NW / 202-670-9489 // ivyandconey.com

Dacha Beer Garden
Modus Operandi: Conversations about Dacha always circle back to the boot—specifically, the large glass boots that the beer garden serves beer in. Whatever vessel you choose, there’s no shortage of excellent, sometimes rare and always well-curated options with which to fill it. Be sure to grab a seat near the epic Elizabeth Taylor mural, and soak in the buzzy, young-D.C.-on-the-town atmosphere. Coordinates: 1600 7th St. NW / 202-524-8790 // facebook.com/DachaBeerGarden

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