Dram & Grain

Experimental Cocktail Cave Dram & Grain Returns to Adams Morgan | Eater DC

"Making a triumphant comeback tonight, Dram & Grain, Adams Morgan’s cult cocktail cellar from the whiskey-loving team behind Jack Rose Dining Saloon, reopens in a new, less secretive space one door down from its original, occupying the lower level of the Imperial (2001 18th Street NW). The revamped bar trades the cramped, wooden speakeasy tropes of its 2014 incarnation for more seating, good tunes, and a soaring, well-stocked bar, and offers a fresh lineup of reimagined classics and offbeat creations that lean into the “grain” side of its name. Overseen by Leighton Bagley—who placed in the top 23 of Bombay Sapphire’s Most Imaginative Bartender competition in 2022 and 2024—the opening "Grain Experiment" menu highlights six grain-forward drinks (from an amaranth-infused gin fizz to a quinoa cachaça caipirinha and an Old Fashioned featuring sorghum, Mexican whiskey, and corn liqueur) and even uses techniques like duck fat–washed barley shochu with plum to create a new-look Manhattan; the bar also keeps a classics section of 15 cocktails (Paper Plane, Vieux Carré, Death Flip). All 21 cocktails are priced at $14. Dram & Grain is launching as a Wednesday–Thursday pop-up from 7 p.m. to midnight (reservations on Resy, walk-ins available) with plans to expand service to additional nights in the coming months." - Travis Mitchell