Chacho Spirits

Dan, the owner, personally is behind the bar and leads tours - very personable, friendly, tells a great story and offers tastings of everything. Excellent margaritas and the Chacho spirit is delicious. Highly recommend!

Chacho Spirits is that rare spot where the bartenders treat cocktails like alchemy—every sip feels like a tiny revolution. The mezcal old fashioned? Smoky sorcery. The vibe’s all low-lit convos and vinyl crackle, with a playlist that’s cooler than your ex. Their house-infused habanero tequila will either make you a hero or a cautionary tale, but either way, you’re coming back. Prices? Shockingly fair for drinks this good. Just don’t sleep on the kimchi margarita—trust me.

I recently visited for a tasting on my anniversary, and while the bartender was fantastic, personable, knowledgeable, and attentive, the experience was marred by the owner's lack of hospitality. Despite waiting for over an hour for a tour, and even after the bartender mentioned we were waiting, the owner completely disregarded us. He greeted and acknowledged other customers, but never once made an effort to connect with us. This left a very unwelcoming impression, and unfortunately, I can't recommend this place based on my experience.

Do yourself a favor and visit the lovely Chacho Spirits in DC! Great local small business with a great atmosphere, amazing drinks, and creativity. Has lots of art from locals on the walls for sale, and a good story behind the business. They are known for their delicious signature jalapeño infused drinks that honestly changed jalapeño for as I knew it. The owner is a super nice guy and you will feel right at home in Chacho Spirits. My girlfriend and I came here while on vacation and we were pleasantly surprised with such a lovely experience! If you hesitate on what to order, they have amazing recommendations. As seen in my pictures, my personal favorites are the Jala-Piña Business and the Coco Cliente (Seasonal Only). I also included a picture of the menu. Don’t forget to take a picture with Chacho the llama!!

Chacho!!! Dan did an amazing job with the fit out of the new distillery space. Incredible menu of cocktails from local bars that have supported Chacho over the years. Staff is so friendly and the founder does the tours himself! He also sources art from South America and displays it on the walls for sale. They have snacks and food on the menu as well. Highly recommend stopping by!

Great local distillery. The cocktails are great and well made with many standard versions or new creations. The cheese sticks are also great. Will be back soon

A true hidden gem of the DMV. The staff is super hospitable and genuine, and the drinks are amazing. I loved that they dedicated a section of their menu to cocktails to highlight bars in the area that serve their wonderful aguardiente. Dan provided a memorable, heartfelt, and entertaining tour that anyone would learn from and enjoy.

Chatted with the super friendly DuPont farmers market guy, John, and was hesitant about the spice at first but ended up loving it!! So fun to take Chacho to parties as different and unique

Chacho is an amazing distillery. It has everything you can ask for. The founder, Dan, takes you on free tours sharing their story and what they, while sampling some of their products as well. Their story and distillery are easy to support, and once you have a Chacho margarita, you'll also see why they were voted best in the city. On top of all that, Chacho sponsors sports teams around the city and helps DC community, as well as supporting Colombian vendors by selling their art and other products here as well. Sign up for a tour with some friends asap!

If you love spicy margaritas, then you definitely need to check this place out! Between me and my friend, we tried 5 different cocktails and enjoyed every single one. It's hard to find places in DC nowadays that aren't highly commercialized, fast-paced and just feel transactional. But this place has real character with a down-to-earth, small town bar-type atmosphere. The bartenders are super friendly, making it somewhere you'd feel welcome enough to drop in for a few drinks by yourself. Also highly recommend going on one of the tours. The owner is clearly very passionate about his business, making sure to continue paying tribute to Colombia where he got his inspiration. It's just an added bonus knowing you're putting your money towards a small business that deserves it.

This is such a great low-key distillery in NE DC. It's not metro accessible, but take the uber because you will definitely get lit there. The drinks are so strong, but delicious. You basically get a free tasting when you arrive where they walk you through various aguardiente flavors which was helpful as someone who never tried it before. The bartender and owner are really nice and talkative and willing to provide a free tour and talk about the origin of the distillery and how environmentally conscious they are too. I ended up spending almost 5 hours there one Saturday afternoon and would do it again. Definitely check out Chacho!!

Let me just start by saying that Dan (Chacho owner/founder) is awesome. Chacho was inspired by a pretty interesting adventure. Not only is the aguardiente jalapeño infused, the location is infused with amazing stories and a labor of love. And I mean literal labor because many items in this location are hand-made by the owner. From the artwork created by Colombians with proceeds going back to the country and the other variations of decor, Chacho is a place full of good food, good vibes, color and cocktails. Dan explained his trip to Colombia and the llama who inspired it all (ask to hear the story). Make sure you take the tour to learn about aguardiente and the process it takes to get us the tasty drinks. I'm happy to have learned a few new things on the tour. The menu has a nice touch paying homage to local bars and has something for everyone. At the bar, Greg made great recommendations and each cocktail we tried was delicious. We tried the Chacho-rita, jala-peña business, Dalai Parton and the Chachold Fashioned. We appreciated him being so personable no matter what size crowd came in. We tried each menu food item: chips and fresh salsa - delicious; the tequenos - mmm cheese; and colombian rice bowl - I preferred the beef over the chicken but they are both good. The service was amazing. Since this location opened less than two weeks ago, it's nice to experience the high energy and genuine attentiveness to each customers' experience. Chacho is currently a two man show but I see so much growth coming and I look forward to seeing more llamas in the area. I highly recommend stopping by to get a unique experience - where else in DC will you "ride" a llama? Make your reservation and follow the signs and instructions provided!

Love coming to Chacho - they have welcomed us into their space for two nurse events and we have had a ball there ! The staff is very friendly and on this last visit we got a distillery tour from John to learn more about the business and how it has evolved. There's lots of space to lounge and beautiful art along the walls that they sell straight from Colombia. I loveeee the chicken rice bowl and the bahama mama drink! Their speciality is "Chacho" which has a jalapeño spicy taste to the liquor. Also a big plus is free parking ! Visit this establishment when you can - follow the llamas!

This is the most immaculate distillery I've ever been to.. I traveled from the west coast to go to this place and it did not disappoint. Dan, the owner of Chacho is very informative and made the tour so fun. I absolutely love this type of spirit and I highly recommend this establishment. A MUST GO!!!!!!

Cool tucked away spot with incredible margs. A must do! Owner at the bar. Good apps too.

Excellent! First, the ambience is so cool. I love the llamas and the artsy touches throughout the bar and tasting area. What makes it even better is the story behind all the pieces - the owner Dan built it all with his own 2 hands! Speaking of Dan, he was very personable and went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable and had everything we needed. Although there aren't many food options, the chicken and rice bowl was tasty! It was perfectly portioned and I love that he supports another local restaurant with the food. Last but not least, the drinks. Their signature alcohol is aguardiente, which has a little kick to it. I let the bartender know that I preferred sweeter cocktails and I was a little skeptical about having a drink with some spice. But wow, I was blown away! He made me a Jala-pina drink, and I loved it so much that I ended up ordering several (whose counting?). My only regret is not trying another cocktail, but I'll save it for the next time I visit! Another thing to love- this place has parking. I have nothing but great things to say about Chacho. I can't wait to visit again.

Amazing neighborhood gathering spot! Chacho just opened about 7 weeks ago and it is definitely set to become a DC hot spot. Get a tour of the distillery, chat up the world-renowned bartender George, meet the owner Dan, and view artwork from Colombian and DC artists. This place is fantastic and I can't wait for my next visit. We tried one of everything on the cocktail menu and we were not disappointed! Try the daquiri, mojito, or que onda! You will not be disappointed!

Off the hook! Love this hidden gem in DC. Speakeasy vibe but soooo warm and welcoming. Roxanne is a jewel, very sweet and knowledgeable. If you like spicy spirits this is the place to come. I love Dan's commitment to reuse and sustainability. I love the story of the bar counter. (Ask him to tell you). Dan is a wonderful storyteller. Highly recommended.

I'll be honest, aguardiente is my least favorite drink; the licorice-like taste makes me question every decision I have ever made up to that point. Aguardiente is also the one drink my Colombian friend insists I drink with her so it's safe to say I was dreading going to an aguardiente distillery when she invited me. Thankfully, my pre-conceived notions were very wrong about this one. Chacho is a gem tucked away in a random parking lot in NW DC. "Follow the llama" said my friend, as we walked up a couple of flight of stairs in an industrial building only to arrive at a spacious and inviting tasting room/bar. After seating our group of 10, the server kindly gave us an overview of how Chacho came to be and what to expect from their aguardiente spirits. Infused with jalapeño, Chacho adds a kick to any cocktail while still being smooth enough to drink as a shot. We enjoyed both cocktails and shots of aguardiente during our reservation and I'm happy to say that I am now a huge fan. I highly recommend!

I was looking for a new spot and luckily I discovered this hidden gem after seeing the write-up in DCist. Chacho just opened only a few weeks ago and it's quickly become my go-to spot. I love the vibe - lots of lounge seating, paintings from local artists, great bartenders, reasonable prices, and tons of plants (my fav). I've had the Dalai Parton and Cacho-Rita; both are made from Cacho and I highly recommend either. I also love that there is a free, private parking lot because I hate stressing about parking. Definitely check this place out now before it becomes too popular!

Amazing! We absolutely loved it here. Tasty and unique cocktails in a super fun atmosphere. Diya was an awesome bartender. She was so welcoming with great recommendation. Would definitely go back if just for the atmosphere. Drinks are definitely a plus. Besides, you get to take photos on a llama and plane prop.

My spouse and I discovered this gem of a place this past weekend and only wish we had found it sooner. Their spicy aguardientes are fantastic and we ended up leaving with a bottle of the barrel-aged version. We had four drinks there--all of which were fantastic, and had ample time to chat with the founder and his relative who was working there as well. Both were extremely friendly and we had a great time. I forget the names, but we also had these sort of bread-wrapped cheese sticks that were delicious as well. Basically a delicious cousin to a mozzarella stick. Given how most distilleries in the area are crammed into Ivy City, it's really refreshing to get something more unique in another part of town. If you're a fan of good cocktails or just looking to add another brewery/distillery to your list, this is now a must-visit for DC.

You have to stop by this place if you're ever in DC. The owner Dan put his heart and soul into the place and there is a very funny story behind the name of the liquor/bar. You should ask him about it! He's very friendly and passionate about his baby Chacho. The drinks are superb. The service is just as good, and aesthetically, it's a super cool space. I love that they sell art form Colombian street vendors with 100 of the profit going back to them, and the mark up being reinvestment in more of their art. Overall, a true gem.