photos courtesy Dram & Grain
From a press release:
“Acclaimed drinking den Dram & Grain, known for its award-winning craft co*cktails from the owners of Jack Rose Dining Saloon & The Imperial (2001 18th Street, NW), is making a post-pandemic resurgence as it reopens with a new twice-weekly pop-up in Adams Morgan. Housed in The Imperial’s underground Cellar bar, Dram & Grain is thrilled to introduce DC to its “3.0” iteration starting June 13, featuring experimental grain-infused co*cktails and esoteric classics on Wednesdays and Thursdays, with plans to soon expand to full weekend service.
Originally opened in 2014 in Jack Rose’s underground cellar, Dram & Grain has been named one of the country’s “best bars” by everyone from Food & Wine, CNN, Travel + Leisure, Esquire, Washington City Paper, the Washington Post, Washingtonian and more.
Dram & Grain 2.0 opened in the candlelit basem*nt of the group’s newest venture, The Imperial in November 2019, temporarily closing just four months later in March 2020 due to the pandemic. Now after just more than four years, Dram & Grain is returning to The Imperial with a Wednesday/Thursday pop-up from 7pm to midnight.
The co*cktail program is currently led by Leighton Bagley, who has worked with the group for a year, having been lured away from esteemed bars in Charleston, SC by The Imperial/Jack Rose Dining Saloon beverage director Joseph Oddo. Bagley comes to Dram & Grain with several accolades for his talent and creativity, including being honored as the top 23 of Bombay’s Most Imaginative Bartender in 2024 and 2022; top 100 of USBG’s World Class in 2022; and winner of the Ford’s Gin Tallest Ramos competition.
For this opening “Grain Experiment” menu, Bagley was inspired by the bar’s name, infusing different spirits with ancient grains such as buckwheat, farro, quinoa, barley, amaranth and sorghum.
“I wanted Dram & Grain’s new era and new staff to have its own identity while still paying respect to what D&G was in the past: craft co*cktails, bartender’s choice, techniques, but also approachable to those not used to co*cktails. I either used grains that complement or highlight the spirit in a different way. I wanted the menu to read simply but allow the conversation to organically happen where I could geek out with the guests,” says Bagley.
The opening co*cktail menu can be found below (co*cktails are $14) with descriptions from Bagley:
Buckwheat (Mezcal)
coconut water, passionfruit, lime
“The nuttiness of lightly toasted buckwheat is infused into and complements mezcal’s smokiness, paired alongside coconut water and passionfruit, garnished with black lava salt and grapefruit, riffing on a Paloma without carbonation.”
Farro (Vodka)
crème de cacao, blanc vermouth, lemon
“Based on one of my favorite sleeper co*cktails, the 20th Century, farro is toasted and cold-infused into vodka, served up and topped with grated chile chocolate. This light refreshing sour develops more as the chocolate settles, balanced between sweet, sour, and dry from the blanc vermouth.”
Quinoa (Cachaca)
apricot, lime, sugar
“Quinoa is cooked and then sous vide infused into cachaça, bringing out vegetal notes and complementing the dryness of the apricot, muddled limes with raw cane sugar in this Caipirinha-inspired co*cktail.”
Barley (Duck Fat Shochu)
bourbon, plum, vermouth, mushroom tincture
“After infusing shochu with koji-based barley, we then duck fat-wash for 24 hours, and add a Japanese ume shu plum vinegar that is blended with sweet vermouth and lactic acid for a more rounded mouthfeel in this Manhattan-style drink.”
Amaranth (Gin)
Rosewater, cardamom, honey syrup, cream, lemon, lime, egg
“This Mediterranean-inspired Ramos Gin Fizz is made with our amaranth rose petal-infused gin, plus a toasted green cardamom rosewater honey syrup, with lemon and lime egg white and soda, garnished with dehydrated rose petals.”
Sorghum (Whiskey)
sorghum Mexican whiskey, corn liqueur, maple syrup, mole bitters, popped sorghum
“We pop sorghum like popcorn, infusing into Mexican whiskey for this Old Fashioned riff. Sweetened only by Nixta corn liqueur and maple syrup, plus mole bitters, and garnished with a side of popped sorghum to eat first or enjoy as a small snack.”
Dram & Grain also plans to offer at least 15 lesser-seen classic and modern classic co*cktails ($14) ranging from the Paper Plane, Vieux Carre, Lion’s Tail and Bamboo, to even more obscure Floradora, Hotel Nacional, Death Flip and Absinthe Suissesse. Bagley’s idea was that these co*cktails were alternative solutions for guests who come in asking for “something like a ____” – similar and familiar enough but might switch up the base spirit or style, and introduce them to something new.
In its new era, Dram & Grain is evolving to bring a bit more fun and energy to the stylish subterranean drinking den. While the co*cktails are decidedly serious in quality and execution, the atmosphere will be more social and lively, offering standing room, space for groups, good music, and a large selection of other spirits and beverages who those who may not want an intricately crafted co*cktail.
“Our first time opening since the pandemic, Dram & Grain 3.0 is here for less rules and more fun,” says co-owner Steve King. “The intellectual aspect of the co*cktail program is still what sets us apart, but you can enjoy a cerebral co*cktail in a more casual atmosphere but we also want it to be your everyday bar, keeping drinks affordable at just $14.”
Dram & Grain will be open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 7pm to midnight starting June 13 (with plans to expand to full service Fridays and Saturdays in the near future). Guests can choose from bar, booth and table seating. Table reservations are available on Resy, and the bar is open for first-come first-served seating. Guests can access Dram & Grain through The Imperial’s front entrance, with a separate neon-lit entrance coming soon.”
