The nature of bars evolves as we do. Our first (legal) drinking experiences probably involved a dark and crowded dive bar, where the most complex cocktail made was a rail vodka and cranberry.
However, the older and slightly more mature we get, many of us tend to gravitate toward the more complex and artistic-looking cocktails — ones with dehydrated fruit slices, metal straws, and ornamental glassware.
While Alexandria's history is at the center of its tourism industry, it also has a rich food and beverage culture that appeals to locals and visitors alike. These are my favorite cocktail-forward bars to visit in Alexandria.
Misha Enriquez for Visit Alexandria
Captain Gregory's
Captain Gregory’s
804 N. Henry St.
Captain Gregory’s is anything but a typical watering hole. Nestled inside the walls of a former doughnut-shop-turned-vegan-eatery, lies this subtle, yet verbose speakeasy. Revealing how to get in would be a journalistic travesty, since half the fun lies within searching for the treasures inside. Once you find it, though, it’s a dimly lit, sensory journey that feels like the inside of a boutique pirate ship.
The cocktail menu is just as explorative as the bar itself, with the menu continuously evolving and changing much like the ocean itself. “The cocktails are meant to be casual, yet sophisticated, and introduce guests to some new ingredients with familiar, comforting flavors in an intimate yet casual atmosphere," a spokesperson at Captain Gregory’s explained.
What makes Captain Gregory’s feel so dynamic is its ability to feel like a brand new restaurant every time the menu changes, highlighting cocktails from different and often un-highlighted regions. It's chic without being inaccessible to budding craft cocktail connoisseurs, and you feel more knowledgeable about the hidden world of mixology every time you close out.
Chadwick’s
203 Strand St.
You always know you are at Chadwick’s when you see the yellow exterior wall for the Big Wheel Bikes shop illuminating the night like a stop sign. Chadwick’s is about as close as it comes to a modern-day “Cheers” bar — everytime you walk in, you feel like a regular.
To outsiders, it almost feels like a secret local society you desperately want to be a part of, where exhausted service workers, and locals come to enjoy a cocktail or two alongside friendly and familiar-faced bartenders.
Chadwick’s isn’t a craft cocktail bar serving up drinks in crystal glasses or with artisanal, borderline unheard of ingredients. What we love best about Chadwick’s is that it has never tried to be anything it’s not, placing an emphasis on simple, quality-made cocktails made with love, laughter and good booze. It’s a bar that doesn't pretend to be chic for the sake of being trendy — it chooses instead to play the long game by focusing on customers and cocktails equally.
Old Hat
112 N. Asaph St.
Irina Prosser
Old Hat
The masterminds behind Old Hat take the unapproachability and pretentiousness out of craft cocktail-making. However, it never sacrifices on originality, twisting and muddling its own version of classic cocktails that are anything but old-fashioned. Even though it opened in 2021, it has crafted a name for itself as a laid-back bar that feels like you are drinking at your fun, eclectic aunt’s house.
The interior is as eye-catching and subtle as the drink menu, where your eyes tend to discover more as you continue to browse. Beneath layers of house plants and artistic gallery walls, is a cocktail menu that is both humorous and nonchalant without being gimmicky. Inspired by classic Tiki drinks, co-owner Jack Caminos, celebrates the fresher things in life with house-infused libations and no artificially-sweetened syrups in sight. In fact, each cocktail celebrates the simplicity of classic cocktails, but with a comedic twist to keep patrons from craving the old-fashioned renditions of cocktails past.
In fact, it’s a place where jaded locals and inquisitive tourists can retreat away from the hustle and bustle of King Street to find solace in all things that are glamorous and slightly unrefined.
The People’s Drug
103 N Alfred St.
Ica Images for Visit Alexandria
The People's Drug
The modern-day, apothecary-inspired cocktail bar of Alexandria, The People’s Drug supplies thirsty patrons with classic and aesthetically-pleasing cocktail concoctions. Walking in, it almost feels like you're entering a retro general store outfitted with a nostalgic lunch counter you could sit down at for a refined, diner-style sandwich. Plus, the large “Drugs” neon sign hanging on the wall snags your attention so fast, you realize you are sitting down for the first of a few drinks.
We wouldn’t call the cocktail menu at The People’s Drug the most ground-breaking in the world. However, it does the best job of honoring the classics that molded the mixology world, but adding its own twists and flares to them. Over-thought cocktails like the paper plane, negroni, Irish coffee and even the gin and tonic get fresh facelifts that make them feel both new, but also nostalgic in a way that doesn’t seem overplayed. However, The People’s Drug’s ability to pair time-honored cocktails to simple, yet iconic sandwiches is the sparkling jewel in its crown.
The Study at Morrison House
116 S Alfred St.
Scott Suchman
The Study, Alexandria, VA
The Study at Morrison House
Located just minutes away from King Street and the Potomac River, The Morrison House boutique hotel gives off an air of sophistication the minute you step inside. It matches the historic ambiance of Alexandria so perfectly, you would almost think it had existed since the city’s inception.
However, burrowed inside the aesthetically pleasing hotel lies The Study — a modern cocktail lounge with an antique atmosphere. Walking in, it feels more like a personal library filled with bottles of liquor, instead of well-loved books.
It feels like a luxurious and quaint home-away-from-home, especially if you go on a night when there’s live music. The cocktail menu, inspired by the classics of the literary world, takes you through the story of The Study. Like the classics we grew up reading, each cocktail feels familiar and nostalgic, but with slight variations that keep things feeling fresh every time you take a sip. It’s craft cocktail-making that pays homage to the classics in addition to the masterpieces that have yet to come.
