Drinking D.C.: Ana at District Winery

I guess I’m kind of obsessed with D.C.’s new waterfront areas, but it’s hard not to be with all of the new spots that have opened in the last year.  I’ve covered Del Mar and Requin at the Wharf.  Last weekend I visited Ana at District Winery, the winery/restaurant at the Navy Yard.

Like the original Brooklyn Winery that preceded it, District Winery has wine-making facilities on site.  There is a dedicated tasting room and winery-focused tours.  The site also boasts a large space pitched as an “ideal wedding venue” and, indeed, there was a wedding party in progress when we arrived on a busy Saturday evening.

But there is also a restaurant – Ana.  It faces the Anacostia River, which provides a spectacular view through a wall of glass windows.  Looking back into the restaurant, there is a wall covered with portraits of Presidents in order from first to forty-fifth.  These are painted in various styles and are pretty much certain to generate conversation (don’t worry, not about politics).

And in addition to wine, there are cocktails.  The drink menu:

Thanks to some indulgent dining companions, I had a chance to sample several of these cocktails.  The first – the cocktail I actually ordered for myself – was the Smoky Pisco Sour.  This was, as its name suggests, a smoky variation on the pisco sour.  But there was also a subtle spiciness (see “chipotle” in the ingredient list), which played well with the foam head provided by the egg white.  The chipotle (presumably) also imparted a lovely hue on the drink:

Next I tried the Figment of Your Imagination.  Not surprisingly, fig was a featured ingredient here.  The drink’s ingredients include fig syrup, and a torched fig provides the garnish.  But fig was not the most prominent flavor.  Instead, the drink came off as something of a spice market in the mouth.  I mean that in a good way, but I can’t attribute the flavors to the ingredients listed on the menu.  As with the Smokey Pisco Sour, this drink was nice to look at, thanks to the hefty fig garnish (which was delicious, by the way):

Although I don’t have photos, I was also able to try three other cocktails here.  The first was the Sin of Manhattan.  This drink is made from your traditional Manhattan ingredients plus cardamom and maple flavors.  The result is a slightly sweeter drink with an additional spicy complexity provided by the cardamom.  It’s a perfect winter cocktail.

Next I sipped the grapefruit basil rickey.  This is a variation on the gin rickey, with grapefruit added to or perhaps replacing the traditional citrus ingredient.  I liked the concept, but I thought there was a bit too much soda in this iteration.

Finally, I also tried the Sounds Like an Apology, made from elderflower, sparkling wine, and sugar, with a rosemary garnish.  This drink also seemed conceptually sound, but the sweetness was a bit heavy, overshadowing the rosemary and elderflower flavors.  Considering ordering this one and asking for just half the bitter sugar cube.

All in all there are some good cocktails to be had at Ana at District Winery.  I’m looking forward to seeing how the menu changes.  There is a great outdoor space next to the river here that would be an ideal spot for sipping some great summer drinks!

Reservations available on OpenTable.