A new place to unwind after work — that looks like a classic study — just opened in the Blagden Alley neighborhood. Columbia Room (124 Blagden Alley NW) opened Tuesday and it’s set to give the District award-winning cocktails from expert Derek Brown.
“We love our new space, and are obsessive about the drinks we create, but service is top of mind for myself and my team,” Brown said in a statement. “One of our mantras is that we’re not serving cocktails — we’re serving people. Columbia Room is about giving guests the opportunity to spend time together to talk and to laugh and to celebrate while enjoying our cocktails and food in a space that is both well-appointed and warm.”
The Columbia Room was newly redesigned. It features a curved wood bar inside the tasting room along with 22 weathered tufted leather armchairs in the Spirits Library.
While sipping on cocktails made with rare spirits — such as pre-1960s Cuban Rum or Napolean-era Cognac — guests can also enjoy the large-scale custom Italian tile mosaic inside the tasting room.
And that’s not all! By spring the Columbia Room will open retro-inspired seating in its outdoor Punch Garden. It will offer a panoramic view of the Washington skyline and fresh herbs, which will be used in the Columbia Room cocktail program.
As for the menu? Expect cocktails such as The Robert Frost Cocktail— which is a mix of bourbon, amontillado sherry, white port and orange bitters — served with a glowing ember of sugar maple charcoal on the side.