The Drink: White Sangria
The Location: Bar Pilar, 1833 14th St. NW, (202) 265-1751
The Price: $18 for a carafe
The Buzz: On these unseasonably warm, humid fall evenings, refreshing drinks are in order. I thought I’d hit a wellspring of refreshment when I saw white sangria on the cocktail list at Bar Pilar. Something fruity, bubbly, and light seemed like the perfect thing to distract me from the fact that I was sitting in a bar sweating my ass off. I ordered the carafe of white sangria (yes, I was sharing it) and watched the bartender throw some lemon and lime wedges, mint leaves, and cherries into the bottom. Then he poured triple sec and brandy in and filled it up with sparkling white wine. He plopped it down in front of us and said, “Here’s your instant hangover!” We tried to laugh, but it did make me eat more than my share of the apps, trying to fend off the rough morning coming. The worst part was that the drink wasn’t worth a hangover. It tasted like very slightly minty sparkling wine. The triple sec and brandy were barely detectable, and the fruit was held hostage in the bottom of the carafe until the last pour, when I was able to shake a couple pieces loose. My recommendation: Order it if you’re in the mood to sip wine through a straw but don’t go in expecting to relive past cocktail hours in Spain.