Quoit Club punch (Photo by Jay Paul)
Members Only
In the 19th century, prominent Richmonders such as John Marshall were members of the Quoit Club, a social club that gathered during the summer months to play the ring toss game and imbibe. The drink of choice: Quoit Club punch, made by freed slave and mixologist Jasper Crouch. Find the the revered barkeep's creation on menu at The Jasper.
Mix It Up
Locally made mixers to elevate the home bar
Owner Meredyth Archer’s grandmother firmly believed that homemade sweetened drinking vinegars were the cure for just about everything. After her grandmother's death, Archer stumbled across a recipe in one of her old cookbooks and in 2016 started bottling her own. The mixers are ideal for taking spirits or nonalcoholic drinks up a notch.
Part tonic, part soda, the small-batch mixer was created by friends and UVA alumni Jenny Luvas and Katie Williams. Today, Navy Hill’s lineup includes the original tonic in addition to juniper, ginger, a grapefruit club soda and a sparkling blood orange beverage.
Will Gray has been perfecting the family bloody mary recipe since the ripe age of 8. Back Pocket sources misfit ’maters that are otherwise unfit for market from farmers across the state, rescuing 50,000 pounds of fruit annually. Mixes are available in flavors ranging from the flagship Bloody Brilliance to Southwestern-inspired Bloody Baja (vegetarian).
Cask and Barrels
Area tasting rooms and their spirits of choice
615 Maury St.
Sip on: Moonshine and canned cocktails
1603 Ownby Lane
Sip on: Vodka
1800 Summit Ave.
Sip on: Whiskey
250 N. Washington Highway, Ashland
Sip on: Moonshine and bourbon
1606 W. Main St.
Sip on: Everything from sloe gin to limoncello
1727 Rhoadmiller St.
Sip on: Rum, gin, and coffee and chocolate liqueurs
In the Can
Hometown spirit hounds Belle Isle Moonshine hopped on the national trend of canned cocktails locally, introducing its first drinks on the go in late 2019. Flavors range from honey habanero to the most recent, cherry limeade, crafted in partnership with the Richmond Flying Squirrels.
Safe Bars RVA
Founded in 2019 by longtime bartender Kailie Smith, Safe Bars RVA aims to address sexual assault and harassment in establishments that serve alcohol. Working with sexual violence prevention professionals, the nonprofit comprising hospitality workers hosts training sessions that focus on how to recognize unwanted sexual aggression and how to respond to it.
GWARbar (Photo by Justin Chesney)
Dive Bars
With no frills, these establishments keep it approachable
- The Pitts, 2220 Broad Rock Blvd.
- The Locker Room, 5035 Forest Hill Ave.
- O’Tooles, 4800 Forest Hill Ave.
- Patrick Henry’s Pub & Grille, 2300 E. Broad St.
- GWARbar, 217 W. Clay St.
- Lakeside Tavern, 5406 Lakeside Ave.
- Fuzzy Cactus, 221 Brookland Park Blvd.
- Daddio’s, 12385 Gayton Road
Last Call
These bars may no longer be pouring, but their memories live on
Cous Cous
Former address: 900 W. Franklin St.
So nice, they named it twice. This beloved Richmond spot was known for tapas, karaoke and DJ sets where people from all crowds could imbibe and boogie. Open from 2006 to 2013, the space housed a number of tenants before its current concept, Mochinut.
Portrait House
Former address: 2907 W. Cary St.
Owned by Don’t Look Back’s Hamooda Shami, Portrait House was where a bevy of local bartenders including The Jasper’s Brandon Peck and Katy Best of Kismet Cocktail, had their humble beginnings. Short-lived (2013-15), it’s currently home to Citizen Burger Bar.
Pie
Former address: 214 N. Lombardy St.
Time stood still when walking the stairs to the second level of the Fan watering hole Pie, currently where Westray’s Finest Ice Cream resides. Like a cramped frat house, it was dimly lit and tightly packed, with the lingering scent of stale cigarette smoke and popcorn from the pre-COVID-era machine that sat on the bar.
Bogart’s
Former address: 1903 W. Cary St.
Two-dollar rail drinks on Tuesdays were every college student’s kryptonite when Bogart’s was open, especially with the added bonus of live music. The almost 40-year-old jazz club and restaurant, which shuffled locations, shuttered in 2008, and the Cary Street space now houses Shyndigz.
The Forest
Former address: 5057 Forest Hill Ave.
“Light it up and and throw it back” was the undeclared motto of this judgement-free dive bar, where everyone knew your name and cigarettes and shots were celebrated. Riding steady for 16 years, The Forest closed at the end of 2020 due to pandemic struggles, with Riverside Tavern stepping in its place.
