Washington DC bar Allegory has launched its second cocktail menu, Banned in DC, which continues its fictional retelling of the story of activist Ruby Bridges.
The new menu follows the bar’s first offering, Down the Rabbit Hole, which related the story of Bridges as a young civil rights activist, reimagined through the lens of Alice in Wonderland.
It featured standout drinks such as the Eyes of Flame.
For Banned in DC, the story moves on to when Bridges is 26. This time the bar has skipped 100 years to imagine a dystopian, dilapidated future for the US capital. As the menu progresses, Bridges is shown championing the reconstruction of DC through her knowledge and education.
The bar’s creative and beverage director Deke Dunne calls it “more than just a cocktail menu – it’s a storytelling experience”.
The print menu, designed as a storybook, features illustrations from local artist Katie Miller. The team noted that Miller’s artistry shaped each cocktail: “Rather than crafting drinks, they waited for the artwork to arrive, using it as their muse.”
Most drinks take more than 48 hours to create and are ‘technique- and ingredient-driven’.
Modern techniques such as clarification and carbonation are showcased, as well as freeze-drying. The team also treats many ingredients with natural enzymes to enhance their natural flavours.
“Each drink on this menu is a fusion of art and science,” Dunne explained. “We leaned into advanced techniques like enzyme treatment, freeze-drying, and clarification to push the boundaries of flavour and texture. Every sip is meant to surprise and engage, just like the story we’re telling.”
Cocktails
On the menu, guests will find a clarified and carbonated take on a Paloma called Black Dove. This is made with pomelo and overripe apples, which have been treated with enzymes to ‘increase juice yield with heightened natural sweetness’.
Other highlights include a partially clarified Coconut Milk Punch called the Mardi Gras, which is presented on a rock and garnished with Cosmo Bears (house-made, freeze-dried mango gummy bears), and the Cognac-based Black Broadway, which has enzyme-treated cantaloupe.
The drink also has an eye-catching garnish of a root beer foam, which the team dubs an “Italian aperitivo meets root-beer-float experience”.
Dunne added: “We wanted to explore the intersection of history, art, and activism through drinks that challenge, intrigue, and inspire.
“With this menu, we’re reimagining what a cocktail bar can be. It’s not just about great drinks – it’s about sparking conversation, honouring history, and inviting guests into a world where every sip tells a story.”
The menu also features non-alcoholic offerings, such as the Old Fashioned-inspired The Vault, which is made with koji-inoculated liquefied rice.
The process for this – warning, it gets scientific – introduces glucosidase and amylase enzymes, then combines coconut milk, coconut cream, water, and additional enzymes for a clarified base. Lastly, this mixture is mixed with Seedlip Notas de Agave non-alcoholic spirit, apple cider vinegar and shio koji – for a savoury spirit-free libation.
Outside of the Banned in DC menu, there’s also a Combo section that pays tribute to the traditional beer and shot combo, but in a more ‘elevated’ sense. The Caviback features Ketel One Vodka served alongside a caviar-topped potato chip, while the Milsner combines a neat pour of Michter’s ultra-rare 25-year Bourbon with a local pilsner (available for US$407).
Allegory is located in Progress Library at the Eaton Hotel in Washington, DC.
It is open from Monday to Thursday from 5pm to 11.30pm and Friday and Saturday 5pm-1.30am.
Last year, the bar was awarded two pins in the Pinnacle Guide and was also a finalist for Best US Hotel Bar at the 2024 Spirited Awards.
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Author: Rupert Hohwieler
