Cocktails And Upscale Bar Food At Sidebar Next To Jackie's In Silver Spring

Silver Spring gets a swanky cocktail destination

The epicenter of D.C.'s craft cocktail movement lies somewhere between Penn Quarter's restaurant-lounges and the trendy bars on 14th Street.

But Jackie Greenbaum has put Maryland on the map with Sidebar, the sleek, retro-inspired bar she recently opened next to her eponymous restaurant, Jackie's. And Silver Spring residents–long relegated to homogenous, lackluster cocktails–couldn't be thirstier for good options.

Greenbaum tasked beverage director Gordon Banks and former Gibson mixologist Tiffany Short with creating the menu. Together, they created 10 pages of drinks using premium liquors, fresh juices, house-made infusions and herbs grown on the building's roof.

Our favorites include the tart Summer on Sligo ($10), made with Thai basil leaves (click here to download the recipe), and the Tiffany ($12), Banks's tribute to Short, which includes Laphroaig Quarter Cask, Grand Marnier, sweet vermouth and cherry bitters.

The food menu comes from Diana Davila-Boldin, the new chef of Jackie's. Her upscale snack foods include truffled popcorn ($2), a ham and cheese sandwich ($8), and a Chicago-style hot dog ($6).

Desserts come from neighboring Jackie's, but we prefer to finish with a liquid flourish.

Jackie's Sidebar, 8081 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring; 301-565-9700