Happy Hour at Fiola

Happy Hour of the Week: Fiola
By Fritz Hahn
Friday, Dec 09, 2011

From Aperol to Cocchi Americano to Gran Classico, Italian liqueurs are one of 2011's "it" cocktail ingredients, and no cocktail list in Washington shows off the diversity of these spirits as well as Jeff Faile's menu at Fiola. (The Nuovo Inizio, which includes two bittersweet liqueurs alongside Old Tom Gin, is a shoo-in for a spot on my best-drinks-of-the-year list.)

Fiola's classy, spacious bar is also home to one of downtown's best happy hours, even if you have to sneak out of the office early to take full advantage of it. Running from 4 to 6 p.m. on weekdays, Fiola's deals include $5 for the Aperol Spritz - whose day can't be improved by a combination of bitter-orange aperitif and sparkling prosecco? - or the classic Negroni Rosso, made with gin, sweet vermouth and bitters. A bracing Americano (Campari, Cocchi vermouth and club soda) is just a dollar more.

House Italian wines -red. white and sparkling - sell for $6 a glass, and beers are $4.

Pro tip: Although the address is Pennsylvania Avenue, Fiola's entrance is at the back of the building, on Indiana Avenue.