Most bars treat sherry as an afterthought, a dusty bottle at the end of the back bar. At Boqueria on M Street, it is close to the main event. If you want a cocktail bar Dupont Circle friends can meet at after work, with drinks that taste like Spain rather than a generic happy hour, our long bar at 1837 M St NW is a good place to start. The list runs from a briny Manzanilla to a dark, raisiny PX, and several of the cocktails are built on Spanish wines: sherry, vermut, cava and sangría.
The trouble is that sherry can look intimidating on paper. Manzanilla pasada, amontillado, oloroso: what do those words actually mean in the glass? This guide answers that in plain English, then shows how the same wines turn up inside the cocktails, and which tapas make each one sing.
Read it on the way over, and you will walk up to the bar knowing what to order.
Key Takeaways
- Boqueria Dupont at 1837 M St NW pairs a full cocktail list with a deep Spanish wine program, so sherry, vermut and cava all play starring roles.
- The sherry list is printed lightest to fullest, which makes it easy to climb from dry Manzanilla Pasada up to sweet PX one glass at a time.
- Cocktails such as Fino What You Did Last Summer, the Negroni Blanco and the Aperol Spritz are built on Spanish fortified or sparkling wine.
- Salty, crunchy tapas love dry sherry; richer meats suit nutty amontillado and oloroso; PX belongs with dessert.
- Reservations are recommended, and bar seating is kept for walk-ins, which suits an unplanned round after work.
1. A Cocktail Bar Dupont Circle Can Sip Slowly
Our Dupont location page describes the scene well: the neighborhood gathers around an expansive bar and a prominent patio, K Street dealmakers share the room with Embassy Row diplomats at lunch, and by evening the dining room is buzzing as guests pair paella and tapas with Spanish wines, sangrías and cocktails.
That mix shapes how people drink here. Plenty of guests want something lighter than a stiff martini after a long day, and Spain has a centuries-old answer: fortified and aromatised wines that are lower in alcohol than spirits, full of flavor, and made to be drunk with food. Sherry and vermut are the two big ones, and both are on the Boqueria Dupont list.
Boqueria began in 2006 on 19th Street in Flatiron, with the motto “Inspired by Barcelona. Forged in NYC.” The DC rooms carry the same idea: lively, generous, and built around sharing.
2. The Sherry Ladder: Dry to Sweet in Plain English
All sherry comes from the south of Spain, around the towns of Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María. Most of it is made from a white grape called Palomino, and it is aged in a system of stacked barrels called a solera, where younger wine is blended into older wine over the years.
The big difference between styles is how the wine ages. Some sherries age under a living blanket of yeast called flor, which keeps air away and gives a fresh, salty, bready taste. Others age with air, which turns them darker, nuttier and rounder. Sweet styles are made from grapes like Pedro Ximénez that are dried in the sun until they are almost raisins.
Boqueria Dupont lists its sherries “lightest to fullest,” so you can treat the menu like a ladder. Here is the current list, rung by rung. The selection rotates, so ask the bartender what is open tonight.
| Rung | On the current list | Style in plain English | Tastes like | Try it with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barbiana Manzanilla Pasada (Sanlúcar de Barrameda) | Dry, aged under flor, then given extra time | Sea air, almonds, a little salinity | Boquerones con Naranja, Pimientos de Padrón |
| 2 | Valdespino ‘Tio Diego’ Amontillado (Jerez) | Dry, starts under flor and then ages with air | Hazelnut, dried orange peel, savory | Croquetas de Jamón, Jamón Ibérico de Bellota |
| 3 | El Maestro Sierra Oloroso (Jerez) | Dry but rich, aged with air from the start | Walnut, toffee, warm spice, no sugar | Secreto de Ibérico, Pintxos Morunos |
| 4 | La Cigarrera PX (Jerez) | Sweet, from sun-dried Pedro Ximénez grapes | Figs, raisins, molasses | Basque Chocolate Cheesecake, Classic Churros |
| Bonus | Olivares Monastrell Dulce (Jumilla) | A sweet red dessert wine, not a sherry | Dark berries, plum | Valdeón blue cheese, Crema Catalana |
A few tips for climbing the ladder.
Start cold and dry. Manzanilla comes only from Sanlúcar, a seaside town at the mouth of the Guadalquivir river, and many people swear they can taste the ocean in it. “Pasada” means it spent extra time in the barrel, so it is a little deeper and nuttier than a young manzanilla. It is the sherry most likely to convert a skeptic.
Don’t let “oloroso” fool you. The word means “fragrant,” and the wine smells rich enough to seem sweet. It isn’t. A dry oloroso has the depth of a brown spirit with the gentle strength of a wine, which makes it a lovely match for grilled pork or lamb.
Save PX for the end. Pedro Ximénez is about as sweet as wine gets, thick enough to coat the glass, and a natural partner for churros.
Go in pairs. Two friends can order the Manzanilla Pasada and the Oloroso, swap glasses, and suddenly the difference between flor and air makes sense.
3. Cocktails Built on Spanish Wines
Once you know the sherry ladder, the cocktail list starts to look familiar. Several drinks lean on fortified wine, sparkling cava or wine-based sangría instead of a big pour of spirit. Cocktail menus rotate, so take these as examples from the current Dupont menu.
| Drink | The Spanish wine inside | What else is in it | Pair it with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fino What You Did Last Summer | Fino sherry | Blanco tequila, strawberry, basil, lime, clarified milk | Gambas al Ajillo |
| Negroni Blanco | Atxa White Vermut | Ford’s Gin, Faccia Bruto Centerbe, Luxardo Bitter Bianco, paella rice wash | Pan con Tomate |
| Aperol Spritz | Cava | Aperol, soda, orange | Crispy Calamari |
| Sangría Tinta (red) | Red wine | Gin, orange, lemon | Beef and Pork Meatballs |
| Sangría Blanca (white) | White wine | Rum, white peach | Tortilla Española |
| No Fizz Given (zero proof) | Hollow Leg Sparkling Albariño (non-alcoholic) | Wilderton Citrus Aperitivo, lemon | Patatas Bravas |
Fino What You Did Last Summer is the gateway drink for the sherry-curious. Fino, the palest and driest style, gives strawberry and basil a crisp, almost savory finish.
The Negroni Blanco swaps red vermouth for a Basque white vermut from Destilerías Atxa, with a playful “paella rice wash” that softens the body.
The Aperol Spritz gets its bubbles from cava, Spain’s traditional-method sparkling wine from Catalonia. The wine list also pours cava by itself, including a rosat (Catalan for rosé).
The sangrías are wine cocktails at heart: red wine with gin and citrus, white wine with rum and white peach, rosé with tequila and grapefruit, or watermelon with rosé, vodka, lemon and mint.
Vermut, straight up. Vermouth is itself a wine, fortified and infused with botanicals. Boqueria Dupont pours Destilerías Atxa Dry, White and Red Vermut, Lustau Vermut, Lustau Vermut Rosé and Casa Mariol Vermut Negre on the rocks or with a splash of soda.
Prefer spirits? There are five Spanish gins, including BCN Gin and Gin Mare from Barcelona, plus the Ibérico Washed Old Fashioned and Boqueria’s iconic Shishito Margarita. After dinner, a Carajillo (espresso with Licor 43, brandy or anise) is a very Spanish nightcap.
4. Pairing Sherry and Cocktails with Tapas
In Spain, nobody drinks sherry without a bite. On its own it can feel sharp; next to something salty it suddenly makes sense.
With dry sherry and crisp cocktails, go salty and crunchy. Pimientos de Padrón (blistered shishito peppers with sea salt), Boquerones con Naranja (pickled white anchovies with orange) and Crispy Calamari all love a Manzanilla Pasada. The Seared Octopus even comes with a Manzanilla olivada, an olive spread.
With amontillado, think ham and cheese. Nutty, dry amontillado and Jamón Ibérico de Bellota, aged 48 months, is one of the classic matches of Spain. Croquetas de Jamón (creamy Serrano ham croquettes with quince purée) and Aged Manchego, a nutty sheep’s milk cheese, work beautifully too.
With oloroso and richer cocktails, bring out the meat. Secreto de Ibérico, the “secret cut” of the Ibérico pig, is served with a sherry-honey reduction, so an oloroso alongside it is a natural echo. Pintxos Morunos (marinated lamb skewers) and Bacon-Wrapped Dates stuffed with almonds and Valdeón blue cheese stand up well to it, as does a Midnight in Madrid.
With PX, go sweet or go bold. PX Chicken Wings are glazed with a sweet and sour Pedro Ximénez reduction, which makes a fun side-by-side with the wine itself. For dessert, try PX with the Basque Chocolate Cheesecake or Classic Churros with dulce de leche, hot chocolate or Nutella.
With vermut, keep it simple. Pan con Tomate (toasted bread rubbed with tomato, garlic and olive oil), Patatas Bravas or a plate of Croquetas de Setas (mushroom croquettes with truffle allioli, a Catalan garlic mayonnaise) are all you need.
Several gluten-free options are marked on the menu, including Patatas Bravas, Pimientos de Padrón and the Seared Octopus. Please tell your server about any allergies before ordering. For more ideas on building a spread, see our earlier post on the small plates restaurant in Dupont.
5. After-Work Drinks and an Embassy Row Stroll
The circle itself sits a few blocks north of the restaurant, where Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire Avenues meet P Street and 19th Street NW. According to the National Park Service, the marble fountain at its center was designed by Henry Bacon and sculpted by Daniel Chester French, the artist behind the seated Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial. Completed in 1921, it shows three figures representing the Sea, the Wind and the Stars, a fitting tribute to a naval officer, Rear Admiral Samuel Francis Dupont.
From the circle, Massachusetts Avenue heads northwest as Embassy Row, lined with grand mansions and flags from around the world. It is a lovely walk as the light fades, and a natural way to build an appetite. Here are a few ways to put the evening together.
| The plan | Start | Then | Finish at Boqueria with |
|---|---|---|---|
| After-work reset | Leave the office on K Street or Connecticut Avenue | A seat at the bar on M Street | Manzanilla Pasada and Boquerones con Naranja |
| Embassy Row stroll | Walk up Massachusetts Avenue past the embassies | Loop back via the fountain at the circle | Amontillado with Jamón Ibérico de Bellota |
| Sherry flight with a friend | Grab two bar seats | Order the four sherries one after another, lightest first | PX with Classic Churros |
| Team drinks | Book ahead for a table | A pitcher of Sangría Tinta and a round of Negroni Blanco | Patatas Bravas, Croquetas and Angus Beef Sliders |
| Dinner after drinks | Vermut on the rocks at the bar | Move to a table for paella | Olivares Monastrell Dulce with Crema Catalana |
The bar also runs a happy hour menu with Spanish bites, mini martinis and sangría. Check the location page for the current menu and days before you go.
6. Visit Us in Dupont
Boqueria Dupont is at 1837 M St NW, Washington, DC, just steps from the Dupont Circle Metro and an easy walk from the offices along K Street and Connecticut Avenue. The expansive bar is the center of the room, and the patio out front is a favorite when the weather cooperates.
Reservations are recommended, especially for groups and weekend evenings. Bar seating is kept for walk-ins, so if you just want a glass of sherry and a plate of croquetas, come by and look for an open stool.
Planning a gathering? Company mixers, rehearsal dinners and birthday rounds can all be arranged through our DC events page, with private and semi-private options and tapas-forward, family-style menus.
Conclusion
Sherry is one of the great drinks of Spain, and one of the easiest to fall for once someone explains it. At Boqueria Dupont, you can climb the ladder from a sea-breezy Manzanilla Pasada to a fig-sweet PX, taste the same wines inside cocktails like Fino What You Did Last Summer and the Negroni Blanco, and pair every glass with tapas made for the purpose.
So the next time you need a cocktail bar Dupont Circle neighbors and visitors can both enjoy, skip the usual order and ask for the sherry list. See the full drinks menu on the Boqueria Dupont location page, then book a table or walk in for a seat at the bar. Salud!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Boqueria Dupont a cocktail bar or a restaurant?
Both. It is a Spanish tapas restaurant with a full bar, so you can stop in for a drink and a few small plates or stay for paella.
I have never tried sherry. Which one should I order first?
Start with the Barbiana Manzanilla Pasada: dry, light and a little salty. Or ease in with the Fino What You Did Last Summer cocktail.
Is sherry sweet?
Most sherry is not. Manzanilla, amontillado and oloroso are all dry styles. Only the sweet styles, such as PX made from sun-dried Pedro Ximénez grapes, taste like dessert. The Dupont list is printed lightest to fullest, so the sweet wines sit at the end.
Do I need a reservation for drinks at the bar?
Reservations are recommended, especially for tables and larger groups. Bar seating is kept for walk-ins, so you can stop by for a drink and take a seat when one is free.
Are there non-alcoholic options?
Yes. The current menu includes zero-proof cocktails such as the Forget-Me-Not, A Better NA Negroni, SPF Zero and No Fizz Given, which is made with a non-alcoholic sparkling Albariño. There is also a non-alcoholic hazy IPA.
Can I book after-work drinks for a group?
Yes. For a team outing or private event, start with the DC events page to talk through private and semi-private options and family-style menus. For parties of 6 or more, a 20% service charge applies, as noted on the menu.