all photos: Jeff Martin

We all know DC LOVES their craft cocktails. Add to that a good cause and a healthy dose of pageantry and you obviously have yourself a winner.

For the second year in a row, Renaissance Dupont’s M BAR is hosting a month of cocktails 100% of proceeds of which go to benefit the Miracle Children’s Network, each one designed by their resident mixologists, the Wilder brothers and inspired by a person about town (including BYT’s very own Svetlana).

Last week, the program kicked off with, well, a cocktail party and we stopped by to take some photos. On the menu:

• BLACK CAT (inspired by Svetlana Legetic of BYT) .5 oz Tanqueray, .5 oz Chartreuse Yellow , .5 oz Luxardo Maraschino, .5 oz lemon juice, .5 oz fresh pineapple juice, .75 oz Wilder Bros Pineapple Gomme, 4 dash Peychauds Bitters. Garnish with a pineapple chunk with a rosemary quill.
• A DERBY (inspired by Winston Lord of VENGA): 2 oz Eagle Rare 10 year Bourbon, .5 oz Orange Curacao, 1 oz fresh squeezed grapefruit, 1.5 oz ginger-chamomile honey (equal parts ginger juice to chamomile honey), .5 oz lime juice.  Shaken and served up in a rocks glass with a grapefruit cube.
• MAD MAN (inspired by Mark Drapeau of MICROSOFT): 2 oz Bulleit Rye, rinse of Kubler Absinthe, 4 heavy dashes of Peychauds Bitters, .75 Wilder Bros Orange Peel Gomme
• BRIAR PATCH (inspired by Amanda McClements of Metrocurean): 2 oz Russian Standard Vodka, .75 Blackberry Liqeuer, .5 oz fresh lemon.  Topped with black tea ginger beer.
• SWEET HEAT (inspired by RICH AMONS of Real Housewives of DC): 2 oz Tanteo Jalapeno Tequilla, .5 oz Crème de Violet, 1.5 oz Wilder Bros Sweet Heat, .5 oz fresh lime juice, 1 oz pineapple juice.  Garnished with a Jalapeno sliver and a lime wheel.  Shaken and served up in a martini glass.

In the mood to try one?