5. Drinking LocalÂ
Michael Paluzzi opened Falls Church Distillers alongside his oldest son, Lorenzo, in the summer of 2017. Their operation includes a distillery producing gin, vodka and bourbon, and a restaurant and bar with Italian small plates. Rum and apple brandy will join the list of libations in 2018. Meanwhile, a few blocks away, beer lovers crowd storied brewer Bill Madden’s Mad Fox Brewing Company, which features a rotating selection of seasonal, house-brewed beers at its 63-foot bar. The brewery’s annual Barleywine Festival highlights 30 handpicked barleywine strong ales each February. If caffeine is more your thing, Rare Bird Coffee Roasters on West Broad Street roasts its own imported beans.