"Preparadas, Up!"—a cousin to the michelada—incorporates strawberry and gochujang with a rainbow candy strip as a garnish. Photograph courtesy Ugly Duckling. Ugly Duckling. 1550 7th St., NW. The team behind cocktail bars King’s Ransom, the People’s Drug, and other Alexandria spots is making its first foray into DC. Ugly Duckling, which aims to be an approachable neighborhood hangout with some whimsical touches, opened this week in Shaw. “DC just brings a level of energy to things that we really enjoy,” says Oslesby Management Director of Operations Rob Csonka about the expansion. “The people are fun, the energy is fun.” The cocktails ($12.50 to $16) might incorporate some sophisticated techniques, but the goal overall is easy drinking. “Gullywarsher” is a riff on a Caribbean rum drink that instead uses popcorn-infused gin, coconut cream, lime, and pandan. “It’s a bit creamy. It’s refreshing still. And it’s got this fun toasted popcorn and pandan effect on the finish,” says Beverage Director Cameron Cummings. Meanwhile, the bar’s sweet-tart-spicy “Preparadas, Up!”—a cousin to the michelada—incorporates strawberry and gochujang with a rainbow candy strip as a garnish. With a little extra space in DC, the team—including partners Teddy Kim and Ian McGrath—is also be able to expand on their wine selection. The opening menu includes about 30 wines by the glass (mostly in the $12 to $16 range) and bottles covering a range of styles. Cummings says the driving force of the selection is “fun,” featuring lesser-seen grapes or producers who are “throwing out a new experiment to see if it sticks.” The small, snacky food menu includes cheese and charcuterie boards plus small plates like torched radicchio salad, cucumber carpaccio, spicy whipped feta, or a beef tartare subbing cured-lemon aioli for egg yolk. If you’re in the mood for something sweet, there’s also an oolong/meyer lemon tea cake. The minimalist, 36-seat bar has a “dark and sexy” vibe, says Csonka. But the space also has some quirky decor pieces, like a moose with a monocle and a duck with an aviator hat. Just like the ugly duckling fairy tale, “we’re not what you expect. We’re a little bit different.”The post Cocktail and Wine Bar Ugly Duckling Opens in Shaw first appeared on Washingtonian.