On June 20, it was a slightly hot and muggy day, so Gloria Stuart and her husband Scott decided to leave their home in Old Town Alexandria in Virginia to go to the District to get some drinks after an unusually eventful week.
They ended up at Amazonia, a Peruvian bar and restaurant located in the Bladen Alley neighborhood in Northwest Washington, one block west of the Walter A. Washington Convention Center. They came to Amazonia because they heard of its great service and its unique, filling cocktails, Gloria Stuart said.
“We used to live in this area before we moved to Alexandria,” said Stuart, 75. “We visited Peru in 2016 and absolutely enjoyed ourselves. That is where we discovered the Pisco Sour cocktail, and we loved it. A friend of mine told me that Pisco Sour is served here at Amazonia and we decided to give it a try.”
The Stuarts are part of the growing fan base that has generated enough support for Amazonia, which has been nominated for a 2025 RAMMYS award — sponsored by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) — in the Cocktail Program of the Year category. Amazonia is one of five nominees noted for the quality, diversity, clarity and value of its craft cocktail program which is different from other beverages such as beer and wine.
Drew Furlough is the lead bartender at Amazonia. Furlough, 39, said the way he and his staff create cocktails are done “in a balanced and interesting way.”
“Every cocktail we make tells a story,” he said. “That’s what we try to do. Our classic cocktail is the Pisco Sour, and it is the drink most people who come here request.”
The Amazonia Experience
Amazonia is physically located two flights of stairs above its restaurant and bar sibling Causa. The owners of Amazonia and Causa have it set up where customers can experience both the coastal Peruvian and Andean cuisine and spirits.
When a customer enters Amazonia, they are confronted with a rectangular bar located in the middle of a room that serves as a rooftop. Tables are located throughout the room decorated in Peruvian décor.
Further, Peruvian music is played on a loudspeaker while the customers drink and dine.
Furlough and his staff prepare cocktails in the presence of the customer and often talk through the preparation process.
“I like talking to people and educating them on what we do,” Furlough said.
Nicolas Arriagada is the general manager for Amazonia and Causa. He said Amazonia’s cocktails are products of Peru and include such ingredients as huacatay or what is known as Peruvian marigold or black mint, to enhance a drink’s flavor.
The Pisco Sour, first appearing in Lima, Peru, is considered a leading beverage in Peru and Chile. The ingredients consist of Pisco (Peruvian brandy in the case of Amazonia), squeezed lime juice, syrup, egg white, angostura bitters and ice.
Arriagada, 41, agrees with Furlough that the Classic Pisco is a favorite of customers.
“When people come to Amazonia, they want an authentic Peruvian cocktail and that is what we serve them,” he said.
Like the Stuarts, Cheryl Davis heard about Amazonia through a friend’s recommendation and decided to visit. Unlike the Stuarts, Davis is not an active consumer of cocktails but has some familiarity with them.
When Davis was informed of Amazonia’s nomination, she expressed pleasant surprise.
“This is my first time here, but my partner is a real foodie,” Davis, 73, said. “I know a little something about cocktails. I think creativity is the foundation of a good cocktail, it’s about what you put into it that sets one apart from another.”
Arriagada is proud of Amazonia’s RAMMY nomination. The restaurant team will learn the winner of the Cocktail Program of the Year and other categories at the RAMMYS Awards Gala on Aug. 3.
“We are definitely honored to have been nominated,” he said. “In D.C., there is no shortage of great cocktail programs. We are very passionate about what we do here, and we have a lot of fun, too.”
