Taking Flight

We love any opportunity to sample a lot of little things at once—whether that’s tapas, dim sum, a well-crafted charcuterie board, or most recently, some of our favorite spirits. Of course, wine flights had their heyday several years back, but now there are all kinds of things that can be found in flight form, and we’re sure happy the trend is, well, taking off.

Many breweries in town have made their beer available in flights (Oliver, Monument City, and Jailbreak, to name a few), but if your aim is to try a bunch of different breweries under one roof, head to Parts & Labor (2600 N. Howard St.). Though the restaurant recently announced its closing, a pop-up bar will operate Wednesdays through Saturdays through the end of September. Featuring offerings from craft breweries around the region and country—such as Diamondback, Wardaca, and Sly Fox—the oft-rotating draft options are available in three mini snifter classes for $8-11.

There’s an even greater selection at The Brass Tap in Bolton Hill (1205 W. Mt. Royal Ave.), where four samples of their 62-draft selection are often scribbled on a chalkboard, so you can clearly remember your choices no matter how many you’ve had. Sit outside and sample your beers as you watch the Light Rail whiz by.

If you’re feeling more adventurous, look no further than Lane Harlan’s two Remington bars. W.C. Harlan (400 W. 23rd St.) offers flights of the Italian liqueur amaro ($12 for three pours). The liqueur is presented three ways on a beautiful silver serving tray. There’s even one house-made version concocted with local honey.

Just up the street is Harlan’s taqueria Clavel (225 W. 23rd St.), which recently expanded with a private six-seat bar providing special mezcal tastings. For $35 per person, sample four different varieties of the agave treat, while being expertly guided by bar manager Dre Barnhill. The bar offers small bites—nuts, crackers, and traditional orange slices—and a portion of the proceeds goes to the Tequila Interchange Project, an organization that advocates for the preservation of agave-distilled spirit practices.

If you truly can’t decide what kind of flight to try, head to West Madison Craft Beer & Wine Bar in Mt. Vernon (311 W. Madison St.), which offers practically everything in small sizes. There are flights for beer ($12 for 4-ounce drafts), whiskey ($15 for 1-ounce pours of rye, bourbon, and scotch), and wine ($15 for four selections of red and white). And the bar also boasts flight selections for both olives and pickles, which come in a medley of sweet, horseradish, garden, and spicy.

The bar’s vintage telephone booth and open windows overlooking the bustling sidewalk give it a European feel—appropriate for all the “flights” we’ve taken in our travels through Baltimore.