The glass was half full at EdibleDC’s first-ever event Thursday night at Longview Gallery. That’s because the 2015 Drinks Invitational was a celebration of the local beverage scene that's bloomed the past few years. Local distillers like Catoctin Creek Distilling Co, One Eight Distilling and New Columbia Distillers showed off their products in creative cocktails like Catoctin Creek’s “Hot Buttered Rye,” which had a mound of butter and brown sugar requiring an immediate call to a cardiologist. We snapped the magazine’s publisher, Susan Able, before the crowds arrived.

Joining local beverage purveyors were top restaurants showcasing cocktails and paired nibbles including Zentan, DGS Delicatessen and Rural Society. However, the most swiped-at dish seemed to be from Chaia, whose motto is “farm to taco.” Soon you’ll be able to try its plant-based eats in a brick-and-mortar restaurant at 3207 Grace St NW. They paired well with a smoked moonshine Manhattan from Richmond-based Belle Isle Craft Spirits. EdibleDC Magazine covers local food culture and relaunched in June 2014 under Susan's leadership.