Allegory at Eaton DC Hotel has unveiled a new cocktail menu, entitled Banned in DC.

Dreamed up by Creative & Beverage Director Deke Dunne and his team, Allegory’s new concept follows its initial menu, the award-winning Down the Rabbit Hole. Down the Rabbit Hole was inspired by the mural that stretches the entirety of Allegory’s wall, painted by DC-based artist Erik Thor Sandberg and depicting Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland through the eyes of six-year-old Ruby Bridges – the first African-American child to attend an all-white school in New Orleans in 1960.

Allegory’s subsequent menu, Banned in DC, follows the now-fictionalised journey of 26-year-old Ruby Bridges, who falls into a new rabbit hole set 100 years from now, reconnecting with her former companion Rabbit and foe-turned-friend Jabberwocky. The Banned in DC storybook menu draws inspiration from the aesthetic of Bad Brains, the pioneering all-Black alternative band from D.C., and their influential album Banned in DC.

Dunne and his team commissioned local artist Katie Miller to design 17 unique scenes depicting a dystopian future for the US capital. Using only children’s toys, Miller constructed each set with over 15,000 individual pieces, including more than 1,000 miniature books, to illustrate the sweeping, profound story of Ruby’s journey. Each chapter was photographed for Allegory’s new print menu.

“Banned in DC is more than just a cocktail menu, it’s a storytelling experience. We wanted to explore the intersection of history, art and advocacy through drinks that challenge, intrigue and inspire,” says Dunne. “With this menu, we’re reimagining what a cocktail bar can be. It’s not just about great drinks – it’s about sparking conversation, honouring history and inviting guests into a world where every sip tells a story.”

“Each drink on this menu is a fusion of art, science and storytelling,” he concludes. “We leaned into advanced techniques like enzyme treatment, freeze-drying and clarification to push the boundaries of flavour and texture. Every sip is meant to surprise and engage, just like the story we’re telling.”

Allegory’s new cocktails are technique and ingredient-driven, with most drinks taking over 48 hours to create. The menu incorporates many of modern mixology’s most notable techniques, such as clarification and carbonation, and natural enzymes, such as amylase, cellulase and naringinase.

The team uses freeze-drying to preserve ingredients, making them shelf-stable and easily transportable. Beyond its practical benefits, freeze-dried food and candy evoke an intense nostalgia, particularly for those who grew up in the 1980s and 90s. Leaning into this sentimental inspiration, the team crafts playful garnishes like the Space S’more, a freeze-dried s’more featured in the All She Carried cocktail.

Meanwhile, Black Dove, a clarified and carbonated take on the classic Paloma, uses pomelo and overripe apples that have both been treated with enzymes to increase juice yield with heightened natural sweetness. Additionally, Mardi Gras is a partially clarified coconut milk punch that uses fat washing, enzymes and acid adjustment to enhance the mango’s natural flavours. Presented on a rock, the cocktail is adorned with Cosmo Bears: house-made, freeze-dried mango gummy bears.