Thirty-eight-year-old Bethesda resident Michael Silverman had had his fill working for Goldman Sachs in procurement and vendor management, so in 2023, he left behind the finance world to concentrate full time on a side gig he had started in 2020: selling a highly curated selection of beer, wine and spirits, specializing mostly in whiskeys, at his DMV Spirits shop. “I focus on premium and ultra-premium selections, the enthusiasts who want a high-quality product and aren’t looking to empty it out like a bottle of Tito’s, and people looking to get a special gift for someone,” Silverman explains. “Perhaps Chartreuse or a pinnacle of ultra-premium tequila, like Tears of Llorona Extra Anejo.” That goes for $269.99.
Silverman created DMV Spirits in 2020, acquiring retail space in two rooms of a nondescript office building called Capital Workspace just off Massachusetts Avenue in D.C.’s Spring Valley neighborhood. He received his liquor license in 2021 and is open Friday through Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. and on other days by appointment. One of the rooms is a tasting room, where customers can sample any of the 300 items currently in stock, 270 of them whiskey from the U.S., the U.K., China, Taiwan, India and beyond. He opened in D.C. to avoid the notoriously draconian system of purchasing alcohol from the government-run alcohol control boards in Virginia and Montgomery County, which makes it nearly impossible to move quickly to acquire highly sought after spirits in short supply. Spring Valley is convenient for residents in both of those places, who make up a large part of his clientele, he says.
Born and raised in Potomac and a graduate of Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, Silverman is a Montgomery County guy through and through. He’s also a qualified firefighter and EMT who does one 14-hour shift (5 p.m. to 7 a.m.) a week at the Cabin John Park Volunteer Fire Department (Station 6) on River Road. In that role, he oversees the ambulance, assesses, treats and transports patients, and trains other volunteers to become certified. “I started in August 2020. I always believed Hillary [Clinton] when she said it takes a village, so I figured this could be my small way of giving back, which seemed way more fun than working in a soup kitchen,” he says.
Here are five whiskeys that Silverman recommends, with notes.
Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series Rye from Kentucky ($59.99)
“This six-year aged rye finished in American oak and cherry wood barrels is perfect entry-level rye.”
Ben Holladay Soft Red Wheat Rickhouse Proof Bourbon from Missouri ($69.99)
“A six-year cask-strength bourbon made with soft wheat from Missouri.”
Nulu 7.5-year, Single Barrel Double Oaked Rye from Kentucky ($99.99)
“Our favorite single barrel rye, from Northern Louisville, known as Nulu, is aged for six years in its barrel, then for another one and a half years in a second barrel to bring out its prominent vanilla nose and oaky finish.”
Widow Jane Decadence 10-Year Bourbon from Brooklyn, New York ($99.99)
“This bourbon is finished in barrels from upstate New York that have been used to age maple syrup. An excellent dessert bourbon or beginner glass for those learning the unique flavors of whiskey.”
Kings County Single Batch Select Bourbon from Brooklyn, New York ($129.99)
“Our favorite and hottest new brand out of Brooklyn features cask-strength bourbon with deep and rich toasted notes from Kings’ use of smaller barrels and 20% malted barley.”
DMV Spirits, 4315 50th St. NW, Suite 100, Washington, D.C., dmvspirits.com. Appointments available at opentable.com/r/dmvspiritscom-washington-dc.
This appears in the May/June 2025 issue of Bethesda Magazine.
