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The D.C. Bar Crawl
You should vote because no matter whose confetti gets tossed in November, D.C.'s favorite pastime will never change: drinking too much and arguing too loudly about politics. If you find yourself in D.C., you might want to spend an hour or two observing this strange local ritual, where young men in khakis..
11.01.08
You should vote because no matter whose confetti gets tossed in November, D.C.'s favorite pastime will never change: drinking too much and arguing too loudly about politics. If you find yourself in D.C., you might want to spend an hour or two observing this strange local ritual, where young men in khakis and loafers can be brought to the brink of dueling over a New Republic article that neither has read-sort of like full-contact, IRL blogging. Whether it's ambition-drunk Capitol Hill interns lured by 10-cent wings and Miller Light or hotshot lobbyists sipping 20-year-old single-malts, here are the ten best places to eavesdrop on the conversation.
LOOK FOR: Self-conscious interns, post-collegiate striversNeither these bars nor their clientele are as homogenous as they look. The Tune Inn is the oldest and most authentically divey. Born 1967, when doves actually posed a threat, the Hawk 'N' Dove attracts a mix of older regulars and interns self-consciously sporting security badges.Next door, the Pour House (formerly Politiki) has a sports bent, evidenced by several ESPN-tuned plasma TVs. Capitol Lounge is a favorite of the Hill's young twentysomethings who pack the bar for Wednesday's quesadilla happy hour, where I heard "Tucker's Dream" playing on the jukebox over a khaki sea of meaty wonks and wonkish meatheads. Is this a Machiavelli for Dummies seminar, or the seventh circle of Abercrombie? Three beers in, it's hard to tell.
1. The Old Ebbitt Grill
675 15th Street2. Pennsylvania Ave. pubs
in the 300s on Pennsylvania Ave.LOOK FOR: Self-conscious interns, post-collegiate striversNeither these bars nor their clientele are as homogenous as they look. The Tune Inn is the oldest and most authentically divey. Born 1967, when doves actually posed a threat, the Hawk 'N' Dove attracts a mix of older regulars and interns self-consciously sporting security badges.Next door, the Pour House (formerly Politiki) has a sports bent, evidenced by several ESPN-tuned plasma TVs. Capitol Lounge is a favorite of the Hill's young twentysomethings who pack the bar for Wednesday's quesadilla happy hour, where I heard "Tucker's Dream" playing on the jukebox over a khaki sea of meaty wonks and wonkish meatheads. Is this a Machiavelli for Dummies seminar, or the seventh circle of Abercrombie? Three beers in, it's hard to tell.