Government may be run by only two parties, but the bars and clubs in Washington, DC are not so limited. Battalions of politicos, staffers, and commuters – who double the city’s population daily – flood the streets and cram into bars all over town to celebrate that most happiest of Happy Hours.

Dupont Circle is well-known for its high-end drinking dens catering to lawyers and lobbyists in need of some swanky nightlife, but at the same time attracts all types to its surplus of sports bars, quaint taverns, spacious pubs, and gay bars.

College kids crush the infamous 18th Street strip in Adams Morgan to go wild, while Georgetown – despite the privileged pedigree of its residents – shelters everything from glitzy bars to timeless saloons. And then there’s the up-and-coming H Street Corridor and ever-popular U Street, both lined with themed haunts, craft brewpubs, and bare-bones dives.

Although visitors will meet people from all walks of life in DC watering holes, the international vibe is even more apparent in the higher end bars and clubs and lounges, with moneyed embassy dignitaries, wealthy diplomat kids, and foreign jet-setters squeezing their way into the most exclusive red-roped venues in Dupont, and powerbrokers dancing to power ballads Downtown or in Georgetown...read less