Drinking in Washington, DC

Big news coming out of Capitol Hill may get all the attention, but even the most uptight Congressman needs to let loose once in a while, and that’s where drinking activities in Washington, DC come into play. Sure, you could down an average pint at the typical District watering hole – pretty much every venue in town offers Happy Hour discounts – but why not amp it up a notch with something a little more unique, fun, and creative?

It may be some four-thousand miles from Germany, but Biergarten Haus brings the spirit of Oktoberfest to DC all year long with its fat mugs of frothy brew, heaping piles of bratwurst, and live polka on weekends. The Haus, located on the ever-expanding H Street Corridor, is a veritable mecca for schnitzel and stein lovers eager to cram into long communal tables and make new friends over liters of beer as big as their heads.

Not far away, Granville Moore’s is a rustic neighborhood gastropub that prepares a thousand pounds of mussels and potatoes every week – all from a kitchen not much bigger than a walk-in closet – and serves up to sixty Belgian beers to go with them. But if slinging suds in Granville’s cramped garden doesn’t entice, Marvin over on U Street combines the soulful elements of its namesake with some unique Belgian overtones, and features a much bigger rooftop beer garden perfect for a brew and a bite. And though Marvin is usually busy, it doesn’t compare to the rooftop madness at Local 16, where a casual weeknight vibe quickly turns to a rowdy, over-packed scene on weekends as swarms of college students take over the large tiki-style rooftop deck.

From casual to swanky, there are many ways to enjoy drinking in DC, so start with a fun Happy Hour and keep going long into the happy night.