If the Willard Hotel (1401 Pennsylvania Ave., NW; 202-628-9100) is the center of Washington—as it was dubbed by Nathaniel Hawthorne in the 1860s—and its bar, the Round Robin, is the center of the Willard’s social scene, then Jim Hewes, the longest-working bartender there, is the epicenter of DC.

Along with the bar’s famous mint juleps and mojitos, Hewes serves up a dose of local history to anyone who asks. He can fill you in on the history of the hotel and everything you need to know about Washington social conventions of the 1800s. The self-described performer says he lives by the motto “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.” After Hours sat down with Jim to hear a few of his best. Read below for more.

Alberto Lucini.

By Ruth Samuelson

Cafe Citron may claim to exude “Latin joie de vivre.” But that description pigeonholes this funky Dupont Circle bar. Really, the place is international: The house special is a Cuban mojito, but the menu offers European beers and an array of Caribbean-inspired food. In July, a chic upstairs lounge that can be rented for private parties will debut with pricier drinks and a sleeker look.

But there are no plans to change Citron’s unpretentious vibe. Come as you are. Relax. In fact, staff members say, you can table-dance or jump up on the bar if you feel like it. But first you’ll probably need a few drinks, which is where bartender Alberto Lucini comes in.

Derrick Vann of BeBar.

The folks at BeBar Lounge (1318 9th Street, NW) in Shaw know about all the hassles in getting a new hotspot open. Besides the normal adversity bar owners deal with, BeBar had to deal with a church across the street fighting against the bar gaining a liquor license. BeBar, which is owned by three gay man, would “promote an alternative lifestyle” that would “undermine the moral character” of the neighborhood, according to a letter sent to the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration by the D.C. Black Church Initiative in 2006.

But BeBar prevailed, gained its liquor license, and opened in September of 2006, bringing its sleek decor and candy-flavored martinis to both a gay-oriented crowd that comes from all over DC and folks in the changing Shaw neighborhood looking for a drink. I spoke with Derrick Vann, bartender at BeBar, about how things are going.

Scott Mcintosh of the Big Hunt. Photography courtesy of Carissa Craven.

Scott Mcintosh tends bar at the Big Hunt (1345 Connecticut NW), a popular Dupont Circle spot that sees a variety of patrons, from rowdy college kids to office drones looking for a solid happy hour. In the Belly Up interview he expounds on his favorite parts of bartending—and tells how to get his attention quickly.

Okay, so he’s not exactly a bartender, but I figured he’d make for an interesting Belly Up feature nonetheless—especially since he just revealed his spring drink menu and it’s worthy of a look (and a taste). Will Earls, the bar manager at the glam Dupont spot Firefly (1310 New Hampshire Ave., NW), is a mixologist—he’s perfected the art of inventing and mixing tasty and innovative drinks. Wednesday night at Firefly he unveiled six new drinks the bar will start serving this weekend, and he talked to us about everything from his background in bartending to how to make the perfect margarita—a natural topic, given that he hails from Austin, Texas. Read below for descriptions of the drinks and more from Earls.

The Pour House bartender Andre Priest.

The Pour House on Capitol Hill (319 Pennsylvania Ave. SE) is known for happy hours and drink specials, like $10 pitchers of Miller, on game days. Voted best sports bar in 2006 by WUSA9 viewers, it is located above the Scheisse Haus, its stein-serving sibling. Bartender André Priest is a fixture on the Hill and has been working at the Pour House for nearly two years. He started bartending at Red River Grill (now Union Pub) near Union Station in 1998, the moved to Johnny K’s a few blocks from Catholic University.

But Priest wasn’t happy in his new digs. Some fellow bartenders helped him get started at The Pour House in 2005, and he’s been pouring there ever since. Read below to find out his views on sports and wild nights at The Pour House—but you really should experience his rollicking laugh and Bloody Marys firsthand.

The Dubliner on Capitol Hill.

The Dubliner, a decades-old Irish bar on Capitol Hill, has become something of a DC institution. The owner, Danny Coleman, claims that he sells more Guinness than anyone in America. Steps away from congressional office buildings and in the heart of the District’s historically Irish neighborhood, the bar is frequented by Hill staffers and lawmakers alike. The Dubliner has seen big names from both sides of the aisle, including Newt Gingrich and Ted Kennedy, according to Coleman.

Scott Carpenter, who has family from County Meath in Ireland, has been a bartender at the Dubliner for six years, and he spoke with me about his career pouring drinks for some of the nation’s most powerful people. Read below for his answers on everything from how to pour the perfect Guinness to his favorite drink.