Looking for an appropriate drink? Try the Super Tuestini, a martini made with Citadelle apple vodka and Heering cherry liqueur, served only on Super Tuesday at the Town & Country bar at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel. Read more about it here.
Bar Parties
Who: Busboys and Poets.
What: Watch the results at the coffeehouse/gathering place for political activists on two screens, including a ten-foot projection screen. Politically themed drink specials and trivia (a series of political questions during commercials with prizes and free drink or food) complete the night. Expect a strong presence of Obama supporters in the house.
When: 6 PM to 1 AM
Where: 2021 14th St., NW; 202-387-7638; busboysandpoets.com.
Who: Union Pub.
What: This political standby will combine Mardi Gras madness with Super Tuesday viewing. Results will play on every TV—30 altogether—with surround sound throughout the venue. Specials include $8 Bud Light and Amber pitchers, $5 Captain Morgan drinks, $3 Bud Lights, and half-price Buffalo wings. Show up early for beads and other Mardi Gras paraphernalia.
When: Expect festivities to begin around 7 PM. Hill workers may start filing in just after work, so come early.
Where: 201 Massachusetts Ave., NE; 202-544-6161; unionpubdc.com.
Who: Lounge 201.
What: Sip half-price “red state” and “blue state” martinis all night and listen to ’80s hits while watching the results. The bar’s backroom is booked, but the plasma TV in the front bar will be tuned into the coverage without sound.
When: 4 PM to closing.
Where: 201 Massachusetts Ave., NE; 202-544-5201; lounge201.com.
Who: Bourbon.
What: The US government named bourbon whiskey our nation’s “native spirit” in 1964. More than 40 years later, its namesake bar will hold an all-day happy hour, dinner specials, and candidate-inspired cocktails in honor of the nation’s largest-ever primary. Five HD TVs will show results while visitors vote on their own “drink ballot,” which includes the Obama-Mama, the MormonHattan, and the HillyBilly, among other candidates.
When: 5 PM to 2 AM.
Where: 2321 18th St., NW, 202-332-0800; 2348 Wisconsin Ave., NW, 202-625-7770; bourbondc.com.
Who: Topaz Bar.
What: Topaz tracks the race in a different, though not entirely accurate, way—by counting drinks instead of votes. Starting February 5, the bar launches the Topaz Votes 08 Campaign and Cocktail Menu to tally drinks. The campaign will run through November 4. Try the Double-Down Donkey with blue Curaçao or the All-In Elephant with amaretto and grenadine. Party-less? There are independent and undecided cocktail options, too.
When: 5 PM to bar closing.
Where: 1733 N St., NW; 202-393-3000; loungedc.com.
Hotel Happenings
Who: JW Marriott’s 1331 Lounge.
What: The hotel provides an alternative to results-watching on the Hill by transforming 1331 Lounge into “Super Tuesday Central.” That means red-white-and-blue decor, patriotic paraphernalia, and bipartisan deals on the new 1331 lunch and dinner menus (10 percent off lunch entrées and 20 percent off many dinner entrées.) View results on 11 flatscreen televisions throughout the lounge. Guests will have a chance to sample patriotic drinks: red (Republican), white (Undecided), and blue (Democrat) martinis—and name them. The person who nominates the best names will receive a free lunch for ten. The lounge will track drink sales of named cocktails up until the general election.
When: Lunch 11:30 to 4:30, dinner 5 to 11.
Where: 1331 Pennsylvania Ave., NW; 202-393-2000; marriott.com.
Who: Ritz-Carlton Washington D.C.
What: Hotel guests will receive a special turndown Monday night: gold-foil chocolate coins in a gray silk bag with a note attached, quoting the remaining presidential candidates on “change.”
When: Turndown happens between 5:30 and 8 PM.
Where: 1150 22nd St., NW; 202-835-0500; ritzcarlton.com.
Political Group Gatherings
Who: Blue Catapult Political Action Committee at 17th Street Cafe.
What: Two flatscreen TVs will display returns from primary elections across the country. The group will hold a meet-and-greet for area Democrats with free finger-food and a cash bar. Guests are asked to contribute $20 if under 30, $30 otherwise.
When: 7:30 to 11 PM.
Where: 1513 17th St., NW; 202-234-2470; bluecatapult.com, cafe17.net.
Who: “There aren’t enough political nerds in DC” meetup at the 18th Amendment.
What: The club will host its first meeting for Super Tuesday at this Hill standby to hoot and holler at the primary-election results as if it were the Super Bowl. Rowdy discussion should take place over commercial breaks. The only rules? Stay hydrated and no name calling. Event fee is $7.
When: 8 until bar closing.
Where: 613 Pennsylvania Ave., SE; 202-543-3622; localpolitics.meetup.com or pourhouse-dc.com.
