DC bars prepare for prime-time Jan. 6 hearing

Bars and restaurants in the nation’s capital are getting ready for a prime-time event that screams “only in Washington” — hosting watch parties for the Jan. 6 hearing.

Several watering holes around the District say the House select panel hearing on the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot will be front and center at their establishments on Thursday.

The owner of the Midlands Beer Garden, in D.C.’s Park View neighborhood, tells ITK that TVs in both its indoor and outdoor spaces will be showing the Jan. 6 hearing when it begins at 8 p.m.

The bar will also offer $4 Miller Lite pints and $6 combos as viewers of the hearing “learn a great many things that are not in the public arena already” about the deadly riot at the Capitol, as Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a member of the House select committee, told Stephen Colbert on “The Late Show” on Wednesday.

Capitol Hill haunt Union Pub will be featuring its usual happy hour and Thursday night pitcher specials while it shows the hearings — “with sound on” — on its multiple screens.

While throwing back a cold one while weighing whether former President Trump aided in nearly overturning an American election and crushing democracy itself might not be everyone’s idea of a merry and care-free night, drawing crowds in for buzzworthy congressional moments is nothing new for many D.C. eateries.

Back in 2019, several hot spots hosted bashes tied to former special counsel Robert Mueller’s testimony before the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees about his report on Russian election interference and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Duffy’s Irish Pub, a bar in Dupont Circle, was one of the drinking destinations that played host to a Mueller congressional appearance-themed gathering. This time around, the eatery is already booked for another large event on Thursday, but owner Casey Callister says her pub will still have the hearings “on at least one TV.”

The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack hasn’t yet indicated how long the public hearings will go on for, but they reportedly could extend into September.

Callister notes that Duffy’s just purchased a frozen drink machine so bartenders there could craft “an ‘Insurrection Icicle’ frozen cocktail.”

“We got a feeling this drink may come in handy later this summer,” says Callister.