There are some rules within most bars; Don’t talk about religion, wear a shirt, don’t play Gasoline on the jukebox and, of course, no politics!
But in Political Pattie’s downfall in Washington DC, the focus is on protracted fights over the national debt, raw milk regulations, and cockfighting rules.
Co-owners, husband-and-wife team Drew and Sydney Benbow, have long dreamed of owning a place that fused the things they love about the nation’s capital, politics, and know-it-alls.
They are both lawyers and it is a mixed marriage, he is a Republican and she is a Democrat.
After they moved into a closed gay bar called The Dirty Goose, angry neighbors immediately accused them of replacing it with a (gasp) Republican watering hole.
The moment they opened, the gallows demanded they close.
Political Pattie’s logo featured a donkey and an elephant, which, of course, was misinterpreted by local snobs as unsustainable support for the antebellum South.
In a concession (that would make a typical congressman miserable), the Benbows removed the animals from the logo, sparking a firestorm on the right. (These partisan idiots could drive anyone to drink.)
But Drew, who grew up on the bad side of the Capitol, said he’s always been aware of two very different DCs.
Political Pattie’s logo featured a donkey and an elephant, which, of course, was misinterpreted by local snobs as unsustainable support for the antebellum South.
There’s the Filibuster Fizz, The Running Mate, Espress-Obama-tini and the Moscow Donkey, a refreshing take on the typical mule that mixes vodka, a thimble of pineapple juice, mint, cranberry and ginger beer.
For him, there was the one where the rich and powerful broke bread over a $500 meal, and DC is where he comes from.
Anacostia, where he grew up, is not known for its Michelin-starred restaurants or multimillion-dollar townhomes.
His father was shot and killed earlier this year, a tragic victim of the relentless gun violence in DC.
Drew also spent 20 years in the military (retiring as a major), serving several tours in Afghanistan and serving in Special Operations Command in Korea and Africa.
‘I’m lucky to be in a position where I have access to both sides. “It’s a very dangerous part of the city, Anacostia, and now I live and work in a part of the city that is more sophisticated,” he told me.
“We want to bring together people who may not agree with each other or talk together,” Drew explained.
It seemed like a great effort given the current situation in the United States. And hell, I just wanted a good drink. And not just one.
In fact, I tried several politically themed cocktails.
There’s the Filibuster Fizz, The Running Mate, Espress-Obama-tini and the Moscow Donkey, a refreshing take on the typical mule that mixes vodka, a thimble of pineapple juice, mint, cranberry and ginger beer.
My liver was waving the white flag, but I had yet to try the Elephant in the Room. Gin, vodka, tequila, rum, pineapple, Sprite. Oh, and a hint of cirrhosis.
The strange thing about this? I couldn’t taste the alcohol! Or remember my own name.
I sat down with a client named Chris who, as a Democrat, has many friends who vote Republican, like his best friend, the Marine, who is stuck on Trump.
His friend said, ‘Chris, you’re the smartest person I know, how can you vote for Kamala?’
My liver was waving the white flag, but I had yet to try the Elephant in the Room. Gin, vodka, tequila, rum, pineapple, Sprite. Oh, and a hint of cirrhosis.
In Political Pattie’s downfall in Washington DC, the focus is on protracted fights over the national debt, raw milk regulations, and cockfighting rules.
Chris shook his head when I asked him if that made him angry. ‘No, I explained my case. He listened. I know I made you think. Now I hope he changes his mind, but if he doesn’t, I still love him.”
Those are the spirits!
Inspired by the Political Pattie crowd and invigorated by every liquor in Grandma’s cabinet, I also ventured into DC’s nightlife.
Standing outside the neighboring bar, I asked customers, as they came and went, ‘Are you voting for Trump?’
The most polite response I received was ‘Ewwww!’ The rest included suggestions to shove my ballot in a location that would require a licensed doctor to retrieve it.
For the moment, what happens at Political Pattie’s stays at Political Pattie’s, especially in Washington DC.
I ended the evening (and doubled down on the brutality of my handoff) with a rooftop gathering of whiskey and cigar entrepreneurs.
I ended the evening (and doubled down on the brutality of my handoff) with a rooftop gathering of whiskey and cigar entrepreneurs.
There I met, I kid you not, a young man named Tom Brokaw (no relation) who ripped my heart out with his special brand of Rooster Cigar.
Tom explained why cigarettes are the perfect tool for overcoming abysses: “If I sit down with you and we each smoke a cigarette, we have an hour to figure things out.”
Maybe, Tom. Or you may end up with a burning ember in your eye, but you have to appreciate the feeling.
Here’s to a less divisive next four years.
I’ll toast to that.