(Photo by Ted Eytan)
Perhaps hoping to capitalize on the same D.C. crowd that lined up outside its door to watch former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony last summer, Shaw’s Tavern on Thursday sent a tweet offering bottomless mimosas for those watching Thursday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about sexual assault allegations against a Supreme Court nominee.
In very DC news, Shaw’s Tavern sent then deleted the tweet advertising bottomless mimosas for the #KavanaughHearings. pic.twitter.com/FBYozQo0xZ
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) September 27, 2018
“Open at 10 a.m. for the hearing,” the Shaw pub wrote in a since-deleted tweet. “Bar service starts at 11 a.m. with bottomless mimosas.”
Christine Blasey Ford is testifying before a Senate panel Thursday about her sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. She says that Kavanaugh and a friend of his assaulted her at a party near Chevy Chase, Maryland in the early 1980s, when she was 15 years old. She told the Washington Post that Kavanaugh and his friend were both “stumbling drunk” at the time.
Plenty of people were not thrilled with Shaw’s Tavern for recommending diners enjoy mimosas while watching a woman describe allegations of sexual assault.
Shaw’s Tavern in DC will be opening up early today for the Kavanaugh-Ford hearing, offering bottomless mimosas during a hearing that has to do with alleged excessive use of alcohol and alleged sexual misconduct https://t.co/fi7DBEzAUD
— Gary Grumbach (@GaryGrumbach) September 27, 2018
Read the room, Shaw’s Tavern!
— (((Greg Mason))) (@The_Greg_Mason) September 27, 2018
Following the outcry, Shaw’s Tavern deleted the tweet—along with a similar post on Facebook—and apologized.
We would like to apologize for the feature of bottomless mimosas. We are opening early today serving our breakfast and lunch menus to provide a place for those who wanted to watch the hearing. Along with that menu, bottomless mimosas are a feature we offer. It was an oversight
— Shaw’s Tavern (@ShawsTavern) September 27, 2018
on our part given the very serious circumstances of today’s hearing and in no way did we intend to offend anyone or make light of the situation. Shaw’s Tavern stands with the victims. Today we will donate all proceeds to RAINN, an American non-profit sexual assault organization.
— Shaw’s Tavern (@ShawsTavern) September 27, 2018
“We would like to apologize for the feature of bottomless mimosas,” the bar tweeted. “We are opening early today serving our breakfast and lunch menus to provide a place for those who wanted to watch the hearing.”
The bar called the post “an oversight,” and said it would donate all proceeds from Thursday to Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network.
Meanwhile, Duffy’s Irish Pub, recently moved to H Street, is hosting a Kavanaugh Hearing Special, offering “Covfevermation” cocktail specials and advertising the “best game/hearing sound system in D.C.” Two people have marked themselves “attending” on Facebook.
Lori McCue