Another blockbuster Hill hearing can only mean one thing: local bars becoming communal viewing spaces. When President Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen heads to testify in an open session on Capitol Hill Wednesday morning, a couple of D.C. bars will open their doors earlier to give viewers a chance to watch together. Cohen, who was sentenced in December to three years in prison, is expected to describe the “dirty deeds” he says he performed at the behest of Trump.
Duffy’s Irish Pub (1016 H St. NE) will open at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, two hours earlier than usual, to host its Cohen Hearing Watch Party. Eight large flat screen TVs will be tuned into the hearing while the bar features its mysterious Flipper Cocktail that’s only available during the event. They say its ingredients are redacted, but no worries: it’s “100 percent pardon-free.” So far, more than 70 people have RSVPed “yes” to the Facebook event, with more than 1,400 additional folks indicating their interest.
Shaw’s Tavern (520 Florida Ave. NW), which opened its doors and offered specials in the past for Congressional hearings featuring former FBI director James Comey, then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and then-Supreme Court nominee (now Justice) Brett Kavanaugh, will open at 10 a.m. for the Cohen testimony. Even though the bar doesn’t open until 11 a.m., people can order from their food menu in the meantime.
Logan Tavern (1423 P St. NW), located in Logan Circle, will also be open early for the Cohen hearing. The bar will screen the hearing on its full wall projector and have brunch and fun drink specials like Devil’s In The Details, made with Four Roses coffee-infused bourbon and pumpkin spice and cream served hot or iced, and the Last Supper: a glass of Glenlivet 12 Year Old scotch whiskey on the rocks. Food options include chicken and waffles and a mushroom omelet.
The Midlands (3333 Georgia Ave. NW) will open its bar early as well, tuning into the hearing on both of its 100-inch screens and all of the TVs inside and by the fire pits. The beer garden encouraged guests on Twitter to grab breakfast from Call Your Mother Deli around the corner, and head on over to watch Cohen “spill the beans.”
This story has been updated.
