D.C.’s bars and restaurants may be closed to help curb the spread of coronavirus, but residents can still support local bartenders by attending virtual happy hours hosted by mixologists from across the city.
Happied, a D.C.-based startup that helps Washingtonians find happy-hour locations through its mobile app, hosted its first such event last Saturday. More than 50 patrons tuned in as Andra Johnson, the beverage director and a partner at Serenata, a cocktail bar at Union Market’s La Cosecha, showed them how to make two kinds of daiquiris. She also instructed the participants on making their very own simple syrups.
“It was extremely interactive,” says Johnson. “I got to talk to a lot of people, and a lot of people got to talk to me. I felt like everybody had a good time.” She adds that some guests stayed for an hour over the allotted time, just chatting and hanging out. Like many businesses right now, Serenata is doing delivery and take-out orders, and Johnson says the additional income from the virtual happy hour was a big help. (Participants can tip their bartenders via digital apps like Venmo.)
Last week, amid a growing number of COVID-19 cases in the District, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that food and drink establishments had to suspend their normal operations. The stringent restrictions hit hospitality workers especially hard. Mass layoffs have swept the city, and as of last Friday, nearly 12,000 people had filed for unemployment in D.C.
While largely stuck inside, many city residents have taken to organizing their own online happy hours to stay social—and socially distant. For its part, Happied allows attendees to connect via Zoom and learn how to make drinks from local favorites, including Coconut Club, Provision 14, and Thamee. The cover charge is $10 per screen, so roommates and significant others can join at no extra charge. Half of that fee goes directly to the bartenders, according to Happied.
Before each session, the company sends registrants a list of ingredients they’ll need to make cocktails. It tries to highlight local brands and also encourages bartenders to log on from their respective establishments, so participants can feel “like they’re taking a seat at the virtual bar,” says Happied co-founder Sharon Cao. Happied is currently partnering with First Base, a District nonprofit that mentors people in underserved communities, and customers can donate a portion of their purchase at checkout.
“Our bread and butter is connecting people to go out socially,” says April Johnson, Happied’s cofounder and CEO. Last week, as social distancing brought D.C. nightlife to a standstill, she and Cao brainstormed ways to keep serving the community. “That’s where the ‘Virtual Happy Hour’ series came from,” she explains. “[It] was really this way to bring the joy of happy hours back into people’s homes at a time when they otherwise wouldn’t be able to experience it.”
The events are set to take place at least twice a week. The next is one scheduled for March 25 with Provision 14’s beverage director and assistant general manager, Cynthia Philippe.
April Johnson and Cao say they plan to keep the series going as long as the bars stay closed. They have special sessions in the works (a singles’ mixer and a ladies’ night), and hope to eventually incorporate food too.
