The 9 Best D.C. Bars Open 24 Hours For Inauguration

For when you're needing a true, all-American beer, the District Chophouse and Brewery has you covered. Enter in Barrett Lauer, Head Brewer of the District Chophouse and Brewery for his handcrafted beer list. Oatmeal stout, a bourbon stout made with Woodford Reserve, "velvet ale" (a nitrogenated version of a rotating Chophouse brew), plus other standard beer offerings keep customers coming back for more than just a steak. And we haven't even mentioned their collection of more than 30 single malt scotches and a martini list, if you're the real Washington powerhouse of the group. (Well, if you're a true powerhouse we assume you won't be ordering the Skinny Lemon Drop Martini, but maybe a martini with Bombay Sapphire Gin or Ketel One will do.) 

For those looking to ring in the inauguration in a laid-back environment, Rocket Bar is the place to be. That means 24 hours of Skee ball, pool, shuffleboard, jukeboxes, and, well, drinks. Be warned, though: seeing its prime location by the Verizon Center, you may be in the very middle of the inauguration hubbub.

Twenty-four hours wouldn't be enough to cover just all the magic of the cocktail list at Firefly, the 10-year old bar and restaurant in Hotel Madera. Here, the whiz behind the bar (Jon Harris) whips up a mean selection of cocktails; half the list is dedicated to classic mixes, such as the gimlet or champagne cocktail, while the other half is dedicated to newer, creative cocktails (or as The Washington Post describes them, "playful-yet-lethal"). The wine and beer list is nothing to shrug at, either.

To ring in the inauguration in true style, head to Josephine's, the newly remodeled club. With more tables, bottle service, and a revamped modern decor, Josephine's turns any night into a celebration (especially with a new and revamped champagne and sparkling wine menu — perfect to ring in a new presidential term). Bonus: a rotating list of notable DJs, making it a 24-hour dance party one you'll actually want to stick around for. (At least, until your feet fall off.)

The most hipster of bars on our list, Trusty's is the place to go for a true Miller Light (and presumably to hang out with young hipsters who voted for Obama). With mason jars of Yuengling, Miller Light, and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, a hefty canned beer list, board games, and a trusty (get it?) menu of burgers and fried foods, you really can't go wrong for a relaxed night out.

Cuba Libre earned a spot on our 150 best bars list as one of the top rum bars in the country; while the restaurant and bar may celebrate the Cuban heritage, nothing really seems more American during the inauguration than some rum. At the very least, a blueberry mojito or paradise rum punch might trick your brain into thinking you're in tropical temperatures, and not freezing D.C. temperatures.

Round Robin Bar is home to the extensive inauguration cocktail list — 44 drinks for 44 presidents — that has everyone talking. Enjoy Obama's cocktail of late, the Blue Hawaiian, in the political powerhouse setting (which is what earned Round Robin's place in our 150 best bars in America list). Bonus points for its contribution to cocktail history: the Round Robin is the birthplace of the mint julep, made by Senator Henry Clay in the early 1800s. 

"If you've always wanted to drink like a president, come to this Victorian-style saloon (established in 1856, albeit at another location, and the city's oldest watering hole) a favorite of presidents Teddy Roosevelt, Grant, and Cleveland," wrote Colman Andrews in nominating Old Ebbitt for the best political bar in the country. Needless to say, it's a standard for such an inaguration weekend.

If you want to ring in Obama's second term among DJs, dancing, VIP tables, and bottle service, Ultrabar is the place to be. The truest nightclub on the list, the fact that it's open 24 hours may spell disaster for even the most hardcore party-goer— but hey, when in Rome...