4 Ways To Handle DC Drinking Culture

Whether you’re new in town or you’ve been inside the beltway a while, you’ve probably noticed the prevalence of open bar events and non-stop happy hour invitations.

If you’re tired of tripping over chalkboard signs advertising bottomless brunches, you’re not imagining things: People here like to drink.

A lot.

But ironically, for a town soaked in booze, it’s also a town that values hard work, trustworthiness, and reliability… and it’s extremely difficult to cultivate a reputation with those values unless you limit your drinking.

If you’re having trouble figuring out how to function around a city of heavy drinkers you’re not alone. 

Here’s what you need to know:

Figure out why you drink (or don’t!) and how it’s impacting you.
This might seem like a weird thing to self-assess but it’s pretty important. 

Do you feel like you “need” a glass of wine before you’re comfortable at an event? Do you consider day drinking after bottomless brunch a competitive sport? If you don’t want to drink at a happy hour, do you cave to social pressure and find yourself drinking anyway? Do you worry that you have a reputation for drinking too much—or embarrassing yourself? Do you spend a lot of money—not just on bar tabs but on jumbo slices and late-night ubers? Are you noticeably hungover at work on a regular basis? OR, if you don’t drink, do you find yourself isolated from your coworkers and unable to find a way to friends?

Only once you are actually mindful of your behavior can you see what needs to be changed—or what you’re doing well.

Do the math. And not just bar tabs.
It’s no mystery why people flock to free happy hours: Washington, D.C. is one of the most expensive cities in the country to drink in—second only to San Jose (congratulations—you beat us, nerds!).

For those weary of paying $14 for a martini and who also LOVE fiscal responsibility, open bars can seem like a personal challenge… 

And they kind of are—but SURPRISE: The personal challenge is to exercise self-control and stick to your plan.

If you spent $40 ubering home from that “free” open bar book launch instead of metroing home at a decent hour to split a bottle of wine at home with your roommates, it wasn’t really free, was it?

Choose Events—And Friends—Wisely
Networking is a fundamental part of growing in your career and learning—and the endless stream of events happening every night of the week might seem like the best way to meet people, learn about new opportunities, and make sure you’re getting “face time” but they’re… actually not.

Choose quality events over quantity—limiting yourself to only those few events you know you’re most likely to enjoy—and make yourself scarce. Set an alarm on your phone and label it “time to go” well before the event ends—and when it goes off, say goodbye to the people around you and make your exit. 

We talked about building strong friendships last month and the same logic applies: Your friends shouldn’t pressure you to drink or spend more than you want to.

Be fun to be around—without alcohol.
So… what if you don’t drink at all? People who never drink actually have a much easier time navigating the DC drinking scene than those who drink socially for one simple reason: Just saying “oh I don’t drink” whenever asked settles the matter completely.

That said, you can still navigate booze-soaked events without a drink in your hand—even if you’re not known to be a teetotaller. 

How? People aren’t watching you as closely as you think they are in social situations—or, rather, I should say, they’re not watching what you think they are.

If you walk in and announce “I’m not drinking tonight” you sound like Michael Scott declaring bankruptcy. Keep it to yourself and order a club soda with lime or grab a water bottle. No one will notice you don’t have a drink in your hand if you’re smiling and having a good time instead of apologizing for not drinking and talking about how you’re waking up at 5am for a half-marathon the next day.

Alcohol should never be a replacement for a personality, and it really shouldn’t be something you need to help you socialize. Just like every other part of your life and career, you probably won’t start out being a pro at working a room. It will take time and effort—but it’ll take you a LOT longer to hone those skills if you’re doing it after you’ve tied one on. 

Good luck—and never drink White Claw. Be better than White Claw.

POST RAMBLE:

Look, you’re an adult. You shouldn’t need cautionary tales to scare you straight, but if you do, trust me, they abound.

While I’ve met many people over the years whose careers were completely derailed by drunken antics or DUIs, they pale in comparison to the lives that were shattered in the wake of accidents caused by drunk drivers.

29 people are killed by drunk drivers every day.

You’ve got plenty of options to get you home from happy hour—Uber, Lyft, metro, take the X2 if you have to but don’t you dare ever get behind the wheel of a car if you’ve had so much as a sip. Full stop.

In a town with so many heavy drinkers, it’s easy to rationalize or conceal signs of alcoholism. If you think you need to talk to someone, don’t be scared to do it.