The Audacity of Hops: Bars for Long, Serious Talks Over Beer

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EVERYBODY KNOWS by now that Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Cambridge police officer James Crowley and President Barack Obama are planning to share a beer at the White House on Thursday, in what is perhaps the most over-reported male bonding session in recent memory. You know when and where it will happen, and you probably know that Obama will drink a Budweiser.

But if the president, Gates and Crowley wanted to take their meeting away from that picnic table and outside the White House walls, they might try these nearby, low-key locales. And hey, next time you need to patch things up — say, because you arrested your friend accidentally when he wasn't doing anything, or just because you need someplace to talk and share a brew — you can try them too.

» R.F.D. (810 7th St. NW; 202-289-2030, lovethebeer.com)
This place is a cavern. It's so big that no matter how many people come, it never feels full. You may have to talk quietly to keep your voice from echoing — so don't come here if you're imparting top-secret information — but the beer selection is spectacular and the location is unbeatable for Metro-takers. Of course, Obama's Secret Service men would have to circle for days before they could find a parking spot.

» Brasserie Beck (1101 K St. NW; 202-408-1717, beckdc.com)
A mecca for Belgian beer lovers, this bistro might tempt Obama to try something a little more extravagant than a Bud. The servers are cheerful and discreet, and the prez and his pals can sit outside. Although they might get interrupted by shrieking Obamamaniacs, so perhaps they'd better stick with the more private indoor seating.

» Lindy's Red Lion (2040 I St. NW; 202-785-2766)
Normally packed with students, this bar empties out during the summer — and no one would ever expect the newsmakers-of-the-week to stop in there, which makes it a perfect venue for a long, serious discussion. Besides, if the conversation gets awkward, they can always bond over decoding the indecipherable bathroom graffiti.

» Old Ebbitt Grill (675 15th St. NW; 202-347-4800, ebbitt.com)
D.C.'s favorite negotiating table is the bar at the Old Ebbitt Grill — and you certainly can't beat the location if you're commuting from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. It's a little Olde Washington for our taste, but the good old boy vibe that runs through this whole have-a-beer-together enterprise is certainly alive and well here.

Photo by Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images