Lebodome: To Crawl or Not to Crawl

From Scott Leibowitz. Find Scott on Twitter @Lebodome. Email him at [email protected].

One of the major advantages of living in a condensed city like good ol’ Washington is the proximity from one activity to the next.

In many of our hometowns the restaurants and bars are located on two blocks next to each other and the selection is limited. However, in the Borderstan area we are spoiled to having a great selection of upscale watering holes to first-class dive bars.

This type of set up leaves DC ripe for a time honored tradition of both college students and young professionals looking to lose an entire day; bar-crawls.

For those that have done one before, you know that a bar-crawl is no ordinary weekend plan. It takes preparation, execution, and a strong desire to make it to the next bar. I have participated in a few in my day.

Here are some tried and true tips for getting the most out of any city bar-crawl

Prepare Wisely

1. Usually each crawl has a map and the deals available at each place. I recommend not making an exact travel plan but having a general idea in the direction you think you can do the most damage.
2. The point of the crawl is to explore and walk around so go to areas with high concentrations of participating bars.
3. Also if you want to pre-game, go on the lighter side, as you have a whole day to drink.

Mid-Way Fill Up

1. At some point you and your crew will get quite hungry and won’t be able to concentrate. For me last week, this hit my party right near Shake Shack and man did it hit the spot.
2. Be warned though that if you fill up too much, it could dampen team morale and call for an early exit. I recommend something like Amsterdam Fries for the just right feeling.

One Hour, Tops

1. The point of the crawl is to go to as many places as you possibly can in one night. Don’t get stuck in a bar longer than hour. Keep the body moving and avoid learning any bartender’s name.
2. One last, small tip, always use the bathroom of the place you are in and don’t put it off for the next bar. You never know what could happen between locations.

The Bourbon Bash is this Saturday so gather your buddies, sign up, and prepare for what should be a very fun Saturday in Borderstan.

This column first ran October 31, 2012.

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