Where Spotted: A Slice of Italy, 1331 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Price: $2.41/pint
Courtside Seats: Let’s put aside for a moment the fact that I, professional beer writer, and you, avid drinker, are talking about the Wonder Bread of beers, and consider the locale this week. It’s a food court! This gem, tucked inside the Eat at National Place mall, offers all the novelty of drinking on a plane, doused with the aromas of Five Guys’ peanut oil and General Tso’s chicken. How could I resist?
International Acclaim: Let it be known, the so-called “King of Beers” isn’t my top choice for washing down a slice of pizza, no matter what setting. Alternatively, the discerning drinker can shell out an extra 68 cents for Widmer Brothers Hefeweizen. The surcharge is for “imported” beer, apparently including those from the distant land of Oregon. Considering Budweiser’s current Belgian parent company, the proprietors appear to have their pricing scheme backwards. Bargain hunters, take note: after 3 p.m. you can save a whopping 59 cents per pint for “happy hour”—if that’s what you call spending your afternoon sipping rice water in a glorified cafeteria.