Whiskey and Politics Visits Shelly’s Back Room

21 Nov 24

http://shellysbackroom.com/

1331 F Street NW Washington, DC

 (202) 737-3003

On Tuesday, 12 November the Dispatch held their first ‘Dispatch Summit’ at the National Press Club in Washington DC.  Not a member of The Dispatch?  You should consider it.  They offer in-depth analysis of both national and international news - while Whiskey and Politics covers the local issues..  For just $100 a year, you'll get thoughtful commentary on news and current events.   The comments section features a balanced mix of left-of-center and conservative participants.  They offer a one-week trial subscription, so you can check them out. You can find them here.  They have a comments section too.  You can easily identify me (I go by ‘Whiskey and Politics’)

The "summit" took place at the elegant National Press Club, with a variety of speakers sharing insights from their areas of expertise. Jonathan Martin and Megan McArdle, both editorialists for The Washington Post, offered their perspectives on the election and thoughts on the way forward. Megan McArdle, in particular, is one of my favorite writers - she’s exceptionally sharp.  But the highlight for me was the discussion between Jonah Goldberg and former Speaker Paul Ryan. Ryan is a smart, decent, and honorable man—qualities that are all too rare in Washington these days. Honestly, I found little to disagree with in what he said. It was refreshing to spend a day surrounded by calm, reasonable, like-minded people.

Best of all, they had good booze afterwards!  I stuck with Johnny Black - neat.  The bartenders gave very generous pours.  While sipping I chatted with the Dispatch writers, Dispatch CEO, Steve Hayes, Editor in Chief, Jonah Goldberg, and even managed a brief hello with Kevin Williamson, an exceptional editorialist.  There was plenty of time to chat with other Dispatch team members, including Mary Trimble, Grayson Logue, James P. Sutton, and Declan Garvey. It was a fantastic event. If you haven’t already, subscribe to The Dispatch and make sure to attend their summit next year.

So, afterwards, I had no plans to head straight home - especially after discovering there was a whiskey and cigar bar just across the street! On the elevator ride down, I struck up a friendly conversation with Mike, another Dispatch Summit attendee. When I mentioned I was planning to enjoy some more good whiskey, he asked if he could join me, and the two of us headed over to the bar.

The term "whiskey and cigar bar" is a bit redundant, really. I’ve never been to a cigar bar that didn’t offer an excellent whiskey selection, and Shelly’s is no exception, with a fantastic menu of whiskies.  Cigar shops and bars play an important role in our communities.  They’re worth supporting. No one walks into those places in a bad mood, and if they do, they certainly don’t leave that way. They’re great spots for discussions on current events, sports, and all sorts of topics that help shape our culture and society. Shelly’s has plenty of comfortable cigar chairs and sofas, and even on a busy Tuesday evening, there were still plenty of seats available.

Mike mentioned that he enjoyed whiskey but didn’t know much about it, so he decided to match my selections of IW Harper Bourbon and Westward American Whiskey.  I was impressed with their food menu as well.  We both ordered some food and I enjoyed their chicken fajita wrap ($14.95).  That hit the spot and gave me the energy to keep going.  Mike said his goodbyes and left.  I wasn’t quite ready to call it a night and ordered a Bernheim Wheat Whiskey next.  I’d heard good things about it and knew it had a solid reputation.  I’ve been reading a book on bourbon history and the author included a section about Isaac Wolfe Bernheim, the man who started IW Harper (Isaac Wolfe - that’s where the ‘IW’ comes from).  So, I figured I’d give it a shot - great choice.  All three whiskies were $18 for a large shot - definitely a place that doesn’t skimp, which is always appreciated.

If you’re hunting for a great cigar bar, you don’t want to miss Shelly’s back room.  རྒྱབ༌སྐྱོར༌གྱི༌སྐད༌འབོད !