DC bar offers $218 special to become ‘Speaker of the Pub’ amid House drama

At least one Washington watering hole is capitalizing on the Speaker’s race drama in the House, offering a $218 special — one that comes complete with a gavel.

Union Pub, a bar just a few blocks from the Capitol, is advertising its new “Speaker of the Pub” special.

The $218 price tag is a nod to the 218 votes needed to win the post. On Thursday, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) lost a ninth vote to become Speaker after failing to reach that threshold.

The pub’s politically infused promotion includes two buckets of Budweiser beer, eight shots of whiskey, a bottle of wine and another of “fancy champagne,” a platter of “totchos” — also known as tater tot nachos — and the so-called Speaker of the Pub gavel.

A Union Pub representative didn’t get back to ITK about the specifics of the Speaker-themed grub. But the establishment vowed to offer the pricey, boozy package until “a Speaker of the House is elected!”

It’s not the first time the Capitol Hill hot spot has played off its proximity to political players.

During the House’s 2019 impeachment inquiry into then-President Trump’s dealings with Ukraine, Union Pub was one of several D.C.-area eateries that opened its doors early to air the proceedings and offered drink specials. Some of the cocktails featured for the occasion included “Impeachment Please” and “I Got 99 Problems but Impeachment Ain’t One.”