It’s no mystery that free booze drinks on Capitol Hill are hard to come by these days. Ever since Jack Abramoff pooped the nest, a free drink, bought by your favorite lobbyist, is frowned upon. Perhaps even illegal.

So beyond having to bang the barkeep for free shots, how does one score good, reliable, cheap booze?

Easy, find a home base bar and then “tap” out.

This means finding a good watering hole near your house or work and visiting it often.

Become friends with your bartender. Ordering draft beer is the best way to put your new buddy in a position to hook you up. Draft beer isn’t accounted for like bottled beer or liquor. Draft beer is a huge money maker for bars no matter what. There’s no real way to judge exactly how much money they are making on a keg given that even the first few pitchers are wasted if the keg is foamy to start with. Your bartender can pour you a few free ones and no one will know the difference.

The Key: Get there early and beat the crowd. Tip your new best friend heavy the first two times you meet them. And always remember their name.

Also, get a few of your drinking buddies to show up at times when business might be slow. Any bartender can make money when the bar is packed, but they’ll always remember who came when it was dead.

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Tip #1 Housing Options [Living beyond the youth hostels]
Tip #2 Finding the perfect watering hole
Tip #3 Embrace the Metro [and all its glory]
Tip #4 Taxi Cab Receipts