Drinking Song

A record-themed lounge in the nation's capital seduces with smooth sounds and cocktails

- TERRY ZARIKIAN

A BRAINCHILD OF two extraordinary bar veterans— Will Patton, the beverage director behind D.C's Michelin-starred duo, Bresca and Jônt, and Devin Kennedy, who shook up NYC's hip Pouring Ribbons and the Panorama Room—the dreamy and relaxing Press Club is an intimate subterranean lounge located in the epicenter of the capital's Dupont Circle neighborhood. This new record bar, similar to a "listening room," the Tokyo-ignited trend that lately has infiltrated New York nightlife, features a considerable collection of vinyl records and well-curated mixes of vintage disco, jazz and Brazilian spins. Press Club worked with a consultant for its music program, but Kennedy is often found manning the vinyl station. Most days of the week are dedicated to a different genre, with the flexibility to change the track to meet the moment.

“Sitting in silence and appreciating the record is cool, but just not what we wanted in a bar,” Kennedy says. “Music is a focus but not the focus. Cocktails are.