From our friends at the Hay-Adams Hotel...
There’s No Political Coasting at Off the Record as Newsmakers are Immortalized on the Walls, and under One’s Glass at the Bar
The Hay-Adams’ bar, Off the Record, is a well-known waterhole for Washington’s power crowd, being steps from the White House but off the beaten path, with a discreet side door on H Street, NW. Here the artwork on display, recently acquired by the Library of Congress, is part of a vast private portfolio of The Art Wood Collection of Caricature and Cartoons, which took 60 years for Arthur Wood to amass. It is comprised of portraits created by leading political cartoonists showcasing Washington’s newsmakers. The collection featured in Off The Record contains works by award-winning illustrator Richard Thompson and Pulitzer Prize cartoonists Matt Wuerker and Ann Telnaes, along with notable cartoonists Mike Jenkins and Kevin “Kal” Kallaugher. However, what few folks know is that The Hay-Adams has commissioned collectible coasters of great political figureheads of our time, and now the hotel is gearing up to focus on the up-and-coming presidential candidates.
The Hay-Adams’ bar, Off the Record, is a well-known waterhole for Washington’s power crowd, being steps from the White House but off the beaten path, with a discreet side door on H Street, NW. Here the artwork on display, recently acquired by the Library of Congress, is part of a vast private portfolio of The Art Wood Collection of Caricature and Cartoons, which took 60 years for Arthur Wood to amass. It is comprised of portraits created by leading political cartoonists showcasing Washington’s newsmakers. The collection featured in Off The Record contains works by award-winning illustrator Richard Thompson and Pulitzer Prize cartoonists Matt Wuerker and Ann Telnaes, along with notable cartoonists Mike Jenkins and Kevin “Kal” Kallaugher. However, what few folks know is that The Hay-Adams has commissioned collectible coasters of great political figureheads of our time, and now the hotel is gearing up to focus on the up-and-coming presidential candidates.
To date, The Hay-Adams has commissioned eight collectable drink coasters from President Bill Clinton with Hillary Clinton, to President George W. Bush with President Barack Obama. Now the hotel is rolling out three new images in early October with more to come, for a grand total of 18 political must-haves added to its coaster collection. Guests are invited to take their coaster home with them when leaving the bar, to expand their own collection.
So guess who made the cut for the next round of coasters that The Hay-Adams has commissioned Matt Wuerker to create? Scott Walker, Bernie Sanders and Marco Rubio will debut in early October, with a few more contenders in the works for late October. Prior to being Politico’s cartoonist, Wuerker’s art has appeared in publications such as The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times, and he captured the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning in 2012.
“These coasters are great conversation pieces for our guests that come to experience cocktails and dinner in Off The Record,” explains The Hay-Adams Vice President & General Manager Hans Bruland. “Come election time, we will be able to provide some accurate polling in Washington based on the popularity of which coasters are requested most frequently by visitors, which should also make for some lively debate here as well.”
Located at 800 16th Street, NW, The Hay-Adams’ Off the Record is Washington’s “place to be seen but not heard”. Favored by locals for its creative dinner menu and exceptional wine selection, Off the Record provides a relaxed atmosphere for lunch gatherings, evening dining and entertainment. Open Sunday-Thursday from 11:30 AM to midnight and on Friday-Saturday from 11:30 AM to 12:30 AM. For more information please visit www.hayadams.com.
