If there's one thing Washington, D.C. does well, it's happy hour.

We have happy hours for just about everything in this city -- networking, speed dating, charitable causes, you name it. It's tough to go anywhere at 6 p.m. on a workday in D.C. without stumbling across at least a few happy hours.

So, how do you make an Emory happy hour stand out in D.C.? SweetWater!

With the help of our friends from the Black Squirrel Bar in Adams Morgan, we were able to procure four of our favorite brews for the first-of-its-kind event, "A Night with SweetWater" last Wednesday.

For those uninitiated alums, SweetWater is a brewery in Atlanta that was founded in 1997. Served at many Emory events, SweetWater is a beer cherished by almost every Atlanta resident.

The kicker -- it's almost impossible to get SweetWater outside of the Southeast. For many who leave the South after graduation, the first thing they do when they come back is head to Chic-Fil-A. Others go find some SweetWater.

We clearly weren't the only ones in this city who wanted to get our hands on some SweetWater. More than 100 alumni came out to taste some SweetWater, catch up with old friends, and make some new ones.

But we didn't just stop there.

We paired our SweetWater with our favorite Southern staples: BBQ sandwiches, cornbread, and mac-n-cheese. The food and beer kept alums mingling at Black Squirrel for hours.

The event turned out to be an incredible success. The biggest question now is, when can we do it again?

At least when it comes to SweetWater, if you pour it, they will come.

--Jonathan Beam 06OX 08C and Erica Breese 08C