If all the talk about politicians' flip-flops is to be believed, people in DC must love the beach. The Passenger's Tom Brown is taking advantage, tonight opening the New York Avenue Beach Bar.

Transforming a vacant lot around the corner from the Brown brother's vaunted cocktail spot into a mid-city oasis, the Beach Bar boasts a DJ stand & three full tiki bars, a wave runner photo booth, and 70 tons of sun-soaked sand carted in from Ocean City, so heed the old saying, and don't bring sand to the deserted parking lot next to the Convention Center. Beach buzzing comes courtesy of four drafts (Red Stripe, maybe!), and decidedly not-craft beach cocktails like daiquiris, orange crushes, margaritas, and soon, an iced selection including slushie'd Red Bull/vodkas. The brand-new truck from SUNdeVICH will be parked on the grounds, serving up a limited menu of their sandwiches (like the Havana w/ roasted pork/ gruyere/ pickles), plus new Summer-worthy bites like peel & eat shrimp, and corn on the cob loaded with butter -- great as long as you don't mind getting a little husky.

And so you don't leave with sand in your shoes, they've even got a merch hut w/ rentable lockers to hold your sneakers should you want to buy a pair of ultra cheap flip flops, which DC's most political will love. But then they won't. Then they will again!