Something for the weekend: Where to drink for $1

With all those Christmas gifts to buy, money's a little tight for most of us right now, so we're on the lookout for a great deal. How does beer for a buck at happy hour sound?

If you want to gather with friends this afternoon, here are three places where you can wet your whistle without hosing your bank account.

The Bottom Line
One of downtown's best happy hours is at this long, narrow basement just off Farragut Square, where office workers of all ages come to unwind. Every Friday, Miller Lite bottles are $1 from 4 to 7 and again from midnight to last call. (The modified beat-the-clock special sends the price soaring to $2 between 7 and 9 and it's a shocking $2.50 from 9 to midnight. Baskets of wings are $3.50 all night.

Hamilton's
If you don't work at the Department of Labor or watch Wisconsin games with the local Badger alumni, you might not even know that Hamilton's exists. It's a relaxed and surprisingly large pub with a dining room downstairs, a game room with flip cup and Big Buck Hunter in the basement and a larger two-room bar on the second floor. Bowls of tater tots are good, but on Fridays, the PBR can special is even better: $1 each until 3 a.m.

Nellie's Sports Bar
On U Street, you're can't beat the beat-the-clock special at Nellie's: $1 bottled beers, rail vodka drinks and Miller Lite drafts from 5 to 6 every day. The price goes up to $2 between 6 and 7, and then $3 from 7 to 8. As a bonus, an over-the-top display of flashing lights, ornaments and Christmas wreaths makes it one of the most festive destinations in town.