Alfalfa Club
The Alfalfa Club is a social club that exists only to hold an annual black tie banquet on the last Saturday of January at the Capital Hilton in Washington D.C., with an after-party at a local restaurant. The banquet, which lasts 4 hours, features music by the United States Marine Band as well as a political roast. There are approximately 200 members of the club, all of them influential politicians and business executives. The club has an invitation system; members are required to be invited to join. Invitations are extended to prospective members annually to fill the spots of recently deceased members. Several Presidents of the United States have been members of the club. The press is not allowed to attend the banquet.
| Formation | 1913 |
|---|---|
| Type | Club |
| Purpose | Hosts annual banquet on the last Saturday of January |
| Location |
|
Membership | ~200 politicians and corporate executives |
President | David Rubenstein |
Vice President | Jim Mattis |
The club was named in reference to the alfalfa plant's supposed willingness to "do anything for a drink."
If in attendance, the President of the United States is usually asked to deliver remarks at the banquet. President George W. Bush spoke at the banquet each year of his presidency; the Alfalfa Club was one of only three clubs that his father, George H. W. Bush, was a member of as president. President Obama attended and spoke at the banquet in 2009 and in 2012.