Kraken Axes, a competitive axe-throwing company, has been awarded a liquor license last month, making it the first D.C. establishment where booze and sharp weaponry will be allowed together.
Another venue, Kick Axe Throwing, has also been given a liquor license, although it is not expected to open till spring 2019.
“The immediate reaction is, ‘You’re throwing axes? That sounds crazy!’ And then when you introduce alcohol, people think you’re really nuts. But we haven’t had any injuries – unless you count paper cuts,” said Mario Zelaya, president and CEO of Bad Axe Throwing, a venue in northeast Washington.
Venue owners have promised city officials that they’ll be adhering to all safety norms, employ trained coaches in the axe throwing range, and keep away axes from the bar areas where drinks are served.
Axe throwing, which involves throwing hatchets at wooden targets, has recently become a trend in bars across the country and picked up more over the past one year.
“You can do all the research and analysis you want on cities and demographics, but there’s this extra factor in places like D.C. and honestly, we don’t know what it is. Washington has what we call the ‘ax-factor’,” said Zelaya.