Don’t be distracted by the lingering smell of cigarette smoke or the faint scent of alcohol — at least not while Father is talking. Twenty-four times a year, young adults come to a bar to drink, socialize and learn more about their faith.

Theology on Tap (TOT) began locally in the Archdiocese of Washington in 1999, but because many attendees were from the Virginia side of the Potomac, the Office for Family Life decided to start a TOT in the Arlington Diocese in the summer of 2000. Five years later, the program is thriving and attracting many young adults to the Church via bar stools and good beer.

TOT was founded 25 years ago in Chicago and has since spread throughout the country. The prescribed format includes a half-hour socializing, a half-hour talk and a question and answer period.

"It’s an evangelization program — from the bar stool to the pew," said Bob Laird, director of the Office of Family Life. "We want to get people who are not typically church-goers."

"That first summer was great," recalled Andrea Albanese, the first coordinator of Young Adult Ministry. They first had to find a bar that would host them, and many of the managers she spoke to seemed skeptical of their plan.

The office finally narrowed it down to two bars: Whitlow’s on Wilson in Arlington and Capital City Brewery in Shirlington. When they visited Capital City, it seemed perfect, but the manager did not like the idea of a priest coming into his bar to give a talk. So the vote went to Whitlow’s. The manager at Whitlow’s, not expecting a crowd, begrudgingly agreed to give them the seldom-used back room.

"It was overwhelmingly successful," said Albanese. The first night drew a crowd of 200 people that completely filled the space.

Father James Gould, the first TOT speaker, gave a talk entitled "Are you there God?" The first "six-pack," a group of six talks, focused on "Who is God?" with topics focusing on God, the pope, the Church and the sacraments. Father Jerome Fasano ended it with "The Eucharist: We got the real thing."

After the Whitlow’s success, the program started to branch out. The Office of Family Life sponsored two series in Fredericksburg, but that location didn’t hold, Albanese said. TOT then traveled to Ned Devine’s in Herndon and Pat Troy’s in Alexandria. The Herndon location drew a small crowd, so it does not run as frequently now. Pat Troy, owner of the Alexandria bar, is a member of St. Mary Parish in Alexandria.

Bishop Loverde has spoken three times at Whitlow’s and once at Pat Troy’s. The first time he spoke at Whitlow’s, the management opened the whole bar space to TOT, and the Catholics maxed it out.

They’ve also held confession at Whitlow’s where many Catholics were able to return to the sacrament after many years away, Albanese said.

According to Laird, the first group was composed of mostly fallen away Catholics. Today’s crowd is a little different.

"Now there are TOT groupies," said Laird. On average, there are four TOT programs that run each year — two at Whitlow’s and two at Pat Troy’s.

Alysha Cimprich, program assistant for Young Adult Ministry, said there are two types that come to TOT: people who have a strong faith foundation and those trying to further their faith life. When ministering to each group different goals come to mind.

"Whatever young adult ministry you do, you have to keep in mind that you’re ministering to both sides," she said.

The trick is finding speakers who are knowledgeable about the faith and can explain it in an interesting way. The speakers should be able to interact with the age group, Cimprich said.

Nick Alexandrow, a member at St. Veronica Parish in Chantilly, frequents TOT. Originally, he was drawn to the program because it was a good place to meet younger Catholics.

"Now, I go to hang out with my friends," he said. "I’ve learned a lot and made a lot of good Catholic friends."

"It provides a base for getting people connected," Albanese said, adding that the approachable environment draws people.

"You don’t feel awkward or out of place," she said. "You can rediscover the Church and not feel intimidated by it."

Young adult ministry doesn’t stop at TOT, though.

"There’s always more you can do," said Cimprich. "Not everyone is attracted to come to a bar."

The goal is that this ministry would be integrated into the parish life, said Laird. Some parishes minister to this group, but there needs to be more. In Fairfax, St. Leo the Great Parish has a 5 p.m. Mass on Sundays that draws many young adults, as do Masses at St. Robert Bellarmine Chapel at George Mason University. In Arlington, St. Charles Borromeo Parish has many young adults at the 6 p.m. Sunday Mass, to name a few.

According to Cimprich, this is a difficult age.

"They lose momentum," she said. After graduating from college, very few programs keep this age group engaged in their faith. Cimprich suggested that church communities push themselves to reach out to this age group.

"We also need more people willing to stand up and get involved," she said, adding that the pastor can’t do it all. "We don’t want to lose this group of individuals."

The fifth year celebration of TOT will begin July 11 at Pat Troy’s. Father Chris Pollard, parochial vicar at St. Agnes Parish in Arlington, will speak on "The Pope’s Mass Appeal." Happy hour begins at 7 p.m. and the talk begins at 7:30 p.m.