For those of us in Washington, receptions are nothing new. Typical ingredients of a reception in DC include an open bar; hot appetizers; and Capitol Hill staff, consultants and reporters (erm, bloggers) glad-handing for a few hours.

However, those ingredients have now been improved upon with Google throwing open its doors on its brand-spanking new office space at 1101 New York Ave NW.

Google's added ingredients: Top-shelf drinks, full sushi bar and killer "apps," Wii, a DJ, and an office space that reminded me more of a happening night club in Manhattan then a stuffy, cubicle-laden DC-office space lit with fluorescent bulbs.

The Politico's Anne Schroeder had some official reports (here and here).

Using a Google-provided Flip camera, here's some footage from inside the Google launch party:

Google's CEO, Eric Schmidt, was on-hand for the launch and gave a short speech on the importance of Net Neutrality and building a bipartisan coalition to better work with Washington on the policy issues it cares about.

One thing was clear to me after attending the well-attended event: Google is dead serious about having a very real impact on Washington and they're starting with the chattering class.

Disclosure: I like Google and support Net Neutrality.