It isn’t hard to find a liberal on the West Side of Manhattan, a renowned bastion of left-leaning politics. 

But five years ago, two friends, Justin Krebs and Matthew O’Neill, then 25 and living in Hell’s Kitchen west of Times Square, felt they didn’t have enough opportunities to discuss politics with other liberals. 

That may sound strange, given that the city provides the Democratic Party with one of its most reliable voting blocs. But there’s a reasonable explanation. 

“Politics felt like something that was removed from our everyday lives,” Krebs said. “We wanted to allow people to engage in politics in a way that was part of their everyday lives. Why not make it hanging out in bars?” 

So in May 2003, Krebs and O’Neill began inviting friends to a local nightspot every Thursday after work to drink and talk politics. Eventually known as Drinking Liberally, the tradition spread via blogs and word of mouth. 

Now it has expanded into other venues such as Laughing Liberally (stand-up comedy), Eating Liberally (socially responsible dinners) and Screening Liberally (showing films with a progressive bent). 

A full-fledged nonprofit, the Living Liberally franchise has 250 chapters nationwide, in all 50 states. New York City and, perhaps unpredictably, Idaho each claim six chapters. 

“It really means a lot to people, especially in red areas,” said Dan Henry, founder of the chapter in Idaho Falls, Idaho. The state has voted Republican in the past 10 general elections — almost 11, as Democrat Lyndon Johnson squeezed by Barry Goldwater by less than 1 percent. 

Liberals in Idaho thirst for the gatherings. “I canceled two [Drinking Liberally] meetings in a row last year, and people sent very upset e-mails,” Henry said. “People here are often afraid to mention their political views at work. I doubt there’s many people in New York City who have that experience.” 

Although the expansion of Drinking Liberally may reflect some political polarization of America, it doesn’t appear to have worsened it. “The more I have been involved with Drinking Liberally, the more tolerant I’ve felt people are of us as our community bands together,” said Heather Culligan, co-founder of the Salt Lake City chapter. 

Washington has its own chapter, which meets weekly at bars, usually near Dupont Circle. But it may be that people who work in politics get more than enough at the office: Most attendees at a recent Drinking Liberally event in the nation’s capital were people who work in nonpolitical fields. 

Organizers say Drinking Liberally serves a completely different function in cities such as New York or Washington than in places like Idaho Falls. “In D.C., you can meet other liberals at any bar,” said Keith Ivey, a computer programmer who helps run the D.C. group’s happy hour. “It’s more of a gateway to activism here.”Kim Davis, an engineering consultant who runs the D.C. group with Ivey, agreed. “Many people work at [nongovernmental organizations], but few people work directly in politics,” she said. “Hill staffers come by every so often.”