If you’ve ever passed by the Pop-Up Bar on 7th St. past 4:30 p.m., you’ve likely seen dozens and dozens of people standing in line, waiting their turn to enter Drink Company’s latest creation.
What are they waiting for? A pop-up with attention to detail rivaling Disneyland. Drink Company fills its pop-ups with lavish backdrops and scenery that can’t be matched by nearby Dacha Beer Garden or Ivy and Coney. Other past pop-ups have been inspired by Game of Thrones, pandas, and Rick & Morty (albeit briefly).
The group has announced the third storefront joining its Cherry Blossom PUB: PUBLIN, an Irish-themed pop-up opening Thursday, just ahead of St. Patrick’s Day. (Groundbreaking, we agree.) The already-open pop-up bar includes rooms decked out as a Palace of Versailles-inspired garden and a giant bowl of ramen, respectively.
“Offering another ode to spring, PUBLIN delivers the ‘luck of the Irish’ with a festive design inspired by the symbol of Ireland: the shamrock,” the Drink Company said in press invitation. “The bar is surrounded by nearly two hundred oversized four-leaf clovers and spring flowers, with a larger-than-life gilded gold beehive suspended above the bar.”
PUBLIN’s speciality cocktail offerings inspire an eye-roll but an explicable thirst in this Irish-American. The Tipperary, a Manhattan riff, is made with Powers Gold Label, sweet vermouth, green chartreuse, and orange bitters. The Four Leaf Closure is made with Jameson Caskmates IPA Edition, Green Spot whiskey, and apple soda. And for Irish Catholic traditionalists, there’s an Irish Coffee, complete with Powers Three Swallows whiskey, brown sugar, coffee, and whipped cream.
PUBLIN is located at 1843 7th St. NW, and runs Mar. 7-April 21. Hours Sunday-Thursday 5 p.m.-12:30 a.m., Friday-Saturday 5 p.m.-1:30 a.m.