NB: Dr. Brittany Warman and Dr. Sara Cleto (Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic) surprised us by not only posting about this magical, TEMPORARY space recently, they also visited (and made us thoroughly jealous!). Since we were already in the process of collecting a whole lot of images to share, we thought we'd go ahead and finish - since it is significant fairy tale news that has people talking in DC! Nothing we mention will top Brittany and Sara talking about being there, though. So you may consider this a 'companion post', of sorts. We'll be linking to the Carterhaugh post shortly... In the meantime, we've packed in a LOT of images, so be sure to click to enlarge so you can spot the many nods to lesser-known Grimm's tales too.
An Immersive Fairy Tale Halloween Experience in DC
Once upon a time, in a pop-up bar in Shaw, Drink Company spun the haunting fairytales of the Brothers Grimm into a life-size storybook. Their third annual Halloween bar transforms the fables into PUB Grimm, opening Monday, October 17 (through November 3).
“Halloween is not just about dress up and make believe,” says Drink Company president Derek Brown. “It’s also just about going to a different place and feeling like a different person and that’s embodied by the fairytales.” (Washingtonian)
As you can see by the posting date, we're running out of time to let you know about this briefly available, full-blown Fairy Tale experience for those of legal drinking age and above, in Washington DC, which has been created especially for Halloween in 2019 (and will only last till November 3rd!) so we will let the official press-release articles and interviews explain a lot. We have, however, collected as many different photos as we can from many different sources, to give you an idea of just how detailed and unique PUB Grimm is.
Photos in order:
1. Nicholas Karlin for Brightest Young Things 2. Nicholas Karlin for Brightest Young Things
3. IG @stephchoiii 4. IG @noblelady09
However - what's VERY important to know is that two of our fairy tale friends - the wonderful folklorists, Brittany Warman and Sara Cleto, who created the AFS Award-Winning
Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic, actually go to spend an evening there very recently, on their tour of places of "Urban Enchantment" and wrote about it - along with a lot of very delightful photos - on the Carterhaugh blog
HERE. We can show you pictures and explain the concept. They can give you an idea of just how wonderful and magical the experience actually is so we recommend popping over there to enjoy their post (and more - there are lots of fairy tale goodies there for our readers!).
To transport patrons, special projects manager Adriana Salame-Aspiazu checked out versions of the Grimm fairytales from the Library of Congress dating back to the 1850s and early 1900s. Prints from the German storybooks are hung across the pub, telling the tales of scheming witches and mystical twists of bad luck.
The stories leap from the pages into three-dimensional installations. A canopy filled with hundreds of thorns is inspired by “Sleeping Beauty’s Briar Rose,” or a Rumplestiltskin-style wheel spinning straw into gold. In the Grimm tales, Rapunzel’s witch had a green thumb and her planter sits in front of a castle, cheekily stocked with “Rapunzel lettuce” (a variety of salad greens). Salame-Aspiazu describes the decor as “the balance of whimsical and more Halloween scary.” (Washingtonian)
Photos in order:
1. IG - @mypinterestlife 2. IG - @einfachmalte
3. IG @mjex19 4. IG - @amberfaise
5. IG @rkduggins 6. IG - @beingdave
Well, this is amazing, but what is a "Pop-Up Bar" (PUB) anyway?
Here's a little info from Drink Company's website, explaining their mission:
PUB is a rotating pop-up bar that houses thematic bars created by Drink Company such as Miracle on 7th Street, Cherry Blossom PUB and Game of Thrones PUB. Our first pop-up bar was in the Winter 2015 when we partnered with Cocktail Kingdom to create the first "Miracle" franchise outside of New York City. Since then we have held multiple themes and welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors.
PUB specializes in elaborate decorations created by our design team alongside specialty cocktails that draw from the classics with fun, irreverent names and garnishes. At PUB, guests are treated to immersive, one-of-a-kind experiences. www.popupbardc.com
Photos in order:
1. Twitter @SeyKimESQ 2. IG @ksaniaprophoto
3. Facebook - Drink Company 4. IG - @drinkcompany
5. IG - @drinkcompany 6. IG - @jan_marthorn
Previous Pop-Up Bar themes have usually been tied to the season in some way (for example, the scary side of fairy tales, makes it a bar specifically for the Halloween festival) and they are, as they advertise, immersive in the experience. Not only do they look amazing (sight), they take pains to choose appropriate soundtracks and sound effects (sound), they encourage guests to dress thematically or in costume (touch), and create a specially themed drinks menu with accompanying thematic snacks (taste). They even take into account the all-important cherry in the cap of the social media generation's experience with today's tendency to "Insta" everything (ie. short for "Instagram", or take pictures of oneself to show you were there, and post them online). Each PUB takes great pains to add a lot of "Insta" options in their decoration, both in the background for atmosphere but also interactive sets and props.
Photos: Left - Nicholas Karlin for Brightest Young Things Right - IG @mypinterestlife
Other themes have been wow-worthy too. Readers will likely be very interested in taking a look at some pictures
HERE from the
Game of Thrones Summer Bar in DC. Last year they had
Pub Dread (images in the video in the linked article), while a
Stranger Things PUB appeared in Chicago in 2017, and there has been a
Cherry Blossom & Southern Efficiency PUB, and a "
Mario" (video game themed) PUB with the
"Miracle on Seventh Street" being a very popular Winter holiday-themed PUB (incorporating Christmas, Hannukah, Winter and more), having made more than one appearance. It's well worth clicking on the link
HERE to check out all the different holiday 'rooms'. (We're curious to see what they top it with for 2019!)
In the meantime, here are a LOT more photos of the interior details and many nods to fairy tales most folks wouldn't pick up on (without a guide anyway). For instance, did you notice the lion's head near the Cinderella chair? Or the illustration on the wall to the left? How many references can you find? (Hint to get you started from The Washington Post: Throughout the five rooms, there are allusions to some of the Grimms’ gorier stories, such as “The White Bride and the Black One” and “One-Eye, Two-Eyes and Three-Eyes”... (Sources for the photos are listed in order before the next text block.) Enjoy!
Photos in order:
1. Nicholas Karlin for Brightest Young Things 2. Nicholas Karlin for Brightest Young Things
3. Nicholas Karlin for Brightest Young Things 4. Nicholas Karlin for Brightest Young Things
Photos in order:
5. Nicholas Karlin for Brightest Young Things 6. IG @misoandsushi
7. IG @mjex19 8. IG @nearlywitches.cos
Photos in order:
9. Nicholas Karlin for Brightest Young Things 10. IG @hellcatshaus
11. Twitter @dccitygirl_ 12. Nicholas Karlin for Brightest Young Things
Photos in order:
13.IG - @jan_marthorn 14. Nicholas Karlin for Brightest Young Things
15. Nicholas Karlin for Brightest Young Things 16. Twitter @dccitygirl_
17. IG - @drinkcompany 18. Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the Fantastic
Photos in order:
19. IG @rkduggins 20. Nicholas Karlin for Brightest Young Things
21. Nicholas Karlin for Brightest Young Things 22. IG - @jan_marthorn
23.Nicholas Karlin for Brightest Young Things 24. Nicholas Karlin for Brightest Young Things
From the Drink Company, Pop Up Bar (PUB) DC 'About' Page, which will change very shortly to reflect the next theme, so we are including all the information here for the fairy tale record:
Drink Company Presents PUB Grimm, Brothers Grimm Halloween Pop-up
Drink Company proudly announces
PUB Grimm, a Halloween pop-up experience in Washington, D.C. that celebrates the darker side of the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tales, opening
Friday, October 18th. In true Pop-Up Bar (PUB) fashion, the over-the-top décor will transport guests to the Black Forest with Hansel and Gretel’s house, Rapunzel’s tower, and the wicked queen's mirror.
“Revisiting Grimms’ fairy tales has been a fantastic creative journey for me,” says Special Projects Manager,
Adriana Salame-Aspiazu, “I want it to be that for our guests too." At PUB Grimm, guests can traverse the thorny hedge from Briar Rose as straw is spun into gold. See Rapunzel’s golden hair under the full moon. In a royal castle, test their luck fitting into Cinderella’s shoe, but hopefully keep their toes!
The cocktails at PUB Grimm also represent a journey through the stories and season. “I love fall—apples, hoody weather, Halloween,” says drinks creator, Paul Taylor, “Creating these cocktails from classics, I wanted them to connect back to the theme, stories I grew up with, and embody my favorite season.”
Taylor created a special menu of cocktails for the PUB, including The Glass Slipper (Monkey 47 Gin, dry vermouth, orange bitters, spruce oil), The Fairest Apple of Them All (Smooth Ambler American Whiskey, maple, apple cider, vinegar, bitters), and Crumby Directions (Powers Gold Label Irish Whiskey, ginger, honey, lemon, smoked Allspice).
PUB Grimm has also partnered with chef
Mike O’Brien from
The Berliner who will serve classic brats, frankfurters, soft pretzels and more alongside Taylor’s creations. (A bar inspired by the Black Forest open during Oktoberfest has to serve German food!). And has partnered with the
D.C. Public Library Foundation (DCPLF), which will present a
Drag Queen Story Hour every Saturday from 5:30-6:30 p.m. where drag performers will read classic fairy tales in costume and a portion of the proceeds from drinks will benefit the DCPLF.
Photos in order:
(ILLUSTRATION) IG - @jan_marthorn (DRINKS) IG @east.coast.bite, IG @east.coast.bite, Photo by Drink Company, Photo by Drink Company, IG - @montyhobbs, IG - @munchtravelogue.
PUB Grimm
1843 7th St. NW
will be open
Tuesday through Saturday,
October 17 through November 3
 |
| IG @gmatuzs22 |
References & Sources for Photos:
THE SPECIAL EVENT THIS THURSDAY/FRIDAY:
This is how Melbourne Digital Fringe works: you can book any time, up to half an hour before each show starts. You’ll notice you can choose your price - ranging from $5 to $100 – OR - you can choose to get tickets for free and pay what you like after the show. Everyone has a different budget, so please pay what suits you.
