You've got to hand it to the team at Drink Company, they know how to deliver, in less than five days they transformed their Cherry Blossom pop-up bar into a regal Royal Wedding. Unlike past pop-up transformations it's only Eat the Rich that is open to become St George's Chapel, which might turn out to be a mistake, if the crowds from opening weekend are anything to go by (I suspect the other two bars are being prepped for the summer pop-up installment that will no doubt come in June). It's a pretty impressive turnover, this Brit was impressed.
But before you ask, just because I carry a British passport I do not know any members of the Royal Household, and it didn't get me any perks. I'll be having words.
I've visited a few of the past pop-ups on 7th and I've never left without dropping a tidy Benjamin on a few rounds of drinks, spend a couple of hours here and you will too. But you go for the experience, not just the drinks. Gotta step up that #selfie game.
Not all the drinks come looking like they were made for a royal photo opp, so order accordingly. The 'God Save the Queen' which is the closest you'll get to a gin martini comes with a paper crown, not quite Beatrice or Eugenie but you can give it a shot. I ordered one with a Union Flag and was given 'The Daily Mail', one friend asked if I could taste the lies, but dare I say it was my favorite out of all the drinks I tried, sherry based with pineapple. Lions and Unicorns a close second, a dark rum and cognac with claried milk. But it's the Royal mug with Harry and Meghan you'll ask for, that would be the 'When Harry Met Meghan', Scotch and ginger with a twist of lemon. Be prepared to leave your ID behind in exchange for the mug, they don't want you wandering off with that.
With a drink in hand you're ready for the photos, there are cardboard cut outs of all the Kensington clan - Harry and Meghan, William and Kate (sans children, tear), Charles and Camilla, and even the Queen herself with one of her corgis, RIP. Pro-tip, when you're in the thrown room sit to the left, that's the seat of the Monarch. As with the #GoT pop-up you're given an allotted two minutes to take photos in the throne room, make sure to give the door person your cell number upon entering to be put in the queue, our estimated wait time was 20 minutes, it was more like an hour.
The Royal Pub is open now through May 20th, they'll be open at 6:30am on May 19th, the day of the wedding for a viewing party, or of course you could just go to your closest movie theater to watch it.
Eat the Rich aka Royal Pub: 1839 7th Street NW, Washington, DC (closest metro: Shaw/Howard University)