Tech-Savvy Arcade Bar Pops Up in Shaw

A slice of Silicon Valley lands in Shaw this week, aiming to transport video gamers to new realities while they sip futuristic cocktails.

Dubbed Augment VR Arcade and Bar, the new interactive space downstairs at Flash Nightclub (645 Florida Avenue NW) will be stocked with pricey equipment from top names in the electronics world — including Alienware, NVIDIA, Intel, and HTC.

Expect a lineup of “cocktails, healthy drinks, and more,” a rep tells Eater; the menu is projected to touch on themes surrounding video game history and Northern California’s tech hub capital.

There are “over 30 experiences to choose from,” according to the team, ranging from games, exploring Google Earth, and virtual reality (VR) simulations. Gamers can reserve a spot online ahead of time. The new bar-in-bar arcade sounds a lot like pop-up bars found at Comic-Con, which often invade existing spaces to feature the latest technologies out there.

The two-night grand opening is is set to run from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Wednesday, October 4, and Thursday, October 5. The bar will be open those two days of the week going forward, with more added down the line.

D.C. is combining the art of drinking with technology more and more as of late. Artechouse’s latest fall-themed exhibit features an augmented reality-enabled cocktail and is “the only place” in the U.S. to have such a drink, a spokeswoman tells Eater. Its edible leaf-shaped design is tied to a new AR app that unlocks festive fall emojis on attendees’ phones. That app is currently in the process of being approved by both Apple and Google markets.