D.C. Seems to Have More Halloween Pop-Ups Than Ever This Year

Halloween falls on a Thursday this year, and plenty of bars and restaurants are starting the party well before October 31. This year seems especially full of pop-ups eager to bust out dry ice billowing with smoke and cocktails encased in blood bags.

Here’s a summary of each temporary treat around town:

Spooky Lucy’s

The Deal: Lucy’s, the small burger bar above neighborhood Italian spot Little Coco’s, will be called Spooky Lucy’s for the next few weeks. Expect frightening decor — a creepy clown eyes customers while they drink — with Halloween movies playing in the background, themed drinks, gooey Jell-O shots, and familiar burgers. Hot Coco’s, Lucy’s Apres Ski pop-up, will return in mid-November.

Where: Lucy’s, 3907 14th Street NW

Dates: Wednesday, October 16, until Sunday, November 3

PUB Grimm

Drink Company [official photo]

What: Drink Company’s latest installment at its pop-up bar in Shaw explores the dark side of Brothers Grimm fairy tales. In true PUB fashion, elaborate decor transports guests to the Black Forest at Hansel and Gretel’s house. There are also nods to Rapunzel’s golden hair and the wicked queen’s mirror. Paul Taylor’s cocktails include “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). Chef Mike O’Brien of the Berliner’ will serve German brats, frankfurters, and soft pretzels to match the Black Forest theme.

Where: 1843 Seventh Street NW

Dates: Thursday, October 17 to November 3

Whiskey Charlie

Whiskey Charlie [official photo]

The Deal: The modern whiskey bar at the pinnacle of the Wharf’s Canopy by Hilton will be called “Dracula’s Tower,” dressed with gargoyles and shallow coffins. Drinks include a dry ice-accented “Wake The Dead” — a caffeinated concoction featuring Whistle Pig Piggyback, Mr. Black cold brew liqueur, and orange and walnut bitters. Guests who stop by before Halloween are entered into a raffle for a two-night stay at the hotel that comes with a waived cover fee for the Halloween party. Other prizes include a bottle of Whistle Pig Farm Stock Rye and $150 spend at Whiskey Charlie.

Where: 975 Seventh Street SW

Dates: Monday, October 14, to Thursday, October 31

Morris American Bar

The Deal: Shaw’s Morris American Bar will fill up its menu with five Halloween cocktails for $13 each. Its first-ever Halloween party on October 31 will star tarot card readers, DJs, and a big prize for the best costume. Cocktails include: Corpse Reviver #2 (gin, cointreau, Lillet blanc, lemon, absinthe); Cloak and Dagger (black rum, aged rum, lime, sugar); and Late Night Reviver (gin, fernet, lime, ginger).

Morris [official photo]

Where: 1020 7th Street NW

Dates: Sunday, October 27, to Saturday, November 2

The Night Witch

The Deal: Mixtress Gina Chersevani will host a three-night cocktail party out of her vintage airstream parked outside Union Market, with a little help from three female mixologists: Sophie Szych and Katie Dandridge (Quill) and Ellē alum Zoe Ezrailson. Drinks are named after badass female singers, like the the Beyoncé (Cotton and Reed Rum, green tea and a maple limeade); the Dolly (Jim Beam bourbon, apple cider and butterscotch-washed sherry); and the mezcal-infused Selena.

Where: Suburbia, 1309 Fifth Street NE

Dates: Friday, October 18, to Sunday, October 20

Watergate [official photo]

The Next Whisky Bar

The Deal: Six spooky igloos surrounded by fog will take up residency outside the Watergate’s lobby bar. Themed cocktails include the Jack O’Lantern and the El Diablo, made with dry ice. Look for a candy bike cart parked in the lobby for a trick-or-treat fix.

Where: The Next Whisky Bar, 2650 Virginia Avenue NW

Dates: Friday, October 25, to Saturday, November 2

Switch

The Deal: Up for a trip to Richmond, Virginia? This cocktail bar with a rotating theme turned into “the Haunt” on Friday the 13th last month. Walls inside are covered in missing persons posters, joined by an eerie bathtub that gives off Saw vibes. Spooky cocktails include the “Love at First Bite” — a red mix of whiskey and Cherry Heering served in a blood bag — and a squid-ink dyed slushee called “Talking Dead.”

Where: Switch, 13 W. Broad Street in Richmond, Virginia