Inside FedExField’s Cool New Cocktail Lounge Owned by Rap Mogul 50 Cent

Despite the NFL Washington Commanders’ much-anticipated 2023-24 season falling short of expectations so far (4-6), there’s another reason to attend home games at FedExField. A unique lounge activated with for-sale art and cognac-fueled cocktails quietly entered the fold this fall.

The club-level Branson Lounge & Gallery is spearheaded locally by mixologist Torrence Swain, a 40-year Washington Redskins Commanders fan who recently joined 50 Cent’s Sire Spirits company as a rep. The lounge is sponsored by the rap icon’s Branson Cognac line.

Branson Lounge & Gallery

Respected D.C. mixologist Lukas Smith, currently the beverage director at the Line hotel, is responsible for the cocktails featured in Branson Lounge. That includes a cognac espresso martini called the Magic Stick. Branson is also the official cognac of pro sports teams like the Houston Rockets, Texans, and Astros; Sacramento Kings; and Vegas Golden Knights.

The Landover, Maryland stadium hosts the New York Giants this Sunday, November 19 at 1 p.m. There’s only two other regular-season home games left, but Branson Lounge will continue to operate during the upcoming 2024 concert season at the 62,000-capacity stadium.

The 2,000-square-foot lounge is the first in the NFL to integrate a rotating art exhibit, featuring 40 mixed-media pieces from well-known D.C. artists like Maggie O’Neill. The inaugural theme, “The Vibrancy of Change,” reflects the Commanders’ new leadership under Josh Harris and investors like Magic Johnson, who bought the team from Dan Snyder for $6 billion this year.

Branson Lounge & Gallery

All displayed artwork is available for purchase via QR code (or on its website), with 10 percent of all proceeds going to The Commanders Charitable Foundation.

“[50 Cent] likes to invest in the community, so this is like an extension of his ethos,” says Swain. “It’s also what the new culture of the [Commanders] organization is going to touch on — being a lot more involved.”

D.C.’s female-owned design firm the Play Nice Agency rebranded the secluded respite, which doesn’t sport views of football players on the field — just a live TV feed.

Branson Lounge & Gallery

FedExField also added other local options more accessible to the masses. Capital City Mambo Sauce teamed up with the Washington Commanders for the first time to provide its DMV-made condiment in certain concourses and suite sauce pumps.