Almanac Joins R&D for One-Night-Only Throwback Cocktail Menu

There was a time when cocktails were not trying to be mysterious. People were out here ordering Melon Balls like they had stock in melon liqueur. French Martinis made everybody feel impossibly sophisticated, and bars served shots with names nobody questioned. Then somewhere along the way, cocktails got… serious. Bartenders started describing cocktails using words like washed, clarified, and expressive.

But what do you think, we kind of secretly miss having fun, don’t we? 

Which is exactly why this upcoming pop-up at R&D feels so good.

Sourced via R&D’s Instagram

On Sunday, May 24 from 5 PM to 9 PM, R&D is teaming up with Almanac for a one-night-only cocktail program dedicated to resurrecting the excessive, dramatic drinks of the late ’90s and early 2000s.

R&D Partner and Beverage Director Aaron Deary is joining forces with Almanac Beverage Director Rob Scott to create a menu inspired by peak turn-of-the-century cocktail culture. But instead of recreating these drinks exactly as people remember them, the idea feels closer to asking: what if the cocktails everyone loved in 2002 actually reached their full potential? Which makes this less of a throwback menu and more of a redemption arc.

This is two seriously talented beverage teams intentionally bringing back the drinks everybody forgot they loved.

And if this pop-up has you in the mood for more Philadelphia summer drinking plans, check out our article on Where to Drink Around the Delaware River Waterfront This Summer.