POP FizzBar opens in Shaw Saturday (near 9:30 Club)

2106 Vermont Avenue, NW (RIP OG Duffy’s)

From POP (no relation):

“One of the country’s most acclaimed sommeliers will soon open POP, a 40-seat fizz bar, on December 17th, 2022. Located in Washington, DC’s north Shaw neighborhood at 2108 Vermont St. NW near the famous 9:30 Club, POP is the brainchild of award-winning wine expert Brent Kroll of Maxwell Park fame. The playful bar devotes itself to all-things-bubbles, with more than 40 carbonated cans, an extensive sparkling wine menu, and a craveable food menu from Chef Bart Hutchins.

The name “POP” is multi-pronged — a reference for soda in the Midwest (where Kroll grew up), a play into pop culture references, and a nod to everything being carbonated. Kroll was also inspired by a pop music + sparkling wine pop-up bar he once hosted in NYC during FLXcursion.

The Fizz Bar will showcase unique producers making all-things-bubbly: sparkling seltzers, kombucha, sake, cider, canned cocktails, sparkling wine, pet-nats, and Champagne. Interestingly, the majority of the menu will highlight smaller-format, individually-portioned options, with most beverages (approx. 50 options) served in a can.

Given Kroll’s esteem in the wine world (he was Food and Wine magazine’s “Sommelier of the Year” in 2018), there will also be a well-curated sparkling bottle list in the vein of quality of Maxwell Park, his first bar which Esquire named one of the country’s top bars in 2019. Bubbleheads will find some lesser-known effervescents such as fizzy reds, Tkakoli and Pet-Nat, along with carbonated house cocktails and beer.

“I’ve always seen pop culture find ways to link people to beverages and I think what’s being canned right now is more exciting than ever,” Kroll says. “This is designed to be a fun place to celebrate something or next to nothing with a seltzer or a unique Champagne.”

Chef Bart Hutchins, formerly of Beuchert’s Saloon and Fight Club, will oversee the food program, which will feature some of Kroll’s favorite bites that pair well with bubbles. Expect to see Foie Gras Chicken Nuggets, Caviar Doughnuts and a Duck Heart Crunch Wrap Supreme.

The modern, colorful space is being designed by local Inscape Studio. The 1200 sq. ft. interior is distinctly influenced by pop culture, with local artwork featuring famous musicians and icons, and the signature chalkboard bar top seen at sister bar Maxwell Park. The 40-seat bar includes bar, hightop and banquette table seating, and a mix of pop and lively music will play throughout. A roll-up garage door at the entrance gives the space a unique indoor-outdoor feel, while a fenced-in patio will debut in spring 2023.

Also to look forward to in the near future: bubbly tastings and a canned subscription club curated by Kroll.

POP will be open Monday to Thursday from 5pm-12am, Friday-Saturday from 3pm-1am and 3pm-10pm on Sunday.”