The Traveling Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy Pop-Up is Coming to Philly With Plenty of Cocktails & Storytelling
The Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy chilling cocktail experience is coming to Philadelphia for one weekend only on October 12th-14th. This immersive pop-up dark speakeasy will celebrate the stories of Edgar Allan Poe. Four of his most famous stories will be retold and reimagined by the event’s Poe historians. The event’s macabre lead mixologist will transform each of those stories into a four-part cocktail experience that is paired with live entertainment and storytelling. The speakeasy will pop-up at the special event space at Craft Hall ( 901 N Delaware Ave), just blocks from the famous Poe Mural and Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site. Tickets include the four cocktails, venue admission and the interactive show. This is a 21-and-up adult experience.
“Over a century and a half after Edgar Allan Poe’s death, this cocktail experience brings the most beloved works of Poe to life off the page and onto the stage,” said VBG Group Director of Marketing Ryan Wieczorek. “Come out for an immersive evening that pairs four tales with a dash and history and heavy libations. We love Poe’s work and wanted to celebrate it – this is our favorite national traveling show and we can’t wait to introduce it in Philadelphia, where Poe found so much inspiration for some of his most famous works. It was important for us to bring Poe to a neighborhood here where Poe had a strong connection.”
Each guest will enjoy FOUR cocktails expertly made special for this experience:
Pale Blue Eye –
A refreshing light blue cocktail made with blueberry vodka, fresh lemon juice, rose syrup and topped with La Croix.
Cocktail of Red Death –
A bright vibrant cocktail made with 100-proof vodka, cherry herring, benedictine liquor, lime juice, pineapple juice, and bitters.
Edgar’s Twisted Brandy Milk Punch –
Equal parts Kentucky Bourbon meets with French Brandy and is mixed with vanilla cream, milk syrup, and half and half. Topped with star anise.
The Raventini –
A black and gold cocktail fueled by citrus vodka, blackberry liquor, lime juice, and secret spices.
(Dietary info: Alcohol-free cocktail options and allergy substitution cocktails will be available upon request.)
For the event’s first time in Philadelphia, organizers selected the City of Brotherly Love and the Northern Liberties neighborhood due to the strong connections Poe had with the city and the neighborhood.
Poe lived in Philadelphia between 1838 and 1844, spending the last year to 18 months at a house on North 7th Street, just up the street from Craft Hall. He crafted some of his most well known and important works while living here. Some have called Philly the crucible for Poe’s imagination, as those were some of the most productive years for his writing career. While living in Philadelphia, Edgar Allan Poe wrote:
“Murders in the Rue Morgue”
“The Pit and the Pendulum”
“The Tell-Tale Heart”
“The Black Cat”
“The Gold-Bug”
“The Fall of the House of Usher”
“The Masque of the Red Death”
“The Purloined Letter”
“The Cask of Amontillado”
“A Descent into the Maelstrom”
“William Wilson”
“The Man of the Crowd”
“The Oval Portrait”
He also was likely to have begun work on “The Raven” here. Northern Liberties is currently home to the Edgar Allan Pоe National Historic Site, and to the famous Poe Mural at N. 7th and Spring Garden.
For the debut of the speakeasy in Philly, showtimes are 6:00pm, 8:00pm and 10:00pm on Thursday, October 12, 2023 and Friday, October 13, 2023, with shows at 12:00pm, 2:00pm, 4:00pm, 6:00pm, 8:00pm and 10:00pm on Saturday, October 14, 2023.
Tickets are $55 each and include all four drinks, venue admission and the live experience. Cocktail or Poe-inspired attire is suggested, but not required .
“Tickets are selling fast – and we limit inventory to ensure it is an intimate and exclusive experience for each and every guest,” added Wieczorek. “We want each experience to be unique, special and everyone feeling like they are a part of the performance.”
