It’s 5:30 p.m. on the Sunday before Memorial Day, and R&D in Fishtown already has a line three-deep at the bar. Guests debate between the Strong Island Iced Tea or the [Redacted] Melon Sour as “Return of the Mack” fills the room. Tonight, the acclaimed cocktail bar has transformed into a one-night-only ’90s throwback pop-up, the brainchild of beverage directors Aaron Deary of R&D and Rob Scott of Almanac, a 2026 James Beard Foundation semifinalist in the Best New Bar category.
The bar’s usual warm interior — dark wood, banquets, high-tops, and floor-to-ceiling windows — buzzes with energy. Those who don’t snag a seat stand and bop along to the music spun by ApauloGreene! Others try their hand at Mario Kart in the retro gaming corner set up for the night by Jade of Game Exchange. At the center of it all, Deary and Scott command the bar, operating at warp speed, yet never missing a beat.
“For the collaboration with Almanac, Rob and I wanted to create a nostalgic atmosphere for both our industry friends and guests, something that reminded people how fun and unserious cocktails can be,” says Deary, partner and beverage director at R&D since it opened in October 2018.
In the ’90s and early 2000s, drinking culture was “silly and new,” says Deary, adding, “We wanted to bring some of that energy back and remind guests that cocktail bars have a laid-back, approachable side, too.”
The crowd suggests the craving for this nostalgia and fun is alive and well in Fishtown. The bar is filled with regulars, first-time visitors, and plenty of industry folk eager to see what the two collaborators have created.
The cocktails themselves deliver on the promise of playful throwback with an elevated twist. While each drink nods to its inspiration, these offerings are more balanced in their flavor profile. Gone are the sickly-sweet concoctions of yesteryear.
Some libations go beyond elevation and straight to optical illusion. The Strong Island Iced Tea — despite containing milk and cola along with a medley of rums, lemon, and club soda — appears clear. The clever use of clarification also extends to the White Russian Milk Punch served as a shot, which looks more like a freshly poured lager, but tastes just like Kahlua and milk. Not to be outdone in the whimsy stakes, the Cool as the Kool Aid Man comes with a sprinkling of Kool-Aid powder on top with some revelers mixing in additional helpings to dial up the taste of childhood.
As the night goes on, candy wrappers and Kool-Aid packets dot the bar. Rather than looking messy, they reinforce the evening’s joyful abandon. There’s a looseness in the room as everyone indulges their inner child.
While the pop-up was a one-night affair, R&D’s spirit of creativity is anything but temporary.
Deary says that the current menu, Ripoff & Duplicate, is a magazine-style “ode to Philadelphia” that features anecdotes about neighborhoods, city traditions, and local recommendations alongside cocktails inspired by the city. The menu first launched in January, but the refreshed edition features “exciting new cocktails, some with techniques we haven’t used before with summery ingredients, like the Yooo Cuz, a herbaceous martini with dill and pink peppercorns, inspired by Fishtown itself.”
If the evening proved anything, it’s that technical precision and playful nostalgia aren’t mutually exclusive. At R&D, they made for one unforgettable night.
