‘Tis the season to be jolly… and all of that that. Especially when there’s so much festive booze to enjoy! There’s a tag-team of Christmas bar pop-ups in Washington, D.C. and New York City, along with some special Christmas cocktails and concoctions to explore elsewhere. Here’s where to get your Ho Ho Ho on this year.
Mockingbird Hill’s Pop-Up Christmas Cocktail Bar: Miracle On Seventh Street
Mockingbird Hill will transform into the Miracle on Seventh Street, a Christmas cocktail bar pop-up from December 1st-24th. Derek Brown’s sherry and ham shop is doing this in tandem with New York City’s Miracle on Ninth Street, the Christmas pop-up bar from Nico de Soto of Mace (below).
The specialty Christmas menu will include 10 holiday cocktails, and a special holiday shot, along with daily Christmas and Hanukkah-themed happy hours… think Christmas movies, Manichewitz Pong, and all kinds of wacky activities. The holiday pop-up will serve up everything from live Christmas carolers to cocktails served in outrageous Santa mugs, adorned with frosty evergreen trees and gingerbread men.
Cocktails include:
- Gretchen, Stop Trying to Make Fetch Happen: Moscatel Sherry, Dry Curaçao, Spiced Cranberry Syrup, Sparkling Wine
- I Don’t Mind You Shooting Me, Frank, But Take It Easy on the Rum: Rum, Crème de Menthe, Lime, Candy Cane
- Yippie Ki Yay, Motherf****r!!!: Trinidad Rum, Cachaça, Dry Curaçao, Roasted Chestnut Orgeat, Lime by Nico de Soto of Mace, NYC
- I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus: Pink Peppercorn-infused Dry Gin, Suze, Dolin Rouge, Conifer
- A Merry, Messy Kwelfnuve Kweznuz: Rye, White Port, Fernet Branca, Aromatic Bitters
- Francisco, That’s Fun to Say: Mezcal, Chocolate “Milk,” Green Chartreuse Marshmallow
- You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out!: Blended Scotch, Pisco, Drambuie, Lemon Curd, Pistachio “Orgeat,” Gingerbread Cream
- Can I Interest You in Hanukkah?: PX Sherry, U-Bet Chocolate Syrup, Xocolatl Mole & Whiskey Barrel Bitters, Cream, Soda
- Here We Come A-Wassailing: Mulled Brown Ale, Cream Sherry, Spices, Brown Sugar, Roasted Apples, Sops
- Mele Kalikimaka: Amontillado & Cream Sherry, Brandy, Roasted Plum Syrup, Bitters & Spices, Grapefruit, Clarified Milk, served in a tiki bowl for two
- Nog Shot: Shot of Baltimore Egg Nog.
Visit Miracleon7thst.com for more information on all of the drinks and events.
New York: Miracle on Ninth Street at Mace
Santa returns to the East Village for the second year, with the Miracle On Ninth Street at Mace Bar, from November 27th through December 24th.
Nico de Soto has crafted a full Christmas menu of 12 specialty cocktails, as the bar will be decked with Christmas décor — think tinsel, garlands, Christmas lights, ribbons and candles, while Christmas music galore fills the air. To complete the holiday picture, the pop-up also features a Hanukkah Hideaway where guests can enjoy the glow of blue and silver as they sip cocktails and spin dreidels all night.
Drinks include:
- Bad Santa: Hot Clarified Milk Punch with Jamaican Rum, Trinidad Overproof Rum, Batavia Arrack, Pineapple Juice,
Lemon Juice, Milk, 8 Spices, Coconut Water, Coconut Oil - Jingle Balls Nog: Brown Butter Fat-washed Cognac, Amontillado Sherry, Pandan Syrup, Egg, Hazelnut Milk, Clove, Nutmeg
- Muletide: Linie Aquavit, Oloroso Sherry, Ginger Syrup, Lime Juice, Pale Ale
- Redneck Flip: Bourbon, Applejack, Budweiser-Marshmallow Syrup, Beef Jerky Bitters, Egg
- Christmas Tree Gimlet: Shochu, Pine Needle Cordial, Grapefruit Oil
- The Grinch: Rye Whiskey, Pedro Ximenez, Nuoc Mam, Pine Bitters, Frankincense Smoke
- Christmopolitan: Fig Leaf-infused Vodka, St Germain, Lime Juice, Spiced Cranberry Sauce
- Candy Cane Fizz: Peppermint-infused Gin, Buttermilk Syrup, Clementine Acid, Prosecco
- Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel: Chocolate Gelt-infused Reposado Tequila, Pedro Ximenez, Maple Syrup, Black Walnut Bitters
- Mulled Wine Sour: Pedro Ximenez, Madeira, Sweet Vermouth, Orange Acid, Star Anise & Clove Syrup, Egg
- Yippie Ki Yay Motherf****r !!!: Pumpkin-infused Barbados Rum, Cachaca, Dry Curacao, Roasted Chestnut Orgeat, Lime Juice
- Joyeux Noel: Gingerbread Calvados, Spiced Pumpkin Syrup, Egg, Olive Oil, Cinnamon
For more information, find them on Twitter @MiracleOn9thStreet.
New York: Boilermaker’s Christmas Bar Pop-Up, Sippin’ Santa’s Surf Shack
Apparently Santa will be busy in the Village, as he’s also helping transform Boilermaker into Sippin’ Santa’s Surf Shack from November 30th through December 24th. With décor galore that will whisk you away to an island paradise in the dead of winter, Sippin’ Santa’s Surf Shack will feature eight tropical cocktails, and five boilermaker pairings, created by head bartender Sam Gauthier.
Cocktails:
- Sexy Santa (Served Hot): Brandy, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinnamon, Angostura Bitters, Grapefruit Essence
- Toboggan Nog: Jamaican Rum in House Pumpkin Spice Egg Nog
- I Saw Mommy…: Vodka, Grapefruit Juice, Branca Menta, Hershey’s Syrup, Chocolate Bitters, with Mint
- A Snowball’s Chance: Scotch, Pineapple Cordial, Allspice Dram, Dash of Absinthe
- Sippin’ Santa: Bourbon, Crème de Menthe, Crème de Cacao, Egg White, Wormwood Bitters, with Nutmeg
- Rudolph’s Apple Sling: Apple Brandy, Old Tom Gin, Maple, Angostura Bitters, with Pine-infused Gin
- Royal Tannenbaum: House Pine Tonic, with your choice of Vodka or Gin
- Black Metal Sleigh: Jägermeister, Vodka, Lime Juice, Grapefruit Bitters, with Cinnamon & Lime
Boilermakers:
- Kris Kringle $9: Lagunitas Pilsner & Old Grand-Dad Bonded Bourbon
- Jingle Bell Wipe-Out $10: Bell’s Christmas Ale & Cinnamon shot
- The Gingerbread Man $10: Schlafly Oatmeal Stout & Gingerbread shot
- Donner & Blitzen $11: Downeast Cider & Plantation Dark Rum
- Naughty & Nice $14: Southern Tier Pumking & Avua Cachaça Amburana
For more information, follow them on Twitter @boilermakernyc and use the hashtag #SippinSantaNYC.
Bibiana’s 25 Cocktails for Christmas
While they aren’t officially morphing into a Christmas cocktail bar pop-up, Bibiana is unveiling 25 seasonally-inspired drinks, available starting November 30th. Countdown to Christmas with one per day, from this extensive lineup:
- Vin Brule: Mulled Wine, Spices Served Warm
- Spicy Hot Chocolate: with Brandy, and House Made Cardamom marshmallow
- Sbagliato: Campari, Cochi Vermouth, Prosecco
- Christmas Cookie: Espresso, Prosecco Grappa, Lemon Air
- Hazelnut Old Fashion: Hazelnut infused Filibuster Bourbon, Orange, Cherry
- Hot & Cold Gin Fizz: Chilled Gin & Lemon, Warm Spuma
- Sazerac: Bourbon, Lemon Absinthe & Peychauds Bitters
- Clementina: Campari, Fresh Clementine Juice, Lemon, Prosecco
- Affogato Martini: Grey Goose, Kahula, Espresso, Gelato
- Italian 75: Blood Orange, Prosecco, Gin
- Classic Eggnog with a Twist: Pedro Ximenez, Benedictine, Buffalo Trace
- Amari Cup: Cucumber, Averna, Fernet Branca, Lemon, Lime, Gassoza
- Sanguinella: Bourbon, Lemon, Pumpkin-Cinnamon Syrup
- Hot Buttered Rum: Rum, Butter, Brown Sugar, Cinnamon
- Speciale: Ginger Infused Vodka, Grapefruit, Cherry Bitter, Rosemary Tincture
- Fichi: Maker’s Mark, Pureed Figs, Maple Syrup, Vanilla Sugar
- Passione: Vodka, Aperol, Grilled Pineapple Juice, Passion Fruit, Lime
- Francesca: Hayman’s Old Tom Gin, Creme de Violette, Luxardo Maraschino, Lemon
- Bibiana Corretto: Laubade Blanc, Caffe Moka, Espresso
- Sidro di Mele: Brandy, Cinnamon Maple Syrup, Lime, Apple Cider
- Belladonna: Bourbon, Apple Cider, Cranberry
- Aged Negroni: Barrel Aged for 12 months
- Variopinto: Prosecco Grappa, Orange, Honey, Fig, Ginger, Rosemary Tincture
- Acero Sprezzatura: Buffalo Trace, Maple Syrup, Amaro Nonino, Orange
- Vespa: Ketel One, Bombay Sapphire, Cochi Americano, Tangello Bitter, Ginger
Elsewhere around the District, also be on the lookout for some special eggnog concoctions…
- 1789: 1789 Restaurant’s Executive Chef Samuel Kim combines whole milk, heavy cream, and egg yolks with sugar, rum extract, nutmeg, almond extract, cloves, guar guam and Lambda Carrageenan. The mixture is then prepared sous-vide and cooked at 162 degrees for 10 minutes and given a good stir before cooking for another 10 minutes. The cocktail is served chilled and topped with freshly grated nutmeg. Priced at $13, it’s available throughout December.
- Ambar: Check out the Egg-N-Grog from Rico Wisner, made with a combination of Hennessy Black, Ron Zacapa, Chairman’s Reserve Spiced Rum, Hidalgo Oloroso Sherry, spiced syrup, a whole egg, and milk. Priced at $12, it’s made to order and will be available from November 27th through Serbian Christmas, January 7th.
- Cuba Libre: Cuba Libre is offering their annual eggnog, the El Coquito, a sweet, rich and creamy cocktail made from a combination of cinnamon, vanilla, coconut milk, coconut rum, and a toasted coconut rim. The El Coquito is priced at $8 and will be available from November 27th through January 1st.
- Lupo Verde: Francesco Amodeo is serving up the Lupo Eggnog this holiday season. It’s made from a combination of almond milk, brandy, Don Ciccio Nocino (walnut liquor), simple syrup, a dash of cinnamon tincture, an egg yolk, and garnished with cinnamon sugar powder. It’s priced at $12 and will be available through December.
- Magnolia’s on King: Spirits Curator Zachery Faden bottled three different takes on classic eggnog: bourbon, rum & rye and mezcal. These cocktails will be bottle-conditioned until December, available for the full month, and priced from $12 to $13.
Last but not least, getting into the Christmas spirit sounds nice and all… but getting into some Christmas Spirit sounds even better…
Anchor Distilling Company’s Christmas Spirit
San Francisco’s Anchor Distilling Company and Anchor Brewing have teamed up for the third time to release their Christmas Spirit, available November 30th through December 31st. The Christmas Spirit is a merry result of distilling Anchor Brewing’s Christmas Ale, a rich and dark-spiced ale from the previous year, into a smooth, winter-spiced, white spirit that’s ideal for mixing in holiday cocktails and punches.
The secret recipe for Anchor Brewing’s Christmas Ale, available from mid-November to mid-January, changes annually, resulting in a uniquely distinctive Christmas Spirit, which is signified by the different hand-drawn tree on the label each year.
Christmas Spirit is bottled at 45% ABV and has a suggested price of $54.99. Tasting notes include “an incredibly smooth and malty finish, with a slight roasted grain character, touches of spice, and hints of pine.” It’s is available throughout the holiday season at retailers exclusively in California.
