Holiday spirits
Festive pop-up Christmas bar jingles into San Antonio for holiday season
If more than 100 years of cinematic history has taught us anything, it’s that holiday spirit always win. Though the cancellation of the 2018 Christmas-themed pop-up bar Miracle had many San Antonians saying “bah humbug,” the faint sound of jingle bells is once again in the air.
According to a release, Miracle on Houston Street will take over Jet-Setter November 25 through December 31. The downtown lounge will be transformed into a winter wonderland with sparkly decor and a limited-time themed cocktail menu.
The immersive experience will be the Alamo City debut for the concept, which operates more than 100 pop-ups in major U.S. cities during the season. Miracle initially intended to open at Pastiche in 2018, but an unforeseen delay in the bar’s opening caused those plans to be thwarted.
Greg Boehm, owner of online bar supplies emporium Cocktail Kingdom, originally launched Miracle in 2014. As he was finishing construction of his bar Mace in New York City during the holiday season, his mother gave him a piece of good advice. Instead of rushing to finish the build-out, he bedazzled the unfinished space with Christmas kitsch.
His mom’s idea turned out to be an endearing one. Today, the concept has spread internationally. It first popped up in Texas in 2017 with stops in Austin and Fort Worth.
Like every other location. Miracle on Houston Street will serve a cocktail menu created by the concept’s longtime manager Joann Spiegel. Some of the more intriguing drinks include the Koala-La La La, La La La La with gin, pine tea cordial, grapefruit oleo, and eucalyptus bitters and the Christmas Carol Barrel with blanco tequila, coffee liqueur, and Mexican spices. Jet-Setter’s co-owner and notable cocktail obsessive Benjamin Krick approves.
“Like our traditional menu, the Miracle menu is all about quality ingredients,” he said via release. “They are guaranteed to get you in the holiday spirit.”
All of the drinks are served in custom Cocktail Kingdom mugs, coupes, and highballs for extra Instagramability. A limited amount of the themed glassware will be available for purchase.
If the success of previous Texas pop-ups is any indication, San Antonio’s Miracle will be a merry madhouse. That goes double for December 2 when all locations attempt to stage the largest ugly sweater party the world has ever seen.