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Bay Area holiday pop-up bars serve up merry cocktails, plenty of spirits

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MercuryNews.com 

When it comes to getting in the holiday spirit, sipping spirits can sure help. Especially when you’re pairing your drinks with all the festive fun of a bar with an unwavering commitment to decking the halls… and then decking them some more. We’re talking, of course, about holiday pop-up bars, which have expanded broadly around the Bay Area in the last few years.

The two main holiday pop-up brands behind this proliferation are Miracle and Sippin’ Santa, Miracle’s tiki-style sister. They specialize in serving up fun cocktails in distinctive glassware (also for sale) and over-the-top, heavily tinseled and kitschy decorations. It’s the brainchild of New Yorker George Boehm, who kicked off the first one in 2014.

Now in their 10th year, Miracle and Sippin’ Santa have expanded to nearly 250 pop-up locations around the world. Bar owners have to apply, says Harpreet Judge, whose bars — The Fat Pigeon in Livermore and Beer Baron in Pleasanton — are being transformed into Miracle and Sippin’ Santa locations, respectively, through Jan. 5. The pop-up brand offers a guide and a menu, while it’s up to the bars to decorate as they see fit and shake up the cocktails, as well as the fun.

“The holiday vibe here is amazing,” Judge says. “The community really loves it.”

You’ll find Miracle locations at the following Bay Area bars:

Look for cheery cocktails such as the Crooked Antler, featuring brandy, port, vanilla and hazelnut liqueurs, and the Christmasaurus, made with pineapple rum, mezcal, falernum, apricot liqueur, lime and coconut milk. They’ve also got “nice” and “naughty” shots. Buy a Santa’s Head or Santa’s Pants mug, and 10 percent of the proceeds will be donated to the Seva Foundation, a global eye health nonprofit.

The Yippee Ki Yay Mother F*****r, for the “Die Hard is a Christmas Movie” die hards, is made with Barbados rum, rhum agricole, Trinidad overproof rum, ube and coconut orgeat and acid-adjusted pineapple juice. (Courtesy Melissa Hom) 

Meanwhile, Sippin’ Santa offers menu items like its new Sugar Plum Mai Tai and Frosty the Merman drinks that blend seasonal flavors with tropical ones, plus classics like its Merry Spritzmas and a Silent Nightcap shot that combines dark chocolate, mint and orange liqueurs and espresso. The menu was developed by mixologist and tiki historian Jeff “Beachbum” Berry.

Additional Sippin’ Santa locations in the Bay Area include:

The Sugar Plum Mai Tai, available at Sippin’ Santa holiday pop up bars around the Bay Area, is made with Haitian and Nicaraguan rums, lime, orgeat, cinnamon syrup and plum mix — and comes in a fun shark mug. (Courtesy Sippin’ Santa) 

Those aren’t the only places to revel in holiday drinks and decor, though. From Black Friday to New Year’s Day, Los Gatos Soda Works will offer its “Making Spirits Bright” cocktail program for the fourth consecutive year.

“The town has gotten behind it,” says owner Jason Seele. “Everyone loves it.”

Employees dress up, and the team designs a menu of merry craft cocktails. And this year, additional electrical capacity is being added to accommodate the many, many, many holiday lights. Reservations are encouraged.

Meanwhile in San Francisco,  Wayfare Tavern at 558 Sacramento St. will offer a holiday-themed speakeasy Dec. 22-30. (Reservations are encouraged.) The Vault Garden at 555 California St. will have festive cocktails, snacks and Christmas tree views. And the Rockwell at 3200 Fillmore St. is transforming into the Holly Jolly Bar, featuring drinks like the Little Drummer Boy made with cognac, vanilla liqueur, milk, nutmeg; and the Peppermint Patty, featuring white rum, milk, white chocolate syrup, peppermint liqueur and a candy cane rim. Pick up a 90-minute reservation with a welcome drink for $18 at bucketlisters.com.

Did we miss any other holiday-themed bars? Let us know at kbradshaw@bayareanewsgroup.com.