5 Holiday Cocktails That You’ll Geek Out Over

It’s no secret that we geek out over food and craft cocktails, from restaurants abroad to ones right in our Atlanta backyard, we appreciate mixology and consider ourselves foodies. So when I heard that Miracle was returning for its second year in Atlanta, I might have geeked out just a little… or a lot!

I wasn’t able to make it the popup bar last year due to how popular it was and how long the waits were, but when I was invited out to the media preview this year – well it may have been one of the quickest RSVPs I’ve ever sent in.

Miracle opened last week on Black Friday and will remain open through Christmas Eve Sunday, December 24. Bringing back its nostalgic Christmas spirit, Miracle on Monroe returns to the Midtown Promenade restaurant Tapa Tapa, conveniently located on the Beltline and adjacent to Piedmont Park while a new location pops up at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta for Miracle Two.

So what makes this popup bar so special – Picture this: staff decked out head-to-toe in seasonal flair, holiday classics on the wall, old-school festive tunes on the turntable and significant happenings all month long! And let’s not forget, the craft cocktails which are served in curated barware fit for any serious sipper including mugs shaped like Santa’s head. (And just in case that’s not enough – they have Star Wars Christmas art outside…. I seriously found my happy place you guys.)

So let’s talk about those cocktails. Every single drink that Miracle has on the menu is amazing and reasonably priced (cocktails are $12, shots are $5, and beer and wine selections range from $7 to $12 as well). The cocktails truly indulge in all of the flavors of the holiday season, from the refreshingly spiced Muletide (aquavit, sherry, ginger syrup, lime juice, and pumpkin pie soda) to the intensely flavored Santa-quila (reposado tequila, cacao nibs, sherry, maple syrup, and black walnut). No holiday cocktail menu is complete without its take on the classic eggnog. The Jingle Ball Nog features brown butter fat-washed cognac, sherry, almond milk, cream, sugar, egg, and nutmeg! Naughty and Nice shots are also available – cinnamon bourbon and gingerbread-spices rye respectively.

5 Holiday Cocktails That You’ll Geek Out Over

5. Christmapolitan

A holiday take on the class cosmopolitan! This drink is a mixture of vodka, elderflower, dry vermouth, spiced cranberry sauce, rosemary, lime, and absinthe mist. It’s a true work of art, and the perfect way to kick off the holiday season!

4. How the Gilmet Stole Christmas

I’m recently becoming a bigger fan of gin. While previously I’ve stuck mostly to whiskey and rum, I’ve had some incredible gin-based cocktails this year – and this is one of them. It’s a simple cocktail (just gin and pine-caraway sage cordial), and not what you expect – but in a really good and surprising way.

3. Run Run Rudolph

If you’re a fan of coffee cocktails, this is definitely the drink for you. It’s definitely more of a desert drink because it is fairly sweet – but you won’t want to go back to regular hot chocolate after sipping this. It has Blanco tequila, coffee liqueur, iced hot chocolate and Mexican spices in it. It’s sweet, yet has a kick to it – making it the perfect holiday drink!

2. Snowball Old Fashioned

Those that know me, know that the old fashioned is my go-to drink, and this one is no exception. It was my first drink ordered when I got to the event – and I loved it! With the Christmas Story twist you’ll experience pumpkin spiced rye whiskey, Budweiser-marshmallow syrup and egg with this one. It’s a holiday take on a timeless classic.

1. Yippie Ki Yay Mother F****r!

This drink is truly geek out worthy. It contains Barbados rum, cachaça, Trinidad overproof rum, purple yam-coconut orgeat, and pineapple – and the combination is so unique and complimentary – that you’ll feel like you’re truly on the beach celebrating the holidays without a care in the world.

With vision from Cocktail Kingdom’s Greg Boehm, who started the Miracle pop-up concept in NYC in 2014, Big Citizen (the company behind Miracle Atlanta) has been chanting “Christmas Is Coming” for months and the season of holiday cheer is finally here!

Fun fact for Atlanta foodies, Big Citizen partners Darren Carr and Eric Simpkins are the principals operating the company behind two other tasty Midtown hot spots, The Lawrence and Bon Ton.

“After last year’s turnout, we knew we needed a second location. The response was incredible,” said Simpkins, co-founder of Big Citizen. “We confirmed Atlanta loves Christmas as much as we do! The excitement and escape of a holiday-themed pop-up bar provide guests with the perfect backdrop to create new memories and traditions that go unmatched. We’re ecstatic to have Miracle back and are ready to gather Atlanta’s finest cocktail connoisseurs, Christmas lovers, and tinsel enthusiasts together once again!”

Both Miracle locations will host themed events nightly, Wednesday through Sunday. No holiday-centric happening is complete without a Tacky Christmas Sweater contest, holiday movies, cookie hours, trivia, Christmas bingo, choral performances, DJs and even guest bartenders!

Please note that Miracle On Monroe does not accepted reservations. Christmas & Holiday lovers are taken on a first come first served basis, so our advice is (Wed – Sunday when they’re open) get there at 5pm when they first open up for the night, otherwise you’ll be looking at some pretty long wait times. For information on Miracle, visit their website at https://www.miraclebaratlanta.com/!

Don’t live in Atlanta, but drooling over these drinks? Chances are that there’s Miracle not too far from your city, or a city you’ll be visiting for the holidays, check out what other Miracle locations are popping up across the country here from the list below!

• Asheville, NC – Miracle on Wall Street (at MG Road)
• Athens, Greece – Hosted at The Trap
• Atlanta, GA – Miracle on Monroe (by Big Citizen)
• Atlanta, GA – Miracle Two (by Big Citizen)
• Austin, TX – Miracle on 5th Street at The Eleanor (by The Roosevelt Room)
• Baltimore, MD – Miracle on Magothy Beach (at Mutiny Pirate Bar & Island Grille)
• Boston / Cambridge, MA – Miracle at Kimpton Marlowe (Lobby Bar)
• Charleston, SC – Miracle on East Bay Street (at The Gin Joint)
• Chicago, IL – Miracle on Dearborn Street (at Brando’s Speakeasy)
• Chicago, IL – Sippin’ Santa (at Lost Lake)*
• Cincinnati, OH – Miracle at The Overlook Lodge
• Cleveland, OH – Miracle at The Spotted Owl
• Delray Beach, FL – Miracle on Delray Beach (at Death or Glory)
• Denver, CO – Miracle on Little Raven (at Wayward)
• Detroit, MI – Miracle at The Skip
• Fort Worth – Miracle in Cowtown (at Proper)
• Hong Kong – Hosted at The Lily & Bloom
• Los Angeles, CA – Miracle on Sante Fe (at Westbound)
• Louisville, KY – Hosted at Rye
• Madison, WI – Miracle on King Street (at Lucille)
• Malden, MA – Miracle at Mystic Station
• Milwaukee, WI – Miracle at The Outsider
• Minneapolis, MN – Miracle at Lawless
• Montreal, Canada – Hosted at Nexus Bar
• Montreal, Canada – (Deluxe version)
• New Orleans, LA – Sippin’ Santa (at Latitude 29)*
• New York, NY – Sippin’ Santa (at Boilermaker)*
• New York, NY – Miracle on 9th Street (at Mace)
• New York, NY – Miracle on the Harbor (at Pier A Harbor House)
• Orlando, FL – Miracle on Orange (at The Courtesy Bar)
• Panama City, Panama – Miracle on aMano
• Paris, France – Hosted at Glass
• Philadelphia, PA – Miracle at In The Valley (ITV)
• Pittsburgh, PA – Miracle on Market (at The Original Oyster House)
• Quebec, Canada
• Raleigh, NC – Miracle at The Haymaker
• Rio, Brazil
• Sacramento, CA – Miracle on 21st Street (at The Red Rabbit Kitchen and Bar)
• San Diego – Hosted at Polite Provisions
• San Francisco – Miracle PCH
• Sao Paulo, Brazil
• Seattle, WA – Miracle on 2nd (at Rob Roy)
• Sherbooke, Canada
• Springfield, MO – Miracle on Walnut (at Missouri Spirits)
• South Bend, IN – Miracle at The General (by Render Kitchen & Bar)
• St. Louis, MO – Miracle STL
• Tucson, AZ – Hosted at Elvira’s
• Washington, D.C. – Hosted at Mockingbird Hill
• Waterbury, CT – Miracle at Highland Brass Co.
• Winston-Salem – Hosted at Bar Pina
• Worcester, MA – Miracle at The Citizen

List pulled from here.