Miracle at Lawless Pop-up Holiday Cocktail Lounge

I know, it seems planning for Christmastime comes earlier each year with decorations and sweets waiting in store aisles next to Halloween candy, but if your friends are anything like mine, it can be hard enough to plan a happy hour any time of the year let alone the extra-busy holiday season. So when I heard about this fun idea I had to start spreading the holiday cheer.

You can embrace the kitschy fun of more than a room’s fair share of holiday décor while raising a glass to the season with Miracle at Lawless, a Christmas-themed pop-up bar at Lawless Distilling in south Minneapolis (2619 28th Ave.). Open seven days a week from Nov. 23 through Dec. 31, Miracle provides professionally developed cocktails and nostalgic energy to get even the grouchiest Grinch in the holiday spirit. 

The concept for Miracle was born five years ago, when upon the advice of his mother, Greg Boehm decided to halt construction of what was to be his new East Village cocktail bar Mace to transform the unfinished space into a pop-up bar serving holiday-themed drinks among festive décor. As crowds swarmed the New York City location, Boehm’s friends throughout the bar industry asked how they could re-create the holiday magic in their own bars and the concept grew. Over the past few years, Miracle has expanded from four locations to more than 50 in 2017. This year, Miracle will launch in over 80 locations around the world and has developed a menu in partnership with notable tiki-connoisseur Jeff “Beachbum” Berry.

Described as one of Imbibe magazine’s “25 Most Influential Cocktail Personalities of the Past Century,” Berry has created tiki holiday-themed cocktails, and this year’s Miracle roster includes drinks such as the Kris Kringle Colada (Dark Jamaican Rum, Cynar, Allspice, Lime & Pineapple Juice, and Cream of Coconut) and Hawaiian Milk Punch (Bourbon, Cream, Chai Syrup, Sarsaparilla and Tobacco Bitters, Nutmeg).

For the second year, Lawless Distilling will be transformed with nostalgic holiday décor, Berry’s tiki-themed creations, and a signature menu including new cocktails like the Snowball Old Fashioned (Butterscotch Rye, Spiced Demerara, Wormwood Bitters, Orange Zest) and Christmas Carol Barrel (Aged Rum, Aquavit, Amaro, Pumpkin Pie, Demerara Syrup, Lime, Vanilla, Angostura Bitters). Guests can also order other drinks if a different mood strikes.

Lawless has transformed its space to accommodate more merry-makers this year and guests can expect a side of the holidays you have never experienced before, according to Kirsten Karnetz, co-owner of Lawless. “Imagine a holiday explosion complete with delicious drinks.” To set the mood, enjoy a far-reaching curation of holiday music including “All I want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey, notes Karnetz. Guest can nibble on snacks of locally made pretzels and almonds or check out changing food truck availability.

This year they are taking reservations daily from 3-4 p.m. to allow for all your holiday office party needs or just a reason to leave work early, says Karnetz. Also added this year is Cocktails with Santa Saturdays in December and the Minneapolis Craft Market on Sundays.  “Lots of new options to get you into the holiday spirit,” she says. 

 

Miracle at Lawless will also join locations around the country in selling holiday glassware such as this coupe above, with 10 percent of all sales donated to Action Against Hunger, making the perfect gift that keeps on giving to fill with a Christmopolitan (Vodka, Elderflower, Dry Vermouth, Spiced Cranberry Sauce, Rosemary, Lime, Absinthe Mist) or other favorites.

Whether you deserve a Nice Shot (Rum, Peppermint, Chocolate) or a Naughty Shot (Bourbon, Cinnamon) Miracle at Lawless aims to help you get into the spirit of the season with a delicious glass of holiday cheer—and if it’s sipped out of a mug that looks like Santa’s pants? Even better.

Mary Subialka is the editor of Real Food and Drinks magazines, covering the flavorful world of food, wine, and spirits. She rarely meets a chicken she doesn’t like, and hopes that her son, who used to eat beets and Indian food as a preschooler, will one day again think of real food as more than something you need to eat before dessert and be inspired by his younger brother, who is now into trying new foods.