Christmas-Themed Bars Will Return In Nutley, Verona: 2023 Holiday Events

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Why wait until after Thanksgiving to celebrate Christmas?

A popular “pop-up bar” featuring holiday-themed cocktails will be returning to several locations in New Jersey this year, including Cowan’s Public in Nutley and the Parkside Social in Verona. See a list of participating bars here.

Skopos Hospitality Group will be bringing back “Miracle” setups at the following locations and dates in North Jersey for 2023 (the promotion will run through Jan. 1):

• Franklin Social, Jersey City (Miracle on Mercer) Thursday, Nov. 9
• Cowan's Public, Nutley (Miracle on Centre) - Friday, Nov. 10
• The Parkside Social, Verona (Miracle on Bloomfield) - Tuesday, Nov. 14
• Gus' Last Word, Wood-Ridge (Miracle on Valley) - Thursday, Nov. 16

In the past few years, the annual pop-up bar – which includes kitschy, over-the-top Christmas-themed decorations – has made appearances across the nation.

The “Miracle” concept was created when founder Greg Boehm transformed his bar, Mace, into a winter wonderland in 2014. It has since spread to nearly 200 participating locations in the U.S.

Visitors can expect to find creative concoctions such as:

• Christmapolitan - vodka, elderflower, dry vermouth, spiced cranberry sauce, lime, rosemary, absinthe mist
• Christmas Cricket - blanco tequila, vanilla liqueur, minty amaro, coco pandan, cream, mole bitters, dark cherry liqueur (contains dairy)
• Elfing Around #2 - cognac, mulled wine reduction, champagne, lemon, aromatic bitters, absinthe
• Snowball Old-Fashioned - rye, gingerbread, aromatic bitters, wormwood bitters, orange essence
• Jingle Balls Nog – cognac, cream sherry, almond milk, cream, egg,vanilla, nutmeg (contains dairy, eggs, nuts)
• "Nice" Shot - rye whiskey, gingerbread
• "Naughty" Shot - tequila, habanero, ginger, hibiscus

For 2023, the drink menu will also include some new entries: “Rudolph’s Replacement,” “The Krampus” and “Marshmallows & Unicorns.”

The “Miracle” concept has also spawned a spin-off version, “Sippin’ Santa,” which features décor reminiscent of a holiday oasis. The Sippin’ Santa pop-ups also have a different drink menu, which sports entries such as the “Surf Nut,” “Sharkey's First Christmas” and “Ginger Snapper.”

A Sippin’ Santa pop-up will be coming to The Vanguard in Harrison on Nov. 20. See other locations for 2023 here.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Belleville-Nutley Facebook page.