WASHINGTON 鈥� Need to shake the 鈥渂ah-humbugs鈥� from your vocabulary? All you need is a trip to .
Through Dec. 24, the Shaw-based Spanish-style bar is shifting its focus from 鈥渟herry鈥� to 鈥渕erry鈥� with its Christmas pop-up bar .
鈥淚t is one month-long holiday party,鈥� says owner Derek Brown.
The pop-up features a menu of 10 holiday-themed cocktails, named after the season鈥檚 classic movies, and tasty bites typically served at seasonal soirees (think stuffed dates, ham biscuits, rosemary popcorn and charcuterie) 鈥� plus an ambience that will make you think you鈥檙e closer to the North Pole than North Capitol.
鈥淭he elves put all of this together,鈥� says Brown about the d茅cor, which includes everything from twinkle lights, to gold snowflakes and white pom-poms.
The idea for the temporary takeover came from Brown鈥檚 business partner Angie Salame and New York mixologist Greg Boehm. He implemented a similar 鈥� and very successful 鈥� Christmas pop-up last year at his bar .
Salame says once she had the idea in her head, there was no turning back. It took months of planning and a team of 40 volunteers to transform the Shaw bar into a winter wonderland.
鈥淚 think that those people who love crafts and who love design, when they get in here, that鈥檚 the real wonderland. They get to see all of the details we put into it,鈥� says Brown, referring to the homemade gingerbread house with Jolly Rancher stained-glass windows, the hand-painted fabric wrapping paper and the tiny handmade Santa hats that top gold-painted dinosaurs above the bar.
In the bar鈥檚 backroom, guests are greeted with a wall of blue lights and a dreidel chandelier. Brown calls this area 鈥渢he Hanukkah hangout.鈥�
鈥淥ne of the reasons why we did this is because people want to get together with their friends, with their family, and that鈥檚 what bars are for anyway. At the end of the day, they鈥檙e not just places where people get drinks and pick up other people; they鈥檙e places where the community gathers,鈥� Brown says.
And this year, he wants his bar to be the city鈥檚 holiday gathering place.
Brown says one of the most enjoyable aspects of designing the Christmas pop-up was coming up with the cocktail menu. He and his team pulled from their own traditions and memories for inspiration.
鈥淔or J.P., he has a British-Irish family so they do plum pudding. For me, it was candy canes and spiced cranberries 鈥� We all brought our different experiences to it,鈥� Brown says.
The 鈥淵ippie Ki Yay, Motherf****r!!!,鈥� named after a famous line in the movie 鈥淒ie Hard,鈥� is made with Trinidad rum, Cacha莽a, dry Cura莽ao, roasted chestnut orgeat and lime.
鈥淵ou鈥檒l Shoot Your Eye Out!鈥� consists of blended Scotch, pisco, Drambuie, lemon curd, pistachio “orgeat鈥� and gingerbread cream. And the 鈥淢ele Kalikimaka鈥� is a blend of Amontillado and cream sherry, brandy, roasted plum syrup, bitters, spices, grapefruit and clarified milk.
鈥淣o Christmas party would be complete without a tiki volcano bowl,鈥� Brown says about the Hawaiian cocktail. 鈥淚t tastes very much like if you mixed Christmas and tiki together.鈥�
[Get the recipe for one of Brown鈥檚 favorite featured cocktails, 鈥淚 Don’t Mind You Shooting Me, Frank, But Take It Easy on the Rum,鈥� below.]
Miracle on Seventh Street will also hold events throughout its run, such as 鈥淪inging Sundays,鈥� 鈥淐hristmas Craft Mondays鈥� and 鈥淗oliday Movie Night Tuesdays.鈥�
Have an ugly sweater you鈥檙e itching to wear? Saturday nights are your chance. And Brown and his team will dish out free Christmas cookies on Thursdays.
Miracle on Seventh Street is open Sunday and Monday from 5 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 12:30 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.
I Don’t Mind You Shooting Me, Frank, But Take It Easy on the Rum
Rum, cr猫me de menthe, lime, candy cane; courtesy Derek Brown
- 1 陆 ounces of a really nice rum 鈥� Brown uses Chairman’s Reserve Silver
- 陆 ounce of overproof rum
- 陆 ounce of cr猫me de menthe 鈥� Brown uses Tempus Fugit Cr猫me de Menthe
- 陆 ounce simple syrup
- 戮 ounce of fresh lime juice
Shake all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, strain into a daiquiri glass and serve with a candy cane.
