Spirits of the season: Here’s a look at five of Kansas City’s boozy holiday pop-up bars
Holiday pop-up bars are here, and this year Kansas City has more choices than ever.
From kitschy island-Santa-themed Julep in Westport to creepy Grinch Christmas at Better Watch Out in North Kansas City, the local pop-ups offer holiday-themed decor, music and movies, along with cleverly-named cocktails such as Christmas Carol Barrel and Old Saint Nic Cage.
Here’s a look at five area spots.
The Christmas pop-up returns for the second season. Zach Marten and Bret Springs of The Rockhill Grille first turned their second floor bar and event space into the holiday pop-up in 2018.
“We had so much fun with it and the response was great,” Marten said.
Cocktails ($12 to $14) include the Gingerbread Flip (rye whiskey, gingerbread syrup, Tiki Bitters, whole egg and gingersnaps cookie crumbs). Shots are $7, wine $10 a glass, and bottled beers are $6 and include a free Miracle Koozie. It also has a food menu with such items as meatballs, sliders and Caesar salad.
Customers can buy souvenir mugs and drinkware. But not the Santarex, since Miracle has a limited supply and customers must turn in an ID until they turn the mug back in.
Where: Second floor of The Rockhill Grille, 2000 Grand Blvd. in the Crossroads
Hours: 3 p.m. to midnight daily
When: Through Dec. 28
Miracle at Rockhill was so popular in 2018 the partners wanted to expand this year. So when The Oliver restaurant unexpectedly closed on the Plaza in October, Marten and Springs snapped up the space and spent several weeks decorating it themselves with just a little help from employees. They picked up vintage items from West Bottoms vendors, as well as new items from Hobby Lobby, Target and Walmart.
“We had a particular vision. It’s a larger space and an ‘all in’ experience,” Marten said. “Miracle at Rockhill is smaller and a little cozier.”
Where: Country Club Plaza, 4807 Jefferson St.
Hours: 3 p.m. to midnight daily
When: Through New Year’s Eve
▪ The Toy Shop
Crossroads Hotel is partnering with Tom’s Town Distilling Co. on the new holiday pop-up bar in the gallery of the hotel. Customers first see an installation by Jimmy Trotter, who attended the Kansas City Art Institute.
Gasoline Rainbow is mix of vintage toys and decorations — wooden rocking horse, ventriloquist dummy heads, plush teddy bears and plastic elves, Rock’em Sock’em Robots, Kiddie Fondue set, Yogi Bear cup and lots of pumpkin figures.
The bar is in back under a canopy of twinkling lights.
The $15 cocktails include the Sugar Plum Fairy with Tom’s Town Blueberry Butterfly Pea Tea infused vodka. It also offers eggnog ($12), wassail ($8), and “boozy add ons” for $5, including Tom’s Town Candy Cane-infused vodka.
The Hot Chocolate Bar features Christopher Elbow hot chocolate ($10) with a variety of toppings.
“We had a lot of fun at some of the other holiday pop-up bars last year and we had a gap in our calendar so we wanted to do something fun for the holidays,” said the hotel’s director of lifestyle Jeremy Bennett.
Where: Crossroads Hotel, 2101 Central St.
Hours: 4 p.m. to close daily
When: Through Dec. 28
A holiday pop-up bar with a tiki twist — Santa on a surfboard instead of sleighs, palm trees replacing pine trees.
Customers are greeted by a nearly life-size Santa in a hula skirt and holding a beach umbrella. Pink flamingos are mixed in with tiny Christmas trees and artificial palm trees with glimmering white lights.
“Christmas concepts in general are going to be popular anyway and during the holidays people want to celebrate and we are giving them the perfect place to do it,” said Julep partner Keely Edgington. “Santa on an island vacation. People like the kitsch of it, the relaxed atmosphere, warm and inviting.”
The concept was born in New York City in 2015 as a companion to the Miracle franchise and this season there are 27 locations in the U.S., including Boston, Denver, New Orleans and Washington, D.C.
Sippin’ Santa cocktails are from $12 to $14 and include the Kris Kringle Colada (dark Jamaican rum, Cynar, allspice, lime and pineapple juice, and cream of coconut). The Jungle Bowl for $38 serves two to four people.
Julep also has its own holiday craft cocktail list focusing on whiskey drinks. The Sugarplum Old Fashioned comes with rye whiskey, sugarplums, spice and bitters.
Julep plans to be a Sippin’ Santa franchisee again next year and even expand to another spot, maybe taking over a vacant space or partnering with an existing operation.
Where: Julep, 4141 Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 104
Hours: 3 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Monday through Friday; noon to 1:30 a.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to midnight Sunday.
When: Through New Year’s Eve
The partners behind Better Watch Out in North Kansas City first put on a creepy “spookeasy” for Halloween called Apparition.
Now they have converted the space above Screenland Armour into a “witchy winter wonderland” pop-up bar.
Edward Schmalz, co-owner of Pawn and Pint, teamed up with Adam Roberts and Brent Miller, owners of Tapcade and Screenland Armour.
Better Watch out is for those who always wanted Hogsmeade over the holidays, who enjoy Christmas movies such as “The Grinch” and “Die Hard,” they said.
Cocktails range from $9 to $13 and include the Krampus Juice, with Cabernet, brandy, oranges, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, clove and brown sugar.
Where: 406 Armour Road
Hours: 6 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Dec. 6 & 7; Dec. 13 & 14; Dec. 20 through Dec. 23; and Dec. 26 through Dec. 31.
When: Through New Year’s Eve
This story was originally published December 7, 2019 at 12:17 PM.