Holiday Bar Pop-Ups Are Returning to Metro Detroit in 2020 With Festive To-Go Drinks

Miracle and Sippin’ Santa pop-up takeover bars around the world from late November through December each year, featuring holiday mugs for sale. | Gerard + Belevender

Seasonal cheer served in a decorative takeout container

Start knitting those Christmas sweaters. Holiday pop-up bars, a growing tradition in metro Detroit for several years now, are returning in 2020 — only this time the drinks are in festive to-go containers. Beginning right around Thanksgiving, the Miracle and tropical drink-style Sippin’ Santa pop-ups will be taking over the Oakland Art Novelty Company in Ferndale and the Skip in downtown Detroit.

Due to the pandemic and new liquor legislation, the pop-ups will look a different from past years. Both the Skip and the Oakland are planning on offering to-go experiences. The Skip plans to sell two-serving bottled holiday drinks like the Kaloka Kolada (a dark Jamaican rum and gold rum cocktail with pumpkin-spiced coconut cream, orange curacao, lime juice, orange juice) or the Sippin’ Santa (a cocktail with aged demerara rum, amaro, nutmeg syrup, cinnamon syrup, lemon juice, and orange juice), as well as tins of Christmas cookies and holiday merch like Christmas ornaments, Santa mugs, and branded gift wrapping. Contactless curbside pick-up and delivery will be available and may be arranged for pre-order on the website. Merch will be available for pre-order beginning Wednesday, November 11.

At the Oakland, customers can expect similar to-go cocktail options with Christmas-themed drink merch for sale. (Miracle and Sippin’ Santa creator Greg Boehm of Mace in New York uses the international pop-up to promote his line of Cocktail Kingdom barware.) Owner Sandy Levine tells Eater that they bar may also occasionally open up it’s patio space and set up some fire pits for a cozy outdoor drinking experience. Hours will be 4:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday at the Oakland.

Expect both pop-ups to arrive around Tuesday, November 24, and to continue through New Year’s Eve — a worthy conclusion to this seemingly endless year. Given the need to lighten the mood this year, no doubt, more twinkle-light wrapped holiday pop-ups are on the way.

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