Lafayette’s Miracle Pop-Up Bar Will Brighten Your Christmas
I experienced my first Miracle Pop-Up Bar this weekend and had to share how awesome it is. No doubt, Lafayette's Miracle Pop-Up Bar will brighten your Christmas. Miracle is a Christmas Pop-Up bar that serves festive holiday cocktails with over-the-top Christmas decorations. The Christmas décor is best described as kitschy. Think gaudy, glittery, and nostalgic energy everywhere you turn. It’s so tacky that you can’t help but love it. There’s no doubt it will put the grumpiest grinch in the holiday spirit. Lafayette's Miracle is located in Pamplona Tapas Bar downtown.
The Miracle concept started in 2014 when Greg Boehm was in the middle of construction of what was to be his new bar, Mace, in NYC’s East Village. He decided to stop construction and he transformed the unfinished bar into a pop-up bar by decorating it with crazy Christmas decorations and served holiday-themed drinks. It was actually his mother’s advice. The crowds swarmed in and Boehm started getting asked by friends how they could recreate the holiday magic in their own bars. That’s when Miracle was born. The following year, Boehm expanded Miracle to four locations and then went worldwide in 2016 with locations in Greece, Montreal, and Paris. As of today, they are all over the US and also in Canada, Europe, Asia, and Central America.
This year, Miracle finally hit Louisiana. We’re lucky enough to have one right here in Lafayette at Pamplona Tapas Bar. There are also 2 locations in New Orleans, Barrel Proof and Longway Tavern. I have to say, it was pretty magical. It was a date night for me, but this would make a fun time for a Girl's Night Out or Christmas Party. The servers were all wearing gaudy Christmas sweaters or pajama pants with the perfect accessories to make the tackiest outfit.
The cocktail menu features Christmas cocktails with creative pun names. We tried the “Run Run Rudolph” which is a made with prosecco, gin, mulled wine puree, lemon and cane syrup, and also tried the “Yippie Ki Yay Mother ******” which is a delicious concoction made with sweet potato Barbados rum, cachaça, Trinidad rum, dry curacao, marshmallow orgeat, and lime.
THE MIRACLE COCKTAIL MENU:
Christmapolitan: vodka, elderflower, dry vermouth, spiced cranberry sauce, rosemary, lime and absinthe mist
Snowball Old Fashioned: butterscotch rye, spiced demerara, wormwood bitters, and orange zest
Bad Santa: (served hot): hot milk punch with Barbados rum, Trinidad overproof rum, Batavia Arrack, pineapple juice, lemon juice, almond milk, 8 spices, coconut water, and coconut oil
Christmas Carol Barrel: aged rum, aquavit, amaro, pumpkin pie, demerara syrup, Lime, Vanilla and Angostura Bitters
Koala-La La La, La La La La: gin, pine, dry vermouth, lime, eucalyptus syrup, and orange bitters
Gingerbread Flip: bourbon, gingerbread syrup, elemakule tiki bitters, whole egg and nutmeg
Run Run Rudolph: prosecco, gin, mulled wine puree, lemon and cane syrup
Yippie Ki Yay Mother (expletive)!: sweet potato Barbados rum, cachaça, Trinidad overproof rum, dry curacao, marshmallow orgeat, lime
Jingle Balls Nog: cognac, Pedro Ximenez Sherry, brown butter, cinnamon, cherry, vanilla, almond milk, cream, sugar, egg, and nutmeg
And A Partridge In A Pear Tree: reposado tequila, pear brandy, mezcal, spiced demerara syrup, lime, egg white, club soda, angostura bitters, and cinnamon
Nice Shot: rum, peppermint, and chocolate
Naughty Shot: bourbon and cinnamon