While most of your favorite Miami holiday pop-ups are back, plenty of newcomers are offering Christmas-themed cocktails, December-only specials, and holiday cheer this year. If you'll be spending December in Miami, here is your go-to guide to all of the best holiday pop-ups at restaurants and bars in 2023.
Sing it with us: "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Miami, everywhere you go. Take a look at the Farm Stores eggnog, it's glistening once again, just waiting for some Cuban rum to glow!" (That's our Miami version of the Christmas song.)
Miracle in Miami at Better Days
This popular holiday pop-up bar in downtown Miami is back. Miracle in Miami, presented by Drink Miami, has returned to the popular watering hole Better Days with Christmas décor, holiday-inspired cocktails, and "the nostalgic energy of the best office party you've ever been to." Say no more. This year, they will offer more than ten Christmas cocktails with clever names like "Jingle Balls Nog," "Rudolph's Replacement," and "Naughty or Nice" specialty shots. 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily through Saturday, December 23, at Better Days, 75 SE Sixth St., Miami; miracleinmiami.com.
Biscayne Bay Brewing Company's pop-up bar, Santa Brews on 1st, will be filled with holiday cheer.
Photo by Damion
Biscayne Bay Brewing's Santa Brews on 1st
Hoppy Holidays! Craving bourbon and beer this holiday season? Bring on the seasonal brews. Now through Christmas Eve (or, as we call it, nochebuena), walking through Biscayne Bay Brewing Company on First Avenue in downtown Miami will feel more like walking through a winter wonderland after they decorated the entire brewery with holiday decorations. The holiday pop-up bar, Santa Brews on 1st, will surely get you in the holiday spirit with special, limited-edition cocktails like their "Apple Pie" bourbon, made with apple pie-infused bourbon, and their "Elden's Beerhattan," which is made with Angel's Envy bourbon and the "Crespo" beermouth. There will also be festive beer flights on the menu. Cheers to that. Through Sunday, December 24, 100 NE First Ave.,Third Floor, Miami; biscaynebaybrewing.com. Reserve your spot via eventbrite.com.
Tinsel Tavern inside of Vivo! Christmas Village at Dolphin Mall has holiday decorations, bartenders decked up in Santa Claus hats, and festive cocktails.
Vivo! Christmas Village Pop-Up photo
Tinsel Tavern at Vivo! Dolphin Mall's Christmas Village
Dolphin Mall might become your new go-to spot for delicious (and pun-filled) holiday cocktails. There's a holiday-themed bar located at Vivo! Christmas Village inside of Dolphin Mall called Tinsel Tavern, and don't blame us if their Christmas-themed cocktails put you on Santa's "naughty list." The tavern is offering a special selection of more than eight holiday-themed signature drinks with festive names to go along with them. Cocktails include Tinsel Tavern's "Ho-Ho-Mojito," made with Bacardí rum, lime, coconut milk, mint, and pomegranate seeds, and their "Gingerbread Nookie" cocktail, made with coffee-infused blanco tequila, gingerbread simple syrup, eggnog, whipped cream, and grated nutmeg. Another funny cocktail is their "Santa Hit a Palm Tree," made with Smirnoff orange, triple sec, orange juice, and sugar-free Red Bull. Other cocktails are aptly called "Little Rummer Boy," "Festi-Vus Margarita," and "Lost in New York." Don't expect milk and cookies, but do expect two igloos you can reserve in advance to sit in as you sip the festive cocktails with your friends. 4 p.m. to midnight Thursday through Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday through Sunday, December 24, at Vivo! Christmas Village in Dolphin Mall, 11401 NW 12th St., Miami; vivodolphinmall.com. Admission is free, but reservations are recommended via sevenrooms.com.
12 Days of Christmas at Fiola
Indulge in the joy of the season at Fiola Miami's holiday pop-up, 12 Days of Christmas. From December 12 through December 25, the Coral Gables Italian restaurant will offer seasonal dishes and cocktails to get you into the holiday spirit. Expect dishes like their stuffed calamari & bucatini and prime Delmonico steak Wellington, and cocktails like the "Winter's Bliss," which is made with hibiscus-infused Bombay Sapphire and All-Spice Dram sparkling wine. Their desserts might be one of the best holiday desserts yet. Try the seasonal bombolini, made with ricotta donuts, apple cider, caramel budino fior di latte froth, and spiced sugar. The restaurant's signature à la carte will also be available. Tuesday, December 12, through Monday, December 25, at Fiola Miami, 1500 San Ignacio Ave., Coral Gables; fiolamiami.com. Reservations are available via resy.com.
Bodega Taqueria y Tequila's annual holiday pop-up bar, in partnership with Patrón, is back with festive tequila-based cocktails and holiday decorations.
Bodega Taqueria y Tequila photo
Bodega Taqueria y Tequila's Holiday Bar Pop-Up with Patrón
Who said rum is eggnog's best friend? Tequila has entered the chat. Bodega Taqueria y Tequila has brought back their annual Holiday Bar pop-up with Patrón tequila at all of their South Florida locations (excluding Aventura) this December. Expect ceilings and walls decorated with sleigh bells, tinsel, red and green ornaments, and mistletoe throughout the month of December. Plus, the menu will look merry with tequila-based cocktails with a holiday twist, like cranberry margaritas with tequila reposado, cranberry mules with Grey Goose vodka, and a Chocolate Cherry Carajillo with Patrón blanco. Bodega has also partnered with local nonprofit organizations to donate toys during the holiday season. If you bring a toy to Bodega this month, you'll receive a free holiday cocktail. Through December 26, at all Bodega Taqueria y Tequila locations (excluding Aventura); bodegataqueria.com.
The Commodore inside the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove is offering a cookie and dessert cocktail pairing menu called "Cookies & Coquito."
The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove photo
Cookies & Coquito at the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove
Coquito and cookies. What could be better? In a delicious collaboration with local influencer Gio Gutierrez (@chatchowtv), the Commodore at the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove will be offering a cookie and dessert cocktail pairing menu called "Cookies & Coquito," where guests can order a unique coquito creation paired with three mini gourmet cookies. The coquito and cookie combinations range from a "Mexican Rompope" cocktail, made with Patrón Reposado tequila paired with Mexican wedding cookies, to their "Cuban Crema de Vie" cocktail made with Havana Club Blanco rum, which is paired with torticas de morón cookies. If eggnog is more your style, there's an "Angels Envy" bourbon and D'ussé cognac on the menu served with gingerbread cookies. Lastly, expect a classic Puerto Rican coquito on the menu accompanied by mantecadito cookies. This is Santa's dream if he were from Miami. Through December 31, at the Commodore at the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, 3300 SW 27th Ave., Coconut Grove; ritzcarlton.com.
J.W. Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa's water park, Tidal Cover, will be full of holiday-themed activities.
Tidal Cove photo
