Feel Festive This Season at Christmas Pop-Up Bars and Other Wintery Spaces

With Thanksgiving just days away — predicted to be one of the coldest ones in recent memory — it’s time to start thinking about ways to cozy up during the holiday season. A number of local restaurants and bars will be hosting pop-ups or otherwise winterizing their offerings this year in an effort to keep away the chill, from a Christmas-themed cocktail extravaganza to heated rooftop igloos. Here’s the rundown on several long-term pop-ups to check out this holiday season and throughout the winter. (See also: holiday lunches and afternoon teas.)

Miracle: A Christmas-Themed Pop-Up Bar

Melissa Hom

Back again, appearing at almost 100 locations across the world from the day after Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve, is Miracle, a Christmas-themed pop-up bar that debuted in 2014 in New York City. It will be at three Massachusetts locations this year — the lobby bar at the Kimpton Marlowe Hotel in Cambridge (25 Edwin H. Land Blvd.), Mystic Station in Malden (139 Pleasant St.), and the Citizen in Worcester (1 Exchange Pl.). Note: Mystic Station and the Kimpton Marlowe Hotel’s Miracle pop-ups will end a few days early, with Christmas Eve being the final day, while the Citizen’s will continue on right through December 31.

Miracle pop-ups include holiday decor, special glassware, and cocktails such as the snowball Old Fashioned (butterscotch rye, spiced demerara, wormwood bitters, and orange zest), the bad Santa (hot milk punch with Barbados rum, Trinidad overproof rum, Batavia Arrack, pineapple and lemon juices, almond milk, spices, coconut water, and coconut oil), the run run Rudolph (prosecco, gin, mulled wine puree, lemon, and cane syrup), and more, not to mention a “nice” shot (rum, peppermint, chocolate) and a “naughty” shot (bourbon, cinnamon).

Looking for Christmas spirit in Boston proper? Try Delux Cafe in the South End (100 Chandler St.), which isn’t part of the Miracle pop-up but is pretty much Christmas-ready year-round.

The Lodge at Publico

Publico/Facebook

Also making its return this year is the ski lodge-inspired pop-up in Publico Street Bistro & Garden’s courtyard (11 Dorchester St., South Boston). Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from November 23 through March 31, the courtyard — which is outfitted with a retractable roof — will be full of ski decor, flannel blankets and pillows, and artificial snow, as well as fire pits and heated lounge areas. There will be a special menu of snacks, hot drinks, and other seasonal treats, as well as a four-shot “shot-ski.”

Rooftop Igloos at the Envoy Hotel

Envoy Hotel

The Envoy Hotel (70 Sleeper St., Seaport District, Boston) is continuing its tradition of decking out its Lookout Rooftop with inflatable, illuminated, heated igloos for winter cocktail adventures. Open Wednesday through Saturday, from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., the igloos are available for advance bookings (with various minimum spending requirements), seating up to 10 people. You can also try to snag one on a first come, first served basis.

Winter at the Yotel Sky Lounge

Yotel/Official Site

Another Seaport Hotel, Yotel (65 Seaport Blvd., Boston), is also taking full advantage of its outdoor space this winter, amping up the coziness of its Sky Lounge terrace with fondue, hot cocktails, blankets, heaters, and hot water bottles. Stop by on a Sunday afternoon in December to catch a holiday movie on the terrace — with a side of boozy peppermint hot cocoa. The Sky Lounge is open from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays (until 1 a.m. on Fridays), 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Saturdays, and 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sundays.

The Holly Bar at the Four Seasons

Four Seasons/Facebook

At the Four Seasons hotel (200 Boylston St., Back Bay, Boston), a festive bar is popping up in the lobby from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily throughout December, serving Louis Roederer Champagne, bourbon-spiked apple cider with a custom blend of Berkshire Bourbon from Berkshire Mountain Distillers, and spiced apple cider without bourbon as well.

Westeros at Precinct Kitchen + Bar

Precinct Kitchen + Bar [Official Photo]

Last winter, Precinct Kitchen + Bar (154 Berkeley St., Back Bay, Boston) turned its outdoor patio into a Game of Thrones-inspired pop-up. Winter is coming to the Precinct’s patio again this winter, starting at 4 p.m. on January 11. This time, the patio will feature Stark, Lannister, and Targaryen sections, with food and drink specials and plenty of photo opportunities.

Specials — available inside the restaurant as well as outside — include the Mountain, a 32-ounce tomahawk ribeye with grilled white asparagus, fondant potatoes, and red chimichurri, sized to feed two. There’s also a rum-based cocktail called Dracarys (made with dragon fruit, of course) and more.

A Beer Hall at Branch Line

Emily Hagen

The heated patio at Branch Line (321 Arsenal St., Watertown) is already a cozy retreat, even in the winter. Now it’s looking even cozier: On Wednesday nights from January 16 through February 27, 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., the patio transforms into a winter beer hall. The usual beer list — one of the best around — will be available, as well as pitcher specials and Bavarian-inspired foods, including German sausages and soft pretzels. No tickets or reservations; just show up and purchase food and drinks a la carte.

Update, 12/17/18: This round-up was updated to include information on the Holly Bar at the Four Seasons and the Game of Thrones-inspired pop-up at the Precinct.

Update, 1/17/19: This round-up has been updated again to include Branch Line’s beer hall.