Since the last time I wrote about holiday pop-ups, a few more have sprung up in the east metro.
I visited three spots in the past week, and none of them take reservations, but I was seated right away at each, so go get your jingle on!
Blitzen’s Holiday Bar at Omni Viking Lakes Hotel
The Naughty and Spice and Mistletoe Martini at Blitzen’s Holiday Bar at Omni Viking Lakes Hotel. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)
This hotel lobby bar hosts by far the fanciest of the pop-ups I’ve been to this year, and the prices match the ambiance. Seriously, the cheapest drink here, the Naughty and Spice, clocks in at $18.
Still, it’s worth the extra scratch if only because the drinks — there are eight alcoholic sips in total — are next-level good. That Naughty and Spice, a sort of holiday-spiced old-fashioned, features Old Forester 86 bourbon, Lustau Palo Cortado sherry, bitters and a dash of pumpkin cocktail syrup. My husband couldn’t stop raving about it, and he hates all things pumpkin spice. The pumpkin here just adds a little depth and sweetness to a very solid, complex drink.
If there’s a savory drink on your menu, I’m going to order it, and the Mistletoe Martini ($20) did not disappoint. Fords gin, nutty sherry, floral Cocchi Americano fortified wine and some saline kept me sipping and thinking about all the fun flavors, and the red and green olives made a lovely snack.
If you’re more into the sweet stuff, you can order a Dubai-style hot chocolate, spiked or not.
There’s no food beyond a cookie platter or a nutty, dried-fruit-filled snack mix, which we enjoyed.
Did I mention there’s an enormous drive-through light display on the grounds? It’s nearly $40 a car, but it’s pretty spectacular, from what I could see. And a stop at Blitzen’s afterward seems like just the thing to bring about some holiday cheer.
Omni Viking Lakes Hotel: 2611 Nordic Way, Eagan; 651-689-9800; omnihotels.com/hotels/viking-lakes-minnesota
Magic of Lights: Runs through Jan. 3 at Omni Viking Lakes. Tickets and more information at magicoflights.com/locations/viking-lake-mn/
Eagles Club Jingle Bar at St. Paul Eagles Club 33
The Eagles Club Jingle Bar at St. Paul Eagles Club 33 on St. Paul’s East Side. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)
The Gin Jingle at the Eagles Club Jingle Bar at St. Paul Eagles Club 33. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)
The all-volunteer staff at this dive bar/club on St. Paul’s East Side have decked the halls with mostly vintage and secondhand decor.
They’ve also concocted a holiday drink menu with fun names like Peppermint Snowstorm, Gin Jingle, and a green drink called You’re a Mean One.
The club is known for its $10 steak or $5 burger on Wednesdays (they don’t serve food any other day) and karaoke on Fridays. There’s also bar trivia on Thursday, Dec. 18, and photos with Santa from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 20.
Perhaps best of all, especially during this season of gift buying, the drinks are criminally cheap at $6 apiece.
It’s open every day from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m., except Sunday, when the hours are noon to 6 p.m.
St. Paul Eagles Club 33: 287 Maria Ave., St. Paul; 651-340-9406; eagles33.com
Miracle on 7th Street Christmas Lounge at Shamrock’s Irish Nook
This is perhaps the most under-the-radar holiday pop-up in the cities.
The Snowstorm Margarita and Campfire Mule at Miracle on 7th Street Christmas Lounge at Shamrock’s Irish Nook. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)
Shamrock’s has decorated its patio bar (don’t worry, it’s indoors — the garage door that opens to the patio is closed in the winter) and added a holiday cocktail menu.
We enjoyed the Snowstorm Margarita, a creamy concoction made tropical with some coconut rum and coconut milk, and the Irish whiskey-spiked Campfire Mule, which is adorably garnished with marshmallows that are toasted behind the bar.
Pair those cocktails with any one of the bar’s fabulous burgers and fries, and you have a winning combination for these cold winter nights. They’ve got a free shuttle to most games and arena concerts, too, so it’s a great place to have a pre-event nosh and sip.
Shamrock’s Irish Nook: 995 W. Seventh St., St. Paul; 651-228-9925; crshamrocks.com
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