Time to Get in the Holiday Spirit(s)

The holiday season is a great time to embrace a bit of glamour and glitz and up your cocktail game a bit while you’re at it. Santa Barbara mixologists get in the spirit in a variety of creative and fun ways. Here are a few ideas to wet your holiday whistle. 

Miracle at Pearl Social 

The fabulously over-the-top Miracle Pop-Up Christmas Bar takeover of the normally understatedly chic Funk Zone hot spot is back for the fifth annual holiday sensation. This year, guests began stepping into a silver, gold, and white shimmering snow globe of holiday magic. The blindingly festive lights began on November 13, and the always joyfully over-the-top kitschy fun experience will run daily through January 4. 

Imagine every kind of silver, white, and gold holiday decoration your yule-loving heart desires stuffed into Pearl Social, including a special themed cocktail menu complete with kooky Christmas collectible ceramic cocktail vessels that don’t hew to the color scheme.

The special libations include the Christmapolitan (vodka-based, incorporating spice cranberry and absinthe mist), Snowball Old-Fashioned (incorporating gingerbread into the traditional Old-Fashioned), Jingle Bells Nog (their riff on the classic eggnog), and other cleverly named concoctions such as The Krampus, Candy Cane Lane, Dancing Sugarplums, Koala LaLaLa, Cheery Cherry Chocosaurus, Blitzen Barrel, Run Run Reindeer, Rudolph’s Replacement, and Miracle Mouse. Oh, what fun…!

In addition to Naughty and Nice Shots and non-alcoholic concoctions, sister restaurant Lucky Penny is in on the festivities, and you can order individual wood-fired pizzas and other holly, jolly bites straight to your table.

There’s a $10 reservation fee for Miracle (food and beverages are separate), which goes to benefit Wilderness Youth Project, an organization that makes nature available for all children, from preschool through high school. They accept some walk-ins, but do yourself a favor and make SURE you don’t miss out on the festivities. 

In addition to appealing to our inner kids with excellent adult beverages, Miracle at Pearl Social has daily family-friendly hours from 2-5 p.m. for the whole family to enjoy. See bit.ly/4hYbz7u for details and reservations. 

Miracle at Pearl Social is located at 131 Anacapa Street, Suite B. See pearlsocialsb.com.

Miracle at Craft House at Corque

For the first time ever, Solvang is getting its own Miracle holiday bar when Craft House transforms into the world-famous pop-up bar. Step into a festive wonderland filled with twinkling lights, kitschy decor, and a menu of playful, seasonal cocktails in themed glassware. Reservations are available November 18-December 19. See bit.ly/3WMOaMC for details. 

Craft House at Corque is located at 420 Alisal Road, Solvang. See crafthousecorque.com.

Nightmare Before Christmas at Shaker Mill

The brilliant imagination of Tim Burton and the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town inspired this very special holiday pop-up at Shaker Mill, where they’ve decked the halls with loads of The Nightmare Before Christmas decorations, including giant Oogie Boogie and Jack Skellington inflatables and a spooky Christmas tree.

Running through the end of the year, seasonal cocktails include Ghost Dog Nog, with a special Halloween Town rum blend; the Jack Skellington, with spiced rum, Averna, vermouth, and absinthe; Zero’s Red Nose, a very special tequila Jell-O shot; What’s This? with bourbon, Caribbean Allspice, pineapple, and lime; Lock, Shock, and Barrel, with vodka, espresso, peppermint, cacao, and Amaro Braulio; Frog’s Breath, a hot toddy with apple brandy, bourbon, lemon, apple cider, and black walnut; and the Oogie Boogie with absinthe, cucumber, vodka, lime, and French vermouth. 

They’ve also got a clever shots game going on at Shaker Mill, where guests can roll the dice like the gambling boogeyman himself and take a chance on a Dice Shot with 11 different options. For example, lucky number three gets you a shot of Clove & Deadly Nightshade; roll a 10, and it’s a Brain Matter shot; and a six gets you mezcal with a gummy worm!

All drinks are served in special holiday-themed mugs and cups and garnished with holiday cheer to get you even further into the festive spirit.

Shaker Mill is located at 418 State Street. See shakermillsb.com.

Twelve Days of Cocktails at San Ysidro Ranch 

Decked out in more than 6,000 ornaments, the Speakeasy at Plow & Angel has a festive 12 Days of Cocktails series to get us in the spirit of the holiday season. From December 14 to 25, each evening will feature a new handcrafted seasonal cocktail inspired by the magic of the winter season. The perfect blend of cozy ambiance and festive spirit, it’s an experience best enjoyed cozied up to the fireplace in this enchanting Montecito hideaway.

Plow & Angel Speakeasy, San Ysidro Ranch, is located at 900 San Ysidro Lane, Montecito. See sanysidroranch.com/dining/the-speakeasy.

Nutcracker High Tea at Finch & Fork

The Sugar Plum Fairy pays a special visit to Finch & Fork at the Kimpton Canary Hotel for two weekends: December 13-14 and 20-21, 4-6 p.m. The focus is a Nutcracker ballet-themed afternoon tea party, inspired by the charm of the English tradition and the magic of the season. 

Guests will enjoy a delightful spread of pastries, quiche tartlets, buttery scones, and tea sandwiches with classic fillings such as cucumber and cream cheese, egg salad, and smoked salmon and sip from a curated selection of teas ($55 per person). However, here’s where the extra-spirited part comes in: Guests can elevate the experience with champagne and festive ballet-inspired cocktails such as the Tututini and Fritz’s Spritz. 

It’s a great place for an all-ages holiday outing, or before or after seeing the ballet itself, to bring the spirit of the Nutcracker even further to life — one sip and swirl at a time.

Guests can also capture the season’s memories at the Canary’s wintery photo station in the lobby, running from December 1 to 30.

Finch & Fork, Kimpton Canary Hotel, is located at 31 W. Carrillo Street. See bit.ly/47S59C5.