Santa baby, come check out this Christmas pop-up bar

ByJuan Carlos Guerrero Localish logo
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Check Out This Christmas Pop-Up Bar
Every year, bars throughout the country transform themselves into an adult winter wonderland. But it's more than just the decorations that have people excited, it's also their Christmas-inspired cocktails.

SAN JOSE, CA -- Walk into Paper Plane in San Jose and you won't find the usual industrial-style cocktail bar. This time of year it is wall-to-wall Christmas.

"We decorate everything like crazy," said Jeremy Christal, who runs the downtown bar. "We are trying to do the most Christmas you can have. Hopefully there is nowhere in this building that you can look without seeing Christmas."

There is gift wrapping on the posts, garland on the booths, Santa hats on the beer taps and ugly Christmas sweaters on the bartenders. But that is not the attraction. People are here for the drinks.

Paper Plane is one of numerous Miracle Christmas pop-up bars that open up in December throughout the country. Besides the holiday decorations, there are also Christmas-inspired cocktail with playful names.

Try the Koala La La. It has gin, eucalyptus bitters and a pine tree liqueur. "It is going to remind you of a Christmas tree," said bartender Ryan Rabena, who serves up the drink in a cocktail glass with a tiny Koala in a Santa outfil on the glass.

The Christmas Carol Barrel comes in a Tiki cocktail mug. It has iced hot chocolate, cocoa-infused Grand Marnier and tequila. It is topped off with powdered cocoa nibs.

"We like to spruce them up and have a little fun," said Christal. "Hopefully we can bring you back to the time when things were fun and playful."