Blood bags and spooky surprises: Peoria business launches new Halloween pop-up bar
Walking up to Kelleher's Irish Pub & Eatery, visitors may be unaware of the dark surprise lurking inside. As Halloween approaches, though, a spooky surprise may be exactly what people are searching for.
The Peoria business is hosting a "Cauldrons and Cocktails" pop-up bar throughout the month of October. Separated from the rest of the restaurant by faux graveyard entrance, the event takes place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
“That's why we're doing Cauldrons and Cocktails: A Halloween Hideaway at Kelleher's,” said Sean Sullivan, an owner at the business. “So that way we're still Kelleher’s, but we're just offering something new and different.”
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How did the idea of a pop-up bar come about at Kelleher's?
The concept for a pop-up bar within Kelleher’s was first inspired by a more cheerful holiday.
Sullivan said he and his wife visit friends up in the Chicago area each year. While visiting around Christmas, he said they stopped by holiday inspired pop-up bars.
So earlier this year, Sullivan said he proposed the idea of bringing a similar event to Kelleher’s. In the aftermath of COVID-19, Sullivan wanted to find new and innovative ways to draw people back to the restaurant and bar.
“So, we're just trying to give people a new, fresh look at what we can do,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan said, initially, the idea was to bring a Christmas-themed pop-up to the space. However, he said he realized a test-run would be beneficial.
“So, we decided to do a Halloween one here in the month of October, and we can figure out what works and what doesn't work,” he said. “So, when we do our Christmas one, we can really knock it out of the park.”
Sullivan has not seen any other pop-up bar events at restaurants in Peoria. Even so, he said he was surprised by the number of people who were not unfamiliar with the concept.
“They're blown away by the decorations – of the look and the feel back here,” Sullivan said. “We have fog machines that kick out fog behind the bar. We play Halloween music. We have a little Halloween theme on the TV, as well. So, people have really enjoyed coming back here.”
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What is on the exclusive food and drink menu?
The menu for the Halloween Hideaway event differs from the day-to-day menu served at Kelleher's Irish Pub & Eatery. Sullivan said the businesses wanted to offer visitors "something new and exciting" at the event.
On the “Boo-tiful Bites” menu, customers will find items such as:
“Hatched Spider Eggs” for $13 – which features button mushrooms filled with a crab stuffing.
“Wookalar” for $16 – the dish includes pork belly served with a jalapeno aioli atop a sweet corn succotash.
“Edward Scissorbeak” for $25 – the dish features chicken, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin, tri-colored potatoes and fire roasted tomatoes.
“Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” for $22 – includes pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, butternut squash, fire roasted tomatoes and tri-colored potatoes.
"It was kind of challenging trying to figure out, ‘Okay, how do I make spooky food?’’’ said manager Andy Sepich.
Ultimately, Sepich said he leaned into fall flavor profiles while also embracing Halloween-themed names. The Wookalar, for example, refers to a monster in the 1980 movie “The Private Eyes.”
The event also features a variety of Halloween-inspired drinks. General manager Paul Maloney helped concoct the creepy cocktails.
“Spooktacular Sips” includes options such as:
“B Positive” for $11 – served in a blood bag, this drink includes blood orange and vodka.
“Alien brain hemorrhage” for $6 – This shot is described as an “experiment gone wrong.”
“Eye’m Always Watching” for $10 – referencing the “Monsters, Inc.” movie, the green drink offers a tropical flavor.
“Dr. Frankenstein’s Sour” for $13 – the drink features bourbon mixed with carrot, ginger, lemon and honey “stitched together.”
“It's been a lot of fun and like they look very cool too,” Maloney said, with Sullivan chiming in. “Yeah, we've got a lot of compliments. Like the blood bags, everybody's like, ‘What is this? This is so cool.’ So, again, something fun, new and different.”
How to attend Kelleher's Cauldrons & Cocktails
Visitors must be at least 21 years old to enter, as all the exclusive drink options contain alcohol. However, Sullivan said the business can get people non-alcoholic options from the front of the restaurant if requested.
He said the pop-up bar space can accommodate around 80 people. Customers can make a reservation by phone, email or online at Toast Tables. The business is offering three, one-hour-and-45-minute time slots each night – starting at 5 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
While the pop-up event is only hosted on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Sullivan said the space could also be rented out by business for other days of the week.
For those not attending the pop-up, Sullivan said the front of the restaurant will continue to operate as normal. He said the restaurant could also make use of its party room on busy nights.
So far, Sullivan, Maloney and Sepich said they’ve all received a great response from community members.
“Have fun. Come enjoy it,” Sullivan said. “It's all about having a good time, escaping reality for a second and enjoying our Halloween Hideaway.”
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This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Kelleher's Irish Pub in Peoria offers Halloween pop-up bar event
