Check out these 4 Christmas-themed bars in Louisville for festive, holiday cocktails

Matthew Glowicki, Louisville Courier Journal
·3 min read

It's not just storefronts and town squares sporting a spirited makeover. A handful of Louisville bars are getting in on the holiday fun, leaning into the sights and flavors of the season with festive menus and decorations. Here are a few spots around Louisville where you can sit and sip in the Christmas spirit.

Miracle on Market Christmas bar in Louisville's NuLu neighborhood

732 E. Market St., miracleonmarketlouisville.com

The Christmas Cricket cocktail is one of the new holiday themed beverages offered at this year's Miracle pop-up bar, returning to Market Street in Nulu.
The Christmas Cricket cocktail is one of the new holiday themed beverages offered at this year's Miracle pop-up bar, returning to Market Street in Nulu.

An annual fixture on Market Street in NuLu is back for another year of over-the-top decor and holiday cocktails. The Miracle pop-up holiday bar, 732 E. Market St., is open for the season and, for the first time, has expanded beyond its usual spot in the Green Building to include the Galaxie bar space. (The Galaxie team runs the pop-up, and during the holiday takeover, Galaxie is closed.)

It's back!Holiday pop-up Miracle bar in NuLu expands for 2022. Here's what to know

This pop-up goes all out for the season, with most of its surfaces tinseled, wrapped, or lit up and Christmas movies playing nonstop in the festive space, including "It’s a Wonderful Life" to "Home Alone 2" and "Love Actually."

The Miracle on Market holiday pop-up bar is ready for action. It is located at 732 E. Market Street.Nov. 23, 2022
The Miracle on Market holiday pop-up bar is ready for action. It is located at 732 E. Market Street.Nov. 23, 2022

On the festive drink menu is the new "Christmas Cricket" ($14, includes blanco tequila, vanilla liqueur, amaro and mole bitters) and the "Grandma Got Run Over By a T-Rex" ($15, includes vodka, orange liqueur, spiced pomegranate and grapefruit mix). Beer, wine and non-alcoholic cocktails are also available. The pop-up also serves small bites, including bacon-wrapped dates and roasted turkey sliders with Swiss cheese and cranberry jam.

Miracle runs through Dec. 26, 4 p.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Kids are welcome until 9 p.m. No reservations are required.

Holiday-themed igloos at 8UP restaurant in downtown Louisville

350 W. Chestnut St., 8uplouisville.com/igloo-season

8UP Elevated Drinkery & Kitchen in downtown Louisville brought six fully enclosed "igloos" to its eighth-floor patio on West Chestnut Street.
8UP Elevated Drinkery & Kitchen in downtown Louisville brought six fully enclosed "igloos" to its eighth-floor patio on West Chestnut Street.

8UP Elevated Drinkery & Kitchen in downtown Louisville is again offering a wintertime spin on its rooftop views. The igLOU experience is back this year, offering eight heated, enclosed spaces to enjoy dinner and holiday-themed sips. Each fully enclosed, see-through igloo holds up to eight people and has comfy seating, a table, and a heater. The domes are differently themed, from "Candy Land" to "Gatsby" to "Reindeer Farm."

Seasonal cocktails at 8UP include a Nutty Old Fashioned ($16, bourbon, pecan liqueur, maple syrup, black walnut bitters) and White Lady ($14, gin, triple sec, egg white, lemon juice and peel). Rentals vary from two to two-and-a-half hours and are $250-$500 (a food and beverage minimum) depending on the day and time. Reservations required. Open 5-10:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 5-11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

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The Abominable Bar at Paristown's Fête de Noël

731 Brent St., paristown.com/fetedenoel

The Brent Street holiday market features a collection of vendors with seasonal offerings like fresh cut trees and wreaths during the Fete de Noel Winter Holiday Festival in Paristown. 12/19/20
The Brent Street holiday market features a collection of vendors with seasonal offerings like fresh cut trees and wreaths during the Fete de Noel Winter Holiday Festival in Paristown. 12/19/20

Part of the holiday offerings at Paristown's Fête de Noël this year is the returning Abominable Bar. Located in the middle of the blue and white "Finlandia Forest," the bar features an array of seasonal sips, including "Kentucky Hot Cocoa" made with or without bourbon. Besides the bar, the six-week-long holiday event at 731 Brent St. also offers ice skating, an escape room, and a holiday market. Visit paristown.com/fetedenoel for full hours.

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Sippin' Santa holiday pop-up bar at North of Bourbon in Germantown

935 Goss Ave., sippinsantapopup.com/locations

The Jingle Bird cocktail at the pop-up Sippin' Santa at North of Bourbon in Germantown.
The Jingle Bird cocktail at the pop-up Sippin' Santa at North of Bourbon in Germantown.

North of Bourbon, 935 Goss Ave., invites you to escape the Kentucky winter with a "holiday oasis" to usher in the Christmas season. This holiday pop-up (a sister concept of the national "Miracle" holiday pop-up) is serving up tiki-themed cocktails, including the "Undertow Toddy" ($11, cognac, Chartreuse, curaçao, chocolate hazelnut syrup) and the "Kris Kringle Colada" ($13, dark Jamaican rum, amaro, allspice liqueur, lime, pineapple, cream of coconut). Check out the new beverage menu and the kitschy decor at the Germantown bar and restaurant through Christmas Eve.

Business reporter Matthew Glowicki can be reached at mglowicki@courier-journal.com, 502-582-4000 or on Twitter @mattglo.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Christmas-themed bars in Louisville; Miracle on Market, Sippin' Santa