Things to know about Miracle, a Christmas pop-up bar in Downtown Lafayette
The Christmas pop-up bar Miracle is returning to Pamplona Tapas Bar and Restaurant with festive decorations, seasonal music and a holiday cocktail menu.
Based out of New York, Miracle is an annual event that partners with more than 200 bars across the country. Louisiana includes three of those locations. The event features "completely over the top" decorations manager Philippe Callais said, while serving cocktails such as Jingle Balls Eggnog, Christmas Cricket and Rudolph's Replacement.
Many of the drinks are made with specialty recipes but can be made at home for Christmas parties or as mocktails.
The menu consist of 12 cocktails, most priced at $14 or $16. Featured cocktails include the Hot Buttered Rum, with aged Jamaican rum, Velvet Falernum, mixed spiced butter, oat milk and nutmeg; the Christmapolitan, with vodka, vermouth and spiced cranberry; and the Jingle Balls Nog, which has cognac, cream sherry, almond milk, cream, egg, vanilla and nutmeg; plus mulled wine.
"We also design our drinks to where there is a component that can be left out to create a mocktail, or if it's a specialty recipe, it can be replaced by something simple like a syrup or soda," said Callais, who has bartended and worked at Pamplona's for 10 years.
Callais listed cocktails that are served at Pamplona's that can also be served as traditional mocktails. The Hot Buttered Rum is a warm drink that can be served without the rum; the Chrismopolitan can be served without the vodka or vermouth, and the Jingle Balls Nog can be served as traditional eggnog.
"The Christmas cocktail list is shared amongst all partners, and the same throughout all 200 bars," Callais said. "The rest of the year, our bar gets together every consecutive Sunday and puts ideas together. We taste them together, we edit them together, and see what fits."
The drinks are different each year for Christmas, but things like the Chritmopolitian, do not change. The restaurant also offers non-festive options, including Absinthe cocktails and wine.
"We always have a seasonal cocktail list," Callais said. "One comes out in January once we finish Miracle, and that usually last until the spring. Then we do one after Festival International, which is beginning of May, and is like a summer list. Then that list gets edited for the fall. Normally there are five lists every year, One for Halloween, Christmas, a spring, winter/spring, and summer."
Aside from the vast cocktail menu, Pamplona is a table-service restaurant that serves tapas, salads, entrees, small plates, and desserts. Reservations can be made for tables, and bar seating available without a reservation.
Currently reserved seating is full during the whole month of December.
During Miracle, reservations are $3 a person. At the end of Miracle, the money raised through reservations is donated to charity and nonprofit organizations. This year $30,000 was raised according to Callais. Some of the organizations last year included: Acadiana Center for the Arts, Acadiana Queer Collective, Boys and Girls Club, Festival International and Basin Arts.
"We offer such a different experience than any other restaurant because we are a Spanish tapas restaurant," he said. "Being that its a different type of service, and food the experience is just immaculate, you can decide to have a full on dinner, or you can come in and have a small bite, cocktail, or glass of wine.
"There are so many places you can get gumbo, or a po'boy, but there is only one place you can get lamb sliders with fries fried in duck fat. Our dishes and cocktails are even more enjoyable due to our amazing festive setting."
Pamplona's is at 631 Jefferson St. in downtown Lafayette. For menus, hours of operations and future reservations visit pamplonatapas.com.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Miracle Christmas pop-up bar in Lafayette features festive cocktails
