'Wear your ugly sweater': Irish pub offers new Christmas pop-up bar in downtown Peoria
This Christmas season, Peorians don’t have to travel far – or even brave the cold – to find themselves walking in a winter wonderland. Kelleher’s Irish Pub & Eatery’s Jingle and Sip pop-up bar is designed to offer visitors a "bright and festive” atmosphere, according to co-owner Sean Sullivan.
Ornaments, inflatable candy canes and uniquely colored, upside-down Christmas trees hang from the ceiling. The bar front is decorated with red and white stripes, doors are wrapped to look like presents and the infamous leg lamp from “A Christmas Story” gleams in the corner by the lounge area.
Christmas movies will be displayed on TVs throughout the pop-up bar. And yes, Sullivan said, “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie.
“We want everybody to come have fun,” Sullivan said. “I mean, that's what it's all about. Wear your ugly sweater, dress up as a reindeer, do whatever you got to do – make it fun. Our employees are gonna be dressing up, too.”
Sullivan expects the holiday-themed pop up – which takes place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings – to run through Jan. 13.
What is a pop-up bar?
The downtown Peoria restaurant previously hosted a Cauldrons and Cocktails pop-up bar for Halloween, which Sullivan described as a trial run ahead of Christmas.
Overall, he said, “everybody in Peoria was awesome” and the Halloween event saw a strong turnout. He said the restaurant also received a lot of helpful feedback from guests – which was then used to improve the Christmas bar.
One takeaway that surprised Sullivan, though, was, “how many people didn't know what a pop-up bar was. I think a lot of people were thinking that we had a trailer outside.”
The Halloween event, along with the Jingle and Sip Christmas bar, are housed inside of Kelleher’s. Tucked away in the back of the restaurant, the event offers separation from the rest of the business.
Sullivan said once guests saw how the bar was set up, they thought it was a great concept. He said the Halloween pop up attracted many first-time customers to Kelleher’s.
“We had a lot of people come back multiple times,” Sullivan said. “They enjoyed it so much they wanted to keep coming back, and that was something that was great to see because that means you're doing something right.”
What is on the menu at Jingle and Sip?
Customers at Jingle and Sip will find a variety of “stocking stuffers” starters, “under the tree” entrees and “elvish treats” desserts.
Aside from the holiday-themed headings, Sullivan said much of the food menu features dishes with simplified, clear names to avoid any confusion when ordering. Customers, however, may notice one uniquely named food item.
“Santa’s Balls” features meatballs with a homemade sauce. Manager Andy Sepich said the dish itself is “a meatball recipe that I've made for 25 years.”
Other starters include:
Cranberry cheese dip for $13.
Shrimp cocktail for $14.
Pork belly, which is served with sticky rice, teriyaki and sweet chili, for $16.
Charcuterie board for $19.
For those searching for a larger meal, the “under the tree” section includes dishes such as:
Buffalo cauliflower mac and cheese for $19.
Carved ham with green beans, sweet potato mash and honey mustard for $23.
Reindeer prime rib with as jus, horseradish cream, green beans and red potatoes for $29.
Mahi Mahi with cranberry sauce, cranberry risotto and asparagus for $26.
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Holiday drinks at Kelleher’s
For the drink menu, Sullivan said the business worked to include “something for everybody.” This meant crafting new cocktail specials while also bringing back a favorite from the Halloween pop up – just with a more festive twist.
The “B Positive,” which was a vodka-based cocktail served to visitors in a blood bag, was a staple at the Cauldrons and Cocktails pop-up bar.
“Everybody loved it,” Sullivan said.
Customers will now find a similar cocktail when ordering the “Jingle Ball.” The drink is served in a souvenir, ornament-shaped glass.
Other cocktail options include:
Santa’s Lil Helper – which is a milk and cookies shot – for $7.
Yule Nog – which combines eggnog, nutmeg and cinnamon with aged rum – for $9.
Jack Frost – which features white rum with coconut cream and blue curacao – for $12.
White Christmas Margarita for $12. General manager Paul Maloney described the drink as “the most aesthetically pleasing.”
Naughty List – which Sullivan said “goes back to the good old dirty martini” – for $13.
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What to know about Kelleher’s Jingle and Sip
Hours: Time slots for the pop-up bar include 5 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., 7 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. Sullivan said it is important for guests to keep in mind that their reservations are for a specific time slot.
How to reserve: Customers can make reservations through Toast Tables or by calling the restaurant at (309) 673-6000. Visitors must be 21 or older.
Waitlist: Sullivan said during the Halloween pop up, customers would try to make reservations for times that were already booked. Inevitably, though, he said some tables became available as earlier reservations fell through.
He said Kelleher’s will now offer a waitlist and call guests back should a space open up for them.
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This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria restaurant hosts Christmas-themed pop-up bar
