09 nola holiday drinking guide sippin santa at latitude 29

A guide to Christmas bar pop-ups in New Orleans

by Angela Calonder | December 22, 2021

It wouldn’t be Christmas in New Orleans without a few magical cocktails and bar experiences to match! Here’s our guide to drinking your way into the holiday spirit this season.

Sazerac Bar and Fountain Lounge @ The Roosevelt Hotel

Perhaps the only thing that could make the wonderment of the Roosevelt’s illuminated lobby even more dazzling would be to experience it with a themed cocktail in hand. Luckily, all three lobby bars have you covered. The Sazerac Bar and Fountain Lounge both offer the delightfully alliterative Candy Cane (Rumple Minze, crème de cacao, raspberry swirl, cream) and Christmas Cookie (Stoli vanilla vodka, brown sugar syrup, vanilla extract, cream) cocktails. Domenica is offering a Hazy Sour (bourbon, hazelnut orgeat, lime, nutmeg) and an Egg Nog spiked with brandy, spiced rum, and amaretto.

The Roosevelt New Orleans, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Getting there
130 Roosevelt Way, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
More Info

Miracle of Miracles!

“Miracle” is a holiday pop-up that began in New York in 2014 and has since spread to a wide variety of domestic and international locations. This year, New Orleans is lucky to boast not one but two Miracle locations: Longway Tavern in the Quarter, and Barrel Proof in the Lower Garden District.

Miracle describes itself as “a Christmas-themed pop-up cocktail bar that serves holiday cocktails in a festive setting. With kitschy holiday décor, professionally-developed cocktails and the nostalgic energy of the best office party you’ve ever been to, Miracle is sure to get even the grouchiest grinch in the holiday spirit.” Whether you opt for the Christmapolitan (vodka, elderflower, dry vermouth, spiced cranberry sauce, rosemary, lime, absinthe mist), Christmas Carol Barrel (Blanco tequila, coffee liqueur, cocoa nib-infused orange & cognac liqueur, iced hot chocolate, Mexican spices), Snowball Old-Fashioned (caramelized pecan bourbon, spiced molasses syrup, wormwood bitters), SanTaRex (blanco tequila, mezcal, melon liquer, almond orgeat, lime, tiki bitters), or one of the eight other specialty cocktails, you’re in for a tasty holiday treat in an absolutely darling piece of glassware.

There’s also the unaffiliated Miracle on Fulton Street experience, with a gorgeously lit-up walkway guiding visitors down Fulton Alley to the enormous Christmas tree that’s sprouted up between Grand Isle, Manning’s, and Ernst Café. And don’t forget to check out the nearly 12-foot tall gingerbread houses– replicas of two historic New Orleans homes– in the Harrah’s Hotel lobby. They’re made of 600 pieces of gingerbread cemented together with 800 pounds of royal icing, and took 450 hours to make!

Longway Tavern
Getting there
719 Toulouse St, New Orleans, LA 70130, USA
Barrel Proof
$$$$
Getting there
1201 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130, USA
Hours
Mon-Tue Closed
Wed-Sat 4 PM – 1 AM
Sun Closed

Sippin’ Santa @ Latitude 29

We may be fortunate enough to miss the snowstorms some of our northern neighbors face at this time of year, but if the holidays in New Orleans aren’t quite tropical enough for you head to Latitude 29 in the French Quarter for a Tiki-inspired kiki. A ‘companion pop-up’ to Miracle, Sippin’ Santa offers similarly thoughtfully crafted holiday cocktails with a Polynesian twist. Try favorites such as the namesake Sippin’ Santa (aged Demerara rum, amaro, lemon juice, orange juice, gingerbread mix), the Shaka Kalikimaka (London Dry gin, allspice dram, orange & cognac liqueur, lime juice, falernum, cranberry syrup, herbsaint; served frozen), the Rudolph Shoots the Curl shot (herbal mint liqueur, amaro, dark chocolate liqueur), or if you’re in a sharing mood, the Jingle Bowl (Jamaican & Demerara rums, apple brandy, amaro, lemon juice, orange juice, pineapple juice, maple & cinnamon syrups, angostura bitters; in a bowl that serves 2-4).

Beachbum Berry's Latitude 29
$$$$
Getting there
321 N Peters St, New Orleans, LA 70130, USA
Hours
Mon-Thu 3 – 9 PM
Fri-Sat 12 – 11 PM
Sun 12 – 9 PM
More Info

Christmas at Barcadia

If you meander down Tchoupitoulas in the CBD, it’s hard to miss the flashy Christmas at Barcadia extravaganza, with its plethora of pulsing lights and larger-than-life inflatable polar bear protruding through the façade. Inside you’ll find tinsel galore and a nod to the alphabet wall from Stranger Things (because Christmas lights, of course). More importantly, they have a nine-item holiday menu featuring selections such as the White Christmas (brandy, crème de cacao, cream, sugar), Frisky Whiskey (bourbon, Branca Menta, Christmas spice, bitters), Naughty or Spice (rum, lime, pineapple, Christmas spice), and Feliz Navidad (tequila, Averna, Christmas spice, bitters). If you want to really ramp up the festivities, you can purchase a holiday mug for your libation and get half off your first refill.

Barcadia New Orleans
$$$$
Getting there
601 Tchoupitoulas St, New Orleans, LA 70130, USA
More Info

Snake & Jake’s Christmas Club Lounge

And if all you want to do is drink cheap beer in the diviest of dive bars, we’re here to remind you that Snake & Jake’s Uptown is technically a Christmas bar all year round!

Snake and Jake's Christmas Club Lounge
$$$$
Getting there
7612 Oak St, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
Hours
Mon-Sun 12 – 7 AM, 7 PM – 12 AM
More Info

🍹 The best holiday cocktails in New Orleans

You don’t need a holiday popup to find a festive drink. Here are a few magical drinks from some of our favorite spots around town.

Drink: Zombi Nog @ Gris-Gris

Zombi Nog at Gris Gris. Photo courtesy Gris Gris.

Head to Gris-Gris for their holiday cocktail favorite Zombi Nog (classic egg-based milk punch frozen and perfectly spiced with a secret recipe), which is the ultimate holiday frozen drink.

Gris-Gris
$$$$
Getting there
1800 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130, USA
Hours
Mon 11 AM – 9 PM
Tue Closed
Wed-Thu 11 AM – 9 PM
Fri-Sat 11 AM – 10 PM
Sun 11 AM – 9 PM
More Info

Drink: Cafè Brûlot

A hallmark of any good Rèveillon dinner is a flaming cup of Cafè Brûlot, a Yuletide after-dinner drink invented at Antoine’s Restaurant right here in New Orleans. Like its cousin-from-another-restaurant-family Bananas Foster, the spiced (and spiked!) coffee concoction is prepared tableside and set ablaze before your eyes, just for a little extra warmth on those cold winter days. In addition to Antoine’s, Cafè Brûlot can now also be found at other storied Creole restaurants in the Quarter such as Galatoire’s, Arnaud’s, and Gumbo Shop.

Antoine's Restaurant
$$$$
Getting there
713 St Louis St, New Orleans, LA 70130, USA
Hours
Mon 10:30 AM – 2 PM, 5 – 9 PM
Tue-Wed 5 – 9 PM
Thu-Sat 10:30 AM – 2 PM, 5 – 9 PM
Sun 10:30 AM – 2 PM
More Info

Drink: Cajun Eggnog Daiquiris @ New Orleans Original Daiquiris

If flaming drinks aren’t your thing, there’s always a frozen daiquiri to meet your needs in the Big Easy. Head to any New Orleans Original Daiquiris location to try their famous Cajun Eggnog Daiquiri, spiked with bourbon and blended to perfection.

Stream original series on the Very Local app

What is Very Local?

Very Local is your best source for shows about local communities, bringing you 24/7 access to news from your trusted local news source, weather updates, and more. The Very Local app also brings you fresh, untold stories from your city and communities like yours, with exclusive original shows and local stories specific to where you live. Get the channel to stream Very Local free on Roku or Amazon Fire TV.

Follow Very Local on Facebook and @VeryLocal on Instagram for more

Angela Calonder

Angela Calonder

Angela Calonder is a globetrotting photographer and blogger who is happy to call New Orleans home.

Download the Very Local app to stream all of the Very Local original series for FREE!

Download the Very Local app to stream all of the Very Local original series for FREE!