New York Post

POP-UP DREIDEL DIVE

Village bar’s Hanukkah spin

- By DEAN BALSAMINI

It’s a schmear campaign. Santa Claus may be coming to town, but the city’s first Hanukkah pop-up pub, Maccabee Bar, arrives at Ollie’s in the West Village beginning Tuesday.

The breezy Downing Street watering hole will be transforme­d into a festive nosh pit, with “special decor, themed cocktails and traditiona­l bites.”

The Hanukkah haven is the brainchild of award-winning mixologist Naomi Levy (left), 36, who introduced the concept to Boston in 2018. She felt there was room for a gelt-y pleasure in New York too.

“I love Christmas and all of the Christmas bars that pop up this time of year,” said Levy. “But I always felt like a tourist. There was never really anything for someone like me that wasn’t raised with Christmas.”

Patrons can sample the Latke Sour, featuring apple brandy, potato, lemon and tobacco bitters; along with the Hebrew Hammer, which spotlights vodka, “leavened” sugar, lemon and raspberry — which takes its flavor from sufganiyot, the jelly-filled doughnuts traditiona­lly eaten for Hanukkah. Overall, there will be nine themed cocktails and three spirit-free options.

“The Latke Sour is a lot of fun. It’s not often people see potatoes in a cocktail,” Levy noted.

Maccabee Bar will be hosted by Ollie’s through Dec. 31. The watering hole’s regular hours are Tuesday-Saturday, but it will be open for the eight nights of Hanukkah, which begins Dec. 18.

Ollie’s co-owner Sara Dowling is kvelling over the pop-up.

“When we first learned about the Maccabee Bar concept, we immediatel­y knew we wanted to be involved. Although we are not Jewish, we have many Jewish friends, family, and staff members and loved the idea of creating a more inclusive holiday bar scene,” she said.

Said Levy of the holiday schmooze fest: “Come on out. Come grab a drink and play some dreidel.”

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