South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Miracle holiday pop-up bars return to Florida through year’s end
Fun holiday pop-up bar Miracle is gearing up all over Florida to spread cheer for the ninth year in Central Florida locations including Tampa/St. Pete, Daytona Beach, Tavares and Orlando.
The Miracle origin story dials it back to 2014, when creator Greg Boehm, transformed his New York bar Mace into a winter wonderland during the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
It was an idea whose time had come — and it spread. Taverns worldwide reached out, looking to extend the same cheer to their patrons, selling themed drinks, kitschy barware — and adding a charity element, as well.
Kicking off in November and running through New Year’s Eve, participating bars will be slinging fan favorites like the Christmapolitan, Jingle Balls Nog and the Nice and Naughty Shots — and many more. New this year: Santa’s Little Helper, Christmas Cricket,
Holiday Spiked Chai and Grandma Got Run Over By A T-Rex cocktails.
Find them in Orlando at The Courtesy (facebook. com/miracleonorange), in St. Pete at Intermezzo Coffee & Cocktails (intermezzo.co), in Tampa at Strandhill Public Tampa Heights (strandhillpublic.com) and in Tavares at BTW’s Crafted Concoctions (facebook.com/MiracleOnMainTavares).
The Courtesy’s Gene Zimmerman is looking forward to hosting the event for the first time in the bar’s new location.
“We were honored to be invited to become Florida’s first Miracle in Florida and thrilled to be in our sixth year — in our new space and still on Orange Avenue,” he says. “Miracle on Orange ‘22 will be in full effect and it’s looking to be the best one yet.”
At the end of this year’s season, Miracle will donate 10 percent of all proceeds from the sale of the Santa Pants, Christmas Carol Barrel and Santa Heads signature glassware to the Seva Foundation, a global nonprofit eye care organization that works with local communities around the world.