IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.
Now Playing
The restaurant serves indigenous foods and Native American traditions
03:30
UP NEXT
Meet the former covert CIA officer whose new mission is sleepwear
03:50
Psychedelic mushrooms being used to help people fight addiction
03:52
Harry Smith commemorates the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
03:49
Inside the evolution and history of horror flicks
03:39
Discovery of the last US slave ship forces reckoning with a dark history
04:01
Meet the wooden sailboat and its captain taking YouTube by storm
03:30
See the LA museum that showcases the soul of Mexican cooking
03:18
Inside the networks that have kept ‘Black America’ together
03:37
How NJ schools are taking climate education beyond science class
03:28
Playing the queen: Helen Mirren, Claire Foy reflect on royal roles
03:38
Inside the extraordinary life and 70-year reign of Queen Elizabeth
04:05
Veteran captures photos and stories of the ‘greatest generation’
03:43
NASA blasts off to the moon in the new age of the space race
03:43
Graduates learning towards trade schools over traditional colleges
03:42
Take a trip down memory lane at Stuckey’s roadside shop
03:34
Step into the Metaverse: How the virtual world may change reality
03:54
How ‘Beep Baseball’ helps the visually impaired play ball
03:50
Missing in America: Inside Montana’s Native American community
03:34
Female storm chasers hunt down twisters and break barriers
03:47
Chef Crystal Wahpepah’s kitchen serves up seasonal and sustainable Native American foods that reclaim traditions disrupted by European settlers. NBC’s Niala Charles reports in this week’s Sunday Spotlight.Nov. 27, 2022
Now Playing
The restaurant serves indigenous foods and Native American traditions
03:30
UP NEXT
Meet the former covert CIA officer whose new mission is sleepwear
03:50
Psychedelic mushrooms being used to help people fight addiction
03:52
Harry Smith commemorates the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
03:49
Inside the evolution and history of horror flicks
03:39
Discovery of the last US slave ship forces reckoning with a dark history
If your idea of a Winter Wonderland includes cognac, vodka, tequila and other adult beverages, then holiday pop-up bars are the place for you. Alabama is the temporary home of two such pop-ups — Miracle and Sippin’ Santa — and they’ll be open through most of December for folks who crave liquid cheer.
Queen’s Park, 112 24th St. North in downtown Birmingham, and The Camp at MidCity, 59089 University Drive in Huntsville, have transformed into Miracle locations. That means an abundance of Christmas decorations, seasonal music, festive events and most importantly, a Christmas cocktail menu.
The two “bar-within-a-bar” locations have taken the names Miracle on 24th Street (Birmingham, through Dec. 30) and Miracle at MidCity (Huntsville, through Dec. 24). Both have a menu of specialty cocktails with fanciful names such as Santa’s Little Helper, Elfing Around, Christmapolitan and Grandma Got Run Over by a T-Rex. Two shots are available at Miracle locations, as well: Naughty and Nice.
Meanwhile, Neon Moon, 2318 Second Avenue North in Birmingham, is the Alabama site for Sippin’ Santa, a Christmas pop-up with a tiki bar theme. Sippin’ Santa is a Miracle spin-off with a tropical flair.
Sippin’ Santa’s menu includes cocktails such as Holiday on Ice, Kris Kringle Colada, Yule Tide and Rudolph’s Rum Rhapsody. A Top Elf shot completes the agenda. Sippin’ Santa will be at Neon Moon through Dec. 30.
Miracle and Sippin’ Santa are part of a company that licenses holiday pop-ups to bars around the country. There are 119 locations of Miracle in 2022, a publicist says, and 40 locations of Sippin’ Santa. Birmingham and Huntsville are the only locations in Alabama.
RELATED: How a Birmingham bar is bringing Christmas joy through cocktails
Folks who visit Miracle locations in Alabama can choose from among 10 holiday cocktails and two shots, according to online menus. Sippin’ Santa in Birmingham offers eight cocktails and one specialty shot.
Here’s a breakdown of the drinks, ingredients, locations and prices. (Note: Prices listed here come from online menus for Miracle at Queen’s Park and The Camp, and Sippin’ Santa at Neon Moon.)
The Christmapolitan, a holiday cocktail offered in 2022 at Miracle pop-up bars. (Melissa Hom/Courtesy of Miracle)
CHRISTMA POLITAN
On the menu at: Miracle in Birmingham and Huntsville.
Houston’s boil water notice forced restaurants and bars to scramble Sunday evening as business owners toiled over whether to open or close on Monday.
Some decided to pause service until the water issue is resolved, while a majority of restaurants decided to take a we’re-open-but-taking-precautions approach.
For many, shutting down for one day is too much of a financial risk — even if it’s on a Monday, which is traditionally slower.
“This is the last thing a restaurant operator needs right now,” said Rafael Nasr, who recently opened a second location for his Craft Pita in West University. “I have a brand new restaurant. I can’t afford to close.”
Like many Houstonians, Nasr didn’t hear about the boil water notice until late Sunday as he was scrolling through his Instagram feed.
“I let out a big groan,” said Nasr. “But you have to make a decision pretty quickly. I came up with a plan: buy water, boil water and communicate to my team.”
Nasr said he had already worked a 12-hour day when he headed to Kroger shortly before 8 pm Sunday to buy 160 bottles of water and 20 gallons of distilled water to use at Craft Pita for preparing food and cleaning his kitchens.
His restaurants cater to a large lunch crowd, and closing Monday could have cut to 15 percent of his sales for the week.
“We’re a seven day a week restaurant,” said Nasr. “We want to be a constant reliable for people. When you’re not open, people will go to other places.”
WHERE TO EAT: Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
Ziggy Gruber decided at 4:45 am Monday to keep Kenny & Ziggy’s closed because he figured it was impossible to operate his 11,500-square-foot restaurant, which can seat up to 350 people indoors and outdoors.
It’s also a safety concern for Gruber, who said he didn’t want to take a risk.
“We have a responsibility to our customers,” Gruber said. “I will never put my customers in jeopardy of getting sick.”
Still, Gruber says he’s perplexed over how a reported power outage contributed to the city’s primary water system failing.
He recalls his first reaction: “There’s been no natural disaster. What the hell is going on?”
MORE FROM BAO ONG: Diverse Thanksgiving celebrations in Houston take the turkey off the table
Other notable closings include spots such as Julep, one of the top bars in the city.
But an overwhelming number of businesses are staying open.
Agricole, the hospitality group behind such restaurants as Coltivare and Indianola, will keep all its businesses open.
“Agricole is taking every measure possible to mitigate the circumstances,” a spokesperson wrote in an email. “We’ve implemented protocols across all of our restaurants and have briefed all staff.”
At Étoile Cuisine et Bar in Uptown Park, co-owner Monica Bui decided to stay open, in part to honor a large reservation.
“I think everyone is just trying to weigh it out,” said Bui. “Everyone is a bit on standby.”
Bui and her husband, Philippe Verpiand, had 400 pounds of ice delivered to the restaurant Monday morning so the bar could continue mixing cocktails and the kitchen could use ice if they needed to blanch vegetables in cold water.
A boil water notice is nothing new for Houston restaurants. Floods, a winter freeze and burst pipes in past years have forced businesses to pivot at the last minute.
“Today is a bigger challenge because it was just so unexpected,” said Melissa Stewart, senior executive director of the Greater Houston Chapter of Texas Restaurant Association. “Everyone was just coming out of a busy holiday weekend. It’s not like you can plan ahead when you know a storm is coming.”
