It's a Christmas miracle, Or technically, just Miracle.
Miracle is a Christmas cocktail pop-up that started in New York City and has spread to locations all over the world. You can't apply to Miracle — Miracle comes to you. Six months ago, in the dead heat of summer, Miracle approached Roman Harner, general manager at Volstead Act in downtown Spokane, to ask about his Christmas plans. Did he want to be the first bar in Spokane to host Miracle?
Greg Boehm, the mastermind behind Miracle, started the over-the-top Christmas pop up at his spot in East Village in 2014. The vibes: Kitschy decor, relentless enthusiasm and the "nostalgic energy of the best office party you've ever been to," the website proudly proclaims. New Yorkers (or at least NYC tourists) went berserk. Within a decade, Miracle has popped up around the world from Montreal to Paris to Hong Kong.
Harner called bartender friends in Seattle and San Diego who had some experience with the holiday extravaganza. By early September, Harner agreed to bring Miracle to Spokane from Nov. 20 to Dec. 31. He and his bartenders then spent all of autumn "doom scrolling on Instagram," Harner says, trying to figure out how to make it look like Christmas "blew up in there." Boy, did they succeed.
Walls and tables smothered with mismatched wrapping paper. Stockings on the back of every chair. A flickering fireplace bedazzled with gold garlands and evergreen wreaths. A ceiling covered in billowing cotton, twinkling lights and sparkling snowflakes, like the inside of a snowglobe. Plus, nonstop Christmas music and Christmas movies in case you don't have the Hallmark Channel at home.
"It was actually surprisingly difficult to find enough Christmas movies," Harner says. "We're open for 492 hours worth of service during Miracle. I didn't expect to find 492 hours for the Christmas movies, but I was definitely expecting like, maybe 200 hours. I topped out at like, 78, which is about a week's worth of service. Every Harry Potter movie is on that list at that point, because they have a Christmas vibe."
Harner also curated a 22-hour Christmas music playlist, "trying to avoid the pitfalls of some of the more annoying Christmas music" but respecting the classics.
"We also have a playlist that we put on after midnight," Harner says. "Not necessarily anti-Christmas music but irreverent Christmas music. Run DMC's entire Christmas album is on the late night one."
His team learned a new menu of 16 cocktails, most priced at $14 or $16, each originally crafted by the Miracle team. There's the Christmapolitan with vodka, vermouth and spiced cranberry; the Carol Barrel with Irish whiskey, banana liqueur, Guinness punch and chocolate bitters; the Krampus with tequila, sherry and hellfire bitters; plus hot buttered rum and mulled wine, both served warm. But even though the menu is provided, each bar is able to give it a personal spin.
"It's an unbranded event, so we have a lot of liberty to pick what spirits we want to put in there," Harner says. "Then we have a certain degree of liberty to tweak the proportions of the cocktail, like whether it's sweet or not, to fit our clientele."
Each cocktail is served in its own special glassware or mug: the Christmapolitan in a chic branded cocktail glass, mulled wine in a smiling Santa mug, the Yippee Ki Yay Mother F***r in a Santa pants cup, The Krampus in a hefty red ceramic Krampus head.
When Volstead Act bought the mugs from Miracle, 10% of that purchase went toward Seva, an organization that provides optic care and helps restore sight around the globe. Anyone visiting Miracle at Volstead Act can buy a mug to take home for themselves and participate in the spirit of giving (most mugs are $25, or you can get the mug and cocktail together for $30). Harner sold so many in just the first week of the Miracle pop-up that he's already planning another order.
But perhaps the most wonderful thing about Miracle in Spokane is an unashamed, unabashed, unbridled enthusiasm. The uncontained excitement of a child at Christmas.
"I think one of the things that Spokane suffers from is a lot of people don't go into a concept wholeheartedly," Harner says. "Over the years, I've found that Spokane really responds to a lot of effort."
In an industry that operates on razor-thin margins and a culture that glorifies apathy, spending $2,000 on Christmas decorations might seem foolish and immature. But the silliness and childish joy has brought people into Volstead Act who haven't been to a bar for years, Harner says, and even the Grinchiest regulars haven't stopped showing up.
Stockings above the fireplace bear the names of people who make Volstead Act a chosen family. Home Alone is on the TV, presents are wrapped, and the world smells like cinnamon. It's OK to be a kid again. Maybe that's the kind of miracle we all need.
Miracle at Volstead Act • Through Dec. 31; open daily from 3 pm-2 am • Volstead Act • 12 N. Post St. • miraclepopup.com/locations • 509-808-2516
MORE HOLIDAY SIPS!
NO-LI FROST FEST
Sat, Dec. 16 from 12-3 pm • No-Li Bier Hall • 1003 E. Trent Ave.
Make friends with Jack Frost by toasting small batch beers at No-Li's 6th Annual Frost Fest. At the No-Li Bier Hall and Riverside Patio, try four new seasonal brews. A limited edition 20-ounce mug for $12 grants access to exclusive beer offerings, with fills for $8. The first 500 people to buy a mug and a fill get a complimentary, cozy No-Li beanie. Santa himself is scheduled to show up, so drink responsibly to stay on the nice list.
CHRISTMAS TREE FARM
Through Dec. 9, Fri from 3-6 pm; Sat from 2-6 pm • Brick West Brewing Co. • 1318 W. First Ave.
Sometimes, you need to let the Christmas trees come to you, specifically with beer, snacks and hot drinks nearby. On the Brick West plaza, find pre-cut Douglas firs from North Ridge Farms, plus hot cocoa and snacks from Wandering Tin Can. Of course, you can also keep warm with one of your favorite Brick West brews. If you preorder a tree, you'll get 10% off the tree plus a $5 Brick West gift card.
LUMBERBEARD WINTER MARKET
Sun, Dec. 17 from 12-3 pm • Lumberbeard Brewing • 25 E. Third Ave.
Once, my brother got my mom a Christmas gift she disliked so much that she cried. Gifting can be stressful. Wouldn't it be nice if someone curated a bunch of great vendors, offered you a drink to set the celebratory mood, and let you peruse the gorgeous items on your own? Oh wait, that's exactly what's happening at Lumberbeard! Head over to the brewery's tasting room for a low-stress "sip and shop" moment. Previous markets have hosted soap, candle and macrame artists, plus painters and culinary innovators.
— ELIZA BILLINGHAM
