Whether you’ve been humming “Let It Snow” since summer or the mere thought of December has you craving a drink, NYC’s holiday pop-up pubs have something for you. Skip the sloppy disaster that is SantaCon (happening, regrettably, on Saturday) in favor of more dignified drinking at one of the city’s new, wintry watering holes. These merry boîtes are tapping into nostalgia, decking the hell out of their halls and raising New Yorkers’ holiday spirits with delicious — and inventive — holiday spirits.
Donner and Blitzen’s Reindeer Lounge, located in the No Malice Palace space in the East Village, is a jolly jumble of wrapping-paper-covered walls, cartoon reindeer and no fewer than three fake fireplaces. Open through Jan. 1, it’s the brainchild of bar manager and Christmas fanatic Anthony Serignese.
So she focused on the cocktail program. Her favorite is the Elf Nog ($13), a green glass of fernet, crème de menthe, crème de cacao and cream.
Mixologist Shannon Ponche shows off the Sleigh Pilot.
Latin cocktail bar Leyenda has gone full-on feliz Navidad with its “Sleyenda” holiday pop-up. The vibe is tiki bar meets chalet, complete with a red-nosed “reindeer” wall mount, kitschy glassware and beaming Beyoncé baubles on the tree.
Best of all, the punch comes in a real Christmas ornament. And you’d best appreciate that: Mix goes to great lengths to serve it to you that way.
Sleyenda at Leyenda, 221 Smith St., Cobble Hill; 347-987-3260, LeyendaBk.com. Open through Dec. 25.
The Hygge at PHD Terrace is a testament to all things Nordic-cozy. The snuggly saloon is stocked with plush pillows and soft throws — and swaddling is fully encouraged, general manager Julian Wrede says.
If you start to overheat in your comfy cocoon, order the bar’s signature drink: a vanilla milkshake spiked with Baileys and topped with caramel, graham crackers and Pirouette cookies ($14).
The Hygge at PHD Terrace at the Dream Midtown, 210 W. 55th St.; 646-756-2044, PHDLounge.com. Open through March.
Bartender Cody Goldstein with the vibrant Goodie Goodie Gumballs.
Upper West Side hotel NYLO’s “Willy Wonka”-inspired pop-up is pure Instagram heaven. The cocktails, which seem to have been borne from the most delicious fever dream of your life, were actually concocted by mixologist Cody Goldstein, founder of Muddling Memories hospitality company.
The menu’s highlight, hands-down, is the Goodie Goodie Gumballs drink ($17): A not-too-sweet mix of tequila, St-Germain, white cranberry and bitter lemon, poured into an old-school, operational mini-gumball machine (gumballs included).
“It’s inspired by that iconic scene with Violet, when she starts chewing gum and turns purple,” Goldstein, who admits he watched “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” on repeat for research purposes.
Only one question remains: How the heck do you drink the thing? “We stick a straw through the top,” Goldstein says. “It changes colors.” Of course it does.
NYLO’s Holiday Cocktail Factory, 2178 Broadway; 212-362-1100, NYLOHotels.com. Open through Jan 31.
Bad kids get a lump of coal for Christmas. Bad adults? They tap into their inner Darth Vaders at Chinatown’s DarkSide Bar, a “Star Wars”-themed tavern.
“I hate Luke Skywalker,” owner Zach Neil tells The Post. “I don’t like any of the good-guy characters. I always thought they were super lame.” But he loved Darth Vader and his Dark City. He liked Kylo Ren, too, “even though he’s kind of an emo boy.” So he imagined what a bar on the Death Star would look like. (“There has to be a bar, there are like 8,000 residents.”) It came to him in a vision: scantily clad alien women dancing on bartops; glowering, seedy guys with face tattoos gambling in corners; essentially, “a really rough biker bar in space.” And so DarkSide was born.
Drinks, including the signature, whiskey-based Dark Side ($16), all have killer special effects (lights! fire! smoke!). You have to purchase tickets for weekend nights ($33, available online), but each includes two drinks. And don’t forget your costume: A recent night saw the bar’s dance floor packed with some 15 Stormtroopers, two Darth Vaders, a Princess Leia and a Chewbacca — “all getting down to Lil Wayne,” Neil says.
DarkSide Bar, 201 Lafayette St.; TheDarkSideBar.com. Open through Jan. 14.
Paula Lukas, a bartender at Israeli restaurant Nur (34 E. 20th St.; NurNYC.com), channeled her childhood memories to shake up this miracle in a glass. “The flavors were inspired by my grandmothers,” she tells The Post. The cinnamon and apricot notes remind Lukas of the baked goods, such as rugelach, they used to make. And the olive oil, this Hanukkah season, needs no explaining.
Dry shake egg white. Add rum, 5 drops of chocolate bitters, Abricot liqueur and cinnamon syrup. Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a few drops of olive oil, 5 drops chocolate bitters and gold dust. Swirl together with a toothpick. Finely chop Hanukkah gelt; sprinkle on top to finish.