Sip and celebrate your way through these seasonal and pop-up drinks events in Vancouver, Victoria, Whistler and Toronto.
TORONTO
Two Miracles in Toronto
This year there are two Miracle holiday bar pop-ups in Toronto running through December. The new Miracle on Harbourfront is conveniently near Harbourfront Centre’s seasonal skating rink, at Boxcar Social through December 31. Back for another year, Miracle on Bloor at Third Place is the original Toronto pop-up holiday bar from the team behind award-winning Civil Liberties. Expect all the Christmas themes mugs and glassware, snacks (from pizza to poutine and sausage rolls) and special events (think slumber parties and drag brunches), plus adjacent Christmas tree markets at both locations on weekends. The real miracle is that $1 from each drink sold supports Nellie’s, a non-profit bringing warmth to women and children in need: a quarter-million has been raised since 2018! (And if you can’t visit, gift from wacky Miracle merch!)
New Year’s Eve at Library Bar
Canada’s starriest bar at the Fairmont Royal York, Library Bar has been ranked by North America’s 50 Best Bars and The Pinnacle Guide. On New Year’s Eve an opulent menu features venison tartare with black truffle, mushroom arancini, harissa lamb and sourdough toast with goose liver pâté and, of course, exquisite cocktails. Festive libations include The Royal Tannenbaum (Scotch and tequila with chai-spiced gingerbread syrup) and Snowbird Holiday (rum and Scotch with orange, cranberry, maple, apple and spices).
VANCOUVER
Sip Into the Season Cocktail Crawl
Botanist Bar has partnered with other local bars stars including The Keefer Bar, Laowai, Meo and June/LaLa to craft a cocktail crawl that runs through New Year’s, featuring signature cocktails from each bar’s holiday menu (such as Botanist Bar’s Sleigh All Day with Christmas pudding gin, aged rum, red wine, winter spices, black tea and citrus). Visit each bar, order a festive cocktail and post an image to Instagram tagging the bars and including the #sipintotheseason hashtag, to be entered to win a Fairmont Pacific Rim stay or other prizes.
12 Cocktails of Christmas Toys
H Tasting Lounge at the Westin Bayshore, Vancouver, has turned your holiday Wishbook memories into a holiday cocktail list that evokes the retro dolls, toys, board games, puzzles and animated and stuffed stars of your childhood. Play with everything from Furbie to a Slinky, or sip from vessels like Santa’s sleigh, a pet rock or a Barbie box.
Hype Chocolate x Fairmont Waterfront Pop-up
Because we could all use a non-alcoholic break this season, sip your way to this hot pop-up (through December 19 on Fridays afternoons), to score a rich Hype Hot Chocolate (original or vegan) for $8, including unlimited toppings, from mini marshmallow to crumbled cookies and chocolate drizzle. Hype bars are available purchase, including festive flavours like S’Mores and Gingerbread.
Rosy Rosewood Holidays
Wait for Santa to arrive by spending a Festive Christmas Eve at 1927 Lounge, with a four-course menu and paired cocktails, plus live entertainment. Beneath the hotel, swanky Prophecy Bar not only opens at 2 pm daily starting in December (with an extended cocktail hour from 2 to 6 pm), it has a special collection of holiday drinks including a rum, Cognac and whisky-infused eggnog, The Hockey Sweater (mulled wine), A The Nog-mare Before Christmas (tequila and sherry eggnog). Over the holiday season Prophecy is donating a portion of profits to the local non-profit Good Night Out Vancouver, dedicated to creating safer nightlife free of harassment and violence.
Kringle’s
Enjoy a cozy evening on the lower level of the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver at Kringle’s holiday pop-up bar. Cocktails include a whisky, ginger and pineapple Cabin Fever, a creamy Christmas Morning, or the playful gummy-bear-infused Home Alone, plus zero-proof refreshers.
WHISTLER
The Library by The Macallan
For the third year, the luxe Scotch brand has a luxe pop-up bar within the Four Seasons Whistler for the winter season. Sip exclusive pours of The Macallan in a curated tasting journey, and enjoy elevated Scotch-tails like Cloud Atlas, with The Macallan Sherry Oak 12 crowned by a frothy sherry oak foam. The bijoux space is the hottest reservation in Whistler: book your spot now.
Gin-novation and Mocktail Mixology
The Fairmont Chateau Whistler satisfies your thirst for knowledge with weekly workshops on whipping up your own non-alcoholic wellness drinks using fresh flavours of the season, or a masterclass in gin with Montis Distilling, which produced the hotel’s own Blackcomb Mountain Gin. Worshops are open to hotel guests, and property offers many other festive holiday events, like daily hot chocolate in front of the fire, movie nights and holiday karaoke!
Miracle at the Raven Room
With layer upon layer of kitsch, Whistler’s favourite elevated cocktail bar brings the jingle, shine and glitz of the holidays to Miracle Whistler. Cocktails served in a wild array of vessels include a Blitzen Barrel, Miracle Mouse and a Cheery Cherry Chocosaurus. Nice and Naughty shots and three holiday-themed non-alcoholic drinks are also on offer.
VICTORIA
Drink Like an Empress
On the Fairmont Empress Festive Veranda, sit around cozy fire tables and toast s’more marshmallows, or enjoy a cheese or chocolate fondue. Four festive cocktails are named for favourite seasonal movies, from The Holiday and White Christmas to It’s a Wonderful Life and The Grinch. Holiday cocktails at Q Bar features some of the same tipples, along with Love Actually (warming fruitcake tea-infused red wine with honey and spices) and A Hallmark Holiday (apple cider with gingerbread syrup), plus sophisticated non-alcoholic options.
Christmas Craft Cocktail Workshop
Ryes & Shine distillery will level up your holiday cocktail game on December 14 with an afternoon mixology workshop on creating three sophisticated and spirited holiday drinks (with recipes to take home), featuring local craft spirits. It includes a distillery tour, snacks and and discounts on bottle purchases.
—by Charlene Rooke
