Two Toronto bars serve up Christmas in support of Nellie’s
How do you best a kitschy over-the-top Christmas pop-up bar that serves up only speciality Christmas-themed cocktails while donating $1 from every drink sold to Nellie’s?
By opening up a sister location, of course!
During the 2018 holiday season, Nick Kennedy (owner of the bar Civil Liberties) and Lauren McKenna, drew a lot of attention from both the media and Torontonians alike when they opened Miracle on Queen Street. It was the Toronto franchise of the worldwide Miracle pop-up concept that brings holiday-themed drinks and over-the-top Christmas decorations to cities across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia and Central America. Nick and Lauren’s project, which took over an event space on Queen Street West, was the first in Toronto.
The bar opened on Black Friday and after it closed its doors on Boxing Day, Nick and Lauren presented Nellie’s with a cheque for $30,000.
And so, this holiday season, Nick reached out to fellow bartender Alfred Siu, owner of Project Gigglewater on Dundas West to join in on the fun. While Miracle is serving up kitsch and Christmas cocktails (this time on Ossington Ave. near Queen St. W.) from November 25 to Boxing Day, Project Gigglewater has transformed into a Sippin’ Santa cocktail bar and is serving up a love of all things tiki Christmas. Both are planning to donate $1 from every drink sold to Nellie’s.
“It’s a lot of fun. I love Christmas and I love tiki as well,” says Alfred. “It’s a little different from Miracle. We’ve decorated in more of a beach theme with thatching and bamboo everywhere. There are still presents hanging from the ceiling but we’re serving tiki-style drinks rather than just Christmas cocktails and we are all dressed in beach shirts.”
The idea for Sippin’ Santa was born in 2015 in New York City specifically as a companion pop-up to Miracle but with a tiki twist. Think of Santa on a surfboard instead of a sleigh and palm trees instead of pine. This year, 27 locations across North America are celebrating a festive love of tiki.
“We’re a smaller venue than last year’s Miracle but we are hoping to raise around the same amount of money as they did,” says Alfred. “Nellie’s is a really good cause. I’m really impressed with the work they do in helping to reduce violence and in supporting women and children.”
Thank you, thank you to Sippin’ Santa and Miracle Toronto for your support of women and their children who come to Nellie’s. We are beyond grateful for your generosity.
