Step into a winter wonderland at D.C.'s over-the-top Christmas pop-up bar

Handmade icicles hang from the light fixtures, an ode to Stranger Things adorns a bar wall, and cocktails are handed out in Santa Mugs.

You might be holding off on putting your tree up, but the holiday spirit is in full swing at the pop-up Christmas bar Miracle on 7th Street in Washington, D.C. 

Miracle on 7th Street, which became a viral sensation last year, has expanded to three bars this year. With the winter wonderland opening on Black Friday, co-owner Derek Brown expects at least 100,000 people will pass through before the tinsel is taken down and the ornaments put up on Jan. 1.

“In each space we have a different theme, tied together for the holidays,” Brown, who is also a spirits expert, said. “In Mockingbird Hill we have a winter wonderland with a video projection of aurora borealis … and in Southern Efficiency we have a photo shoot we did with goats in sweaters.”

While most of the themes center around the holidays, Brown said they decided to add one wild card this year with a nod to the Netflix sci-fi thrilled Stranger Things. 

“We have the whole display from Stranger Things with the letters and Christmas lights,” he said. “We thought this would be really fun for people because it was a popular show and fun for us to put together.”

And the holiday madness doesn't stop with the decor. The cocktail menu, which is fashioned to look like a holiday book, features drinks named after quotes from Christmas movies.

"People can use it almost like trivia, you know: 'Where is this name from?'" he said. With garnishes like fortune cookies and raw cookie dough bites, Brown said they wanted to serve nostalgia with the booze.

"We wanted to create cocktails that were serious but had that fun element so people could relate to their own experiences with the holidays," he said.

This year Stella Artois and Bud Light also teamed up with the bar and have two beer cocktails featured on the menu.

For those who can't make it to D.C., Brown shared the recipe for the "Xmas is run by a big Eastern syndicate." Can you guess what movie that quote came from?

Here it is:

INGREDIENTS:

2 oz.  Plantation Dark Rum

.75 oz. Five Spice Syrup

.75 oz. Lime

1 Dash Angostura bitters

Garnish: Custom Fortune Cookie

Directions: Shake, fine strain, garnish

Bottoms up!

Follow Mary Bowerman on Twitter: @MaryBowerman.