It’s a Christmas Miracle on Melrose

Nov 27, 2019 — by Caroline on Crack

Zach Patterson and Austin Melrose by Caroline on Crack — Melrose Umbrella Co.’s Zach Patterson and Austin Melrose present Christmas at Miracle on Melrose.

For those who absolutely cannot wait til Christmas — eff Thanksgiving, you say — Melrose Umbrella Co. is already all decked out for the holidays. And I mean, ALL. DECKED. OUT. The Miracle on Melrose Avenue bar is only one of about 100 of the Miracle Pop-Up Bars around the world: 94 in the U.S. and 14 spread out through Canada, England, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Romania and Switzerland.

Each cocktail bar had to be nominated and vetted to become a Miracle Bar. And after they win a spot, they’re sent the means to make the magic happen, including a Christmas-themed cocktail menu by Nico de Soto of New York’s Mace — where the first Miracle Pop-Up was born — and festive glassware.

By the way, if you fall in love with the egg nog mugs, Santa mug or even the Mistle-Toe shot glass, they’re all for sale! (10% of the sales of the Santa Head and Santa Pants mugs go to Action Against Hunger.) The only bad news here is that that adorable SanTaRex dino mug isn’t available for purchase.

Christmasizing the Bar

So last night Melrose Umbrella Co. debuted its new Miracle pop-up bar. And they went all out. Giant ornaments are suspended from the ceiling. Giant nutcracker statues loom in bar corners. And a Christmas tree forest of 50 lit-up pine trees sprouted up in the back courtyard. As the owners of The Corner Door and Lono Hollywood, of course Zach Patterson and Austin Melrose would go over the top with this theme in the most spectacular, gorgeous way.

It took them weeks to decorate the bar. And apart from the obvious stuff like the wreaths on the wall, garlands and ornaments everywhere, you gotta appreciate the finer details. There’s the miniature Christmas village over the bar, Elf and Clark Griswold cardboard cutouts peeking down at you from the front windows, and the ornaments covered in handwritten messages lining the wall. Even Zach and Austin are dressed for the occasion: Zach in a fitted Santa suit jumpsuit and Austin in a Griswold Blackhawks jersey.

Miracle on Melrose Cocktails

As for the cocktails themselves, they’re delicious! They tasted me on five of the 10 cocktails, which range in price from $14-$16, and they were festive and, more importantly, balanced.

But, if you think that the Yippie Ki Yay Mother F****r will taste the same here as it does in the Miracle bar at New Zealand’s Keg Room, you’d be surprised. Although each bar must serve the same menu, they’re allowed to tweak it to suit their tastes. At Melrose Umbrella Co., the bartenders found that they wanted to make the cocktails a little drier and not as sweet. And we all win. Even the egg nog, a traditionally rich and heavy drink, is dangerously easy drinking and not super saccharine.

Miracle on Melrose SanTaRex by Caroline on Crack — **SanTaRex**: rye, Olorso sherry, spiced apple cider concentrate, lemon, hard cider, baked apple bitters

Miracle on Melrose Run Run Rudolph by Caroline on Crack — **Run Run Rudolph**: Prosecco, London Dry Gin, mulled wine puree, lemon, cane syrup

Miracle Bar Snowball Old Fashioned by Caroline on Crack — **Snowball Old Fashioned**: Caramelized pecan bourbon, spiced molasses syrup, wormwood bitters, orange essence

Miracle on Melrose Koala-La La La, La La La La by Caroline on Crack — **Koala-La La La, La La La La**: gin, pine tea cordial, grapefruit oleo, eucalyptus bitters

Miracle on Melrose gingerbread latte by Caroline on Crack — For daytime the bar will present Miracle on Melrose coffee drinks like this gingerbread latte made with gingerbread syrup and coconut foam.

The Miracle on Melrose bar will be in effect now through the end of December.

By the way, MUB will also be doing a couple of things not many, if any, of the other Miracle bars are, which is carry the Miracle theme into the daytime with holiday coffee drinks like gingerbread lattes, eggnog lattes and peppermint affogatos. And they also have a small food menu of comfort food items by Chef David Lespron that runs all day and night. Think Holiday Turkey Sliders and Partridge in a Pretzel.

Melrose Umbrella Co., 7465 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046, (323) 951-0709