Festive rooftop bar open in downtown Phoenix through December

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — It looks like Santa will be spending some more time in the desert.

Christmas is a few days away, but you can still celebrate through the end of the year at a fun, festive rooftop bar. Miracle Bar is back for the fifth year at the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Phoenix. For the first time ever, you can also enjoy the Miracle Bar experience at the Hilton Garden Inn in Old Town Scottsdale.

The original Miracle Bar started as a pop-up in New York City 10 years ago. Now, it selects places around the world to recreate the magic. Each year, it provides a holiday-inspired cocktail menu, but each location creates its own food and decorations.

Hilton Garden Inn’s director of sales and marketing Angie Horney says the downtown Phoenix location will offer the same holiday cheer this year with new items.

“We try to do something different every year, too, with decorating. The menu is brand new every year for the food. And the cocktails, it’s 10 cocktails and Miracle Bar likes to roll out one to two new ones a year,” Horney says.

Alyssa Maldonado, lead bartender, says each cocktail is created for a specific glass.

“One of them is called a Christmapolitan. So, it’s a take on a regular cosmopolitan but we use a spice cranberry sauce and then we do also add elderflower in it, so it has a little floral in that. That one has been on the menu every year and it is a very popular one, vodka base as well,” Maldonado says.

The Christmapolitcan comes in a snowflake-painted cocktail glass.

For those who want a warm, cozy beverage to sip next to the fire, consider the Hot Buttered Rum.

“It’s going to have rum in it like an almond liqueur and then with a hot oat milk and then with grated nutmeg and then with our homemade spice butter mix that we have,” Maldonado says.

It’s served in a Santa head mug and “feels like a hug.”

If you want to guess which list you’re on this year, Miracle Bar also offers a naughty and nice shot. The Naughty Shot is made with tequila, habanero pepper, ginger and hibiscus. The Nice Shot is made with rye whiskey and gingerbread.

Each cocktail is $21, and the shots are $10. The themed glasses are also on sale if you want to take one home. Part of the proceeds will be donated to the Seva Foundation.

The Scottsdale Miracle Bar, inside BLVD Kitchen & Bar, serves the same cocktails but has a different food menu, including the Feliz Navi-Nachos and Merry Mint Churros.

The Phoenix location, at Floor 13 Rooftop, says it’s kept a few of last year’s favorite dishes while adding new ones meant for sharing.

Executive chef Joe Flores says his favorite is the Scrooge Sliders. They have the flavors of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

“You got your Turkey, you got your gravy, your mashed potatoes, you have your cranberry, your cranberry sauce in it too, on a brioche bun,” Flores says.

There’s also a new peppermint hummus board, charcuterie named after Rudolph, and a cheesy flatbread with spiced pecans and dried cranberries.

Flores says the roast-it-yourself s’mores are a fan favorite, and they’ve upgraded the board this year.

“We added more flavors of chocolate. Now you have your dark, your milk and your cookies and cream. Same with the crackers. You have your cinnamon, your normal, and then you have your chocolate plus your marshmallows. We added some strawberries and then your tabletop burner,” Flores says.

Guests are limited to 90 minutes at the table at Miracle Bar. However, there’s a room directly connected to the rooftop called the Miracle Suite which guests can rent and have unlimited access to the bar.

“It has a private stairwell that goes down and you have your own patio and your own room. With that suite, it’s fully Christmas decorated, it’s ‘grinched out’, I like to call it,” Horney says.

Heads up—you might see the Grinch or Buddy the Elf walking around. You can check each bar’s calendar for when and where they’ll be.

Miracle Bar is open through Dec. 30 at the Phoenix and Scottsdale locations but is closed on Christmas Day. Reservations and holiday attire are encouraged but not required.

Miracle Pop-Up Bar Downtown Phoenix

Location: 15 E Monroe St, Phoenix, AZ 85004 (Inside Floor 13)

Hours: Sunday to Thursday: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Friday and Saturday: 5 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Miracle Pop-Up Bar Scottsdale

Location: 7324 E Indian School Rd, Scottsdale, Arizona 85251 (Inside BLVD Scottsdale)

Hours: Sunday to Thursday: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Friday and Saturday: 5 p.m. to 12 a.m.

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