Get into the holiday spirit at these 18 festive Christmas pop-up bars in Detroit and the greater metro area!
For even more yuletide cheer, check out these festive holiday events in Detroit and more magical Midwest Christmas destinations.
Disclosure: This festive guide to 20 Metro Detroit holiday pop-up bars may contain affiliate links. When you click on one of these partner links, I may earn a commission. Of course, this is at no extra cost to you.
Christmas Pop-Up Bars in Detroit
Sippin’ Santa at The Skip
Visit Santa’s tropical vacationland when you step into the Sippin’ Santa pop-up bar at The Skip!
Hibiscus flower garlands, shiny tinsel, white lights, and Christmas stockings hang around the bar, while tiki holiday cocktails are served in surfing Santa tiki glasses and other festive drinkware.
This nationwide holiday pop-up bar features 10 Christmas-themed tiki cocktails created by mixologist Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, author of Beachbum Berry’s Sippin’ Safari.
You can sip a boozy, pineapple-infused Jingle Bird or a refreshing Yuletide with a festive maple-cranberry flavor.
Location: The Skip (located in The Belt), 1234 The Belt, Detroit, MI 48226
Hours: 4 p.m. – Midnight Tuesday – Thursday, 4 p.m. – 2 a.m. Friday & Saturday
Closed: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day
Reservations: Highly recommended, but weekends are walk-in only.
Reserve Your Spot at Sippin’ Santa at The Skip
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Cadillac Lodge
One of the festive holiday pop-up bars in Detroit that the whole family can visit is Cadillac Lodge.
Located at Cadillac Square Park, this holiday pop-up is also in the heart of Detroit’s holiday festivities. Pair your visit with ice skating at the outdoor Campus Martius rink and/or shopping at the Downtown Detroit Markets!
Inside the heated tent is a rustic ski-lodge-like space with flickering fireplaces, cozy seating, and trees trimmed in sparkling white lights.
As you warm up with a hot cup of cider, coffee, or cocoa, spiked or non-alcoholic, play board games and mingle. During special events at Cadillac Lodge, you can play trivia, listen to live jazz, or watch a classic Christmas flick.
In addition to hot cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages, the Cadillac Lodge drink menu includes a Mistletoe Margarita and three other specialty cocktails, four holiday-themed shooters, and a selection of wine and beer, including local craft beer.
The Cadillac Lodge also serves snacks, including buttery popcorn, soft pretzels with beer cheese and mustard, and Detroit-style chili.
Location: Cadillac Square Park, 60 Cadillac Square, Detroit, MI 48226
Hours: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Wednesday & Thursday; 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. Friday & Saturday, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Sunday
Closed: Christmas Day
Reservations: Walk-in only
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Blitzen’s on Bagley
Also returning for the 2024 holiday season is Southwest Detroit’s festively decorated holiday tavern Blitzen’s on Bagley.
Through early January, stop into this Detroit holiday pop-up bar for green Grinchmas, a Very Merry Marg, the herbaceous Under the Mistletoe, or a caffeinated Rudolph’s Red Eye made with cold brew.
Blitzen’s on Bagley also offers festive, non-alcoholic drinks, including whip-cream-topped hot cocoa.
Location: 2545 Bagley St, Detroit, MI 48216
Hours: 5 – Midnight Sunday – Thursday, 4 p.m. – 2 a.m. Friday & Saturday
Closed: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve
Reservations: Walk-in only
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225 Candy Cottage by Atwater Brewery
225 Candy Cottage is a speakeasy holiday pop-up bar presented by Atwater Brewery, open through New Year’s Eve.
The local craft brewery has transformed its neighboring space in Detroit’s Rivertown District into a colorful, candy-themed cottage.
With gingerbread men and colorful string lights hanging from the ceiling, the speakeasy’s festive atmosphere will make you feel the holiday spirit as you cozy up with one of its creative cocktails.
Location: 225 Joseph Campau Street, Detroit, MI 48207 (Next to Atwater Brewery & Taphouse)
Hours: Wednesday – Sunday + Dec. 23, 30, and 31!
Reservations: Must have!
Reserve Your Spot at 225 Candy Cottage
Miracle at Dragonfly
This international Christmas cocktail pop-up bar returns to Detroit at two locations this holiday season.
Through Dec. 31, you can sip holiday-themed cocktails in a festive setting decorated in kitschy Christmas décor at Dragonfly in Milwaukee Junction.
Try the cognac-spiked Jingle Balls Nog, a warm Hot Buttered Rum, or the Christmapolitan, a Cosmo made with spiced cranberry sauce for a holiday spin!
Dragonfly also offers festive holiday desserts. Pair your holiday cocktail with a peppermint white chocolate crème brûlée or sticky toffee cake!
Location: Dragonfly, 2929 E Grand Blvd, Detroit, MI 48202 (Entrance on Beaubien Boulevard)
Hours: 5 – 11 p.m. Tuesday – Thursday, 5 p.m. – Midnight Friday & Saturday
Reservations: Recommended
Reserve Your Spot at Miracle at Dragonfly
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Cocktails & Cable Knits at Union Assembly’s “Loungey Second Floor”
You’ll be rockin’ around the Christmas tree at this retro holiday pop-up bar at Union Assembly in Downtown Detroit’s Foxtown neighborhood!
Of course, those Christmas trees will be pink and hanging upside down from the ceiling! Through Jan. 5, you can sip swanky holiday cocktails in a festively retro space filled with pink disco balls and pink Christmas trees dripping in silver tinsel.
Among the holiday-themed drinks on the Cocktails & Cable Knits menu is the Lights Out. Served in a pink holiday-light-shaped cup, this is a merry-and-bright Christmas cocktail of vodka, pomegranate, rosemary, and ginger beer.
Location: Union Assembly (Second Floor), 2131 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48201
Hours: Subject to change, so call 313-636-6000 ahead of your visit to confirm
Reservations: No, walk-in only
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Whiskey Wonderland at Detroit City Distillery
If it’s an elegant handcrafted holiday cocktail in a festive setting that you seek, Whiskey Wonderland at Detroit City Distillery is the Detroit Christmas pop-up bar for you!
This Eastern Market distillery’s tasting room has been transformed into a wondrous space aglow in neon signs of Christmas sayings, Santa and reindeer blow-ups, and colorful holiday lights.
Amid the glow of those Christmas lights, the distillery’s spirits truly shine in various seasonal cocktails, like the Down the Chimney with Honey Bourbon, spiced pear, Lapsang souchong tea, and lime.
Location: Detroit City Distillery, 2462 Riopelle St, Detroit, MI 48207
Hours: 4 – 10 p.m. Wednesday & Thursday, 4 – 11 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. – 11 p.m. Saturday, Noon – 6 p.m. Sunday
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JoJo’s Winter Wonderland at JoJo’s ShakeBAR
Another family-friendly holiday pop-up bar in Detroit is JoJo’s Winter Wonderland at JoJo’s ShakeBAR.
Known for its over-the-top milkshakes, JoJo’s ShakeBAR has rolled out a special Winter Wonderland Shake. This peppermint milkshake is topped with a Christmas tree cookie, a marshmallow present, a snowman made of donut holes, a mini candy cane, and whipped cream.
Too chilly for ice cream? JoJo’s Winter Wonderland menu features holiday-themed hot chocolates, too. Try the salted caramel hot chocolate topped with a toasted marshmallow, toffee pretzel, white toffee donut hole, and gold star marshmallow!
For the over-21 crowd, the Winter Wonderland Shake and hot chocolate drinks have options for boozy upgrades, or you can drink one of the festive holiday cocktails. Sip Santa’s Sangria from a Santa boot cup or a frozen espresso martini!
Location: JoJo’s ShakeBAR, 88 W. Columbia St., Detroit, MI 48201
Hours: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Sunday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – Midnight Friday & Saturday
Reserve Your Spot at JoJo’s ShakeBAR
Festive Holiday Pop-Up Bars in Metro Detroit
Jingle at Ale Mary’s Beer Hall – Royal Oak
At Ale Mary’s Beer Hall in downtown Royal Oak, you’ll find a Metro Detroit holiday pop-up bar as festive outside as it is indoors.
You can dine and sip holiday cocktails in an igloo surrounded by downtown Royal Oak’s holiday lights.
Otherwise, enter through the Grinch-adorned door to a bar covered in Christmas décor. Here, wrapped presents hang from the ceiling, and brightly lit holiday lights glow.
As for the seasonal cocktails, the Jingle at Ale Mary’s Beer Hall drinks include a cranberry-flavored Jingle Juice. Of course, all the holiday cocktails are also served in festive glassware.
Location: Ale Mary’s Beer Hall, 316 S Main St, Royal Oak, MI 48067
Hours: 11 a.m. – Midnight Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – Midnight Saturday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Sunday
Reservations: Available
Reserve your igloo at Ale Mary’s Beer Hall
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Dasher Room at Testa Barrá Kitchen & Cocktails – Macomb Township
The Dasher Room at Testa Barrá is the only Metro Detroit Christmas pop-up bar (at least on our list) in Macomb County.
This festive Christmas pop-up bar is an enclosed, heated tent on the patio of this Macomb Township restaurant, filled with shiny tinsel garlands, Christmas bulb ornaments, and bright holiday lights.
It’s a festive place to sip an elegant espresso martini garnished with a candy cane or a toasty beverage from a Santa boot mug.
Location: 48824 Romeo Plank Rd., Macomb Township, MI 48044
Hours: 3 – 10 p.m. Tuesday – Thursday, 3 p.m. – 11 p.m. Friday & Saturday, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Sunday
Reservations: Recommended
Reserve your table in the Dasher Room
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The Iron Gate – Wyandotte
Festively decorated with shiny tinsel, ornaments, and red, green, and white holiday lights hanging from the ceiling, The Iron Gate hosts the only Downriver holiday pop-up bar in Wyandotte’s charming downtown.
The menu includes equally-as-festive holiday craft cocktails, boozy egg nogs, and fun Christmas-themed shots. You can warm up with a hot butter rum, or feel like you’re somewhere warmer than Michigan by sipping the Mele Kalkimaka or Black Magic cocktails.
It’s not only in the decór and drinks where you’ll find the holiday spirit at this Downriver Christmas pop-up bar.
The Iron Gate’s menu also features seasonal desserts, such as an eggnog bread pudding and Santa’s cream pie with gingerbread cookies and a buttercream frosting.
Location: 3019 Biddle Ave, Wyandotte, MI 48192
Hours: 4 p.m. – Midnight Monday – Thursday, 4 p.m. – 2 a.m. Friday & Saturday, 4 p.m. – Midnight Sunday
Reservations: Recommended. For parties of nine or more, email events@irongatebarwyandotte.com.
Reserve your spot at The Iron Gate’s holiday pop-up
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Weiss on Ice at Weiss Distilling Co. – Clawson
Walk through a brightly lit snowflake arch to an icy wonderland at Weiss Distilling Co’s annual wintery pop-up bar in Clawson.
Inside, the tasting room glows in blue light, with white icicles and blue snowflake lights seeming to drip from the ceiling.
Through the end of January, Weiss on Ice features seasonal cocktails and light bites. Try the blue Frosty cocktail with a white snowflake topper!
Location: 34 E 14 Mile Rd, Clawson, MI 48017
Hours: 5 – 11 p.m. Wednesday & Thursday, 5 p.m. – Midnight Friday & Saturday, 5 – 11 p.m. Sunday
Reservations: Recommended
Reserve your spot at Weiss on Ice
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Miracle at The Oakland – Ferndale
Through Dec. 28, the Miracle pop-up bar returns to The Oakland with its kitschy holiday decorations and festive cocktails.
Like at Miracle at Dragonfly in Detroit, the seasonal menu features about a dozen holiday-themed cocktails, including “naughty” and “nice” shots.
Try a gingerbread-flavored Snowball Old-Fashioned or the bubbly Run, Run, Reindeer made with a mulled wine reduction!
Location: 201 W 9 Mile Rd, Ferndale, MI (Look for the Art Novelty Company sign)
Hours: 5 p.m. – Midnight Tuesday – Saturday, 5 p.m. – 11 p.m. Sunday
Reservations: Highly recommended
Reserve your spot at Miracle at The Oakland
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The Legendary Lodge – Westland
The Christmas pop-up bar at the Legendary Lodge in Westland is back through Dec. 29.
You can get warm and cozy while sipping one of the 13 holiday cocktails, two shooters, or two mocktails. Indulge in a cranberry-flavored Mistletoe Martini, a Moscow Mule with a gingerbread twist, or a non-alcoholic espresso mocktail!
Additionally, the Legendary Lodge offers shareable bites, including German pretzels, Alpine truffle fries, a variety of flatbreads, and more.
Location: The Legendary Axe, 37550 Cherry Hill Rd, Westland, MI 48185
Hours: 5 – 10 p.m. Wednesday & Thursday, 5 p.m. – Midnight Friday, 4 p.m. – Midnight Saturday, 4 – 10 p.m. Sunday
Reservations: Available for private lodge suites
Reserve your Lodge Suite at The Legendary Lodge
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Holiday Pop-Up Bar at Royal Park Hotel – Rochester
Hidden inside the luxurious Royal Park Hotel is one of Metro Detroit’s most festive holiday pop-up bars.
The over-the-top Christmas décor includes a life-size Grinch, a lit-up candy-cane arch, a decorated Christmas tree hanging upside down from the ceiling, and an abundance of festive garlands, ornaments, and shining lights.
With drinks named Jack Frost, Oh Christmas Tree, and 5 Golden Rings, the cocktail menu is full of holiday spirit, too. Try the bourbon-based Santa’s Sipper with apple cider and cinnamon simple syrup in a keepsake Santa’s boot mug!
In addition to the holiday-themed cocktails are shareable snacks, including a s’mores dip of toasted marshmallows, chocolate, and graham cracker crumble served with sugar cookies.
It’s the perfect place to sip on theme after seeing Downtown Rochester glowing in more than a million colorful lights during the annual Big, Bright Light Show!
Location: Royal Park Hotel, 600 E. University Dr, Rochester, MI 48307
Hours: 5 – 11 p.m. Thursday, 5 p.m. – Midnight Friday & Saturday, 5 p.m. – Midnight New Year’s Eve
Reservations: Walk-in only
Cocktails & Cable Knits at Union Woodshop – Clarkston
Like at Union Assembly, Union Woodshop hosts the Cocktails & Cable Knits retro-themed holiday pop-up bar through Jan. 5.
Union Woodshop will also serve seasonal craft drinks through the end of December. Try a cranberry-mint margarita or a figgy cherry-infused bourbon cocktail!
Pair your festive drinks with shareable seasonal bites and take in the retro holiday decorations!
Location: Union Woodshop’s Shop Shop, 18 S. Main St., Clarkston, MI 48346
Hours: 4 p.m. – Midnight Monday – Thursday, 4 p.m. – 2 a.m. Friday, 1 p.m. – 2 a.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. – Midnight Sunday
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Holiday Pop Up at Sylvan Table – Sylvan Lake
The farm-to-table restaurant Sylvan Table has transformed its patio into a magical Christmas pop-up bar through Dec. 23.
Christmas music and movies will stream in the enclosed, heated patio as lights, ornaments, and garlands create a festive wonderland where guests can sip holiday cocktails and play reindeer games.
Try a Gingerbread Old Fashioned, hot mulled wine, or a butterbeer, or warm up with alcohol-free hot cider or hot chai!
Sylvan Table’s holiday pop-up food menu features warm farmhouse chili, shareables like flatbreads, milk with chocolate chip cookies, and more.
Location: Sylvan Table, 1819 Iverness St., Sylvan Lake, MI 48320
Hours: 5 – 10 p.m. Friday & Saturday, 4 – 9 p.m. Sunday, and 5 – 9 p.m. Dec. 23
Reservations: Walk-in only
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Cocktails & Cable Knits at Gran Castor – Troy
Last on our guide of Metro Detroit Christmas pop-up bars, but certainly not the least bit less festive, is the third location of Cocktails & Cable Knits.
Yes, the retro vibes and pink Christmas décor have come to Gran Castor through Jan. 5!
Featuring the same menu as Union Woodshop and Union Assembly, Cocktails & Cable Knits at Gran Castor also offers festive drinks and shareable bites.
Dine here for Latin-influenced dishes, then sip a holiday-themed Dasher Marg or El Santarino!
Location: Gran Castor, 2950 Rochester Rd, Troy, Michigan 48083
Hours: 3 – 9 p.m. Monday – Wednesday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Thursday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Friday & Saturday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Sunday
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Which Metro Detroit Holiday Pop-Up Will You Visit?
‘Tis the season for holiday cheer, and you’ll certainly find that jolly spirit at these 18 festive Christmas pop-up bars in Metro Detroit! With over-the-top decorations and themed drink menus, these holiday pop-up bars are festive places to celebrate the season.
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