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When Miracle—the Christmas-themed bar with New York City origins—first opened in Denver two years ago, it was popular. Three-hour-long wait popular.
This year, Denver-area Miracle franchise owner Chad Michael George (the Way Back, Proof Productions) is spreading the holiday cheer to three—count ‘em, three!—locations, to ensure everyone can experience the Christmas magic that is sipping on Yippie Ki Yay Mother (Expletives) and You’ll Shoot Your Rye Out cocktails in the midst of animatronic Santas and a flurry of paper-cut snowflakes.
The locations are: Avanti Food & Beverage (where Miracle set up shop last year); the Arvada Tavern; and the former Milk & Honey space at 1414 Larimer Street. The Arvada location will be a tiki-themed Miracle partner called Beachbum Berry Presents: Sippin’ Santa. (Don’t worry: It’s still Christmas themed.) The Arvada Tavern hosts a regular Tiki Tuesday night, so those folks know what they’re doing when it comes to mixing Kris Kringle Coladas. The upstairs bar was just remodeled, too, so it will be prepared to handle the masses of Christmas-crazed drinkers that Miracle bars inspire.
Those zealots are exactly why George upped the Miracle ante to three this year, returning to Avanti’s upstairs Wolf Bar and debuting Miracle on Larimer Square.
“When we did it last year at Avanti it went really well, but it’s definitely not a big enough space to handle the demand,” George says. “I’ve been looking for another spot since March or April and landed in the old Milk & Honey space. All three are in great locations, so it’s not like there’s nothing to do [while you wait to get in].”
But if your real Christmas miracle is scoring a seat without waiting in the cold, George has set up a website for online reservations. MiracleDenver.com will start accepting limited reservations for all three Miracles beginning this Friday, November 15. All locations will take walk-ins, too, so don’t be crushed if your chosen reservation time is booked. In a Santa’s sleigh-size understatement, George says, “Prime spots will go fast.”
While he’s not ready to reveal décor details just yet, George says that Lauren O’Neill with Scout Interiors will deck the halls and make all merry and bright. Last year that meant a Christmas bow selfie wall; an inflatable, animatronic Santa; a deluge of lights, ornaments, and stockings; and an overabundance of pretty much every other symbol of this most magical time of year.
The trio of Miracle bars will open on Thanksgiving Eve (November 27) and will run through December 29. No reservations will be taken by phone, so get on the website early or get ready to bundle up.
