Winter Fun

Go on holiday this holiday season via Sippin’ Santa

Vacation-inspired bar Shore Leave brings back the festive pop-up.

Cocktails at Sippin' Santa 2021
Cocktails at Sippin' Santa. Randy Schmidt

By Jacqueline Cain

2 minutes to read

Santa Claus doesn’t get to take a vacation until after the holiday season, but the rest of us can take respite from the busyness at Sippin’ Santa. The annual holiday pop-up bar returns to Shore Leave from late November through New Year’s Day.

Tiki cocktails take cues from tropical drinks — think tropical fruit flavors, like pineapple and coconut — and add layers of flavors with warm, aromatic spices and bold, acidic punches. The culture around this school of cocktailing came up through themed restaurants, which some operators and guests alike are reconsidering these days with more sensitivity around cultural appropriation. Shore Leave has divested from using the word, which describes the carved image of a god or ancestor in the Maori language, and has nothing to do with spiced cocktails. Nomenclature aside, the South End cocktail bar remains an oasis of such inspired drinks in all their over-the-top, vacation-vibes glory, and it’s one of just 34 sites in the U.S. to host the Sippin’ Santa festivities.

Advertisement:

From decking the halls of the basement bar with twinkling lights, to piping in surf-rock carols through the speakers, Shore Leave is transformed into Sippin’ Santa with tons of attention to detail. Along with sushi and drinks-friendly snacks, the menu adds signature Sippin’ Santa cocktails like White Russian Christmas, spiked with ancho chile liqueur; and the namesake mix of aged rum, amaro, lemon, orange, and gingerbread spices. Plenty of new cocktails come out to play this season; check out the lineup below.

Sippin’ Santa at Shore Leave officially runs Tuesday, Nov. 22 through Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023. Shore Leave is open daily; check the website and social media for any updated hours throughout the holiday season.

Sippin’ Santa Cocktail Menu

Kris Kringle Colada

Advertisement:

dark Jamaican rum, amaro, allspice liqueur, lime, pineapple, cream of coconut

Sippin’ Santa

aged demerara rum, amaro, lemon, orange, gingerbread mix

White Russian Christmas

vodka, dark-roast cold brew, condensed milk, ancho chile liqueur, cinnamon syrup

Island of Misfit Toys *NEW COCKTAIL

aged Jamaican rum, chai tea, cream, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, lemon

Jingle Bird *NEW COCKTAIL

bourbon, pineapple rum, Campari, lime, pineapple, jingle mix

Yule Tide *NEW COCKTAIL

tequila, Applejack, lime, maple-cranberry syrup

Undertow Toddy (served hot) *NEW COCKTAIL

cognac, Chartreuse, curaçao, chocolate hazelnut syrup

Rudolph’s Rum Rhapsody (for two) *NEW COCKTAIL

Jamaican & Puerto Rican rums, lime, orange, pineapple. passion fruit, falernum, honey, ginger, aromatic bitters

Shots

Top Shelf Elf *NEW COCKTAIL

house spiced rum, falernum, cinnamon

To comment, please create a screen name in your profile