Tropical Rooftop Bar To Become Winter Wonderland
Plus: Tin Widow will become "Miracle."
Sippin’ Santa cocktail. Photo courtesy of PufferFish.
Hotel Metro‘s tropical rooftop escape is soon to transform into a winter wonderland. PufferFish, located atop the downtown hotel, 411 E. Mason St., will be one of 50 bars across the country to host a Sippin’ Santa pop-up this holiday season.
Come Nov. 24, the tiki bar — which started as a pop-up itself — will introduce a new menu of specialty cocktails, served in festive glassware and topped off with whimsical garnishes.
Guests can cozy up at the indoor bar, dubbed the FishTank, or brave the open air on the rooftop patio, said PufferFish owner JC Cunningham, noting that outdoor heaters will keep the chill off of the outdoor space.
Sippin’ Santa will operate in tandem with Miracle, another holiday pop-up now entering its fourth season at Tin Widow, 703 S. 2nd St.
While Sippin’ Santa leans on a tropical theme, Miracle is more traditional, with an emphasis on craft cocktails.
“Every year brings new excitement and new challenges,” said Sam Berman, owner of Tin Widow. “This year’s decorations are going to be completely off the charts, and we have a few tricks up our sleeves with how they’ll be displayed this season.”
At PufferFish, Cunningham said he’s looking forward to expanding on the foundation that Tin Widow has created over the past several years.
“Sam and the team over at Tin have created the holiday blueprint with Miracle on 2nd Street,” Cunningham said. “We are really excited to partner with them and turn our little rooftop escape into a winter wonderland.”
Miracle and Sippin’ Santa are both nationally-recognized pop-ups with a strong emphasis on cocktails. Miracle got its start nine years ago in a New York City bar now known as Mace. Sippin’ Santa was founded one year later, in 2015, as a “tropical companion” to the original pop-up.
Since then, the concepts have expanded across the country, and now pop up at more than 200 bars annually. This year, Miracle is expected to pop up at over 150 locations, while Sippin’ Santa is slated for more than 50.
Only one bar of each kind is allowed per city, and Milwaukee is one of just a handful of markets with the privilege of hosting both, said a news release from the local hosts.
Hotel Metro will also extend the holiday spirit to its presidential room, which will become The Santa Suite for the remainder of the year. Guests who book a stay can expect plenty of holiday cheer including — but not limited to — themed decorations, mini drinks from PufferFish, Christmas cookies and turn-down service.
Bookings for the package, available Nov. 15 through Dec. 30, can be made online.
Both pop-ups are set to open on Friday, Nov. 24. Sippin’ Santa will run until the end of December and Miracle will continue through New Year’s Eve.
PufferFish will be open Wednesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tin Widow will be open daily from 6 p.m. until bar close.
Photos
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