Words by Kaylee Dugan, Photos by Nicholas Karlin
Thanksgiving hasn’t even started yet and Christmas is already on our minds. Usually it’s annoying when CVS starts filling up with Santa hats and Starbucks begins pushing out their holiday cups, but when it comes to Derek Brown’s Miracle on 7th Street, we don’t mind it one bit. In just a few short years they’ve established themselves as D.C.’s new holiday tradition, drawing in people from all over the city (and outside of it) with their larger than life decorations and meticulously crafted cocktail program. For the third year running, the team has tackled the Christmas holidays with gusto, creating something that looks straight out of a Christmas (and Hanukkah) dream.
Enter through the old Mockingbird Hill space and you’ll find yourself in a winter wonderland filled with Christmas lights, animatronic Santas and so much more. Delicate snowy garlands hangs from the ceiling, (where you’ll also spy a mini Polar Express-esque train) and in the corner there’s a snow cave that’s made for you to cuddle up in (or making out). Follow the smell of freshly baked cookies (they’ll be cooking them up on site) and you’ll find the ginger bread house, complete with a life sized ginger bread man and a candy mantle piece.
Feeling a little overwhelmed by the Christmas spirit? Roll on over into the next bar where the walls plastered with Chinese takeout menus (all of them local) and movie posters. The Hanukkah hangout is the best and biggest it’s ever been, boasting a giant menorah, giant chopsticks and giant takeout boxes. Take a peek behind the bar and you’ll spy Chinese takeout-style photos of all the Christmas cocktails on the menu. It’s our favorite thing in the room.
Make your way down the hallway strewn with Christmas lights and you’ll find yourself in a bar straight out of a Bloomingdales Christmas catalogue. The old Eat the Rich space is classic Christmas, featuring tons of ornaments, four foot tall Nutcrackers and a huge Christmas stocking. It’s the very definition of cozy, warm and inviting. Looking for that perfect photo op? Make your way to the back of the bar for a very special mural (it might just be our favorite one yet) and a vintage sleigh surrounded by Christmas presents.
Walking through the bars, it’s clear that the Drink Company team is just as excited as their customers. After a little over two weeks of non-stop building, their vision is finally coming to life. CEO Angie Fetherston sums it up best when she says, “For all the pop-ups that we’ve done, this one is our heart and soul.”
Miracle on 7th Street is located at 1839 7th St NW and opens up on Black Friday.
