Looking for ‘the best Christmas party?’ Try these two decked out Charlotte area bars

Two Charlotte-area bars are raising a toast to the holidays with festive cocktails and over-the-top decorations as part of an international pop-up celebration.

In Mooresville, 158 on Main at 158 N. Main St. turned into “Miracle on Main” on Thursday.

In Charlotte, BackStage Lounge at 2433 South Blvd. will open Wednesday with decked out halls.

Both restaurants are participating in the holiday pop-up bar event called Miracle, a collaboration with Cocktail Kingdom, that started seven years ago in New York City. “Christmas, Hanukkah and all the holiday cheer shaken up and served as a cocktail,” Miracle says on its social media sites.

It’s the second season for BackStage Lounge and first for 158 on Main, which opened in summer 2020. Miracle is an exclusive participation deal with only six bars participating in the Carolinas.

“We’re the only ones allowed to do it in Charlotte,” said Shang Skipper, president of Mac’s Hospitality Group, which owns BackStage Lounge and Mac’s Speed Shop.

It’s about getting into the holiday spirit with spirits, Skipper said.

What to expect at 158 on Main

There are 3,000 Christmas packages and balls hanging from the ceiling, and the walls are decorated with Christmas paper, 158 on Main co-owner Gary Preston said.

It took a week and full staff to decorate the 1,900-square-foot space.

The menu includes a cocktail list with drinks like vodka Christmapolitan, cognac Jingle Balls Nog and Bad Santa — rum mixed with spiced butter and served hot. There’s also Nice Shot of gingerbread spiced rye or Naught Shot, cinnamon spiced bourbon.

And, there are alcohol-free drinks like Reindeer Runover, made with a spiritless bourbon, gingerbread, orange oil and bitters.

Longer than a child’s wish list for Santa, festivities at 158 on Main include Pancakes with Santa, holiday music Bingo and a tacky Christmas outfit competitions. Reservations are recommended.

Miracle on Main runs through Dec. 31.

What to expect at BackStage Lounge

Decorating at BackStage Lounge runs from Sunday through Tuesday by a professional decorator, Skipper said. Expect even more decorations this year: “It might be close the Griswold’s,” he said, referring to the over-the-top decor from “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”

Backstage joined Miracle last year after Skipper saw it at a bar in Raleigh.

“I just fell in love with the idea of Miracle. It was just fun,” he said. “It was just this beautiful bar that was converted into a Christmas wonderland.”

How it works, Skipper said, is a bar pays a fee for marketing and a kit with drink recipes and festive glassware, which is available for purchase. Then the bar decorates as it wishes.

“It kind of reminds you of the best office Christmas party you’ve ever been to, the craziest Christmas house party you’ve ever been to,” he said. “It’s just energetic and it really gets you in the spirit of Christmas.”

Despite pandemic restrictions last year, like bars closing early and meeting social distancing requirements, Skipper said hundreds of people attended. BackStage has capacity for up to 100 people, Skipper said.

Skipper said reservations aren’t required but are recommended as dates and times fill up quickly. Miracle runs at BackStage through Christmas.

‘Sense of community’

There are four other bars in the Carolina that are part of the popup, according to Miracle’s website:

▪ In North Carolina, The Golden Pineapple in Asheville and The Haymaker in Raleigh.

▪ In South Carolina, Miracle bars are Prohibition in Columbia and Handcraft Kitchen and Cocktails in Mount Pleasant.

The Prestons also have another reason to celebrate Thursday. They opened their third business, Dive Bar, in the basement of 158 on Main building just at Miracle opens.

“We’re trying to create a sense of community, a reason for people to come downtown,” said co-owner Kiera Preston.

This story was originally published November 19, 2021 at 6:40 AM.