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Be Good…Sippin’ Santa will be Watching at The Citizen

miracle at The Citizen

Miracle, the beloved Christmas-themed pop-up bar launched in 2014 in New York City, will continue spreading holiday cheer around the globe in 2018. It will return to Niche Hospitality’s The Citizen on Commercial Street as the brand celebrates its five-year anniversary. This year, Miracle will launch in over 80 locations around the world with Sippin’ Santa expanding to multiple locations in partnership with notable tiki-connoisseur Jeff “Beachbum” Berry.

Launching the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 23rd, Miracle locations throughout the United States and beyond will offer seasonally-themed cocktails in a festive setting through New Year’s Eve, Monday December 31st, 2018. Miracle creator Greg Boehm and long-time manager Joann Spiegel are pleased to be able to continue expanding the concept to new cities across the U.S. and to locations in Europe, Asia and Central America.

“The growth of Miracle and the love that guests have for this concept has been completely amazing,” says manager Joann Spiegel. “Our partnership with Jeff ‘Beachbum Berry’ will be a fun and new way to elevate our Sippin’ Santa locations this year as the love of tiki continues to grow in the U.S. Our partners across the world continually overwhelm us with their creativity and festive good spirits, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for all of our locations in 2018.”

Spiegel, together with esteemed bartender Nico de Soto of Mace and Danico, have created the much buzzed about roster of Christmas concoctions served at all Miracle locations, from favorites such as the Snowball Old Fashioned (Gingerbread Bourbon, Wormwood Bitters, Lemon Zest) to newcomers including Christmas Carol Barrel (Aged Rum, Aquavit, Amaro, Pumpkin Pie, Demerara Syrup, Lime, Vanilla, Angostura Bitters) and the And A Partridge In A Pear Tree (Reposado Tequila, Pear Brandy, Mezcal, Spiced Demerara Syrup, Lime, Egg White, Club Soda, Angostura Bitters, Cinnamon). All cocktails will be served in Cocktail Kingdom®’s custom Miracle glassware, from mugs to coupes, highballs and rocks glasses. Many locations will have these items available for purchase with Miracle donating 10% of select glassware sales to Action Against Hunger – making the perfect gift that keeps on giving.

Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, described as one of Imbibe magazine’s “25 most influential Cocktail Personalities of the Past Century”, has created tiki holiday-themed cocktails, that will be center stage at all Sippin Santa locations. This year’s roster includes drinks like the Kris Kringle Colada (Dark Jamaican Rum, Cynar, Allspice, Lime & Pineapple Juice and Cream of Coconut) and Hawaiian Milk Punch (Bourbon, Cream, Chai Syrup, Sarsaparilla and Tobacco Bitters, Nutmeg). Sippin’ Santa will pop-up in none other than Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29 in New Orleans, in addition to tiki locations in Chicago, Sacramento, Washington D.C., Detroit, Cleveland, Houston, Springfield, and at Boilermaker in New York City, the original outpost for the concept.

The concept for Miracle was born five years ago, when upon the advice of his mother, Greg Boehm decided to halt construction of what was to be his new East Village cocktail bar Mace to transform the unfinished space into a pop-up bar serving holiday-themed drinks among festive décor. As crowds swarmed the NYC location, Boehm’s friends throughout the bar industry asked how they could recreate the holiday magic in their own bars and expansion became inevitable. Over the past few years, Miracle has expanded from 4 locations to over 50 in 2017. In 2018, Miracle in conjunction with Sippin’ Santa will reach a total of over 70 locations internationally at some of the most highly revered cocktail establishments around the world.

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A Blackfish’s Garden

Lost in Translation: lustau, amontillado sherry, carpano bianco, orango hibiscus and ango bitters.

Truro is a destination lauded by families on the outer Cape for its stunning seascapes, picturesque hiking trails, and beachside bonfires. It has a sophisticated side as well, playing home to both a winery and a first class restaurant – blackfish.

Blackfish lives in harmony with Truro’s old fashioned sensibilities. Located in a former blacksmith shop near the center of town, the shingled dinnerhouse offers polished cuisine hedged with anvils and cattle yokes.

Guests wait for tables watching vintage surfing footage of Colin McPhillips while they sip sherry cocktails at the bar. Light beams down from cylindrical patchwork fixtures and up from portholes in the bar’s copper-top surface. A fish pieced together from beach-cycled materials hangs over the doorway like a nautical Terminator ready to strike.

There is no coherent dress code. On our last visit, most of the servers donned linen tunics and chunky jewelry.

Pan seared scallops over parmesan fondue.

The host was dressed like a 1960’s mod-girl in giant monochromatic boots.

The customers fluctuated from birkenstocks to Birkin bags, and no one much cared about the fashion so much as the menu.

Entering the dining room is like finding a passageway into the Queen of Heart’s rose garden. There is a sensation that the Twiggy-spirited host has led you underground, followed by the realization that wall-to-wall windows are the only thing between you and an abundant chef’s garden.

Chatham squid with black bucatini (front) and heritage pork chop (rear.)

Candles levitate. Glasses sweat. Tentacles wiggle. Blackfish penetrates the melodrama of dining.

Order the pan seared sea scallops over parmesan fondue cut with a crisp glass of sancerre. Twirl your fork in a bowl of black bucatini to let loose plumes of aromatic steam laced with vermouth and chili butter.

‘Candles levitate. Glasses sweat. Tentacles wiggle.’

Admire the abilities of a pan roasted Chatham squid to transform its tender little self based on its surroundings. The heritage pork chop with roasted sunchokes, escarole, and white beans will leave you feeling wistful while the tuna bolognese over fresh pappardelle with mascarpone and lemon confit will take to your heart. Blackfish is wrought with romance.

If your not sure an evening out is in the cards for your Cape Cod vacation, the restaurant also operates a food truck called Crush Pad at Truro Vineyards seven days a week. This approachable peek inside the blackfish psyche includes fast-casual bites like a kobe beef hot dog topped with kimchi, and a farro and white bean burger. Who knows, if they hook you, maybe you can hitch a ride to blackfish. Dinner starts at five o’clock.