6 Spots for Festive Drinks in Philly

If you’re in the mood for a festive drink, without the whole holiday pop-up bar gimmick, then this is the list for you. Some of Philly’s best bars have added collections of seasonally inspired drinks, while others have snuck in some festive cocktails that you can find if you try hard enough. Odds are you try every drink on R&D’s holiday menu before the end of the year.

Four Humors

Even though Four Humors opened only a couple years ago, it has quickly become a Fishtown neighborhood favorite. You can always expect to get a delicious, well-crafted cocktail that is often seasonally inspired. For the upcoming winter season, their (off-menu) pumpkin spice espresso martini will be returning through the new year! An espresso martini? At Four Humors? With pumpkin spice in it? Stunnin.

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R&D Cocktail Bar

R&D Philly has completely transformed their usual cocktail menu into a festive extravaganza – with their own R&D twist, of course. The menu is organized into five separate sections – “Pa Rum Pa Pum Pum”, “Blitzin”, “Naughty & Nice”, “Merry & Bright”, and “Baby It’s Cold Outside”.

You’ll find cocktails like the “Pineapple Upside-Down Cake” with rums, “all the pineapple”, lime and bitters; “Gingerbread Old Fashioned” with rye whiskey, dark rum, amaro and falernum; and a “Mulled Wine Cosmo” with vodka, Gran Marnier, mulled wine and lime (that also comes hot).

If you happen to stop by on Monday through Thursday from 5 -6 PM, you can enjoy their new(ish) happy hour menu featuring $5 light bites, like hummus and arancini, and $7 sandwiches, including a smash burger and fried chicken sandwich. Keep in mind that they don’t take reservations.

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The Lunar Inn

The Lunar Inn is the perfect spot to enjoy a festive drink in a cozy, intimate environment. This winter they have sparkling wine specials, along with a couple of cocktails that serve up a seasonal punch in their own distinctive way.

There’s the “Beet Elderflower Margarita” made with tequila, beet syrup, elderflower liqueur and lime. The “Coffee Club” – their take on the espresso martini, with Resurgent coffee whiskey, sfumato, amaro, Kafe Anme (a coffee liqueur), coffee and bitters. Rounding it out is the “Magic Hour” with Bluecoat barrel aged gin, Apologue Saffron liqueur, lemon, cardamom, ginger and egg white.

Grab a friend or two and a Coffee Club, and sing some karaoke on a Wednesday night at The Lunar Inn.

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A.Bar

A.Bar is a sleek, specialty cocktail bar in the heart of Rittenhouse Square. While they don’t have an official holiday cocktail menu, there are a handful of drinks that are, shall we say, seasonally appropriate with even more seasonally appropriate descriptions.

“What Kind of Place is This?!” is described as an “earthy Gimlet with bright cranberry and a peppery, herbaceous kick”, made with Dutch gin, cranberry, black pepper, fino sherry, honey, sage, centerbe, and lemon. Then there’s “With My Life is a Life”, described as “a Vieux Carre that tastes like falling leaves & flannel”, made with rye whiskey, apple, pommeau, benedictine, maple, verjus, cinnamon and peychaud’s bitters. You can enjoy $1 off their specialty cocktails every weekday from 5 – 7 PM.

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Lloyd Whiskey Bar

Lloyd Whiskey Bar is unsurprisingly known for their whiskey selection, but don’t overlook their other spirited drinks, including their decidedly festive cocktails.

You can find the “Spice Pear Mule” with Wheatley vodka, St. George spiced pear liqueur, fever tree ginger beer, and lime; the “Beet Happening” with gin, beet and pomegranate grenadine, lemon, egg white, and rosemary; and the “Quarter Zip” with blended scotch, St. George spiced pear liqueur, fresh lemon, honey, egg white, cranberry, and angostura bitters.

If you’re a traditionalist, there’s always the classic winter hot toddy, made with Tullamore Dew.

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Philadelphia Distilling

Philly Distilling, the home of Blue Coat Gin, has a seasonal menu with eight festive cocktails that are not to be missed. Picture yourself sitting on one of their burly leather couches, sipping a “Which Demands Gold” made with Bluecoat barrel finished gin, Vigo Amaro, pumpkin, honey, egg white and lemon. Or chatting with friends at the bar with a “Wolf, Fox, Lynx” in your hand. I’m partial to the sound of a “Movement of the Prince” with Bluecoat American Dry Gin, Red Aperitif, red grape, fall spice and lemon.

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Try any of these festive cocktails?

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6 Spots for Festive Drinks in Philly

Four Humors

R&D Cocktail Bar

The Lunar Inn

A.Bar

Lloyd Whiskey Bar

Philadelphia Distilling

Try any of these festive cocktails?

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Curated by

Cristina

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6 Spots for Festive Drinks in Philly

Four Humors

R&D Cocktail Bar

The Lunar Inn

A.Bar

Lloyd Whiskey Bar

Philadelphia Distilling

Try any of these festive cocktails?

Follow us

Curated by

Cristina