The concept behind San Francisco’s Deck The Halls is a bit cringe — but it’s a frivolously festive staple that offers a warm hug., time after time.
‘Tis the season for all things upbeat and jovial. (Well… it’s almost that season; let’s get through Thanksgiving first before we start looping in Mariah Carey.) And there’s something inextricably esoteric when the December holiday season descends on San Francisco.
Drag queens skate on ice. Massive gingerbread houses pop up inside swanky hotel lobbies. The temperature chills, requiring us to all wear slightly thicker outerwear.
Among the other seasonal tickets that unwrap this time of year are holiday-themed pop-up bars — perhaps the only iteration of the “Instagram-worthy” ploy worth praise. Of the dozen that temporarily open in SF around the Thanksgiving holiday, no other is more iconic and on-point than Deck The Halls, which is now coming back for its sixteenth year.
Located in the Cow Hollow neighborhood this year, the self-knighted “merry vibes” return for another iteration of the annual pop-up bar, this time taking over Union Street from November 25th through December 25th.
Unlike years past, there will be three separate locations – The Blue Light, Outré, and the Deck The Halls flagship — for 2022, reveling in the yuletide spirit for what feels like a quasi-normal holiday season.
The three spaces will each be transformed into uniquely joyous settings and will offer specific cocktails per watering hole. To our delight: the Polar Espresso Martini — “a rendition of the classic with a holiday twist” — is back; the recently added Tinsel spritz — “aperitif wine, bubbles, and all the glitter glory” — rides the coattails of current effervescent drink trend bubbling up across the county.
Holiday-themed shots and non-alcoholic beverages will also be available, which will exist in tandem with some food options. But… like, definitely eat a proper meal before you venture out to get high-key inebriated. However, should you feel charitable and keen on sobering up before walking/ridesharing/Muni-ing back home, patrons who donate a toy in the Toys for Tots drive at any of the locations will receive complimentary tater tots.
We can’t wait to get oddly emotional swiping through Hinge underneath a halo of Christmas lights.
Outré (1787 Union Street) will have a 70’s disco theme; | Deck the Halls (1853 Union Street) will feature a quirky and not-so-serious holiday vibe | The Blue Light (1979 Union Street) will be more akin to a dive bar… if it were located on the North Pole; Hours at Outré will be Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to midnight and weekend from 11 a.m. to midnight; the Flagship will be open every day from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m.; The Blue Light has the same operating hours/days as Outré, but will extend the closing hours to 2 a.m.; visit deckthehallsbar.com for more info.
