Tinsel Christmas Bar Pops Up in Midtown Village

Tinsel is most definitely back, as festive Pop-up Bar Opens in Center City

In the past couple years Philly has become the Christmas capital of the state, with the 10th year anniversary of Christmas Village, Dilworth Park’s celebration of the holidays with it’s ice skating rink, Philly Made Shops and

the amazing Christmas Tree on the North Apron. Now a Christmas-themed bar decorated in twinkling lights has opened in Center City to the delight of everyone, a place where you can go and soak up the holiday spirit.
Teddy Sourias (l) and Craft Concepts Group announce the grand opening of Tinsel Christmas Pop-up Bar last week at 116 S. 12th Street, Philadelphia. Midtown Village in the space formerly occupied by Simpson’s Jewelry.  Kory Aversa, Aversa PR & Events (r)

Tinsel bar consists for three rooms, the first was the original showroom for the jewelry store, and sit at the 25-foot bar on top of the former jewelry counter, Teddy and a friend traveled to Lancaster to pick up the custom wood bar top, which they plan to re use at one of their other properties. There are also 12 bar stools, some of them have Santa hats that say Naughty on them so you know exactly where to sit. The detail in the decorations are amazing, and this photo doesn’t do it justice, see the ornaments and how they had to be hung just perfect to create a festive atmosphere.

Last night was a media party and I ran into a lot of friends including Alex Holley, Fox29, who is taking up the photography hobby. Follow her on instagram to enjoy the fruits of her labor.  In the 2nd room, there’s a real Douglass Fir covered in Tinsel, which Teddy bought from his worker, who also sells Christmas trees.

In the former diamond safe is a glowing “fireplace”.
On the night I was there I asked Teddy where the Mistletoe was, he said it keeps getting stolen. He’s replaced it twice already.

The decorations of my favorite kitschy kind, and Teddy was able to buy a lot of them online as he needed envisioned what he wanted and needed to obtain them as quick as possible, as they decorated the place in the past week. Check out each ceiling tile which was gift wrapped individually.  There’s the Christmas Story‘s lamp.

The custom wood bar top, with the jewelry case full of ornaments and cute houses used in a train set.

Tinsel will serve specialty cocktails and Christmas themed beer on draft included Troegs Mad Elf, Hardywood Bourbon Gingerbread Stout and Chimay Grande Reserve. The Christmas cocktails, $8-$10, will rotate each week throughout the season. They’ll be a lite bite menu, including an array of Christmas cookies.

As a tool to encourage good behavior in children, Santa serves as the carrot, and Krampus is the stick. Krampus is the evil demon anti-Santa, or maybe his evil twin. Krampus Night is celebrated on December 5, the eve of St. Nicholas Day in Austria and other parts of Europe.

In the third room you can drop off your letters to Santa, and use the Gender Neutral Bathroom.
Tinsel will be open Tuesday through Thursday from 5:00pm to 10:00pm, Friday and Saturday 2:00pm to Midnight, and Sunday Noon to 5:00pm. Tinsel will offer happy hour specials Tuesday through Friday 5:00pm to 7:00pm with $5 select Christmas Cocktails and all drafts. Previously schedule to close around Christmas, tentatively the Tinsel will be open until the Epiphany (Three Kings’ Day) in which is January 6, 2018. You can thank me for that idea.  Christmas music and commercials can’t start early enough for me, and the holidays end too soon as well. If I had a tree I wouldn’t take it down til Valentine’s Day.