23 Greater Cincinnati Bars and Breweries With Immaculate Holiday Vibes

Bridgeview Box Park

1 Levee Way, Newport
Head to Bridgeview Box Park to admire Newport on the Levee’s Christmas tree and other festive trimmings from the cozy comfort of a heated igloo. Each igloo is decked in holiday decor, with food and drinks available from Rotolo. It’s the perfect place to stop and warm up after a walk across the Purple People Bridge, which is also lit up for the holidays.

Covington Yard

401 Greenup St., Covington
The food container park has transformed into Covington Winter WonderYard for the season. Featuring two towering trees made of kegs, an enormous Advent Calendar stuffed with daily giveaway goodies, a light tunnel, themed hangout containers, photo ops and tons of holiday lights, Covington Winter WonderYard aims to capture “the nostalgia of loading up the car with family and friends and heading out into the neighborhood to enjoy the wonder of holiday displays.” Guests will be able to enjoy heated and covered seating, as well as a special menu of themed holiday cocktails, like the food park’s warming signature Hot Chocolate Flights, and food from Hangry Omar’s.

Arnold’s Bar & Grill

210 E. Eighth St., Downtown
The cozy Christmas and winter decorations at Cincinnati’s oldest, continuously operating bar will make you feel merry and bright as you catch up with friends and family this holiday season. You can also catch The Naughty List, Cincinnati’s longest-running improv comedy show, here on Dec. 13, 14, 19, 20 and 21.

Vista at Lytle Park

311 Pike St., Downtown
The rooftop at Vista at Lytle Park will be decked out with heated “snow globes” aka igloos, full of themed winter decor, fir trees, ornaments and woodsy ephemera like cute critters and pinecones. Get hot chocolate, food and cocktails delivered.

MadTree Brewing

3301 Madison Road, Oakley
In addition to the taproom being decked out for the holidays, MadTree also has a heated winter tent up for the season. The taproom will also be hosting a variety of holiday-themed activities, winter markets, where you can shop for gifts from local vendors, and holiday craft nights.

13 Below Brewery

7391 Forbes Road, Sayler Park
13 Below Brewery is hosting several holiday-themed activities throughout the month, including the Frisch Marionettes Christmas Show on Saturday, Dec. 16 and a holiday trivia night on Thursday, Dec. 21.

HomeMakers Bar

39 E. 13th St., Over-the-Rhine
HomeMakers Bar has decked the halls with the spirits to get you into the holiday spirit. On Thursdays, they bring out their smoked cocktails, and their Tiki Tuesday menu will have holiday twists on the classic tiki drinks.

Pennifold’s Pub

1834 Race St., Over-the-Rhine
Offering a little bit of Hogwarts in Over-the-Rhine, Pennifold's Pub turned the bar in the back of the Cosmic Gorilla comic book shop into a haven for Harry Potter fans last summer, and now it's gotten a Christmas makeover. The bar has been decked out in striped scarves for every house, with owls and fantastic beasts mixed in with garlands, ornaments and floating candles. Cocktails (and mocktails) include a warm butterscotch ale, like Harry Potter’s favorite Butterbeer, and "Potter in a Pear Tree."

AC Upper Deck

135 Joe Nuxhall Way, The Banks
Get a birds-eye view of The Banks from the igloos at the AC Upper Deck. The igloos’ colorful lights will make you feel like you’re inside a Christmas tree bulb.

Miracle at the Overlook Lodge

6083 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge
This immersive Christmas bar is back for another year! You’ll need to buy a ticket to experience Miracle at the Overlook Lodge, which gets you 70 minutes in the bar and includes a welcome shot and two festive-themed cocktails, a holiday clip show and “over-the-top decor,” according to the bar.

The View at Shires’ Garden

309 Vine St., 10th Floor, Downtown
The rooftop deck at Shires’ Garden has brought back its igloos and special garden greenhouses for the winter, and its also decked out in colorful holiday lights to help you live out your Hallmark movie fantasies. Their menu also has some cozy cocktails and hot drinks to keep you warm throughout the season.

Tiki Tiki Bang Bang

965 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills
Gorilla Cinema is hosting Sippin’ Santa, a tropical holiday pop-up, at their Walnut Hills bar, Tiki Tiki Bang Bang, until Dec. 30. You can enjoy the immersive tropical decor while sipping on an all-new cocktail menu with drinks like the Merry Spritzmas and Yule Tide. They’ll also have theme nights, including a "Campy Christmas" PJ party on Wednesday, Dec. 13.

Fifty West Brewing Company

7605 Wooster Pike, Columbia Township
Fifty West has once again transformed into a winter wonderland with their ice skating rink, fire pits, large heated tents and hot beverages (boozy and otherwise) to help chase away the winter blues. Santa Claus will be making pre-Christmas pit stops here on Dec. 10, 16 and 22 for photo ops with your whole family, pups included. Also on Dec. 23, you can do goat yoga, with the goats arriving in their most festive holiday sweaters.

Fishbowl at The Banks

141 E. Freedom Way, The Banks
If you want a bar that makes you feel like you’re spending Christmas at the beach, Fishbowl at The Banks will take you there. With their tropical and holiday decor and signature spike hot chocolate and Christmas Cookie Shot, you’ll feel like partying with Santa into the new year. The bar is also an official stop for the Saturday, Dec. 9 Cincinnati SantaCon.

Frosthaus

115 Park Place, Covington
Frosthaus is getting cozy for the season with holiday movie-themed trivia nights throughout December and outdoor igloos. And if you ever wondered what Buddy the Elf’s breakfast of chocolate syrup and spaghetti tasted like, you can find out by ordering an Elf Spaghetti Eis, courtesy of Eishaus.

West Side Brewing

3044 Harrison Ave., Westwood
West Side Brewing has its Christmas decorations up and holiday-themed beers on tap, including the Holiday Ale and their vanilla Baltic porter, Krampus Coal.

Moerlein Lager House

115 Joe Nuxhall Way, The Banks
Moerlein Lager House is helping host the Servatii Cincinnati Christkindlmarkt throughout December, so you can shop for gifts from local vendors before warming up in one their igloos, featuring high-top cocktail tables and electric fireplaces.

Somerset

139 E McMicken Ave., Over-the-Rhine
If you’re tired of “Jingle Bells”-this and “All I Want for Christmas is You”-that, Somerset’s Lounge Bar with its dark academia vibes and cozy fireplace is a great place to brood with a delicious cocktail during the holidays.

Urban Artifact

1660 Blue Rock St., Northside
Urban Artifact is celebrating the season with their holiday-themed brews, including the Sugar Plum American fruit tart and the Xmas Pickle gose.

Jerry’s Jug House

414 E. Seventh St., Newport
This Newport bar has the holidaze decor out, and Great Lakes’ Christmas Ale on tap. They also have a special “Jerry’s Jug House” hat for sale during the holiday season.