Broken Spirits Distillery in Downtown Long Beach is getting into the holiday spirit with not jingly bells but in a more macabre way. The space has becomed filled with creepy takes on Disney characters with none other than Jack Skellington and the Oogie Boogie Man greeting you at the door.
On top of it all, a $75, five-course, three-cocktail, three spirit tastings, “Nightmare Before Christmas”-themed dinner will be served Monday through Friday nightly at 7PM.
Hold up—what are these holiday decorations at Broken Spirits all about?
Broken Spirits co-owner and all-around head honcho Isaias Hernandez has been adamant about one thing since Broken Spirits opened earlier this year. And that is to have the space become better connected to the community.
And he’s followed through. For Broken Spirits’s first time participating in my Long Beach Food Scene Week, he offered a crazily valuable $25 four-course dinner. You’ll often find his team at events, handing out coupons or participating in local beer festivals. And he approached me to partner in my first food event ever, Taco Death Match. This is all while handling Smoke & Fire—the parent company that oversees Broken Spirits Distillery—and its multiple locations throughout Orange and Los Angeles counties.
“I am being entirely serious in the fact that if you think, as another business owner, we are not doing our part, to please come in and have a conversation with me and the team,” Isaias said. “We are here with open ears and hearts to ensure that we become embedded in the fabric of this city. I grew up here, Josh [Bentrem, co-owner] still lives here. We’re invested.”
And part of that investment is creating experiences. Which is exactly what this is all about.
No, do not expect Miracle at The Ordinarie—this is to add Long Beach’s growing love of holidays.
The team at Broken Spirits certainly isn’t trying to steal the spirit away from Long Beach’s OG holiday king, Miracle at The Ordinarie. Yes, The Ordinarie is a short walk south on The Promenade. But Isaias and his team view it as two different options for those meandering the Downtown during the holiday.
And in all frankness, it’s smart: You have the glitz, glitter, and gorgeous garrishness of The Ordinarie, which sticks to hyper traditional Christmas styles. And then you have Broken Spirits, which uses cobwebs, “Nightmare Before Christmas,” and coordinated dinners. As with Halloween this year, where spaces from The Stache and Bamboo Club to Port City Tavern and The Social List went all in for the spooky season, spaces are also learning from The Ordinarie that the winter holiday season can be creatively inspiring and lucrative.
In this sense, Broken Spirits isn’t the only one getting in on assuring that Long Beach becomes the epicenter of the Holiday Worlds of Old.
“We really want to make a big push with our holiday menu this year,” said Baby Gee co-owner Daniel Flores, whose popular and accoladed bar sits on 4th Street. “We think it’s super cool how Long Beach has become this holiday bar Mecca.”
Amen, brother.
What about that “Nightmare Before Christmas” dinner?
Trivia with prizes. The soundtrack happily playing. Lots of drinking and plenty of food. Three cocktails. Three tastings—ours included their stellar single-malt whiskey, their aged aquavit, and their gin. And here’s what to expect at the dinner when the plates start arriving.
Dr. Finkelstein’s Million Dollar Deviled Egg: Deviled egg | Sturgeon caviar | Smoked pork belly jam | Chives
Jack Skellington’s Prime Wagyu Slider: Snake River Farms American wagyu ground beef | House-made squid ink bun | New cheese | Smoked pork belly
Oogie Boogie Garlic Cajun Linguine: Squid ink linguine | Pana Pesca Chilean Mussels | Cajun sauce | Porchetta | Pecorino Romano
Lock, Shock, and Barrel-smoked SRF Tri-tip: Snake River Farms Prime tri-tip | Black garlic | Cowboy butter | Parsnips | Roasted Carrots | Chives
Sally’s Peaches and Cream: House-made dark chocolate macaron | Chocolate ice cream | Grilled peaches
