Long Beach, put down the plastic skeleton. There is nog to be had, dammit.
Miracle has returned to The Ordinarie, bringing its annual permission slip to drink and eat something festive. Eat something comforting. And surrender to the glorious idea that a neighborhood tavern should spend November and December dressed like Christmas has unlimited access to a hot glue and a staple gun.
After its Halloween run as The Haunting, the DTLB space reopened as Miracle on Nov. 6. The menu brings a mix of classic libations, comforting grub, and fresh reasons to make the outing a full dinner. Christmas Cricket? Back. Krampus? Present. A plate of turkey and ham with all the holiday fixings? Absolutely.
Before Long Beach had a holiday takeover circuit, it had Miracle at The Ordinarie
The Ordinarie first brought Miracle to Long Beach in 2019. The larger concept began in 2014, when Greg Boehm turned an unfinished East Village bar into a Christmas pop-up. What started in New York became an international operation. Here, owners and all-around great humans Christy and Jaime Caldwell helped make it a local ritual.
And that distinction matters. A concept can arrive with recipes and branded glassware. Making people return every year requires hospitality—and a willingness to spend an absurd amount of time decorating.
Jaime’s role in building that world deserves its annual reminder. As Christy told me in 2023: “The real person who makes Miracle look the way it looks is my wife.”
Over the years, that commitment helped change what Long Beach expected from a holiday night out. “The Ordinarie started it,” Baby Gee co-owner Daniel Flores told me in earlier coverage.
You can see the larger shift in the city’s seasonal calendar: Baby Gee’s Christmas snowfalls… Bamboo Club’s Tinsel Club and its Halloween counterpart, Tremble Club… Port City Tavern’s Halloween and Christmas takeovers… Que Sera’s Grinchmas… Entire outings are built around seeing what a favorite bar becomes for a few weeks each year.
The Ordinarie itself hosted Black Lagoon in 2025 before moving to The Haunting this October; Black Lagoon moved to Midnight Oil’s speakeasy. Christmas helped open the door, and Halloween has happily stomped through it wearing platform boots.
The classics Miracle cocktails return to The Ordinarie, with some newbies.
When Miracle returns, people expect to find these drinks: The Christmapolitan. The gingerbread-laced Snowball Old-Fashioned. The rum-heavy Yippee Ki Yay Mother F… All three carry over from last year’s menu, alongside Koala LaLaLa, Run Run Reindeer, and Rudolph’s Replacement. But a very special return? My personal favorite, the Christmas Cricket, which returns from 2023.
There are also two spirit-free offerings: Ginger Bell Rock and Tinsel & Tart ($16 each). And both the Nice and Naughty shots ($17) include a take-home Miracle shot glass. A tiny souvenir of whatever decisions preceded it.
A full look into the cocktail menu for Miracle at The Ordinarie…
Christmapolitan ($20): vodka | elderflower | dry vermouth | spiced cranberry sauce | lime | rosemary | absinthe mist
Snowball Old-Fashioned ($19): rye whiskey | gingerbread | aromatic & wormwood bitters | orange essence
Sugarplum Stampede ($21): Irish whiskey | amontillado sherry | apricot | dark crème de cacao | lemon | miso honey | figgy bitters
Christmas Cricket ($20): blanco tequila | vanilla liqueur | minty amaro | coco pandan | cream | mole bitters
Koala LaLaLa ($20): blanco tequila | dry vermouth | apple liqueur | tamarind | lemon | eucalyptus bitters | mint | soda
Sleigh-Saurus ($21): peanut butter whiskey | dark rum | velvet falernum | French bitter | black sesame | oat milk | lemon | nutmeg
Run Run Reindeer ($18): mulled wine reduction | prosecco | lemon | aromatic bitters
Rudolph’s Replacement ($22): vodka | coffee liqueur | white crème de cacao | orange curaçao | chai | almond milk | aromatic bitters
Merry Mouse-Tail ($21): white rum | cognac | Madeira | mandarin | clove | lemon | aromatic bitters
Yippee Ki Yay Mother F… ($21): Barbados rum | rhum agricole | Trinidad overproof rum | ube & coconut orgeat | acid-adjusted pineapple
The Krampus ($22): reposado tequila | oloroso sherry | allspice dram | mezcal | ginger | hibiscus | lime | hellfire bitters
Ginger Bell Rock ($16; non-alcoholic): mandarin | clove | ginger | lime | tonic
Yes, you should actually eat dinner at Miracle
The food of Chef Hank Mendez—a growing gem of a culinary man here in Long Beach—makes a strong argument for arriving hungry.
The Holiday Dinner Turkey & Ham ($29) commits to the assignment: roasted turkey breast. Adobo-glazed ham. Mashed potatoes with gravy. Roasted Brussels sprouts. And a genuinely delightful apple-cranberry relish.
There are familiar comforts, too. Their famed Chicken Pot Pie Bites ($18), which reach the tens of thousands in sales. Hatch Chile Mac & Cheese ($14). And the ancho-and-cinnamon burnt-honey Sweet Potato Fries ($10)… All appeared in last year’s coverage.
The clearest seasonal changes come when you compare this menu with October’s Haunting offerings. Deviled eggs move from black sesame to truffle and tarragon. The butternut squash ravioli gives way to spinach and cheese. The pandan-and-white-chocolate cookie sundae becomes a Hot Chocolate Cookie Sundae ($12), with marshmallow, vanilla ice cream, and peppermint hot fudge. And pumpkin pie makes way for Ditch apple pie ($13), with maple caramel and pecan crumble.
What else do I need to know?
That is the enduring appeal of Miracle at The Ordinarie: the chance to turn a familiar Downtown gathering place into part of your own holiday calendar. Long Beach has more ways to do that now. This is one of the places that helped make it happen.
The Ordinarie is located at 210 The Promenade N. in Downtown Long Beach. Miracle is open daily from 11:30AM to 1AM, with reservations and walk-ins available until 4PM and walk-ins only afterward. Children are welcome until 9PM. Holiday closures apply.
Editor’s note: Cocktail prices ending in .95 have been rounded to the nearest dollar.
