Welcome back to the crypt, boils and ghouls, for this year鈥檚 very scary Christmas special! We managed to find a black Christmas tree to set up next to the closest sewer gas vent, which is Santa鈥檚 only real point of entry for delivering the MOB staff鈥檚 presents. And we鈥檝e been very good this year folks. Our gentle mentorship and sagely advice on all things local and boozy alone should be enough to finally get that pony we鈥檝e always wanted, but, just in case, this December, we鈥檙e dropping another comprehensive guide on where to drink for Christmas here in beautiful Flagstaff.
Our first and favorite spot to hit during the holidays has always been Little America鈥檚 North Pole Experience. They put out over 1,000,000 lights every year, turning this classic hotel into a total winter wonderland. For the kiddos and young at heart, there鈥檚 the Trolly Launch Station that takes riders through a magical portal into Santa鈥檚 workshop, the Toy Hall of Fame, Elf University, and Santa鈥檚 bakery. The fun culminates with a one-on-one meeting with the man of the month himself, which we all need at least once a year. Most people above ground don鈥檛 know this, but after the holiday season is over, Santa makes a little time every year to unwind down in the MOB crypt. He鈥檚 an IPA kind of guy, what with the rich pine flavor of the beer, and he always appreciates the fact that it鈥檚 not powdered sugar all over our cookies. Back to Little America鈥�. We don鈥檛 have kids, we鈥檙e not young at heart, and we鈥檙e not into trolleys. The MOB staff is into drinking, and Little America鈥檚 bar and patio is about as fine a place to enjoy a winter cocktail as any in town, with a selection of holiday-themed drinks that have all of us drooling in anticipation just writing about them. Naturally, there鈥檚 the classic eggnog and a Merry Mule, but the farther down the menu you get, the better things get. We鈥檙e suggesting starting off with Mrs. Claus鈥檚 Cold Cocoa, a taste-bud decimating concoction of rum, cr猫me, cocoa and more that is sure to set up the evening for success. From there, give the Mistletoe Margarita a try to offset the chocolatey sweetness and, having been sufficiently limbered, we recommend following it up with a Fireball Hot Cider to pair with a quaint walk through the illuminated grounds.
What else are the freaks and geeks at MOB embracing for that holiday spirit, you ask? The pagan roots of the holiday, of course! In yee olden times, the ancient Romans co-opted traditions of the Germanic tribes in the frigid North in an effort to make their assimilation into a Christian empire easier, and we still enjoy those rituals to this day. From decorating a tree to burning a Yule log to hanging stockings, there鈥檚 really not a lot about the holiday that鈥檚 not pagan in some way, but we here in the crypt are, yet again, into drinking, so we鈥檝e made a yearly habit of hitting Drinking Horn Meadery. Easily one of the most eccentric spots in the downtown area, the locally sourced honey wine is some of the best you鈥檒l find in this part of the country. While most mead tastes like a severe case of diabetes after a single sip, Drinking Horn has managed to craft beverages that you can actually enjoy several glasses of without winding up in a coma. But it鈥檚 not just the mead though. The ambiance of the hall captures the winter spirit perfectly with its Viking armor and perpetual digital fireplace.
Our other quintessential holiday event is the annual pine cone drop on New Year's Eve at the iconic Weatherford Hotlet. So nice, they do it twice at 10 p.m. and midnight and it鈥檚 always a wild party. While we haven鈥檛 verified this, the long-standing rumor is that the original pine cone was just a hastily painted trash can with literal pine cones glued all over it and, over the years, it鈥檚 turned into a pretty wild party across the entire downtown area that definitely is not to be missed. Think a lighter, more inclusive Tequila Sunrise, but in the dead of night. Plan for cold weather, it seems like every year, there鈥檚 a plethora of people underdressed and suffering in the cold.
Of course, there are a bunch of other events. The repeating Theatrikos production of Elf: The Musical is a quaint way to spend an evening and, if you鈥檙e in the mood for a little drive, you can hit the Polar Express in Williams. Our good buddy Santa will be hanging around waiting to take pictures and the train ride will be serving hot chocolate and cookies. We鈥檙e also going to recommend the 12 Bars of Christmas pub crawl on December 14. This liver-punishing booze fest will run from noon to 6 p.m. starting at the Market Bar. It looks like this is going to span nearly the entirety of downtown with specials at a bunch of bars and restaurants. Participants are encouraged to wear their most hideous Christmas sweaters or to don full Santa attire.
That鈥檚 all for this month, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from your friends here in the crypt!