Photo courtesy Hotel Greene
“It will be very cool and, per usual, filled with romance, mystery and unease — they’re our favorite words here,” says Jim Gottier of Hotel Greene’s forthcoming holiday and apres-ski-inspired pop-up bar.
Starting Dec. 1, the indoor miniature golf course and downtown restaurant will transform into a 1920s Alpine chalet and ski lodge, touting transcendent decor, Germanic nuances, and a festive cocktail and food menu.
Located in a portion of the former Hotel John Marshall at 508 E. Franklin St., Hotel Greene opened in the summer of 2019, a venture run by Gottier and his wife, Andrea Ball. Entering the 7,000-square-foot establishment feels like stepping into another world, perhaps that of the Wes Anderson film “Grand Budapest Hotel” or the HBO series “White Lotus.”
For the seasonal makeover, Hotel Greene will follow a German expressionist theme and feature backdrops designed by Steve LaRose. The Seattle-based artist also worked on The Crown Room, a private event space adjacent to Hotel Greene that Gottier has dubbed “the real ballroom of our fake hotel.”
Nicknamed “Carpet Jimmy,” Gottier previously worked in the antique carpet business and has a keen eye for captivating vintage pieces.
When Hotel Greene General Manager Rebecca Brooks asked Gottier if the team could “zhuzh it up a bit” for the holidays, everyone embraced the suggestion.
“My wife and I went nutty, and I said, ‘Wait a minute, let's zhuzh it up a lot,' ” Gottier says. “It will be really cozy and really fun. We always kind of see this place as a theater set anyway.”
Aiding in the merry metamorphosis of Hotel Greene is Crux Scenica, a local set design company that will take the vision and make it a reality, with finishing touches completed by Gottier, Ball and the staff.
“Jim and Andrea have scouted awesome items to bring the chalet vibe,” Brooks says. “Besides it looking epically beautiful, the bar menu will be the big thing.”
At the helm of the high-spirited holiday cocktail menu is Bar Manager Phil Boyle, who has worked for Gottier since he operated the bygone Greenleaf’s Pool Room.
At the Hotel Greene ski-up bar, guests will find German Gluhwein, a traditional hot, red wine-based drink that is similar to a mulled wine, packing herbaceous hints of star anise, clove, cinnamon and allspice. Imbibers will have the option of adding Schnapps or Aquavit to take it up a notch.
Also on deck is a hot chocolate combining milk and dark chocolate candies and Homestead Creamery whole milk and heavy cream, with the boozy addition of the French herbal liqueur Benedictine, the digestif amaro Branca Menta and Combier D’orange, plus cranberry mules and spritzes, hot buttered rum made using Virago Spirits Sherry Cask rum, and house-aged eggnog.
“It’s a process and labor of love; it’s so buttery and smooth and doesn’t have a harsh booziness, it has that full-body warm, and it’s like ohhh, that’s dangerous,” Brooks says with a laugh of the eggnog. “I’m really excited and think that with the overlays everything will be really festive.”
On Dec. 9, Hotel Greene will also host a Germanic movie night, a recently launched project that showcases films in black and white, featuring special snacks and cocktails and a pianist playing an original score. Gottier describes it as “magical.”
Hotel Greene's holiday pop-up bar will continue through Jan. 1.
