11-12-2023 Harford Mag - Flipbook - Page 14
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BY AMANDA YEAGER Harford Magazine
The Cocktails & Candy Canes pop-up at Lib’s Grill in Bel Air will serve a dozen different holiday-themed cocktails, more than half of which are new creations for 2023.
COURTESY OF LIB’S GRILL
Seasonal spirits
Here’s where to find holiday-themed drinks
Nick Liberatore is getting ready for another
marathon decorating session.
For the past few years, Liberatore has shut down
his Lib’s Grill restaurants for a full day during the
week before Thanksgiving to focus on just one
thing: holiday decor. Employees, friends and family
join in for an all-hands-on-deck, 15-hour-long
decorating spree that transforms Lib’s Grill dining
rooms in Bel Air, Perry Hall and Maple Lawn into
a winter wonderland for an annual “Cocktails &
Candy Canes” pop-up.
The decorations are a spectacle: Every inch of
each restaurant is trimmed with holiday cheer. But
a special list of themed cocktails is also a big draw
for diners, who stop in to sample Mistletoetinis,
Frosted Nogs and Mele Kalikimakas.’
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| Winter 2023 | harfordmagazine.com
“The season’s so fast-paced,” Liberatore said of
the sprint between Thanksgiving and the New Year.
We’ve rounded up a few wintertime drinks to
help you slow down and savor it.
Cocktails & Candy Canes
Lib’s Grill participated in the nationwide Miracle
holiday pop-ups before rolling out its own roster of
festive drinks three years ago. The restaurant’s Bel
Air location, which opened in 2022, joined in the
merriment for the first time last holiday season.
This year, the Cocktails & Candy Canes pop-up
will serve a dozen different cocktails, more than
half of which are new creations. The restaurant
is partnering with Baltimore distillery Sagamore
Spirit to make drinks like the Buddy the Elf Old