Arnold's Bar & Grill is swapping its usual downtown Cincinnati tavern look for twinkling lights and spiked eggnog once again this holiday season. The bar is transforming into St. Nick's Speakeasy, a cozy holiday hideaway built around seasonal cocktails and festive decor.
According to WLWT, the speakeasy will illuminate with colorful twinkling lights and serve up holiday-themed cocktails for the duration of its run. The bar describes the concept as an cozy holiday hideaway, a seasonal reinvention of the space that regulars know for its everyday tavern fare.
According to Arnold's Bar & Grill, it has served classic tavern food in downtown Cincinnati since 1861, a detail that gives the yearly holiday makeover some extra novelty given how long the building has operated as a bar.
What's on the Holiday Menu
The reported drink lineup leans heavily into dessert-adjacent cocktails built for cold weather. Offerings include Black Raspberry Chip Espresso Martinis, spiked eggnog and Christmas Cookie Martinis, as reported by WLWT, giving visitors a few sweet, boozy options to pair with the twinkling-light atmosphere.
Launch Party Details
St. Nick's Speakeasy is set to launch Nov. 25, with a party sponsored by Sam Adams, per the same account. Live music will come courtesy of Jake Speed and the Freddies, who are scheduled to perform at the launch event.
A year earlier, FOX19 reported that the 2025 version of the speakeasy ran December 1 through January 1 at Arnold's Bar and Grill, 210 E. 8th Street, and featured festive decor, costumed staff and holiday cocktail specials. That prior report did not address this year's run dates, hours or other operating details, which have not been verified for the 2026 edition.
