With 5,000+ Twinkling Lights, The All-New Holiday Hideout Will Deliver Yuletide Cheer (Or Escape) & New Holliday Party “To-Go“ Menus Will Make At-Home Hosting Bah-Humbug- & Stress-Free This December

Scrooges beware. The all-new Holiday Hideout and more than 5,000 twinkling lights have arrived at the Crafthouse & Kitchen, transforming a private events space., into a holiday-themed private pop-up cocktail lounge today.

“We thought everyone could use a dose of holiday cheer and some festive craft cocktails this year,” said Central Standard Co-founder Evan Hughes. “So we converted our first floor private suite into the Holiday Hideout as there’s nothing like a Winter-Spiced Old Fashioned or two, twinkling holidays lights and some mistletoe to make the season merry and bright.”

Along with over-the-top décor and yuletide spirit, all set to a festive soundtrack, the Holiday Hideout will feature newly created seasonal cocktails including the Cranberry Mule, a warm Holiday Brandy Cider, a spiked Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa and the decadent Winter Spiced Old Fashioned. The Holiday Hideout also offers special Holiday Bites appetizers including eggplant bruschetta, duck wontons, lamb meatballs and must-try lobster hush puppies.

The festive pop-up will offer three daily private 90-minute bookings from 5 – 6:30 p.m.;
7 – 8:30 p.m.; and, 9 – 10:30 p.m. Party packages start at $250, which include a round of festive holiday cocktails and a platter of seasonal appetizers from the Crafthouse’s new Holiday Bites menu.

“Whether you’re planning a Secret-Santa exchange, a work-holiday party, a festive girls-night-out or just want to enjoy some cocktails while gift-wrapping, the Holiday Hideout is the perfect destination for seasonal gatherings of 14 folks or less,” said Central Standard Cofounder Pat McQuillan. “It makes a great option if you want to celebrate the holidays or just take a 90-minute break from them.”

Holiday Hideout reservations can be made online here and Holiday Hideout guests receive 20% off their purchase of Central Standard spirits and merchandise while at the Crafthouse & Kitchen for their event.

For Milwaukeeans searching for more of a seasonal-sitdown party experience for 10-16 guests in an intimate atmosphere, Crafthouse & Kitchen Exceutive Chef David Sapp created special Holiday Spirits Tasting Dinners, that can be hosted in the distillery’s famed Founders Room. The five-course chef’s dinner pairs one-of-a-kind cocktails featuring Central Standard spirits with menu items including Rappanahannock Oysters, pan-seared Diver Scallops and Pinn Oaks Farms Lamb Chops.

“Our spirits dinners make an unbelievable holiday memory for clients, family or friends,” Hughes added. “If folks instead need a last-minute venue for a larger holiday party for up to 180 people, we also have a couple of dates available before the end of the year in our second-floor events space called, the Mix. Its Cream City brick and large windows make it a festive holiday party venue.”

Holiday Spirits Dinners are $110 per person and can be scheduled online here. Book a spirits dinner before Dec. 1 for any date in December and receive a special price of $85 per person.

“To Go” Holiday Party Options Filled with Good Cheer
The Central Stanbdard team has taken the fuse out of at-home holiday entertaining by creating customizable To-Go Party Cocktail Kits and Platters.

Take-out cocktail kit options – which serve 16 – include a Holiday Spritz, the Cranberry Mule, the Holiday Brandy Cider, the spiked Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa and the decadent Winter Spiced Old Fashioned. “To Go” holiday appetizer platter options include unique cold and hot spreads, as well as a shrimp cocktail, served with charred lemons and a cocktail sause made from Central Standard’s Guided Trail gin and Wisco Sushi, a Badger-State-twist on traditional sushi. The Wisco Sushi platter includes a ham, cream cheese and dill pickle roll, a maki celebrating Silver Moon Smoked Trout and a Filet Au Poivre nigiri.

“Our ‘To-Go’ Cocktail Kits and Party Platters are ideal for those who want to throw an unforgettable party this holiday season but would rather leave the cocktail making and cooking to someone else,” McQuillan added.