Dallas has always liked the holidays but the festive fervor has significantly ramped up in 2025, with more holiday pop-up bars, holiday ice rinks, CultureMap ice rinks, ice rink cafes, and holiday lights than ever before. Just about every bar has a special holiday drink. The December edition of Where to Drink— CultureMap's monthly roundup of bars to try — includes three establishments offering a particularly big selection of special Santa-styled sips; plus two bars with notable happy hours.

Here's where to drink in December 2025:

Cristina's Fine Mexican Restaurant
Local Tex-Mex chain has an amazingly generous new Happy Hour featuring bites priced from $5-$7, and drinks starting at $4. We are talking chile con queso; queso fundido in a hot cast iron skillet with choice of chorizo, chicken fajita, or poblano & mushrooms; guacamole; nachos with taco meat or chicken; a half-quesadilla with sour cream, guacamole, and choice of fajita chicken or beef; mini chicken & cheese flautitas with queso & guacamole; and three mini tacos with choice of ground beef or chicken. It's on at all 12 locations around DFW: Flower Mound, Fort Worth, Garland, Frisco, Trophy Club, Lewisville, Dallas, Plano, North Richland Hills, and McKinney, Sunday-Thursday all day and Friday 11 am-6 pm.

Culinary Dropout
Anti-foodie gastropub from Fox Restaurants Concepts (Flower Child, The Henry) which opened in the Design District in 2024 has an enticing happy hour with appealing bites and $8 cocktails, available in the bar and on the rooftop only. Bites include sushi rolls, soft pretzels with fondue, Wagyu pigs in a blanket, house-made potato chips with onion dip, and more, priced from $11 to $17. The must-get are their $10 frozen drinks in five varieties including Breakfast in Dublin with cinnamon & vanilla soaked whiskey, espresso liqueur, and a Guinness float.

North Italia
Fancy Italian restaurant chain is hosting "Bar North Pole", a menu featuring six holiday cocktails and two zero-proof options. The cocktails are $15 each and include Sweater Weather, like a sangria with Pinot Grigio, lemon, and apple; Jingle Bell Rock with Aperol, blood orange, ginger beer, and prosecco; and Rudolph’s Replacement with Lalo tequila, Disaronno, apple, and cinnamon. Zero-proof cocktails are $12 and include the White Elephant Gift with Seedlip non-alcoholic, coconut, and white chocolate; and Cocoa Claus with dark chocolate crème and marshmallows.

Punch Bowl Social
Deep Ellum eatertainment restaurant is embracing the holiday with a jolly cocktail menu priced from $12 to $14, that includes three drinks made with Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7: a Gingerbread Old Fashioned, a Chai Old Fashioned with chai bitters, and a Baked Apple Old Fashioned with a baked apple reduction. The drink called Santa Pants is a collaboration with Matthew McConaughey’s Pantalones tequila, combined with ginger beer, cranberry, and lime juice. The Ho Ho Ho has Don Q Cristal Rum, Irish cream, Owen’s nitro-infused espresso, and cold foam.

Tinseltown Tavern
The holiday pop-up at The Stix Icehouse in McKinney returns and they've really outdone themselves with ever-more merry holiday-themed food and drink. Bites are $9 each and include meatballs with pesto, a turkey burger with fontina & blueberry-orange chutney, cake balls dipped in white chocolate served with dirt pudding and fried twinkie, and Mrs. Claus Cookie Kit featuring sugar cookies and icing ready to decorate. Drinks are $11-$13, all served in festive glassware, and include Crown Apple & Cinnamon Fizz, a spiced rum hot toddy, and a frozen coconut margarita.