The elves are about to get busy at the historic downtown Carrisa building, home of the Rod & Hammer Whiskey Lounge, as another floor to ceiling Christmas wonderland is installed for locals and visitors of San Luis Obispo to immerse themselves into the holiday spirit.
In its second year, this year’s activation will be bigger and better with new spaces for more gatherings, festive holiday libations and a new outdoor disco bar. Ah Louis Store owners Karson Butler are set to team up again with Rod & Hammer after the hugely successful premier last year of Christmas at the Carrisa. The space underwent a complete holiday transformation to bring the holiday spirit to the community of SLO that featured several themed zones of Christmas cheer, live music and extravagant holiday cocktails and bites.
Executive Chef Andrew Glass and Chef Abby Dhillon will bring back crowd-favorites (Buddie’s Diet holiday sampler served in a nostalgic cookie jar!) as well as new savory items like braised beef hand pies with smoky blue cheese and caramelized onions and baked brie with MarFarm fig jam and house focaccia. Cocktails will be flowing – many with Rod & Hammer’s California whiskey. Boozy eggnog and the new Avalanche Spritz will temp holiday revelers or friends can go in on the shareable Christmas Punch or Buttered Bourbon Old-Fashioned.
This year’s spread will feature a new holiday landscape from the creative event team of Karson Butler, offering new spaces to experience maximum holiday cheer. In total, the six zones include:
Making Spirits Bright Lounge – Enjoy festive spirits under the twinkle of holiday glow!
Cozy Sweater Nook – Where guests can cuddle up in the fireplace nook with friends or a significant
other. Here, guests will be surrounded by sweater knits, felt ornaments and lots of cozy vibes.
Holly Jolly Hall – Imagine if Santa’s sleigh spilled out of the sky with Kris Kringle approved kitsch,
giant sized ornaments and holiday wonderment all around.
Rod & Hammer Ski Chalet – Apres ski without the ski! This space oozes winter chalet vibes with
leathers, whiskey cocktails and faux furs to cozy up with inside and outside on the creekside patio.
Oh-What-Fun Game Room – Upstairs Santa’s toys are unwrapped and ready to play with. Pool, dice,
shuffle board, board games and more. The leg lamp will be on — “don’t shoot your eye out!”
Dasher’s Disco – New for 2023, disco balls and delight will adorn the back patio making it the perfect
spot to grab a festive drink while you wait for your table. Stay tuned for special programming
throughout the season in this fun space!
Installation is set to begin the first week of November and doors will open to the public on November 10. Hours of operation are:
Tuesday – Saturday 4 p.m. – Midnight
Sundays 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. (Brunch Menu available 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.).
Christmas at the Carrisa has been extended to stay open through January 7, 2024 creating more opportunities for post-holiday cheer with family and friends. The Carrisa is currently booking private parties. Contact [email protected]. Reservations will open to the public on November 1st. The public is encouraged to check the webpage at www.thecarrisa.com/Xmas for changes to hours of operation due to private parties.
Owner’s Rodney Cegelski and Hamish Marshall say the positive response from last year was overwhelming and hope to make this an annual Christmas tradition.
“Last year we didn’t know what to expect and the response was incredible. Downtown SLO is a special place for locals and tourists to shop and enjoy the holiday spirit and we hope to become part of that tradition,” says Rodney Cegelski, partner of Rod & Hammer. “We hope to improve on last year with many changes to make 2023’s experience even better. We’re so grateful to have such a welcoming and enthusiastic crowd.”
Event planners Amber Karson and Emily Butler are eager to get back into the festive spirit and showcase their talents and goods from the Ah Louis Store. “We’re excited to collaborate with the Rod & Hammer team again to bring something very special in Downtown SLO!” says Amber Karson, co-owner of the Ah Louis Store. “We’re known for making magical experiences and we’ve dreamed up a space that’s flexible and will be a destination you won’t want to miss — whether that be post-shopping cocktails with friends, bringing your family for holiday dessert and wonderment or hosting your company’s holiday party or team outing.”
Christmas at the Carrisa is available for private events as well as being free to the public. Music events, programming themes, food and beverage menus and more information is available at www.thecarrisa.com/xmas. Reservations can be made through the website.