Happy Navidad: The Dead Rabbit and San Patricios Holiday Playlists

For this year’s holiday party, maybe you’ve got show-stopping punches prepared, a table stocked with booze-infused desserts, a colorful ice display, and perhaps even an apres-ski theme. But one thing is missing to bring it all together: a festive holiday playlist. The Dead Rabbit family understands the importance of music to set the tone of not only its bars but its holiday pop-ups. Jingle Jangle at Dead Rabbit celebrates nostalgic Irish traditions with floor-to-ceiling decorations, mince pies, and Irish coffee. Meanwhile, Las Posadas in San Patricios, their new Mexican-Irish bar that opened in New Jersey in September, does it up like a holiday fiesta with luminarias, pozoles, and seasonal Margaritas. For each theme, Liam Craig, Dead Rabbit’s director of music, created two distinct playlists. 

Craig, who is also managing partner Jack McGarry’s cousin, has been involved in the Irish music industry for 20 years as a producer and artist manager. But in 2023 McGarry brought him on to create a soundtrack for the bars that focuses on contemporary Irish artists. “From there we got chatting about the Irish music scene and ways in which it could be supported and put in the spotlight in the States. We realized it could be done in a beautifully cohesive way with The Dead Rabbit and its values and ethos, in a way that most bars could only dream of, and my role in the company sort of grew from there,” says Craig.

But to curate the holiday playlists for an Irish pub and a Mexican-Irish cantina, he’d have to consider how to marry Irish contemporary music into respective themes. “It really comes down to the music from each of the two cultures and, honestly, the weather,” he says. Since Ireland during the winter can get a bit drizzly, the Christmas imagery is about being cozy indoors. But in Mexico, where it’s at least 20 degrees warmer during the winter, communities gather together outside to celebrate. “The music reflects that sense of togetherness; these songs are written to be sung and celebrated as a community,” he adds. Here, Craig shares how he built each playlist, which cocktails he recommends enjoying with each list, and his all-time favorite Christmas song.

Imbibe: What’s the criteria for a song to make it onto your playlists?

Liam Craig: There’s no strict checklist because each venue uses multiple playlists that shift throughout the day and week, depending on the vibe and how busy the bar is. San Patricios, for example, rotates through five or six playlists ranging from fully contemporary Irish music to a blend of that plus contemporary and traditional Mexican music. I naturally avoid anything too slow or overly moody, which can be a challenge with Irish singer-songwriters, and I stay away from anything too clubby. I also try to avoid the obvious choices. In San Patricios, I tend to skip Mariachi and instead highlight other Mexican folk genres, like son jarocho and norteño.

What are the themes for Las Posadas and Jingle Jangle, and how do you re-enforce those through music?

For Las Posadas, the theme is bright, celebratory, and energetic: traditional Mexican villancicos (carols) fit that perfectly. They instantly make you feel like you’re in the middle of a festival; lively, joyful, and incredibly catchy. Go listen to “El Burrito Sabanero” and try not to be singing it for the rest of the holidays!

Jingle Jangle at The Dead Rabbit has always reminded me of a magical, over-the-top version of my granny’s house at Christmas—decorated within an inch of its life but never straying into tacky. Mixed with The Dead Rabbit’s motto of tradition meets tomorrow, the playlists blend Christmas classics like Andy Williams and The Pogues with newer artists with great winter and holiday songs, like Phoebe Bridgers and CMAT.

What is the perfect cocktail to pair with each of the playlists?

For Las Posadas, it has to be the Hola Santa. It’s a bright, fizzy Mojito riff that matches the cheerful villancicos perfectly. For Jingle Jangle, I would go with the Cookies and Cream. A hot drink in December with cookies, coffee, whiskey and Guinness?! Wrap me up and put me under the tree, I am done.

What song would you cue up to start the night, and which one to end it?

To start the night, it has to be “Driving Home for Christmas” by Chris Rea. Nothing gets me into the holiday spirit faster than that opening piano riff. To end the night, the choice is easy, and it is a must on any self-respecting holiday playlist: “Fairytale of New York” by The Pogues. I know I am biased as an Irishman, but it just hits differently. Even without the Christmas angle, it is an incredible piece of songwriting and storytelling. It paints New York in December so vividly and somehow manages to be uplifting, charming, and heartbreaking all at once. I get goosebumps every single time. It’s simply the greatest Christmas song ever written.