The first year that the Shaw bar Ivy and Coney launched its Hanukkah pop-up, it was really meant to be a joke. “We were ribbing our buddies at Drink Company, who had a wildly successful Christmas pop-up bar three blocks from us,” says Ivy and Coney co-owner Josh Saltzman. In that early iteration, Saltzman taught his business partner, Chris Powers, how to make his grandma’s latke recipe, and they decorated just a small area. But it soon became clear they’d stumbled upon something special. “The response was overwhelming,” says Saltzman. “This joke is turning into a real thing that people are going to expect of us.” Nine years later, “Chai-vy and Cohen-y” remains Washington’s only dedicated Hanukkah bar.
The pop-up has evolved to take over the entire bar, though the latke recipe still comes from Saltzman’s grandmother. A favorite tradition is the “shotnorah,” a 16-foot-wide menorah with shot glasses affixed to the top. Keeping with the seasonal spirit of community, eight people can simultaneously take a shot of Manischewitz (proceeds go to Bread for the City) or Fireball (it is a candleholder, after all). Following a few years of wear and tear—“It’s succumbed to the limits of drunk twentysomethings manhandling it”—the bar is unveiling a new golden candelabrum this year.
Like the miracle of Hanukkah, when a single evening’s worth of oil stretched into eight nights, Chai-vy and Cohen-y now runs beyond its original eight days to span the month of December. The bar lights candles and hands out small gifts throughout the Festival of Lights. But in some ways, Christmas Day is actually the main event. Saltzman calls it “Chinese-food-and-movie day,” and the bar puts out a takeout spread, playing classic holiday films such as Die Hard. It’s become a beloved tradition and yuletide destination for many, whether they don’t celebrate Christmas or they simply want to gather with others. Sometimes patrons will bring their own treats to share. Former strangers become a part of each other’s holiday traditions, even if their only interaction is once a year in the bar.
Though it’s become a staple of the holiday season, the bar still maintains its lighthearted origins. That’s the point, says Saltzman, especially this year: “We all need a little silliness in our life and a little bit of community to remind ourselves that it’s not all shit.”
This article appears in the December 2025 issue of Washingtonian.
Daniella Byck joined Washingtonian in 2022. She was previously with Outside Magazine and lives in Takoma.
