TROY — The Hill at Muza, a unique Polish beer garden in Troy, will light up an 18-foot spruce tree on Wednesday, Nov. 29, at 7 p.m. The tree, from Bob’s Trees in Galway, will be decorated with 500 feet of twinkling lights and stand six feet above the heated outdoor garden.
“Our Christmas tree lighting event is a classic, heartwarming holiday gathering for all ages that the community looks forward to all year,” said Muza’s owner Adam Siemiginowski. “Even if you don’t live in Troy, you will still feel surrounded by neighbors who are happy to celebrate the season with you. It’s like Norman Rockwell meets Polish beer garden at Christmastime.”
The Hill at Muza has earned a reputation for hosting quirky events with a fun vibe and distinct sense of humor — Dyngus Day, Vineyard Grape Stomp, MUZAPALOOZA and, next week, Miracle on 15th Street.
There will be a special house-made hot chocolate red wine, made with real chocolate and hand-whipped cream. Hot chocolate, regular beer and wine will be available from the bar, as well as a special tree lighting “North ‘Pole’” menu from the kitchen, featuring Polish and European dishes with a holiday twist. Complimentary plates of Christmas cookies from The Cookie Factory in Troy will also be served.
Holiday carols and other songs will be performed from 7 to 9 p.m. by Duly Noted, an all-male RPI student a cappella group that will be joined by a couple of surprise special musical guests.
As the popular event has been even busier than expected in its first two years, this year The Hill at Muza has added a second, gift-wrapped outdoor bar to reduce lines indoors. And outdoors will be the place to be — to enjoy the live music, the festive tree, and the real miracle of the evening, a surprise for which guests will have to look to the northern night sky.
Also available exclusively at The Hill for the holidays, for $5, are unique ceramic Christmas tree ornaments printed with the words “enjoyski troyski.,” made in partnership with The Enjoy Troy Co. (See photo above.)
The Hill recently released its new Fall / Winter Menu with more entrees, desserts, and additional versions of their most popular items.
The beer list features brews from Central and Eastern Europe, as well as US East Coast IPAs. The house draft is Zywiec, a pale Polish lager brewed with mountain water that comes in full or half liter pours.
For a full menu, visit: http://www.thehillatmuza.com/menu
To get to the venue, guests enter through a pair of black gates located at 379 Congress Street. A narrow walkway between two buildings leads to a charming open-air landscaped beer garden with intimate nooks of stonework and woodwork, lit by Troy-based Lightexture. Overlooking it all is a man-made waterfall and stage for performances. After dark, the garden is heated by a collection of commercial flame-torch patio heaters that cast a cozy glow, and an enclosed clubhouse-treehouse-like barroom with tables and indoor seating is warmed by a cast iron fireplace.
“It feels like a secret stone hideaway in the middle of the mountains, but we’re proud to be in the hills of Troy,” Siemiginowski said. “When you visit The Hill you experience a ‘European Staycation’ that’s within driving distance from anywhere in the Capital Region.”
Parking for The Hill at Muza is available on both sides of Congress and 15th streets, within one block of the business, and there is a bike rack at the 15th Street entrance.
Muza is also partnered with ridesharing service Lyft to offer guests a cheaper ride to or from home.
