Cocktailing in Miami

Miami is a world-class destination year round but if you’re jetting there any time soon get ready for some heat – hot sunny days, even hotter beaches and long hot party nights. South Beach is still blazing a trail with new bars and lounges opening every day but there’s a lot more to the ultimate beach town than frozen margaritas. Longing for the perfect cocktail to cool down? Expand your palate and have a sip on these picks found on the adventurous menus both on and off the beach.

Mula Fresca — Juvia — South Beach

Ingredients: Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, Don Julio Blanco, Passionfruit, lime juice, ginger beer

Juvia adds their stamp to the Moscow Mule by swapping vodka with mezcal and adding passionfruit. The combination of the smoky mezcal with both sour and sweet creates a cocktail that tastes as good as it looks. The cocktail alone is worth stopping by Juvia, but another big draw is that it’s a rooftop with nearly panoramic views and often a live DJ playing.

Strawberry Daiquiri (JL Remix) — Sweet Liberty — South Beach

Ingredients: Bacardi Superior, Manzanilla, fresh strawberry, lime, sugar, salt & pepper

Only a craft cocktail bar like Sweet Liberty could add a little sophistication to the Strawberry Daiquiri. The fact that they use fresh strawberries puts them leaps ahead of many bars on the beach, but the JL Remix also creates layers of taste. As you drink it the depth of flavor expands, changes, and excites. Sweet Liberty is hip and beachy casual —perfect for a fun dinner after a day in the sun.

Spa Colada — Lido Bayside Grill — Venetian Islands

Ingredients: rum, coconut water, piña, mermaid majik

Scenically perched on the bay side of South Beach on Belle Isle, the Lido Bayside Grill at The Standard Spa is far enough from the crowds but close enough to all the action. Named “The Most Magical Spot in South Beach” by Esquire, the cool vibe and the very popular spa are enough to head over the causeway to Belle Isle, but the crowning jewel is the Grill’s Standard Colada. Their version is perfectly balanced for a crisp, fresh sip. Don’t miss their High Tides Happy Hour Monday – Friday 4pm to 7pm.

Cranberry Old Fashioned — Broken Shaker — Mid-Beach

Ingredients: Bulleit Bourbon and Rye, cranberry-orange reduction, fresh rosemary, and Nocino

The Broken Shaker is renowned on Miami Beach for its craft cocktails and mixology techniques. It’s conveniently situated poolside at the Freehand Hotel and lacks the pretentious atmosphere that often accompanies so many craft cocktail bars; instead, it’s downright quirky. The bar’s approachability adds to the educational experience; you can actually ask the bartenders questions while they’re mixing. Their Cranberry Old Fashioned is simple but impactful and will draw you back to the Shaker again and again.

SOLE (Sun) — Le Sirenuse, Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club — Surfside

Ingredients: Grait Grappa, Mezcal, Pepperoncino Bitters, Lemon Juice, Citrus/Cilantro/Heirloom Tomato Shrub, Yellow Chartreuse, and Cedrata Tassoni Soda

The cocktail menu at Le Sirenuse, Miami Beach is inspired by Italy’s Amalfi Coast. Head Bartender Valentino Longo likes to say … “We’re taking the guest on a “viaggio” exploring the flavors and the ingredients from this amazing part of Italy. Here you have the sun, il sole. Positano’s Sun is powerful and intense, yet sweet and romantic. It yields the best lemons, dries the tastiest tomatoes, and provides a rich life. We translate such delicate intensity with both Grappa and Mezcal.” Just one sip and you’ll practically be basking in his burst of sunshine in a tall glass. As Pablo Picasso said, “Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot, others transform a yellow spot into the sun.” “With my Sole, I hope I have succeeded in doing both. It’s on the citrus side with both a hint of smoke and a hint of spicy. And super refreshing!”

Bal Harbour Coastal Tea — Artisan Beach House — Bal Harbour

Ingredients: Gin infused with house-blend tea (chamomile, lavender seed, passionfruit flower), St Germain Liqueur, lemon juice, locally-sourced honey, cucumber soaked in St Germain

Bal Harbour Village is a ritzy enclave at the northern tip of Bal Harbour. The Artisan Beach House at The Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour overlooks the intracoastal waterway and has created one of the most delicious and special martinis. The gin is infused with a house-blend tea that’s cold brewed for 12-hours then infused using a Japanese siphon pot. The cocktail promotes a calming, relaxing experience from the tea and is balanced by a crisp, cold, floral gin and St. Germain.

White Cosmo — Boulud Sud — Downtown Miami

Ingredients: Vodka, St Germain Elderflower Liqueur, lime juice, white cranberry juice, and an iced edible flower

Boulud Sud is a jewel-toned homage to the Mediterranean. The food is incredible, but the reason it made this list is their White Cosmo. Trading traditional cranberry juice with white cranberry juice completely changes the flavor notes of the typically subtly sweet Cosmopolitan creating a smooth, light, and punchy cocktail. Boulud Sud is the perfect start to a night exploring Downtown Miami and the Brickell Corridor but close enough to head back to the beach later.