Walking out of the blinding sun into Kork in downtown Miami is a little like walking into a teleportation device. Suddenly, you’ve been transported into a 1920s speakeasy in Chicago or New Orleans. Guy, the barkeep, welcomes you to pull up an ebony bar stool or hide out in the…
Stella Artois makes pouring beer into a high-drama spectacle, consisting of nine steps (ten if you include drinking it). Though not quite the Super Bowl, the Stella Artois Local Draught Master competition brought out its fair share of sportsmanship, fans, and — like any sporting event — beer.Suds flew as…
The word sommelier conjures an image of a well-suited gentleman with a stiff upper lip who looks down his nose at you for ordering anything less than a $100 bottle of wine. Sarah Almand, Meat Market’s delightfully spirited sommelier, is different.A Florida native, she was a geography major who traded…
According to Merriam-Webster, a julep is a nectarous syrup, sometimes mixed with alcohol or medicine. (And who wouldn’t be cured by that?)You have to admit there is a certain romantic appeal to pre-prohibition cocktails. A mint julep, the Kentucky Derby classic, would be on the top of that exceptional list…
Last week, we introduced you to Zuma’s newest London import, award-winning mixologist Theo Von Ungern-Sternberg. When it comes to bartending, there actually is a method behind his modern cocktail madness. He believes most in balance, saying that “the artistic side for me is where it all begins, and the science…
Zuma welcomes the addition of new bar manager Theo Von Ungern-Sternberg, an import from the restaurant’s London outpost. Awarded top three of the 2011 UK National Pernod Absinthe Competition and the Snow Leopard Cup in 2008, he believes in his craft and apparently is really good at it. Although he’s…
The Setai brings upscale swank to every facet of the hospitality experience, so it’s no surprise to discover that master mixologist Paul Sevigny has the run of the kitchen when it comes to pricey concoctions on the cocktail menu. Taking advantage of in-season produce, these new drinks (the “Rhubarb Stringer”…
Every Friday evening for almost 20 years, wine educator Barry Alberts has been hosting a weekly wine tasting series, making it one of the longest ongoing wine tastings in the country. Is this weekly gathering of wine and the people who love it in Napa? Paris? New York? Nah, it’s…
Cream, the alcohol-infused cream that hit the market late last year, is now available in Miami. Even when hidden on the bottom shelf at Grove Liquors (2991 SW 32nd Ave., Miami), the colorful cream canisters grab our attention and have us wondering if we just stumbled across the perfect condiment.While…
Segafredo L’Originale on South Beach hosted an unusual and lively reception that paired their new collection of cocktails with people. Six drinks were showcased, each represented by a costumed model that personified the libation. As each model walked the makeshift runway, their namesake was served in Martini glasses.Scorecards were passed…
Area 31 has officially launched a new wine promotion that commissions Executive Chef E. Michael Reidt to choose a glass for you. Every Wednesday, he will select two of his favorite bottles of vino and offer an unbelievable discount. By the glass pricing enables laypeople to get a taste of…
August is officially Miami’s month for drinking hard, and it’s no surprise. This midsummer month is really boring. So we’re encouraging drinking. You already know about the Cigar City Dinner at Sustain Restaurant + Bar, but what else is there to do during the rest of the month?Make sure you…
Next Wednesday, local food meets local booze.On August 24, Tampa’s Cigar City brewery will team up with locally sourced restaurant Sustain for a six-course pairing dinner inspired by Cigar City’s unique brews.”It’s about as Florida a beer as you can get. It definitely resonates with the Miami culture,” says Brown…
Adam DelGiudice of the Florida Room was named “Most Inspired Bartender” by the United States Bartender’s Guild in Miami last evening at Haven in South Beach.DelGiudice won for his Rangoon Rising cocktail. The event, which was sponsored by Bombay Sapphire, pitted two dozen Miami-area bartenders against each other in a…
Third-generation whisky master blender Richard Paterson’s nose is so important to his job that his schnoz is insured for $2.5 million.Paterson, who works for Scotch maker Whyte & Mackay (the namesake founders both died of cirrhosis of the liver, by the way), was in Miami to conduct a tasting of…
db Bistro Moderne is stepping up its happy hour game face with more menu items, weekly drink specials, and the inevitable in-house D.J., (which was loud when we visited, but actually had some people up and dancing. That would so never happen in NYC.) What we absolutely loved was the…
The words barbecue and beer seem permanently wedded; a hot day is well matched with a cold one, and it’s easy to pair with burgers, ribs, and grilled what-have-you. However, with back-yard fiestas growing ever more gourmet, we champion summer-appropriate wines that enhance the overall experience of eating smoky, juicy…
This week, we’re whipping out our craft brews and celebrating beer snobbery by clearing our calendars on August 4 for International Indian Pale Ale Day — a tribute to the bitter, hops flavored beer we all pretend to love.Cervezas in South Miami is kicking off IPA Day early by offering…
The first annual Chambord Vodka Weekend kicks off this Friday for three days of fine dining and cocktail parties, as well as a few risqué events involving gay go-go clubs and rooftop pool parties.YouTube breakout stars Jessica & Hunter, notorious for their club kid skits and a fave of Perez…
We might equate tequila with lime chasers, tropical cocktails, and a hazy night or two. But to Francisco Gonzalez, president of the National Chamber of the Tequila Industry, it means a taste of Mexico, even when he’s far away from home.Home for Gonzalez is Los Altos, the highlands of Jalisco,…
Lou Lou Bistro wants to be your favorite neighborhood happy hour. Although the uneducated might head next door to old standby, Tobacco Road, for a raucous good time, a more cultivated experience can be had courtesy of Lou Lou’s new offerings.Its “Tchin-Tchin Happy Hour” (“Tchin-Tchin” is what the French say…
Looking for an American holiday in July, to get black-out-drunk and wake up smelling of burritos and urine? Try National Tequila Day this Sunday (plan to call in sick on Monday and Tuesday). In honor of this growing phenomenon,”tequila ambassador” Ron Julio (not to be confused with Don Julio) of adult…
