Weekend Cocktailian: Where to Imbibe in Miami

This weekend, balance your holiday to-do list with plenty of opportunities for cocktail cheer.

Miami Twitterati Get Social 
The lovely Web City Girls are back to host a holiday party for a wonderful cause. Join them tonight (Thursday Dec. 16th) at the Bleu Moon Lounge for cocktails, light bites, networking and holiday cheer. Your $20 donation at the door benefits Children's Home Society of Miami. The fun begins at 6 p.m. You can RSVP through Twitter or Facebook. 

Bossa Nova Happy Hour

The Brazilian-American Chamber of  Commerce has found a way to make happy hour even happier: add bossa nova. This Friday (December 17th), get to the National Hotel at 7 p.m. for a special Young Professionals Bossa Nova Happy Hour. Bring a toy for Projecto Decolando as admission and head in to network, grab signature drinks and listen to live bossa nova. Reduced-priced happy hour continues throughout the night. 

Early Arrival
Typically scheduled for the last Friday of the month, Viernes Culturales takes place tomorrow (Friday, Dec. 17th) in order to catch the Christmas spirit. Instead of hitting up yet another mall, get some fresh air over at Calle Oche between 13th and 17th Avenues. Pick up last minute presents from vendors, play a game of domino, enjoy the live music. Options for drink and food are plentiful, but don't forget to check out the new addition Quiereme Mucho...Morena while you're in the area. 

Now Open...

This Saturday (December 18th), Sustain Restaurant + Bar opens its doors at 5 p.m. Focused on sustainability and seasonality, Executive Chef Alejandro Piñero has crafted a menu with fresh, regionally sourced items and has filled the bar with fresh cocktails and craft beer. Head over to 3252 NE 1st Ave Saturday or Sunday after 5 p.m. 

Vino e Olio e Libri
Sunday evening, Vino e Olio hosts a holiday book drive benefiting Amigos for Kids. From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., bring new books for children up to 14 years of age and receive a free cocktail and light bites from the kitchen. Just let them know you plan to attend by sending an email to rsvp@amgwagency.com.

Eat, drink, play and just call the damn cab: 305-444-4444.

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Weekend Cocktailian: Where to Imbibe in Miami

The weekend is finally here. Get your holiday game face on and head out for merry-making all around town.

Happy Hour Heaven
Shake off a long workweek with AtlaMare's new happy hour. The beloved South Beach staple is offering beer, wine (including bubbly) and handcrafted cocktails for the gracious price range of $3-$6 Monday to Friday from 5 p.m.- 7 p.m. Order a good drink, grab a fresh bite and warm up the weekend.

Get Your Smoke On
Cigars, we mean, of course. Head over to Neptune Cigars Superstore near Dadeland Mall at 6 p.m tonight to test out the latest stogies from Guillermo Leon. Not to forget Miami's other bbf, Zafra Rum will be served along with the cigars. The event runs until 9 p.m.

Weekend in Wynwood (again)
Saturday, get some of your Christmas shopping knocked out at Launch Arte Miami Market. Located at 121 NE 36th Street, the market features artists, artisans and antique vendors selling unique wares. Join them from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. to pick up one-of-a kind gifts, then prowl around the neighborhood's many excellent cocktail opportunities including newly opened options Wynwood Kitchen & Bar and Blue Piano Music Lounge & Wine Bar.

Paradisal Imbibing
Dinner in Paradise returns this Sunday (Dec. 12th). The five-course menu (six with hors d'oeuvres) is prepared by local star chefs using local, organic food. Prior to the 6 p.m. dinner is a cocktail reception and a gorgeous sunset tour. Tickets can be purchased with Paradise Farms for $165; a portion of the procedures benefits the amazing Urban Oasis Project.

Monday Night Spillover
Miami mixologists are throwing down Monday night at STK in the Gansevoort Hotel. Join Svedka vodka and Miami Magazine at 7 p.m. to sample handcrafted cocktails and vote for your favorite. Let them know you'll be bringing your cocktailian taste buds by emailing your RVSP to RSVPmiami@modernluxury.com.

Drink, eat, play and just call the damn cab: 305-444-4444.

Pour serious cocktails right into your feed. Subscribe to the newsletter or join Cocktail Mia on Twitter. 

Drink Culture's Finest: The Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series Finale with Russell Simmons and Mark Ecko

Cocktails follow us around in ways we often do not think about. Yes, of course, they are with us at the club, they relieve us at 5 o’clock and they love hanging out with food. There are, however, other occasions where they make a quiet yet valuable presence: when we converse with friends, meet new connections or try to slow time on a Sunday afternoon. Certainly, they were with us last week through Art Basel. “Art, food, drink, there is a thread running through them,” said Bombay Sapphire Brand Manager Rich McLeod on the eve of the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series finale.

 In collaboration with Russell and Danny Simmons’ Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation and Mark Ecko’s Complex Magazine, the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series set out to discover the next big names in urban photography and multi-media art. Giles Woodyer, VP Brand Managing Director of Bombay Sapphire commented on the partnership: “We don’t see ourselves as separate from art. When we sponsor, we don’t just sit back. We get involved. We see Bombay Sapphire and cocktails as being interwoven into the program, into the arts.”  

Setting its pace with Rush Philanthropic's commitment to supporting emerging artists in urban areas, the Artisan Series began its nationwide search in June. Six months, 10 cities and 20 finalists later, the finale came to Miami during Art Basel. After showing at Verge Art Fair, the works were judged by an expert panel that included visual artists Danny Simmons and Andre Guichard, designer Mark Ecko and photographer Eric Henderson. Two finalists (one multi-media artist and one photographer) were selected to have their work shown at Manhattan's Rush Arts Gallery in January. 

Saturday night marked the final showing and the announcement of the two winners. With Sapphire Armature in hand, we had an early opportunity to browse the finalists’ fine work.  “What’s been really amazing to see is the passion that they have, the love of the craft,” Rich McLeod had said the night before; he was not exaggerating. The artists’ dedication to their craft showed through brilliantly. Taking a sip of the juicy, stone fruit cocktail, we moved among pieces, lingering over loving surrealistic visions, beautifully textured nudes and haunting photography. Expert skill, thoughtful conception and fine execution covered a range of subject matter: tender memories, movement in stillness, heavy social commentary and radiant, natural beauty.

Picking up a pair of clean, crisp Artist’s Proof cocktails, we walked with photographer and judge Eric Henderson. Stopping at his beautifully soft black and white photography captured exclusively on his beloved 1950 Kodak Brownie Hawkeye, he spoke about “the infinity between supposedly outdated parameters”. “You know, there’s a tendency to think that when one black artist is discovered, everything’s been covered or that the possibilites have been exhausted. It’s a misconception; there’s so many people not being seen; there is an infinity in between those parameters.” We moved to artist and judge Andre Guichard's work full of intricate lines more akin to a base relief sculpture than to traditional painting. Sipping our drinks, we realized Guichard has figured out how to rework Pollack in a way, not imitative, but utterly fresh, individual and inventive.

Our attention was turned to the stage, where Russell and Danny Simmons began speaking about their deep love of the arts and Rush's absolute commitment to artists. “You know, when we started [Rush]15 years ago, we really just wanted to focus on artists, on getting artists exposure, and to help children in New York tap into their creative voices. Not that they’re all necessarily going to become artists but they all have creative voices...It’s about a way of thinking,“ said Danny Simmons

Russell Simmons continued on his brother’s thoughts, “Supporting the arts and giving back to the community are things I’ve always cared about deeply.  Each one of us has creativity inside of us; it’s in everything we do, and we’re working on getting kids to tap into that, into their imaginations. Given the times that we’re in, I can’t imagine how we’re going to get out of it without young, creative minds.”

The Simmons brothers’ love of the arts and commitment to supporting undiscovered artists had set the tone for the evening. As the bartenders were mixing up the fragrant Sapphire Sea Salted Watermelon Collins, we looked over the crowd and saw something palpably special. Approachable, grounded established artists were talking shop, emerging artists were eagerly sharing their ideas with interested curators, and celebrities were mingling with the crowd. Without pretension. Without exclusivity. There was only finely crafted art being shared, celebrated and toasted among a group as beautiful in personality as in appearance.

This passion for the arts resulted in a difficult judging as well.  “You know, it's really hard to judge which are the best because art is so subjective. But, we have come up with a decision," Danny noted before the winners were announced. Representing the 305, multi-media artist Jorge Cavalier was selected for his intricate Laberinto while D.C. photographer Stan Squirewell was selected for his striking Carbon Anomaly.  Commenting on his concept, Squirewell reflected: “I wanted to use it as a way of talking about how we categorize people. Really, there’s no green or yellow or red people. That’s been a little bit of an issue for me: these division lines.” We toasted to his success, to the night and to the blooming of the Artisan Series.

As the event began to close, we took one last, long look. Fiercely independent viewpoints were on the walls; below, their creators were in discussion with the receptive crowd. They were laughing, conversing, clinking glasses. We snapped one last shot, capturing drink culture at its finest: seamlessly intertwined into celebration and the joyful exchange of ideas. 

Holiday Cocktails: The Sparkling Sleigh Ride at Morton's Steakhouse

'Tis the season for festive cocktailians, and drinks will be freely poured from now until the New Year. There are many, many cocktail options, but not all make Santa's nice list. Be wary of the super-sugary, the heavily weighted and the just plain terrible. As you traverse the wild world of holiday cocktails, a few good suggestions can cut out wasted time and wasteful libations.

Among the lovely cocktails that honor the spirit of the season is a little number at Morton's Steakhouse known as the Sparkling Sleigh Ride. Delicately mixing crisp prosecco with robust Luxardo and mellow Tuaca, The Sleigh Ride finishes with a light addition of cranberry. The mint leaf garnish adds a holiday touch and gives a freshness to the nose, but it is best to remove before imbibing. The cocktail opens with crispness and a light sweetness. Expect a merry mix of traditional Christmas flavors: dried fruit, mild herbaceousness and subtle warm spices followed by a clean, short finish. The Sparkling Sleigh Ride's balance of authentic sweetness, gentle bubbles and crispness means this holiday cocktail can be imbibed by itself, with appetizers or after a meal, particularly with a slice of New York Cheesecake.

Available through New Year's Eve, the Sparkling Sleigh Ride is available for $14.50. Order it before 6:30 p.m. or after 9 p.m. and catch the new bar bites for $5 and $6 dollars. Satisfying plates such as the new Smoked Salmon Pizza (smoked salmon, sour cream, capers and red onion on top of a pizza bread mid-way between a cracker and focaccia) or the melt-in-your-mouth Mini Prime Cheeseburgers are offered in generous portions. Just be certain to bring a friend, so you can toast the season.

View the appetizing slideshow here.

Happy Holidays, Cocktailian!

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Images courtesy of Daso Design.