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Miami’s cocktail scene has grown up. With a slew of award-winning watering holes popping up throughout the city, it’s safe to say that Miami has officially become a cocktail bar hub. So with that in mind, below is an updated list of Miami’s go-to cocktail spots to grab a well-balanced drink. This list only includes cocktail bars in the most traditional sense (i.e., ones that are more focused on drink than food — and doesn’t include breweries, wine bars, or newcomers to the Miami bar scene) and that have been open for at least a year or more.
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Miami’s 15 Essential Cocktail Bars, Mapped
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The Sylvester
Housed in the former Bardot space, The Sylvester “pays homage to old and new Miami” with cocktails and bites from the Beaker & Gray team like the “Vaxxxed & Waxxxed” made with Don Julio Blanco, Vida mezcal, Chinola passion fruit, and habanero bitters. The space also keeps with the Miami theme in decor, boasting colorful vintage wallpaper, tropical touches, and repurposed antique furniture, alongside games, including a pool table, pinball machine, foosball, and plenty of board games.
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The Broken Shaker
The Broken Shaker has helped evolve the Miami mixed drink scene bringing the stiff drinks out of the parlor and into the open air. It's not the velvet slipper and smoking jacket type of cocktail club some out-of-towners may be used to. Patrons sip their drinks scattered around the pool and beneath the over-growth.
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Gramps
This Wynwood cocktail bar might advertise its "Cold Beer" and "Air Conditioning," but its cocktails are nothing to be ignored. Its laid-back atmosphere and strong — yet balanced — drinks make it the perfect spot to begin or end the night.
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Sweet Liberty Drink & Supply Co.
The brainchild of Miami bar legend John Lermayer, Sweet Liberty features a Miami Beach chic vibe complete, some of the best cocktails on the beach, and a kitchen that stays open to 4 a.m. nightly. And don't miss its bar food, which is just as good at the beginning of the night as it is at the end.
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Esotico Miami
This bright and colorful tiki bar creates an assortment of drinks influenced by tiki-cocktail history. Think drinks like the Nu Mai Tai made with three different types of rum, passion fruit, and a “very secret ingredient,” or the large format Missionary’s Downfall with rum, brandy, pineapple, and mint. To soak up all that booze Esotico Miami will serve up a full dinner menu with a variety of tiki-with-a-twist offerings, like black truffle dumplings, octopus hot dogs, and fish cakes can be found in the “tropical chow” menu.
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The Corner
The fanciest thing about The Corner is the cocktails, and that's a good thing. Dark, rough-cut wood and dimly lit, as a proper speakeasy should be. Open late into the night every night, making this spot a perfect nightcap destination.
Swizzle Rum Bar & Drinkery
As the name implies, rum is the star at Swizzle, with a versatile cocktail list focusing on classic and contemporary cocktails and a mix of spirit-forward drinks and tropical libations. The decor even boasts a mural and walls lined with photos highlighting the history of rum that is meant to be museum-like, which the bartender will give tours of when they aren’t too busy.
Jaguar Sun
After a winter hiatus to run their popular pop-up Sunny’s Steakhouse, Jaguar Sun has returned to its original outpost in Downtown Miami with a refreshed menu merging its staples with favorites from its pop-up. A well-thought-out beverage menu is still at the core of Jaguar Sun, but its small but mighty kitchen is still putting out some of the best upscale comfort food in town. The plates of pasta are a must-order, but don’t skip out on the Parker house rolls topped with honey butter, the wagyu beef tartare, or the kouign amann housed ice cream sandwich for dessert.
Mama Tried
This self-proclaimed “upscale” dive bar — from the people behind places like Sweet Liberty and Blackbird Ordinary — features retro-vibes, strong drinks, and plenty of entertainment like a Pac-Man arcade game, jukebox, pool table, TVs, and a Bookleggers library.
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Over Under
The eclectic watering hole slash restaurant offers well-crafted cocktails, booze-filled slushies, and a menu filled with items like a much-buzzed-about burger that is akin to a high-end Big Mac, vegan Jamaican patties, and sour orange pie.
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Lost Boy
This laid-back, two-story Downtown Miami bar boasts an interior inspired by the American Southwest, traditional English pubs, and “drunken sailor bars,” along with a straightforward cocktail and food menu with classics like the gin and tonic, Old Fashioned, Negroni, and Penicillin, along with well drinks, wines, coffee, and tap only beers served in English imperial pint glasses.
Casa Florida Miami
This popular Florida-inspired cocktail bar boasts signature millennial pink decor in a hybrid indoor/outdoor setting, inventive tropical cocktails, and Little Havana location, plus a must-try brunch every Saturday and Sunday.
Better Days
Sure, once upon a time, Better Days called itself a "pop-up" bar, but this laid-back watering hole has become a permanent go-to spot for the Brickell crowd serving up unique, handcrafted cocktails in a very un-Brickell-like setting.
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Blackbird Ordinary
From shooters to cocktails to punch bowls, drinks come in various sizes at Blackbird Ordinary. A dark interior combined with the indoor/outdoor space, live music, and throw-back hits creates an upbeat take on where to get one of the city's best-mixed drinks.
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Abi Maria Bar & Refuge
Kendall isn’t exactly known for its abundance of high-quality cocktail bars, but Abi Maria is trying to change that. This Downtown Dadeland bar boasts old-school Havana vibes, tropical cocktails named after towns in Cuba, and bites to help soak up all that rum.
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