Nomad - Miami, FL
Sunday Night in Miami & South Beach
The last two visits to Miami have always started with a stop at Broken Shaker and this time was no different. We started our night here, around 4 pm, with some cocktails and light snacks. I had this idea in my mind for the trip that since I was there to compete in the Fairtrade Flor De Cana Competition I was going to be good and not drink a lot. That didn’t fare too well. We started off with some tequila shots and a cocktail each before we walked down to Sweet Liberty, which was about a 15 minute walk. We walked to Sweet Liberty so I could check out the bar I was to be competing behind the next day and so we can enjoy that great bar. I hadn’t been there in a while so I wanted to get a lay of the land before trial by fire.
We ordered some beet pickled eggs, elote, mezcal shots, and a few beers to start off. Again, taking it easy was the mindset, but when in Miami. We stayed for an hour or so and then decided to head to The Sylvester to catch the end of the Hendrick’s Ramos Gin Fizz Competition. The decor was like a bed and breakfast lobby with abuela’s furniture throughout. The music was a four piece brass band that played light jazz. The event was a little scattered, but very entertaining. Whoever was MCing the event was hilarious and was cracking shots at the competitors the whole time. We stayed for a few Hendrick’s cocktails, got an embroidered lab coat that I had labeled “Dr Fizzical”, and then we headed to Beaker and Gray for some more food to help balance out the booze.
Beaker and Gray was three deep when we walked in and they were in their last 15 minutes of serving food. You never want to be those people who show up 15 minutes before last call on food and order 10 plates so we opted to head to Gramps down the road. Gramps is a lively dive bar with insanely good pizza and video games. After $20 in Time Crisis and a few slices of Za’ we headed out. The bartenders were so kind and had mutual friends with us so it was nice to connect with them. The next stop planned was The Corner, which was a bar with an inside bar and a window connecting to the patio through the bar where outside patrons could order. We headed there to visit my friends high school buddy who was working. We enjoyed a few pints and then headed to our final two stops of the night, Mama Tried and Swizzle Rum Bar.
We headed to Mama Tried, which is a best friends owned and operated neighborhood bar. The owners are all friends from different backgrounds who pitched in to start a bar that they could call home. They wanted a true neighborhood bar that represented more than one demographic. The owners are anywhere from bartenders to teacher to Dj’s to librarians. The decor is 1970’s inspired with pool tables and lounge style seating. The place reminded me of a bar back home that has since slipped my mind, but I remember the feeling was the same, comfortable and friendly. The vibe during happy hour is chill, yet the atmosphere at late night is exciting! Luckily we were there for late night!
We had enough in us for one more stop, and being that it was 3 am, it was believable. We headed to Swizzle Rum Bar & Drinkery, which is a rum focused cocktail bar with a speakeasy vibe, in an intimate setting offering up sophisticated craft cocktails and a selection of more than 150 rums. Being a spot that is open til 5 am means you get the most diverse group of customers coming throughout the night/morning. We happened to see quite the array of strange individuals, which made the experience that much more fun. It was time to call it quits for the night and head back to the AirBnB for what I thought to be bedtime, but turned into late night beach swims and hanging out until the sun came up. Miami is great for that though. It’s great for capturing you in a moment and giving you a truly immersive experience without making you think about future repercussions, like an early competition.
Monday Night in Miami & South Beach
A few hours of sleep, a triple shot of espresso, and a whole lot of liquid confidence is what I entered the competition with. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to scoop the W. After a nice defeat, at the hands of talented bartenders, I decided I needed some tequila and tacos to help me feel a bit better. We headed to Taquiza, a authentic Mexican restaurant on South Beach, featuring light bites and a great happy hour. After a solid two hour happy hour detour at Taquiza, we went a block down the road to Mac’s Club Deuce. Mac’s Club Deuce is a local staple to Miami with a unique horseshoe shaped bar and insanely cheap drinks (especially for Miami!). The bartender was one of the coolest dudes I’ve met behind a bar. He joined in on fun conversation, all while being very busy with two deep around the whole bar.
After a post happy hour nap and regaining some life again we headed to Better Days. They were celebrating a Halloween costume party and everyone, especially the staff was dressed up. There was a male Dora the Explorer, a female Guy Fawkes, and a set of catwomen who did not once break character. They were purring, crawling on counters and knocking over objects, and even cleaning themselves. You gotta appreciate that kind of dedication. We stayed here for quite a bit and met up with a new friend from the competition, who was also only in town for one more night. We figured we’d explore the city together and maybe make a new friend in the meantime.
We heard Baby Jane was right around the corner and had some bangin’ Ramen. Naturally, we had to try it, along with some house Sake, and great conversation. The decor at this bar was hilariously clever, with framed panties with words of “wisdom” on them. Many of them were themed from famous movies and television shows. Although, we didn’t get to too many bars the second day as the first we had enough time for one more bar stop. However, we were at the last bar for almost two hours because not only was the atmosphere very lively and chill at the same time, but the bartenders were amazing. The last bar and probably our favorite bar was Blackbird Ordinary. The hospitality scene in Miami is something! The bartenders talked with us for quite some time about work, what there’s to do around, and what their favorite bars were. We exchanged handles and are trying to coordinate a time when we can repay their hospitality when they come to Denver. We will be back to Miami soon and we will be hitting all the spots we didn’t get to, which we bet is probably long enough for two more trips!