A few trends were readily apparent, from the abundance of rum — oftentimes served on the rocks — to en vogue sustainability. This year, Bacardi and Ilegal Mezcal opted for metal or paper straws and reusable cups to reduce waste. Bacardi even garnished its Cuatro Sunset Swizzle — a punch-style cocktail made with lychee ice cream and pineapple, lime, and grapefruit juices — with an edible flower.
Of all the choices, a few brands stood out from the rest. Here are some of the notable cocktails from this year’s Drink Miami Hostel.
1. Ron Diplomático's Island Retreat. Bartenders Gabe Benavides and Ben Potts served drinks in Ron Diplomático’s tropical-island-themed room. "We're an island off the coast of Venezuela getting fucked up," Benavides proclaimed as he mixed the room's signature cocktail, a bright-orange rum-based cocktail that’s two parts coconut water, one part cinnamon, and a dash of chocolate bitters. "Suntan lotion, rum, coconuts, people, sun, sweat," Benavides continued. "Paragliding!" All of the guests in the room agreed: It was the best room, due in no small part to Benavides’ exuberance.
2. Ilegal Mezcal's Sustainable Vibes. At Ilegal Mezcal, guests could vibe in a room bathed in a dark glow while a singer crooned soft, sexy tunes in the corner. And it was guilt-free: Everything, from the coconut cups to the metal straws, was recycled.
3. Scotch & Soda's Fashionable
4. Absolut Elyx, Avion, and Glenlivet Founder's Reserve Matador Bar Pop-Up. The bar had three cocktails on the menu: the Copper Cup, made with Absolut Elyx vodka, lemon, ginger, hibiscus, and elderflower; the Albero, a bright-pink tequila-based drink with passionfruit, yellow Chartreuse, and lemon; and a summer punch made with a special blend of Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve (developed in collaboration with the bar), lemon, honey, Angostura bitters, and freshly grated nutmeg.
5. Leblon's Cachaça Party. At Leblon’s electric-green table, brand ambassador specialist Samantha Barton mixed up caipirinhas, Brazil’s national drink, with a very knowledgeable smile. Cachaça is made from pressed and pulverized sugarcane. This process gives cachaça a funky, almost peppery and smoky flavor like mezcal. And there’s not much of it in the world: To truly be considered cachaça, it must be distilled in Brazil from Brazilian sugarcane.
