Bar Lab

7. Gabriel Orta and Elad Zvi of Broken Shaker

A few years back, you could get a good cocktail or two in Miami, sure. But more than likely, you'd be served Margaritas made with a corn syrup-laden mix. Maybe you could get a decent martini, but you'd probably wind up with Red Bull and vodka in a plastic cup at a trendy hotel pool bar, instead. Ga ... More >>

The Broken Shaker: A Fresh Approach To Bar Food

What's better than handcrafted cocktails by the Bar Lab boys? Savory snacks that perfectly pair with the beverages and help to soak up the booze. Now, the Broken Shaker is serving up both with a rotating menu of small plates designed to complement the beloved cocktails. Short Order sat down with Gab ... More >>

Miami's Ten Best Bartenders

Anyone can get behind a bar and mix a drink. For that matter, anyone can walk into a kitchen and prepare a meal. After all, we've all cooked for ourselves at home, haven't we?But, bartenders, like chefs, have many different levels of expertise. While the person who pops your Budweiser can at a beach ... More >>

In the Mix

SoBeWFF's Garden to Glass: Hardworking Emeril, Herbology and Copious Cocktails

While the festival may have "wine" in its moniker, cocktails have a prominent place in the South Beach Wine and Food Festival (SoBeWFF), particularly this year. In fact, Miami's mixology scene has become so significant that Garden to Glass was born. The event, hosted at the lush Miami Beach Botanic ... More >>

Lee Brian Schrager's Favorite SoBeWFF 2013 Events

For more on the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, check out New Times' Taste guide, hitting newsstands Thursday, February 21. Unlike the Wizard of Oz, people who know the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival pay attention to the man behind the curtain -- Lee Brian Schrager. The fou ... More >>

Win Free Tickets to SoBeWFF's Sold-Out Garden to Glass Event

Whether you're broke, busy or just a major procrastinator -- time is running out if you're still hoping to score an in for the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. Luckily, Zignum Mezcal is giving away two free tickets to the hotly anticipated, sold-out Garden to Glass event -- so you could be one lu ... More >>

South Street Starts Happy Hour With Cocktails By the Bar Lab Boys

Tuesdays suck. Happy hour can make them better. If you're hankering for a cocktail or two estilo Broken Shaker, look no further for the same booze wisdom than South Street. The Design District's neo-soul food joint (a favorite of Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union), launch a weekly happy hour progr ... More >>

South Beach Wine & Food Festival 2013: The Five Best Events Under $100

The South Beach Wine and Food Festival is only a month away and tickets are already selling out. We know..we know. SoBe Fest is all lovely and all..and you'd love to hang out with Anthony Bourdain and Rachael Ray, but you don't have the money to invest in both Burger Bash and a car payment. We hear ... More >>

Miami Food Scene 2012: Top 12 Uppers and Downers

The Broken Shaker Opens

The Miami cocktail scene has just gotten a little more interesting with the opening of the permanent edition of the Broken Shaker. Read also:- Best Pop-Up Bar: Broken Shaker- Best Bartender: Gabriel OrtaBar Lab's Gabriel Orta and Elad Zvi opened Miami's first pop-up cocktail lounge last January. It ... More >>

Ten Restaurant and Gallery Pairings for Art Week

Art Week means countless guides, lists and must-sees for the weekend. The sheer amount of events and galleries can leave you overwhelmed and if you're not careful, on the couch confused and defeated. To help foodies make some decisions this weekend, we came up with yet another list that pairs what ... More >>

In South Street and Cooper Avenue, Miami's Hottest Restaurateur Embarks on His Most Ambitious Ventures

October 2012 Restaurant Openings and Closings

Open your windows, turn off your air conditioner and enjoy this glorious weather! It's fall in Miami and as the temperature cools off, the restaurant scene heats up!Already we're seeing restaurants come onto the scene in anticipation of the arrival of snowbirds flying south for the winter, tourists ... More >>

Lee Schrager on SoBeWFF, Mixology and Where He Eats in Miami: Hip and Hot, Part Two

One of the hottest things right now, according to Lee Schrager, is mixology -- the skill of blending cocktails with a focus on quality ingredients and innovative flavor combinations. "There's so much emphasis on cocktails right now," he says. To reflect what he calls the "big explosion of mixology, ... More >>

September 2012 Restaurant Openings and Closings

September is a transitional month for Miami. It's the time when tropical storms and hurricanes tend to be their most active (though we had one scare it luckily turned out to be a non-event), snow birds are still up north, and many folks (especially those in the biz) take a break or a quickie vacatio ... More >>

No Walk of Shame Required

South Beach Wine & Food Festival: 2013 Lineup Announced

The South Beach Wine & Food Festival has announced their 2013 lineup -- and it's going to be a hell of a party.The festival takes over South Beach February 21-24, 2013 with a mind-boggling array of parties, tastings, dinners -- even a concert with Ziggy Marley!

The Broken Shaker Taps Jeremiah Bullfrog To Create Spirited Food Menu

See also The Broken Shaker Returns.When the Broken Shaker opened in January 2012, partners Gabriel Orta and Elad Zvi found success in their humble space at the Indian Creek Hotel. Hordes of patrons and industry insiders flocked there for libations made with homegrown herbs and house- made bitters. T ... More >>

August 2012 Restaurant Openings and Closings

Though generally slow-moving, August in Miami saw a surprising amount of new growth in the restaurant biz.Many restaurants opened including Michelle Bernstein's Crumb at the Webster and the reemergence of pop-up favorite Eating House.Speaking of pop-ups, Dining Room closed its doors on Washington Av ... More >>

South Street Restaurant & Bar Moving Into Former Sra. Martinez Space

When Sra. Martinez bowed out of of the Design District back in July, we knew it wouldn't be long before the space would reopen with a new concept.Amir Ben-Zion, the man behind Gigi, Bardot, Cooper Avenue, and formerly Sra. Martinez, will be opening up South Street Restaurant & Bar, a Motown insp ... More >>

The Business of Pop-Ups: Bullfrog, Rapicavoli, and Meinhold Speak

The only thing consistent about pop-up restaurants in Miami is that they are the latest form of branding. They can be used to build a client base that will sustain a permanent space while others are done simply because you can't feed weird people weird food in a normal space. They may be done with ... More >>

Gabriel Orta and Tequila Don Julio: Easy Tequila Cocktails To Make at Home

The Broken Shaker Returns to Miami BeachBest Bartender 2012: Gabriel OrtaAs I walked into the W Hotel South Beach, I was greeted by a friendly gentleman who immediately whisked me to a suite on the 14th floor. Upon opening the door, I was pleased to find two amazing sights: a panoramic view of South ... More >>

The Broken Shaker Returns to Miami Beach

The Broken Shaker: First Pop-Up Cocktail Bar in Miami BeachBest Pop-up Bar 2012: The Broken ShakerBest Bartender 2012: Gabriel OrtaAt Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, The Broken Shaker's Gabriel Orta and Elad Zvi told us that The Broken Shaker would reopen this fall somewhere in Miami. We now h ... More >>

Sra. Martinez's Robert Montero Wins Marie Brizard Cocktail Challenge

Six of Miami's best bartenders met at Blackbird Ordinary for a little friendly competition at the Marie Brizard Cocktail Challenge semi-finals. Robert Montero (Sra. Martinez), Fraser Hamilton (Blackbird Ordinary), Mary Connoly (Meat Market & Bar Lab), Phillip Khanderhrish (The Setai), Paul Sau ... More >>

Five Local Bartenders Compete Tonight in Marie Brizard Cocktail Challenge

Five of Miami's top mixologists will compete tonight for the opportunity to shake their stuff at the annual Tales of the Cocktail in the Marie Brizard USA Cocktail Challenge Semifinals.The competition, which is free and open to the public, takes place tonight from 6 - 8 p.m. at Blackbird Ordinary. C ... More >>

The Broken Shaker's Last Call on May 24

It seems like only yesterday that Bar Lab's Elad Zvi and Gabriel Orta opened Miami Beach's first pop-up cocktail lounge, the Broken Shaker. The intent was to bring custom cocktails with designer ice, herbs from the patio garden, and fresh ingredients to show Miamians there is a vast world outside th ... More >>

Julio Cabrera of Sra. Martinez Wins Campari Aperitivo Cocktail Competition at The Corner (Photos)

Last night, the Corner brought together some of Miami's best bartenders, er, mixologists for the first-ever Campari Best Aperitivo Cocktail Competition. Hosted by the United States Bartenders' Guild, the event had the cocktail creators come up with their own unique take on the classic apéritif. Our ... More >>

Mix It Up Mixology Challenge at The Broken Shaker Crowns Last Year's Winner

​About 35 guests gathered at The Broken Shaker last night to watch as ten Miami bartenders competed in the 2012 Mix It Up Mixology Challenge. This competition weeds out nine other bartenders and sends the winner to compete nationally in New York.After a rather long introductory spiel, the bartende ... More >>

Custom Cocktailing in the W Hotel's Living Room

​The Living Room at SoBe's W Hotel claims to offer any patron the cocktail of their dreams courtesy of a team of mixologists who are dedicated to making your evening of alcohol consumption a personalized experience. Named as one of Food & Wine Magazine's "50 Best Bars in America," the beverage ... More >>

The Broken Shaker: First Pop-Up Cocktail Bar in Miami Beach

​Bar Lab is at it again, this time planning to open Miami Beach's first cocktail pop-up bar. The Broken Shaker is set to open in about three weeks at the Indian Creek Hotel on Collins Avenue at 28th Street -- for only six months. We spoke with Bar Lab's Gabriel Orta, who didn't want to let th ... More >>

Wrap Up: Miami's Hottest Mixologists Shake Things Up at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans

​Hardcore partiers and upscale drinkers- did you notice your favorite mixologists missing in action this past week? Were they kidnapped by aliens or even worse, migrate to other cities? No and no. Dont worry, we've got your answer!Miami's top mixologists hit up took over the city of New Orleans fo ... More >>

Svedka Vodka Bash at STK Miami Recap

Lavender Lady​It's always a wonder when the city's top mixologists get together under one roof. But wait, don't call them mixologists...they still want to be called bartenders. Call them what you like, some of Miami's finest vodka slingers played front and center in Svedka's Annual Vodka Co ... More >>

Morton's Sparkling Sleigh Ride Crashes & Burns

Morton's Sparkling Sleigh Ride​Miami is quickly developing its own cocktail culture. There are bar chefs at the W South Beach (Elad Zvi and Gabriel Orta from Bar Lab), Mercadito Midtown (Paul Tanguay and Paul Carducci from Tippling Bros.) Club 50 at the Viceroy (David Ortiz and Julio Cabrer ... More >>

Short Order Award winners

Gran Sierpe Pisco Punch Recipe

Photo courtesy of Artisan Brands​In keeping with our quest to help quench the desperate thirsts of a sun-soaked Miami populace, we drunkenly -- I mean proudly present this recipe for a sprightly pisco punch. Pisco is a 300-year-old spirit distilled from grapes and hailed as a national drink in Chi ... More >>

W South Beach: New fenom Punch with Absinthe

Jacob KatelGet punch drunk.​The W South Beach's Living Room bar has a new bottle on the menu. It's called fenom, and it's a modern day absinthe bottled and distilled in France. The traditional form of the liquor is green, wormwood, highly alcoholic, and reputed to have hallucinogenic properties. F ... More >>