Fox's Sherron Inn took the best martini spot in our annual listing of everything good in our fair city for their well-priced martinis in a classic 1950s setting.
Miami has no alcohol shortage (in fact it's safe to say that there are more places to get a cocktail than there are mosquitoes in the Everglades), but that doesn't mean that every bar and lounge can make a swank martini. Though the standard martini is made with gin and vermouth, straight up, we've expanded out search to encompass any martini drink that would pass muster for James Bond. We now bring you our favorite Miami martinis...shaken, not stirred.
10. Doraku
Doraku's happy hour is legendary in South Beach. Each day from 5 to 7 p.m., Doraku's bar and outside tables fill up come rain or shine. Why so popular? Can you say $4 lychee martinis? That's right!Four bucks buys you a sweet, flowery martini, served chilled to near freezing. So satisfying, so right, this is one delicious deal in an otherwise expensive city.
This
South Beach techno lounge has got a martini for all you playahs in da
house that rank a cocktail by its price tag. The DiVine martini is a
classic dirty vodka martini with a caviar-stuffed olive. This drink will
cost you $40, which is around the price of a steak. But you'd much
rather be thin and fabulous, than eat. Right dahling?
If
you're deciding between dessert and a cocktail, then you must have the
key lime martini ($14) from Bourbon Steak in Aventura. This decadent
concoction is made with vanilla vodka, fresh squeezed lime, and a touch of cream. The rim
is lined with graham cracker crumbs to complete the picture. A great way
to have your cake and drink it too.
Talk
about a room with a view. The back bar at Smith & Wollensky
directly faces the Port of Miami's channel, where at any time of the day
you can watch cruise and cargo ships take up the entire vista. The gin
martinis are classic here ($14), the bartender making enough for at
least a glass and a half, leaving the small stainless steel shaker for
you to refill your icy glass at will. Order extra olives so you'll have
the correct ratio of martini-to-garnish, sit back, and pretend you're
late for boarding your round the world cruise. Ahhh...fantasies.
Wynwood
Kitchen & Bar takes its artsy neighborhood seriously with mural
covered walls both inside and outside. The bar may look hipster, but
the martinis are straight sophistication. These artistic cocktails, are
inspired by 21st century artists like Shepherd Fairey and Keny Scharf.
The Futura ($12) has our hearts and taste buds alight. A blend of
vanilla vodka, Grand Marnier, and fresh squeezed orange juice, this
martini tastes like a creamsicle with a distinct bite.
Yes,
we know Barton G. is all about the dry ice, large fruity boat drinks,
and showmanship. But allow them to make you an extra dirty Tanqueray
martini ($14) and they'll show you some mad bar skills. Your martini
comes in an extra large glass (some would call it an instant double),
garnished with three olives. Slightly cloudy to look at, slightly salty
to taste. Knock this one back and even that musical about the two witches
in Oz will seem amusing.
This
neighborhood joint may look like a place to grab a brew, but think
again, grasshopper. The bar manager is also a master mixologist who
trained his people in the art of the cocktail. A dirty gin martini is
stirred, not shaken (shaking can bruise the gin), with just the right
amount of vermouth. Poured into a frosted glass, and garnished with a
skewer of cornichon, pearl onion and olive ($12 - $14).
Sustain's bar manager Daniel Toral makes perfectly crafted cocktails, so it's almost a
shame to not let this bar master so his thing, but we're talking
martinis today. A classic gin martini ($12) with a twist arrives so cold one
wonders whether another nanosecond of chilling would turn the entire
drink to ice. The near-freezing gin is fragrant, herbal, and the lemon
twist gives the drink a hint of citrus. Simply a gorgeous drink.
Hakkasan at the Fontainebleau Hotel's bar
manager Camille Austin creates most of Hakkasan's complex martinis and
cocktail, so she has no one to blame but herself when people become
addicted to her outrageous drinks. We're obsessed with the red hot
passion martini. Made with Stoli white pomegranate, fresh green apple,
agave nectar, fresh lemon
juice and pomegranate juice, it's then garnished with a perfect slice of
starfruit
and fresh grated cinnamon. Gorgeous, delicious, and expensive. Kids,
this is one cocktail you do not want to make at home.
Named
one of the top ten hotel bars of the world by Details magazine, this
little gem is tucked away mid-lobby in Miami Beach's Raleigh Hotel. A note on the
menu catches your eye, "please allow your barkeep a minute or two to
craft your cocktail with the finest spirits and the freshest
ingredients" and truer words have never been spoken. This bar is so
retro, you wouldn't be shocked if Bogie and Bacall sat down and asked
you for a light. Though the Martini Bar has an extensive collection of
original creations, each named after a lovely lady, it would be a crime
to not order a classic martini, straight up, extra olives. Now sit back
and wait for your barkeep to make you the ultimate drink, as you kill
time with Betty Bacall.
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