The United States was once filled with roadside tiki bars and dinner-show venues. There, your grandparents would dress up to watch fire dancers and hula girls while dining on crab rangoon and pupu platters and sipping drinks called the Jet Pilot and the Zombie. These days, only a handful of those places remain. South Florida is lucky to boast one of the most glorious examples. Perpetually lit tiki torches welcome thirsty travelers from far corners. Sure, the Mai-Kai offers a spectacular dinner show, but the real fun is at the Molokai Bar. Here, servers clad in bikini tops and sarongs serve classic tiki drinks. You'll find no foams, dry ice, or other trappings of molecular gastronomy here. Instead, you'll sip grogs, rum barrels, and Mai Tais the way they were meant to be enjoyed — from shrunken ceramic heads festooned with tiny paper umbrellas and maraschino cherries in an atomic shade of red. Go ahead and add your name to the lampshades that bear the monikers of thousands of people who came before you, and listen to the thunderous beat of the drums while the show goes on in the next room. Then venture out to the tiki garden for a selfie. It's a slice of Americana that's both fantastic and authentic at the same time. Hours are 5 to about 10 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 5 to about 11:30 p.m. Friday, 5 to about 11 p.m. Saturday, and 4 to about 10:30 p.m. Sunday. If guests want drinks after the show, the bar remains open until everyone leaves.

Readers' choice: GG's Waterfront

Oddly, for a city known as one of the party capitals of the world, it's pretty difficult to find good food after midnight in Miami — and it's damn near impossible to find grub in the wee hours of the morning. But the Corner has got your back. This small, comfortable speakeasy offers food until almost dawn. The menu is concise yet offers everything you need to sate your drunk ass at, say, 3 in the morning. From bar snacks like deviled eggs and pan con tomate ($4 each) to a classic BLT ($8), the food is exactly what your body craves after a few drinks. Be sure to get the smoky weenies ($5.50) — a crock of tiny hot dogs served with toothpicks. If your buzz begins to wear off, don't despair — the Corner slings drinks as long as it's open, so you can keep the party going into the next day. Hours are 4 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

Readers' choice: Coyo Taco

The Broken Shaker at the Freehand introduced Miami Beach to the concept of a hip bar housed inside a cool hostel. Now comes the next iteration of the bar-in-a-hostel series. Jim & Neesie, located inside the Generator, is a chill yet upscale space designed to resemble the living room of a fictional, chic European couple: Jim and Neesie. Brick walls and dangling lanterns set the scene for the bar's unique bottle cocktails. Each one arrives at the table already prepared and served at a precise 28 degrees Fahrenheit. The bartender then pours the drinks into glasses filled with one large ice cube. With a flourish, a garnish is added. A negroni supreme ($13), the classic drink of Italy, is made with raspberry-and-pistachio-infused gin and finished with a spritz of lavender, but the standout is the OMFG margarita ($13), made with a hint of fresh tangerine that adds a natural sweetness to the tart lime flavor. The bottled cocktails ensure your drink is perfect — much like the lives of our fictional besties who opened their home to entertain us. Hours are 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily; last serving is at midnight.

Readers' choice: Broken Shaker

Here's the deal: You want to hang with your friends, but you've got only a Hamilton to spare. Well, that ten-dollar Founding Father could get you a beer at most places, but take it to Barter during happy hour for a world of opportunities. From 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, beers are $3, bites are $4, and cocktails are $5, so let's get busy with some simple math: Ten bucks gets you two beers and a snack, a cocktail and a snack, three beers, two snacks, or two cocktails... You get it. The combinations seem endless. But here's where it gets better: What if you don't have any money at all? Scour your apartment for hidden treasures — the vintage camera from your uncle, your abuela's childhood doll that stares at you a little too creepily, the tiki mug you got in Hawaii. Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m., Barter will actually take your coolest vintage items as a trade if the bartenders think they're unique, but call ahead to confirm. That creepy doll just became your Saturday-night happy-hour bar tab. Barter is open daily from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. except Wednesday, when it closes at 1 a.m.

Readers' choice: Bodega Taqueria y Tequila

You're on your way to Miami International Airport and you're a bit tense. Already a nervous flier, you're filled with anxiety that's fueled by the huge hole in your sock and everyone is going to judge you when you take your shoes off at the TSA checkpoint. Don't freak out — take a breath and head to Beat Culture Brewery for a relaxing pint on your way to the airport. The brewery, just a few minutes from MIA, opens daily at 8 a.m., which means you have plenty of time to stop in for a hazy, juicy Social Club IPA ($5 to $7). Not hopping that jet to Barcelona after all? Why not try a flight of beer? Beat Culture's flights allow you to sample four short beers of the brewery's choosing ($11). After you're properly fueled up, you can face anything — from a transatlantic flight to gridlock on the Dolphin Expressway — with a smile. (But, of course, always drink responsibly.) Hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 8 a.m. to midnight Thursday through Saturday.

Readers' choice: Wynwood Brewing Company

Are you intimidated by wine? Would you like to expand your horizons beyond the boozy BOGO grape juice of the week? Well, how about being gently schooled by a level-three sommelier at a wine bar that's comfortable and welcoming? Now, what if that wine bar isn't in Paris (or even Brickell) but in Kendall? Vacillate opened last fall with the mission to help Miamians fall in love with good wine. The good stuff, by the way, doesn't mean you need to take out a second mortgage to drink some highfalutin hooch. Most of these wines are priced around $30 per bottle. If you want to explore, a flight of six wines costs just $11. Vacillate also offers tapas, beer, and live entertainment almost daily. Before you know it, you'll be saying words like "terroir" and "mouthfeel." See how easy (and cheap) it can be to get fancy? Hours are 4 p.m. to midnight Tuesday through Sunday.

There are days when you want to sip nitrogen cocktails with durian espuma under pulsating beats and colored lights, and then there are days when you simply want a good drink in a low-key, welcoming bar. Lost Boy returns sanity to drinking with its cool, no-nonsense vibe, brick walls, and tasteful decor. The drinks are solid classics with a bit of a twist. A penicillin ($13) is freshened up with ginger and orange blossom honey, a caipirinha ($13) gets spicy with a hit of sriracha, and an espresso martini is made mellow with a touch of CBD oil ($15). Can't decide? Order the My Idea! ($13) and your bartender will make you a bespoke cocktail. And don't miss half off drinks during happy hour from 4 to 8 p.m. The bar is open from noon to 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday; it opens earlier for soccer matches.

Readers' choice: Gramps

If you like your cocktails with a view, Watr's 18th-floor rooftop bar allows you to see nothing but the Atlantic Ocean for miles. It's also the home of a 30,000-square-foot infinity pool, so you are surrounded by crystal-blue magnificence. Of course, man cannot live on water alone, so indulge in one (or more) cocktails made with organic juices, such as the Pink Toucan, with hibiscus-infused rum, or a pineapple and mint caipirinha ($16 each). Purists can simply go for fresh coconut water, offered in the shell ($12, spiked for an additional $12). Hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. or later daily (depending upon the weather). Only hotel guests are allowed before 6 p.m. After 6, everyone aged 21 or older is allowed (kids accompanied by an adult can hang out from 6 to 9 p.m.).

Readers' choice: Broken Shaker

Aventura isn't exactly known for a bustling bar scene, but Soff's at the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa proves otherwise. Step inside the lobby bar, named for Aventura's visionary founder, Don Soffer, and lounge on low-slung chairs while sipping a craft cocktail ($16 and up). In addition to serving local beers and dark spirits, Soff's also offers an eclectic menu of drinks created by Cocktail Cartel, a team of Miami-based beverage consultants. Try the tequila-based Lady Marmalade, garnished with a spicy rim, and watermelon mules, which are available on tap. Visit the bar for a nightcap after dinner next door at Michael Mina's Bourbon Steak. Soff's is open from 11 a.m. to midnight daily.

It's a curious thing that Hector Acevedo is just one person. The bartender and Cocktail Cartel co-owner is seemingly in multiple places at once: mixing drinks at special events such as Amparo and the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, creating cocktail programs at some of Miami's best bars, and visiting Puerto Rico's top bars to promote the island's craft cocktail scene. You've probably sipped some of Acevedo's cocktails if you've been to La Placita in the MiMo District or Soff's at the JW Marriott Turnberry Resort. Now Acevedo is working on his own bars: Spanglish Cocktail Bar + Kitchen and Grails Sports Bar, both located in Wynwood. Spanglish will specialize in cocktails that nod to Miami's Latin culture, while Grails will pay tribute to the almighty sneaker. With all of those projects, Acevedo is a Miami talent to watch.