Beer has been an obsession of mankind since the ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians made brew 7,000 years ago. We’ve evolved techniques since then, but the basic fundamentals remain the same. After all, in the most primitive of terms, beer is simply the byproduct of fermented grains. Although equipment and sanitation…
This year’s Miami Rum Renaissance Festival was bigger than ever. In its new home at the Miami Airport Convention Center at the Doubletree by Hilton, there was ample room for rum exhibitors, seminars, and even on outdoor cigar lounge where attendees could enjoy a spirited smoke. Tasting our way through…
Growing up in a Nicaraguan household, I was introduced to hard liquor by my dad’s bottle of Johnnie Walker Red. Nicas love hanging out with Johnnie. He’s a smooth cat who’s been the master of concocting aromatic amber spirits since the 1800s. At the tender age of 13, I became…
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…
Altanta-based SweetWater Brewing Company is bringing its craft beers to Miami. To expand its brand, SweetWater is putting the finishing touches on its newly expanded brewhouse, which quadruples the brewery’s capacity…
Miami Rum Renaissance Festival director Robert Burr is what you might call “rum obsessed.” The author of Examiner.com’s national rum page has about 900 bottles of rum in his private collection, hosts rum cruises on which fans can tour various distilleries at exotic ports of call, and is hosting an interactive…
As the mixology world grows increasingly complex, crafting concoctions can be intimidating, both for budding bartenders and at-home drinkers. Juniper sugar? Gelatin cubes? Bacon-infused bitters? Where in the world are you supposed to begin? But the dudes behind the über-prestigious Beverage Alcohol Resource (BAR) professional training program have the at-home…
When a new brewery makes its way to Miami, we’re super stoked. Hell, there are two or three on tap to open this year, and the city’s practically in a tizzy. Drinking anything cooked up in our own backyard is totes exciting, given the serious lack of local beers we’ve…
The fourth annual New Times Brew at the Zoo is creeping up on us as stealthily as a tiger.This 21-and over event, which allows you to sample over 100 beers on Saturday, May 4, from 7 to 11 p.m. at Zoo Miami, promises to be more fun than a barrel…
Our sister paper may have just hosted Beerfest, and you may have already gotten your fill of beer for a while. But where’s the fun in that? Brew at the Zoo is inching closer, and it’s about time you realize what you’ll miss if you skip this annual extravaganza. Do…
Serious beer drinkers might have a bit of a bias toward cans. After all, they tend to evoke memories of Natty Light, PBR, and long drunken days in college. But it’s a new day for brews, and cans are emerging as a viable vessel for some of the nation’s hottest…
In a market flooded with synthetic, sweet vodkas in flavors like Swedish fish, Fruit Loops, and yes, glazed doughnuts — a pure, natural one is a breath of fresh air. Hence the appeal of American Harvest, a new organic spirit by the makers of Grey Goose. The new vodka is…
The sixth season of Mad Men premieres this Sunday, April 7, at 9 p.m. on AMC, and already the spoilers are coming in from blogs and online magazines. We won’t share any of them, except to state the obvious — the two hour episode will have Don Draper, Roger Sterling,…
Beer is delicious on its own. But when infused with coffee grinds, citrus fruits and hell — even donut holes — it’s that much better. That’s why Dogfish Head’s Randall invention might be the best thing ever. A Randall is a ridiculously awesome filter system that runs beer through any…
Given Miami’s well-deserved reputation as a boozy city, it’s surprising we have so little on-site distillation of our own. But luckily, that’s changing — in part thanks to last year’s launch of the now award-winning Miami Club Rum. The newbie brand just took home the gold medal for best white…
Miami is world-famous for its party animals, but most people don’t usually think of tigers, monkeys, and gorillas. But they love a good time too. That’s why New Times’ Brew at the Zoo is such an awesome event. The fourth annual Brew at the Zoo will take place Saturday, May 4,…
It’s that time of the year where celebrate the big O, Miami. No, not that “Big O” — O, Miami, the Miami-Dade literary event produced by the University of Wynwood, that celebrates poetry with parties, salons, and exhibits.And, since most of history’s great poets were also great drinkers, BLT Steak Bar…
It’s the end of March in the Magic City, and a cold wind blows through SoFi’s close-knit neighborhood. Joe’s Stone Crab is typically full on a Tuesday night. Nikki Beach looks like a ghost club just three days after Winter Music Conference. And a week after hosting Skrillex and friends,…
Miamians sure do love their pets. On Lincoln Road, hundreds of pampered pooches (and an occasional cat, monkey, or iguana) can be seen wearing designer duds. There they are, strolling on rhinestone leashes (in some cases, maybe even diamonds) and having a snack at an outdoor café.Yet for every dog…
Friday is only a day away, and you and your co-workers are already trying to figure out where to celebrate the end of yet another workweek. The problem is finding a place that’s new and affordable. How about free — as in free drinks courtesy of Miami New Times? This…
Miami’s beer revolution is marching on, as another craft booze event is coming to town this fall. The Liquid Projects, the Miami Beach company that brought Beers, Bites and Babes to The Federal, plans to bring Craft: Spirits and Beer, A Tasting Event to Miami in October. The tasting event will…
The sun was setting and there was a chill in the air as we walked through the gates of Paradise Farms in Homestead. A sign reading “Welcome. Please No Meat or Cigarettes” greeted us as we meandered through a fragrant path filled with the sounds of birds, bees, and crickets…
